Yee Haw, Party On.

The snow drenched wind blows sideways this morning, tossing  a pair of balloons into the bare branches of a neighboring tree.  But the late winter cold doesn't keep away seven six year olds from celebrating Eleanor's birthday with pizza, brownies, stickers, markers, and noise.  For our merry band of Kindergartners the fun is simple, amazingly calm, and lots of fun.  Little snow boot clad feet tromp out the front door with balloons in hand by noon. All in all, everything is delightfully laid back. 

It is hard to believe my girls are now ages I remember being.  Watching Rynn skip off to a slumber party tonight with ELEVEN other 2nd Grade girls (I know, pray for that mom- crazy), my own memories of hating those things come flooding back.  I remember spending one third grade night so desperate for sleep that I hid in a bathtub while I became the object of much merriment (and mockery) by the other late night revelers.   Coolness, it has always somehow eluded me!

Happy Birthday Eleanor!

 Watch out...turning SIX is

CRAZY!!!

Grandparents, aunties,  uncles, and others who continue to indulge me in posting pictures of my children....more birthday pics to come when Round #2 of party time arrives on Saturday.

And for some birthday nostalgia...

2010 (see last post)

2009-2005

Happy Birthday Rynn!

Eight years!

Where has the time gone?

 Birthdays Gone By...

2010

2009-2003

The Slackline

Friends,

meet

The Slackline.

It is Jason's new toy bought with the last of his Christmas credit at REI.

He set up his own tightrope in our front yard.

Fun for the whole fam.

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago. 

 We now have considerably less snow and,  I'm happy to report, Jason can walk all the way across without falling. 

We are having balancing on one foot contests in the kitchen.

Jason is thinking of growing out his hair and saying things like, "DUUUDE."

 As long as this slackline is not strung between buildings or bridges.  

Maybe just some palm trees in Mexico...

Jane Eyre

Last week I saw the preview for the new movie Jane Eyre starring Mia Wasikowska (from Johnny Depp's 2010 Alice in Wonderland).  It sparked my interest enough to stop by the library and grab the most recent Penguin Classic edition of Charlotte Bronte's novel.  The new Penguin cover not only caught my eye but the eyes of my children and strangers alike (more than one person stopped to ask "what book is that?").    Little did I know I would be so absorbed in the story!   I feel a kinship with Jane Eyre as one who is small in stature but large in the intensity of emotional response to life.  Sometimes we little people need to make up for always looking up at the world.  The mystery, the dreams, the haunted manor, the dark mysterious man with secrets who captures her heart all keep me riveted.  A love inspired by not mere outward beauty- but by those inner gifts of mind, intellect, heart, and spirit- rules the pages of this novel.  The language is powerful, mysterious, emotional, and in a 19 c. sort of way...sexy.  But wait, before you dismiss Jane Eyre as mere female brain candy with a big vocabulary (ie. a quaint version of the Twilight series) consider the internal struggles of conscience the characters face as they wrestle demons without and within.   I am tempted here to wax on about how the Transcendentalist or the Romantic/Gothic movement in literature affect Jane's development of character, but I'll spare you.  There are plenty of articles and reviews to be found if those things interest you.

I wonder if the movie will be able to capture the depth of the characters, the Gothic darkness of the story and the landscape, or the passion of the romance.   In this case I'd recommend... "READ THE BOOK FIRST."

Little Girls in the Big City

Sometimes, as my Uncle Billy says, "you just got to get on that train and RIIIIDE."

Not bad advice.

 We rode the 'L' from our neighborhood to downtown this afternoon, making stops along the way for spirits and treats, with no other agenda than being together and exploring the city.

We saw a mobile homemade bike powered puppet show... 

and ate blue and pink cookies at Intelligentsia Coffee.

Photos are IPhone quality, but you get the idea.

Rynn's favorite part of the adventure?

when the Red Line goes underground

Eleanor's favorite part?

the "Reeaaaaallllllly tall buildings"

Gross moment of the day?

Eleanor licking the handholds on the L train 

Nasty. 

Yummy moment of the day?

Sweet potato fries and a local microbrew from a great restaurant on Devon called Uncommon Ground


And on another note.  Today the temps climbed above the freezing mark to a balmy 35 degrees.  I felt like pulling out my shorts!   I'd like to point out that this winter has been Chicago's coldest winter in 27 years.  Don't believe me?  Consider Chicago's meteorologist Tom Skilling's report.
 (I know, you are all getting a bit bored with me talking about the weather.  This is IT.  I promise!)
"The meteorological winter season has been a long one to date--with more than twice the normal snowfall (53.4 inches vs. 23.3 inches), the fewest above-freezing days of the 141 winters on record (12 vs. the average to date of 41), and the greatest late season snow cover (17 inches) since 1979.

The Edge of the Earth

It takes a little work to find elevation in Illinois.

But, for those who persevere...

it can be found.

On Saturday afternoon we drove thirty minutes North to Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve.  The site of an old fort built to keep the peace during labor riots in 1880s Chicago, the Preserve is one of the last remaining open prairies and bluffs along the Illinois coastline of Lake Michigan.  The view is stunning, especially with the icebergs floating in the lake and the fresh snow from the blizzard.






Having lived my entire life in places with hills I sometimes feel strange living in such a flat place as Illinois.  It is wonderful to have the sense of elevation, to be above the trees, and to enjoy a breathtaking view of the lake.  The sledding is too steep for the girls but provides plenty of adrenaline to satisfy Jason for a few days.  I can't wait to return with a kite and a bottle of wine for a summer picnic on the bluff.  Ahh...summer.  Sigh.

In Sunday School yesterday we talked about how God's love for us is so great that the Scriptures say that He "dances over us with His love."  I love that image.  Deep joy.  Deep celebration.  Deep love. This is who we are in the image of the One who made us and in whose grace we live.  

Think on that one today.