Preschool commencement

Owen had his graduation ceremony at Scribbles today. It was really wonderful!

The ceremony started with a welcome to the parents and then continued with some entertainment provided by the graduating class.

This song was my favorite ...



... That said, it's hard not to like this classic:



Then the big moment came. Owen, as you can imagine, was the first in his class to receive his diploma in Pre-K studies.



He was very proud of himself. And he enjoyed the post-commencement festivities immensely.

... and then we took him to the doctor for his five year checkup. 44.5 inches tall. 49 lbs.

The only real bummer were the three shots. He's not great with them, but had a wonderful moment after the first two were administered. "Just do it. Get it over with!" he shouted.

As we were leaving the doctor's office he was, again, very proud of himself. He'd been steeling himself in preparation for these shots all week ... all year, perhaps.

His arms are sore tonight, but all in all I think he knows today was a pretty good day.

We're proud of you, Owen!

The Fifth Birthday!

ONE ...


TWO ...


THREE ...


FOUR ...

FIVE!
Owen's fifth birthday brought with it a real party with lots of friends, lots of activities, including:

A BOUNCY HOUSE!!!

What's funny about the above picture is that we actually took the time to hang balloons on the mailbox so that Owen's guests would have an easier time finding the house with the party ...

It was so much fun! Owen's grandparents were all here, along with Amy and me, Auntie Pam, many friends ...

... and Maya dressed up like The Cookie Monster.

Despite the 47 degree high temp, there were many things to celebrate about the day. Owen had a blast, which was key. But beyond that, the kids were absolutely wonderful.

Owen has great friends, and he has a good radar for who he wants to spend time with, which was evident when he was planning who to invite. "No, he doesn't play nice," and "No, he has a potty mouth," were actual disqualifiers for the party. And, indeed, everyone played nicely together.

One little boy even asked if he could be excused after he had finished his birthday cake.

Beyond that, there were no accidents of the food, injury, or potty variety. The food was wonderful.

And we all survived.

Plus, everyone slept great late into the morning of May 9.

Happy birthday, Owen. We love you!

Fun in Champaign

The kids had a wonderful morning in Champaign on Saturday. The street was filled with fun activities including a NASCAR simulator with a driving game Owen could try (and a cushy passenger seat Maya thought was just about perfect for bouncing ...)

There was also an obstacle course-style bouncy house with walls to climb and a slide that Owen loved!

And lots of other good things to keep you interested ...

Like the marathoners finishing their 26.2 mile runs.

The Illinois Marathon was my 36th marathon. It was a fun day ... but also a challenge as the early morning cool gave way to late morning heat and humidity. But I finished. And I adored my terrific cheering section, including Mom and Dad (who got up extra early to come with me for the 7:30 start). And Amy and the kids who came a little later in the morning, joined by Auntie Pam, who was attending her first marathon.

Perhaps the best part of the day, though, was having Owen run with me for the final leg of the race, like he did at my last marathon. I'll add a photo of our finish as soon as the race gets them posted.

Run, Daddy, run!

Hide and Seek

Maya could tell from the laughter in the hall that she'd been found ...

Ice Cream Truck

It took five blocks of chasing ... BUT WE CAUGHT IT!!!

I came down from getting Maya through the tub to Owen and Amy standing on the front lawn. The ice cream truck had cruised by, and there was at least one little boy who thought this was a pretty marvelous addition to an 80 degree night in mid-April.

I threw on my shoes and Owen and I ran for it! We stopped occasionally, listening for the electronic bell chorus of Scott Joplin music rising through the air and echoing off the neighborhood houses.

Then there it was! We spotted it at the top of a nearby street and made a last heroic dash. The driver saw us coming and turned the truck around, saving Owen a puff past two more driveways.

Owen got a Watermelon Popsicle. We bought a bubblegum one for Maya and hustled back home.

It was very satisfying!

Best T-Shirt EVER!!

Dad Turns 40

Owen was ready to stow away in my suitcase as Amy and I got ready to go to Las Vegas. Amy surprised me with the Joel-turns-40 trip when we celebrated Maya's birthday a couple of weeks before, working through the details with her parents (who came and watched the kids) and my boss (making sure I could take an unannounced day off).

It was a wonderful time!

We stayed at the Paris Hotel at the recommendation of my boss, who had just been there for a long weekend himself in January. The hotel was perfect, right in the middle of the Strip and close to the shows we saw and some excellent shopping.


The funny thing about our vacation was that it was actually 20 degrees cooler in Las Vegas than it was in Central Illinois that weekend. We left from the Peoria Airport on an 85 degree day, and landed on a sunny but still 58 degree day in Nevada. Temps hovered in the low to mid 60s most of our time there, but it did spike up into the mid 70s on our final day, allowing us a short, but satisfying time sunning at the hotel pool (below).


Vegas is like Disney for adults. The Paris Hotel did everything it could to recreate the feel of metropolitan Paris (right down to it's own Phantom of the Opera, Barry Manilow, performing twice weekly).

We also had a great time checking out the other hotels, including the Bellagio ...

... The Venetian ...

... and New York New York ...

And we saw two AMAZING shows by Cirque du Soleil. The highlight was definitely their show "O," which may be the most amazing theatrical experience I've ever had.

And, as you know, I've seen lots of shows.

It was a birthday to remember. Thanks so much to everyone who made it possible. We missed Owen and Maya tremendously, but it was wonderful to have that time just for Mom and Dad.