This and that

We had a great week doing a little of this, and a little of that.  Pictures below.

Overheard on the way home from Fort Sheridan beach...they're starting to have little conversations:)

L:  Claire, do you want to collect something?
C: Yea!
L: What do you want to collect?
C: Rocks!  Little rocks!
L:  Ok then, Claire, you can collect rocks and put them in your drawer.

Isolene found this "friend" on Luke!  Good thing the kid likes to have his hair petted (like his Momma) or we may not have found this guy before he latched on!

Playdate with preschool friend Ethan

Claire likes to ride her "super bike" but she doesn't pedal so well, so we have this jump rope pull contraption when we go on walks.  It doesn't work very well with turns.

Helping Dad with wood chips

A visit to the Botanic Gardens for one of my favorite times of year there - peony time!

Helping me plant flowers in her little cabin's flower boxes

Swimming!

Getting warm on the stones

Taking Spumoni to Fort Sheridan beach

He loved it!

A little boy's dream beach.  Huge rocks to climb on and as many skipping rocks as you can possibly ever need.  Luke insisted on wearing long pants and long sleeves (he gets cold easily), which we thought was a poor choice on the warm day until all of us kept getting bit my horse flies and Luke was just fine.  

The water looked so beautiful.

Peonies in Donna & Emil's next door neighbor's yard.

They say they don't mind if we snip a few, so I did!

Luke & Mom walking to the park near D&E's house

I took this picture right before he jumped down from this really high platform and hurt himself.  

Walking back from the park through the ravine, so pretty.

Having fun in G&G's creek in their backyard

Meanwhile, too cool for school

Making cut-out dog bones for Spumoni

I've had this mix for Spumoni's whole life, I think, and never made them.  That ended today!  

Luke started baseball last week and it is soon cute!  

They do T-ball and slow pitch when teaching the fundamentals

So far Luke likes to sit down for a good portion of it, especially the out fielding.   A rite of passage I guess!

Love my peonies:)

Last ballet class of the session.

Luke was out of school so he got to come, too!

She's done with the Mommy & Me classes now - next session she'll be all by herself with no caregiver.  She's growing up so fast!

Garage fishin'

Since Matt's basement man cave was taken over by the kids, he set another one up in the back garage.  He watched the NBA finals and hockey championship games back there.  

Strawberries in our garden are ripe and ready for pickin'

Settling in to watch the game

With his trusty friend...since I don't watch!

Claire is really starting to get into dressing up in all the princess dress up stuff Mom and Dad gave her.

She wears these princess shoes and holds her wand almost non-stop