Fathers, family, and fun

We absolutely love to celebrate with our family and have been fortunate  not only to have many family members nearby, but also in that they are often ready and willing to come to our house for special occassions (because let's face it, it's easier to enjoy yourself with you toddler in his own environment).  Fathers' Day was different only in that we were lucky enough to add a couple of family members from farther away, my uncle Smokey from up north and cousin Abby from California, an increase in numbers that only greatly added to the evenings enjoyment.  Opa played with Calvin, us girls tried out Guitar Hero, and my uncle Jack made good friends with our cat Cookie.  We played some of our favorite music, a collection of folk and rock from days gone by, including some Beatles for Oma, and looked through the photo albums of our childhood years as a way to include the dads in our lives who could not be with us.  We grilled sausages and veggie burgers (for Aunt Ann and Oma), served with tabouleh and asparagus, and finished off with fresh strawberry shortcake.  Mostly we just had a great time sharing jokes, anecdotes, and memories, because that's what families are for, and that's why we love have them surround us whenever we can.  And we'd like to thank our families for being willing to share their holidays with us, for the wonderful foods they bring to share along with their laughter and fun, and for all the ways they make our special celebrations so much brighter.

We hope everyone had a wonderful fathers' day!

Another weekend another race

A 5k at 6pm in 86 degree heat on Saturday.  I walked a good portion of it and it took me 29 minutes to finish, but there was a free dinner, beer included, at the finish line!  This was the first race Calvin came to see, and we had a great time.  After I ran, that is.

Happy Fathers' Day

Celebrating fathers everywhere, in all their amazing roles.

A cow in an elevator

I don't know about the rest of you, but I distinctly remember that old high school legend about the senior pranksters who walked a cow up the school stairs and stranded her on the second floor, since cows, as everyone knows, can walk up stairs but not down.  That school must not have had an elevator. 

Our fantastic library has a fantastic summer program every year that brings in events of all kinds to amuse and enrich the kiddos during their summer hiatus from school.  Last year we did everything from enjoy bedtime stories to meet cockroaches (the enormous hissing kind).  This year the library is in a new location with a grand indoor presentation room complete with a stage, and many of the events that took place, regardless of heat or rain, under a tent in their old front yard last summer will now be brought indoors into the relative consistency of air conditioned comfort.  I should not have been surprised, then, to attend today's "Farmyard at the library" activity and find it inside in that grand presentation room.  Besides, that is, the fact that farmyard implies to me an outdoor space complete with grass and mud and any of the various weather elements that see fit to arrive.  This farmyard, however, referred to large (and I do mean large, thankfully) mats covered in hay and a large backdrop painted to look like, well, a farm yard.  While it rained outside we sat comfortably inside and enjoyed, if not the actual sights, the wonderful sounds and smells of a real farm:  The mooing calf, the grunting piglet, the quiet lamb, and the goat that kept trying to eat the large mats.  Farmer John was a really talented presenter and had most of the adults in stitches and most of the kids in awe.  And, since the great indoor presentation room is down a flight of stairs, I just couldn't help thinking of that old high school legend as I watched Farmer John coax his calf into the elevator.  Twice.

An artist at work