Sears Tower Skydeck

Chicago...

from the 2nd highest building in the world

Some Chicago style deep dish pizza

Champoo and Ham

Jason and the girls heading toward the Art Institute

Ham's Here!

For the first time since he moved to Thailand almost three years ago my brother Hamilton is back stateside.  My girls are celebrating by playing pirate in the backyard.

Ahoy, mate.

 And with him came his precious girlfriend Chompoo for her first visit to the United States.

How do we celebrate our balmy 50 degree weather and our Thai guests?

A front yard picnic and some slack lining...

Tulum, Mexico

Two days ago I was here...

watching the sun rise over the Caribbean

and drinking coconut water straight from the coconut

with this boy that I love.

We thought a decade of marriage deserved a little celebration....

somewhere warm.

We ate mangos for breakfast, avocados for lunch, ceviche for dinner,

Mojitos for snack and Margaritas for dessert.

We swam in cenotes (pronounced SIN-OH-TAE) which are freshwater swimming holes connected by a labyrinth of underground rivers.

And when we got tired of just chillin'...

we took some tightrope walks to liven things up.

But, mostly, we just stared at the ocean, talked, walked, and wiggled our toes in the sand. 

As they say in Mexico,

Tulum es un paraíso. 

We owe much thanks to my mom for keeping our girls for the week.  Thank you Nana!

More Pics of Tulum 

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