Take Me out to the Ball Game

Mason wanted to have a whiffle ball birthday party, and yesterday was the big game! We had 18 friends show up on the most perfect of fall days for a fun game with a side of sunflower seeds and wads of Big League Chew.

{Getting things set up for the game.}

{You can’t play a proper game of ball without the necessary supplies. Gum, seeds, and jerseys for all!}

{Cubs cupcakes for dessert, of course!}

{It’s no secret that Mason is a Cubs super fan. So when faced with the decision of team names for the game, the choice was easy. Cubs vs. Cubs. The teams were completely randomized, and though Mason’s team lost by one in a game-ending double play, all of the kids had a great time!}

{Mason scored some great loot as gifts, and now has enough gift cards to keep him busy for weeks to come!}
And now Mason is officially done with birthday celebrations until next time around.

She got it!

With only a handful of park-worthy days left in the season, Camryn decided today was going to be the day she conquered the monkey bars. In a tuille skirt and fancy shoes, nonetheless.

Upon reaching the other side, she parted with these motivational words: If you try it, you can do it. So I tried it, and I did it!
Proud of my little girl for giving this a shot. And even more proud of her for listening to me when I told her she should stop before she gets blisters. Practicality prevails!

Playing Hooky

One of the unfinished tasks on the kids’ summer bucket list was a trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. So when the school schedule was posted, and I saw that a free day at the museum coincided with a half day at school my mom and I made the executive decision to pull them for the day and head downtown. And because all of the Chicago schools were back in session, we had the entire museum to ourselves!

{Storms and weather fascinate Mason, so it was no surprise that he spent the majority of his time creating tsunamis, withstanding hurricane winds, watching avalanches, and forming his own miniature tornadoes.}

{Camryn loved having the opportunity to play with light and colors. Her favorite colors were pink and purple. No surprise there.}

{My mom treated us to the Pixar exhibit where we learned about the science, art, and math that goes in to all of our favorite films. It was amazing! Jacob--the one whose brain is wired for engineering--took special interest in all of the displays where he could work to create some of the behind-the-scenes programming. Maybe a future movie creator?}

{Mason, who is my creative kiddo, loved manipulating the lighting, cartoons, and objects on the different storyboards. I couldn’t even wrap my brain around all of the thought and effort that goes in to creating these films. Hats off to all of those creative and brilliant folks who do this for a living!}
After a quick lunch break, we headed upstairs to explore transportation, science, and the body.

{For whatever reason, the kids always love to hang out in the United airplane that is suspended from the ceiling. Probably because they don’t have to commit to actually sitting in an airplane for several hours and refrain from kicking the seat back in front of them...}

{We sat in on a presentation about Tesla. The inventor, not the car. Jacob was selected as a volunteer to show how he could pass electricity from his wand into a very large circle of energy on the ceiling. The noise this process made was incredibly loud. Got everyone’s attention!}
We finished up the second floor of the museum with a trip through the human body. The kids ran on a giant hamster wheel, watched their hearts beat in real-time, and talked about emotions. And when Mason big time pinched his finger on a junk food display, the several models of the human body around the corner were there to take his his mind off the pain. Because wieners and butts.

{We ended our day with several laps through this mirror maze. It was not easy (even after we learned to use the fingerprints on the mirrors as our directional clues.) And it ended with a bang. Literally. When Camryn went full steam ahead into a mirror panel just to the right of the exit. Thiiiiiiiissssssss close to victory.}
So glad that we spent the day learning in an unconventional way!

Young love.

School has started. New friendships have been established. And in the not-so-secret words of Camryn, "I’m in loooooove with Alex." So I wasn’t surprised when she cleverly planned a trip to the neighborhood park, which, conveniently, backs up to Alex’s house. Camryn memorized his house location after several kindergarten bus trips. Crazy girl in training? Maybe. Anyways, we headed to the park on Tuesday, and she boldly went up to his door to see if he wanted to join us at the park. It took no time for that kid to throw on shoes, sneak out his back door, and race us to the monkey bars! The two chased butterflies, played hide-and-seek and raced each other around the park. They had a great time and are already plotting their next outing.

I snapped this top secret photo without them knowing. Sneaky. Because what if someday we need this documented for a wedding slide show? Always the photojournalist, I am...
P.S. Perspective is everything. Alex is not, in fact, four feet taller than Cam.

Five Point Five

Today is Camryn’s half birthday, and to celebrate she got pooped on by a bird this morning.

I told her it’s good luck. I mean, what are the odds?

Peace out, Summa.

Our summer went out with a bang as we took an overnight trip with friends to Milwaukee to catch the Cubs game, and then some...
First stop: Checking out the Summer Fest venue which was alive with local bands, games for the kids, and this hands-on fire fighting experience where the kids got to knock down cones with a fire hose that was attached to a hydrant. Lots of force shooting out!



On Monday we caught a game at the place Cubs fans have termed Wrigley Field North. And though we didn’t walk away with a win, the kids all had a great time checking out the kiddie activities around the ball field before we settled in to our seats with no less than 40,000 other Cubs fans!

{There were pitching and hitting challenges for the kids to try.}

{Here, the boys (and Caleb) raced their sausages. (That sounds weird...)}

{Camryn made a sign to hold up during the game. And found this sausage statue to pose with.}

{Our seats were great. And, because it was a rainy day, the dome was closed. The kids loved it, and I will never complain about being in a climate controlled environment!}

{Camryn cheering on the Cubs after Rizzo hit one out!}

{And Mason wearing his rally cap in the 8th trying to get the Cubs’ mojo working!}

{And this double rainbow for the win on the way home!}
So long, summer. Catch you next time around.