Latergrams: in which Fall Turns Wintry and Thanksgiving Things Happen

@katij42 hit the nail on the head with the perfect gift for Ellis. Newsies + coloring = Newsies coloring book, i.e. two major obsessions in one! She made it by taking google images and editing them in Picasa with (I think) the Pencil Sketch filter. AND, I will add that she also changed my life with the idea (from someone else's counselor) to fix my relationship with Ellis by sitting down to color WITH him every day for at least five minutes. We get calm, happy time together every day, which is huge for our relationship. He is talking to me! And not arguing!#parentingstuff #coloringbook #longestcaptionever

Love living by a big university for things like this!#kidsfare #chamberorchestra #northwestern #mydates

Instrument "petting zoo!" #chicagonorthshore#kidfriendly #inspired

Getting an early start on the day's work of reading the school directory. He started last night and couldn't put it down at dinner time! #backatit #peopleguy#thebestbooks

Not ready, actually. #snowthankyou #takeitback#pleasenotyet

Rebels scheming to overthrow the four square alliance.#seriously #boydrama #thethingsyouseeonrecessduty

Happy Sam.  His guys are all lined up, so he can relax with a good book.

Loving the crafts that come home from Kindergarten.  Squirreles can use it's tale to sleep.  

Night at the museum. #happyanniversary#artinstitutechicago #rothko

Chicago is for lovers. #11years #happyanniversary#milleniumpark

The most lovely dinner at Beatrix. Three grain salad with blueberries, pork shank with cider reduction. Not pictured, the absolutely amazing Oh My! Caramel Pie.#happyanniversary #foodpost #overgram#beatrixchicago

Last one. Stumbled across this exhibit showing all sorts of art made out of Red Bull cans! I love quirky things like this. #vote #artofcan #roseyme

Celebrating the day our family was born with a candlelight dinner, special games, and of course, cookies. #iversonday #ourtradition

[Ben] My first pedicure. #doctorsorders#toobadidonthavetoenails

"Holy guacamole!" says Sam as his bubbles overflow and become a "king beard." #bubblesinacup #mysam

A mischievous 3rd grader and a delighted Kindergartner. #typical #myboys #schoolpictures2014

I was just going through Ellis' homework folder and discovered that he completed 24 identical tepee dot to dots last week. I'm glad to see he's getting so much out of his education! #myellis #workerbee

We have no shortage of cute school crafts representing the pilgrims and the Indians. And they go nicely with the camo shorts, no? #goodstuff #thanksgivingcrafts

Our turkey team! So thankful to have the Bairds with us for Thanksgiving today.

Dinner for 14, singing around the piano, and five different pies. The best part was when the sister missionaries did the dishes! #thanksgivingsuccess

We set the clocks ahead an hour so the kids would go to bed at 7:00. I believe they are tired enough that this is going to work! #sixkidsonebedroom #storyhour#uncleben

This birthday boy is pretty happy to be spending the day at the science museum with cousins.#scienceandindustry #chicago #christmastreedisplay#cousintime #happybirthdayhenry

This crazy mirror maze is ridiculously fun and disturbing. This museum is like Disneyland + Science!#mirrormaze

Last one from the museum. We had such a fun day with family! #scienceandindustry

And now my boy is officially nine! #birthdaydonuts#happybirthdayhenry #firecakes

#chicagoatchristmas #wreathedlions#artinstitutechicago

I just finally got this picture from our Interfaith Thanksgiving Service last week. I got to direct a children's choir (my dreams from 8th grade coming true :). Everyone's favorite part was little Sam on the front row, who sang his heart out. #muchlatergram#interfaithchoir #bahaitemple

Sad to say goodbye to cousins today. Tears were shed on both sides! #goodbyebairds #untilnexttime

Grandma and Grandpa Come to Town

Our October was filled with beaucoup de visitors, probably because I keep telling people to NEVER come to Chicago between November and April, unless they want to FREEZE in completely unacceptable temperatures.  I am realizing that that is six months of the year, or in other words, half of my life.  I am working on my attitude (and my collection of wool socks and other warm, lovely things).

Anyway, yes, Chicago is lovely in the spring, summer and fall.  And we are so glad that people came to visit us in October.  It was my dad's first time seeing our home! 

The Chicago Botanic Garden was so lovely and enchanting that I bought a membership, so it can be my new nature retreat that I can escape to whenever I feel like it.  I am SO excited about this! 

The boys love running around here, and my Dad loved seeing all the different plants (and took pictures of many plants and their placards for his yard-planning purposes). 

Guys.  We played a lot of games.  Mostly Wizard and other card games, but we also enjoyed this game designed by my brother Tanner, our family's resident Board Game Geek.  The game is called "Hello My Name is Ernest," based on the play by Oscar Wilde.  It was really fun! 

 We had to visit the Bean.

 Yup, there we are!

 And I enjoyed seeing the Art Institute with my dad, who tutored me through every art class I've ever taken.  He was pretty disappointed that "American Gothic" was on loan for a few months.  We will have to go back someday!

 We went to Wisconsin to Oriole Springs orchard.  Apparently, missing school for an annual apple picking trip is becoming another tradition of ours.  We call it a "family emergency."

 I love fall and apple picking with my boys!

 Donuts from Harvest Time are pretty much the best thing ever.

Another highlight of the trip was that we got to put on yet another production of Newsies together.  Ellis insisted that I find a script of not just the songs, but "all the words" from Newsies.  "Just type it in!" he said.  And lo and behold, we found a script!  We shrunk it down to 26 pages (8 pt. font) and put it in a binder.  Which means, of course, we are going to have to do a live production of ALL THE WORDS AND SONGS from Newsies.  With Grandma and Grandpa.  We had auditions.  Ellis landed about half of the roles (he was the judge with the strongest opinion).  Grandma landed the part of "audience."  We got about 8 pages into it in the first hour, then took a break.  Don't worry, he didn't forget, and we got lots of chances to continue the play for a few pages here and there.  Trust me, it was a top-notch production!