Farmers Market

About half way through the summer, the girls and I started a tradition of going to a farmers market to stock up on veggies every Monday morning after our morning lessons.  My mom always had a garden growing up and I love eating zucchini fixed 100 ways and lots of garden tomatoes all summer, but I don't have my own garden. Years like this when people tell me they didn't get much anyway, I am kind of glad that I don't go to the trouble.  My sister gets a CSA delivered every weel (box of locally grown veggies).  It is great because it forces you to eat a LOT of veggies, but she is always googling recipes that call for two kohlrabi and an eggplant and a beet.  There are pop up markets all over our area, mostly on Saturday, but I like this permanent one because I can go anytime and not fight the Saturday crowds. They have this big chair:

The best was in August when the peaches came in.  Each and every peach was perfect.  I must have eaten over a hundred peaches this summer.

The bounty:

Justin Bieber Hair

The other night PK2 came into our room pretty late at night with some hang-nail related problem.  She was half asleep. PD and I started laughing and making fun of her because her hair was so funny.  I think I had put her to bed with wet hair and we decided she had Justin Bieber Hair.  I made PD go get the camera.  She did not want her picture taken... but it was happening.

more:

For the record, I am not the type to let my kids create their own bedtime.  8 or 8:30 rolls around and they are lights-out, door-closed in bed.  But on the occasion that they pop back up with a question, complaint or cry of outrage, here is what we say.  PD might get home at 9 and say, "I thought they were in bed!"  My response, "It didn't take." Lately the main reason it "doesn't take" is that the girls are very into having ice water.  You have to get as much ice as you can physically cram into a little plastic princess cup and then fill in the crevices with water.  Never mind the insane amounts of condensation that oozes all over their IKEA nightstands and onto my childhood copy of Caddie Woodlawn.  They have been known to emerge from bed saying "but my ice all melted." Ridiculous...but I find myself softening as a mother.  When they were toddlers, I was hard core.  But now, they are just such good kids that if having nine ice cubes makes them happy, I am happy to have PD run downstairs and fill those cups right back up.

Theater Camp

The girls attended a theater camp this summer. The week got off to a rocky start when PK1 threw up in the back of our friend's van on the way to camp on the first day. Because she missed the first day, she was only assigned the tiniest part, but she rebounded quickly and was back the second day, glad to be able to still take part.

One of her best friends, the girl on the right, was the lead and she was excellent!

Here are the PKs.  They played bratty sisters in the play!

The whole cast:

Gram and Papa came to see their debut:

And here they are afterwards with a big treat:

Which, I have to tell you, PK1 threw back up a few hours later.  JUST in time to ruin my anniversary date. That child has impeccable timing.

The Governor's Mansion

We were invited to a little senior staff picnic at the Governor's Residence this summer.  When we arrived PD got immediately taken into a private room for a meeting, but we still had a very nice time.

They had fun stuff for the kids. Like a bounce house:

And snow cones:

Eventually PD joined us again and PK1 took this picture of us:

And PD took one of me with the girls:

A Midsummer Night's Dream

We were back in Schiller Park in late July for another theater experience.  This time in the evening and this time it was Shakespeare! PK1 likes Shakespeare quite a bit and this time the play was A Midsummer Nights Dream.  I never loved that play until studying it last year with PK1.  She really sold me on it and she brought her favorite book about it.

They used puppets for the fairies instead of actors. It sounded weird at first, but the puppets were pretty cool. And a friend of ours played Peas Blossom (the green one), one of the puppet/fairies.

The best part, besides the insanely good weather and all the snacks PD kept buying us, was listening to PK1 laugh at all the right parts. I LOVE that kid.  She almost wet her pants because she didn't want to miss a second of the show to go to the bathroom.

The whole family.  Of course, I am in that same shirt again. It is a really great shirt because it is light and summery, but keeps you a little covered up on a cool night.

PD has a birthday...

Gram and Papa kindly hosted us for PD's birthday this year.  We went to a great little restaurant called The Liberty Tavern:

PD ordered this:

Restaurant buddies:

About a month ago, I went out and bought PD a TON of ties and shirts and dress socks.  Then I made both Gigi and Gram reimburse me for some of it for PD's birthday. He goes through so many ties and shirts these days. So PD got a lot of these:

Yellow cake with chocolate frosting = PD's favorite. It was a really fun night.  I have the best family ever!

July 4th

This 4th of July we did not walk in any parades...and for that we are truely thankful.  We did meet up with our usual political friends for a big cook out.  Here are the kids, many wet from water fights:

Here is a picture of just the girls.  They were cooperating for the picture a little bit better.  The oldest girl babysits for the girls sometimes when the grandparents are not available. She is homeschooled as well, so sometimes she helps me out if I need a sitter during the day.  She is great and the girls love her.

Patriotic PKs:

Waiting for the fireworks:

When you have ten year old boys, you have smoke bombs:

 And the rockets red glare:

Signing the Budget

The first of July was a huge deadline at work for PD and his team. They have been working tirelessly on a two year budget.  It was finally done and passed both houses. Here they are the day of the signing.  They all have their suit coats off for a joke...something about "rolling up your sleeves and getting to work." I think it ruins the picture, but whatever.

Here is the whole team.  PD's mancretary is the one on the far left.

PD texted me this picture earlier that day.  The legal team had to go over the whole budget before it could be signed.  That is a lot of papers! That is insane!

I met PD at the statehouse to watch the signing, but I missed it because I had to get the babysitter and they kept changing the time. I was running through the corridors with my high heals in my hands.  I did take this picture of PD in the Cabinet Room.

And here is a picture from a newspaper of the signing:

And here is when the governor called PD up to help sign:

After the signing someone hosted a Rockin Fiscal New Year party...everyone was congratulating PD.  Funny story from the party... I never know what to wear to these parties.  Some people had gone home to change, some had on work clothes.  I wore a dress because I thought I was going to the signing at the statehouse.  This state senator thought I looked over-dressed and asked me if I had just come from work.  Not wanting to over-explain the wardrobe conundrums of a home school mom, I just said, "um... yes."
PD ushered me away from him quickly before my web of lies got any more complicated. But I HAD just come from work!

Here is a video of the signing. PD appears at minute 2:15:

My Cousin Got Married in South Bend

What a fun weekend we had in South Bend, Indiana to see my cousin get married. He is probably my closest cousin, sandwiched right between me and Chicago Sister in age. Chicago Sister and I did a funny little toast for him.  We love his new wife...she is nice, down to earth and really fun!

















We arrived at the hotel where the girls were given a hot cookie by a bellhop that looked and acted exactly like Pee Wee Herman.

My dad's entire side of the family was there and it was a great family reunion.  My girls played and swam with their cousins a lot between the festivities.

Grandad's specialty: throwing the kids around in the pool.

Sitting in their own booth and eating their weight in pancakes:

BIG comfy bed:

All dressed up:

Our family:

The sisters:

Us with the groom:

Grandad's other specialty:

 They will be the next bride and groom!

PD and PK1:

Unbelievable, look who caught the bouquet!

The Triumvirate is complete, the tribe has spoken.  We covered all the bases.
One Big Politics, One Big Finance and One Big Computers.
All nice guys we don't really deserve.

Late night visit from Grandad: