RB&B&B Circus

Sometimes, it's all about connections.

Erin not only babysits for humans, she looks after several people's pets while they are traveling.  One of Erin's regular cat-sitting gigs has a friend who writes the music for the circus.  "The Cat Lady" offered Erin circus tickets in exchange for Brookfield Zoo tickets, and Erin took her up on the offer.  We were told to go to the will-call window at the United Center, and the tickets would be waiting.
As often happens with will-call, the tickets weren't quite there when we arrived.  Erin called the Cat Lady, who called her friend, who said, "Gimme a minute."  Cat Lady let Erin know her phone would be ringing shortly with a strange phone number, and that Erin should be sure to pick up the call and  verify the necessary details.  Sure enough, Erin's phone rings a few minutes later, and it's the number of the circus's corporate headquarters in Florida, verifying the number of tickets needed.  A moment or two later, the phone rings at will-call, tickets start spewing out of the computer, and the agent hands us our complimentary tickets, which just happen to be front and center - some of the best seats in the house.  It was all a little magical, and certainly added an extra element of fun to the enchanted evening for all of us, especially Erin and one of her besties.

Celebrating Vic and Julie

Navy Pier:  it's a celebrated tourist attraction in Chicago.

It's also the home of the lovely Crystal Gardens, a fabulous place for a wedding reception.

 Vic and Julie were married on a Florida beach last week, and they came home to celebrate in time-honored fashion, with a bride-and-groom first dance, and feeding each other cake.

Weddings are always special affairs, and when the bride and groom are both fun-loving it's even more memorable.  Baird and I truly enjoyed ourselves, hanging out with the Kudo Clan while we all celebrated Vic and Julie.

 

Backyard BBQ

This afternoon we were invited to hang with the Kudo Clan and the Rennys for a backyard BBQ, and what a perfect afternoon:  high 70s, low humidity, slight breeze, and plenty of late-afternoon sunshine.  After a fabulous feast of ribs, cheesy potatoes, tossed salad, and fruit, we turned our attention to making s'mores.

Bre made me the absolute perfect marshmallow:  beautifully golden brown and crispy (but not burned) on the outside; warm and gooey in the center.  Yum.

On the way home, there was a gorgeous moon beginning its slow rise into the night sky.  It was so big and beautiful, Baird pulled over and snapped a photo:

The sight was the perfect ending to a wonderful day!

Sunday (Almost) Outdoor BBQ

We were planning to join the Kudo Clan for an outdoor BBQ this afternoon, but as the skies darkened and the heavens dumped Florida-like rains (complete with street flooding and slight seepage in the basement), our optisim for an outdoor event waned.  Finally the rain stopped, the waters receeded, and the grilling commenced.  M grilled up a feast of shish kabob, BBQ chicken and grilled veggies.  I contributed a salad and a couple of appetizers I'm working on for a future dinner party theme; Soo Ai brought strawberries; JW contributed ice cream treats for dessert.

Since it was too wet to play outside, we hung out in the house, bonding with the babies and playing Bananagrams.

Thanks, Kudo Clan, for a great evening!

Weekday Dinner with Friends

Given the craziness of modern family schedules, it can sometimes be difficult to plan a get together with friends.  We're in close contact with our friends, the Rennys, but it seems like forever since we had them over for a meal.  This afternoon, Erin invited the Renny girls to come over and hang out for awhile after school.  As JRenny and I were making the arrangements for the playdate, I said, "Why don't you guys just come over and join us for supper?"

The Renny girls love our pets, and K especially likes it when Erin takes out the birds:

I served one of Erin's favorite dishes, chicken and rice casserole.  It sat alongside fresh bread, green beans, and a salad featuring cucumbers and avocados.  Yum.  Good food + great friends = fantastic homemade week night fun.

Thanks, J, for the beautiful flowers, the good company, and the tasty salad!

Ray Bob's Christmas Party

My friend Ray Bob hosts an annual Christmas party that I always look forward to attending.  We pretty much do the same thing every year:  Ray Bob cooks for everyone; we all bring a dessert to share and a small gift for an exchange.

I love this party for two reasons:  the first is that there are certain people where this is the only time I get to see them, and it's great to catch up.

The second reason is the gift exchange.  There is an elaborate numbering system based on playing cards that determines when you get to pick (or steal) a gift.  The gifts are as eccentric as the people who bring them.  One person, who works for a box company, wrapped up a gift card in eight boxes.  There was a pack of plastic noses.  There were half a dozen old cassette tapes of Christmas music.  One gift had a Christmas card attached that had a drawing of a snowman with a picture of the president's face attached - it was the Obamaminable Snowman.

When it was my turn, I stole a gift card to Best Buy, but I didn't get to keep it for long.  I wound up with a five-pound bag of Dunkin' Donuts coffee - not bad.

As much as I enjoy this annual party, I made it an early night so I could get home and take over chaperoning the cross country sleepover at our house.

Thanks, Ray Bob, for another great party!

Three for Christmas Tea

This afternoon I celebrated the end of the poppyseed cake baking by having tea with S&P.  S is always a fabulous hostess, and her Christmas tea pot and festive home were just perfect for an afternoon getaway.  Plus P made her fantastic scones, the recipe for which has been handed down to her by her Scottish grandmother...and there was real lemon curd to spread on them.  I contributed poppyseed cake and proscuitto-wrapped asparagus.  S served us a black tea from Kenya that was just perfect.

Thanks, S&P, for helping me recharge my batteries!  The afternoon was just perfect!

Reconnecting with Old Friends

In our life before children, Baird and I hosted a Christmas dinner party at our house every December.  Kirk & Cassie and Peter & Sheri were part of a group we hosted back in the day.  Peter and Kirk are some of Baird's oldest friends:  Baird met Peter at the bus stop while they were both in high school; he and Kirk met in college and had a morning radio program at NIU.  Peter and Kirk were both groomsmen when Baird and I got married.  In fact, that's where Peter & Sheri met Kirk & Cassie, and they hit it off so well they spent the entire weekend we got married hanging out together, traveling back to Chicagoland from Iowa while Baird and I headed to Barbados for our honeymoon.

It's been more than a decade since we've all been together.  Tonight we had the privilege of hosting a casual dinner at our house.  I just served chili and hot dogs, since this walking pneumonia thing has sucked the entertaining energy right out of my body.  Peter remarked that the last time they were over for a Christmas dinner party, I'd served macademia-encrusted roast rack of lamb.  I know, chili's a far cry from rack of lamb!  I've promised them it won't be another ten years before our next party, and that next time, it'll be more than just chili.  Still, this reunion couldn't wait a minute longer, and I'm so glad we went ahead with it!

Little JD

This afternoon I had the privilege of holding little JD, who's a tiny peanut in spite of his hefty birth weight (well over 9 lbs. and 22" long).  I brought his parents lots and lots of food, and spent about an hour holding him while he slept.  I just love holding babies...and I really love giving them back to their parents ;-)

Welcome to the world, JD!  Your parents are wonderful people and they already love you too much for words.  We're looking forward to making many happy memories with you and your family!

Pre-School Activities

The Fab Four spent their last day of summer vacation preparing for the first day of school tomorrow.  They made a plan to go to each other's houses and pick out the clothes to wear for the big event.  They started off at our house.  After they picked Erin's outfit (I can't wait to see it!), they splatter-painted her black Converse shoes.

Eighth grade never looked so good!

Picnic at the Priory

I've mentioned before about how much I love the outdoor dining aspect of summertime.  Honestly, it's been so unbearably hot this summer, we haven't socialized outdoors nearly as much as usual.  Today, however, the weather  finally cooled off a bit, so we enjoyed a picnic at The Priory with the Rennys.

Spreading out in the shade, sharing food, and catching up on each other's lives made for a perfect, relaxing Sunday afternoon.

Catch Up Time

I stayed out in Iowa this year while the kids went to Cousins Camp.  Last night I did a Pampered Chef party for my dear friend SMS, and today we went shopping.  I introduced her to Scratch; she introduced me to Barn Happy. 

SMS and I are old friends.  We met back in the early 1980s when she was my camp counselor and I worked as a life guard at IRBC.  We were pen pals back in the days before email and Facebook.  When she came to Waterloo to teach, I was her student aid.  We were involved in each other's weddings and have watched each other's kids grow and change.  I was with her family when her two boys watched their first professional soccer game.  We just don't get to see each other often enough, so we really took advantage of this time to catch up on each other's lives.  We pretty much talked non-stop for the better part of a day-and-a-half.

Thanks, SMS, for this extended catch-up time! 

China Town Loot

I spent a chunk of today in China Town with a couple of friends.  I was on a mission to find several ingredients for a special meal I'm planning next month, centered on a "street food from Singapore" theme.  Here's my loot.  I can't wait to use all this stuff!

Celebrating a Mom-to-Be

This afternoon I had the privilege of attending Miss Megan's baby shower.  Drew was ring bearer in her wedding last spring.  The theme was classic children's books, and the food was centered around the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Congrats, Miss Megan.  I know you're going to make a great mom!

The Walking Tour

I mentioned yesterday about being in a larger cluster in my Pampered Chef business.  A lot of the out-of-towners only get to Chicago for Conference.  They are often so busy attending meetings and running to and from the hotel that they don't stop and see Chicago.  Our schedule was a little different this year, so we have more evenings free.  With tonight being a free night, I sponsored a walking tour.  We swung by Garrett's for some popcorn (how can you not?!) to cure the munchies while we walked.  Next stop:  the giant eyeball.

Until today I'd only read about the eyeball, I'd not seen it up close.  Frankly, it's as big and ugly as you've heard.  I'm a little surprised it hasn't shown up in any Visine commercials.

Next up:  "The Gardens."  I know that each little garden nook has its own name and personality, but I tend to refer to the whole stretch on the south side of Michigan Avenue, from about 10th Street, north to Millennium Park, as "The Gardens."  

If you've never taken the time to really explore this stretch of the City, please put it at the top of your Summer To Do List. Allow a few hours to meander among the colors and admire the sculptures. Slow down and count the butterflies. Take your shoes off and wade in the water at Crown Fountain. Stand under The Bean and take pictures. Stroll over to Buckingham Fountain as the sun heads to bed, and watch it slip behind the sky scrapers. Then turn north and watch the lights of the city twinkle to life at dusk.

I've lived in Chicagoland since 1986, and I've never gotten over how beautiful the city is.  I just love sharing it with people who don't live around here, because they also get excited about it.  If you live here, don't blow it off just because it's close - it's a world class place.

Tailgating for a Cause

This afternoon was another attempt to tailgate before a White Sox game, and this time, the weather cooperated.  Every year my friend Tracy puts on this spectacular event to raise funds for the Chicago White Sox Charities.  The food was great, and the raffle prizes were, as always, creatively named and true treasures for Sox fans:  items like a Bobby Jenks autographed jersey...a bat signed by Joe Crede...a perfect game package from Mark Buehrle.

And added bonus was getting to reconnect with another friend from college, Amy.  We hadn't seen each other since we graduated back in the day.  Tracy was kind enough to seat us together, and we spent the game catching up on our lives.

Thanks, Tracy, for another great event!

Flash Back

When Drew was much younger, he loved playing with his Thomas the Tank Engine trains and track.  He and SiMi spent countless hours at each other's houses, setting up elaborate passageways and inventing endless stories about their trains.

This afternoon, we brought J home with us after hanging out at the pool (J is a family friend who sort of acts as the little brother Drew's never going to have).  J found the old track pieces and started setting it up.  Drew helped him.  It brought back a lot of sweet memories for me!

It's in the Cards

One of the simple pleasures of a slower schedule in the summer is the ability to have friends over on a Sunday evening, with no concern about homework/school/work the following day.  Kelsey and Erin both had friends over this evening, and they hung out in the living room playing BS, a card game that allows you to work on your poker face.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game - Part 2

A bunch of us had plans to tailgate at Sox Park tonight, and then watch the White Sox take on the Braves.  Our best-laid plans, however, were thwarted by yet another nasty storm that swallowed up Chicagoland.  Just about the time we threw down the brats on the grill, the clouds rolled in and in no time flat we were in monsoon-like conditions.  We ended up jamming everyone in the minivan and eating in there.

Fortunately, our seats were under the overhang behind home plate, making the two-hour rain delay a little easier to endure.  The Sox beat the braves 4-2 for their eighth win in a row.  The rain delay coupled with post-game fireworks meant we left the stadium a little before midnight.

Thanks, Vic, for putting together such a fun evening!  I'm sad for you that your Braves lost, but it's great to see the Sox on a roll.

Outdoor Neighborhood Party

One of the things I absolutely love about our neighborhood is the outdoor parties and BBQs that happen all summer and into the fall.  This afternoon we enjoyed our first neighborhood outdoor BBQ party at Anne & Steve's house.  We were celebrating their daughter's third birthday.  I love warm weather in suburbia!