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.

TWO!

Happy birthday, dear Maya!

Our wonderful girl is two and had a very good day.

The morning started a bit crazy. Maya woke up drenched and began her twos with a bath. Owen woke up, frankly, feeling a bit under attended and was a bit mischief-prone as he tried to shift the focus back to himself.

It was what it was.

That said, he was as good as gold tonight. He did a very nice job making his little sister feel special ... even though the silliness level was a bit higher than normal.

The following video pretty much tells the entire story.



Following the busy birthday celebration with family, today was actually very low key. Maya enjoyed the treats we brought for her friends at school, and she had some balloons this morning. Both sets of grandparents called tonight, and I got from school early, giving us a lot more time together.

And, of course, there were candles, cupcakes, and one "real mess!"

So happy birthday, Maya! We love you!

And just to ensure we end on a truly positive image, here's another little movie of Maya navigating the house in a new set of high heels she got from our friends the Merrills.



I think she does pretty good.

Birthday Party!

Maya was the belle of the ball this weekend as family gathered to celebrate her second birthday. The actual birthday isn't until this Thursday the 25th, but we had a grand time getting the birthday celebration started early.

There was cake and a wide variety of presents, including such hits as a big box of jewelery, a soccer ball, and a bike helmet. Owen performed his job as gift opening assistant with style, and everyone but Owen (there is apparently no rest for the gift opening assistant) even got the chance to take a nap on Saturday afternoon.

What birthday isn't improved by ample cuddle time?

The group even managed to squeeze a little birthday celebration for me into the mix. The biggest surprise for my April 5, 40th birthday was Amy's plan for a three-day getaway to Vegas for just the two of us in a couple of weeks. The hotel and the flights are booked, child care is arranged (thanks Grammie and Grampy) ... and I'll be picking out our shows this week.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend.

I have a couple of movies to add before I end this post. The first is Maya showing off her ABC skills.

And here she is bearfooted ...

Happy Birthday, Maya!

The good news is the runny nose isn't runny any more.

Funny story.

It was beautiful out last night, so Amy, Owen, Maya, and I were outside after work/school, exploring the yard, digging through the garden, and the like.

Amy and Maya were still out back when I went in to get dinner ready. Maya came in a few minutes later coughing and choking a little like something was caught in the back of her throat. She hacked a little, said "Nose yucky!" which is her new mantra, and then showed me what was in her hand: a chive leftover from last summer's garden planting. I took the chive from her hand and she headed back outside.

About 15 minutes later, we all sat down for dinner. It was a rare night when we all managed to sit and eat together. Throughout dinner Maya kept saying "Nose yucky!" which indeed it was. It was draining and draining out of her right nostril.

A little concerned because we'd just spent half a week at home with her nursing away an ear infection, and worried because we have a houseful of company expected this weekend to have an early birthday celebration for our two year old, Amy and I wiped her nose and gave each other that look parents often exchange that reads something like, "Good Lord, what's next?"

When dinner was done, Amy brought Maya upstairs ... and that's when she made the discovery. Maya was all ready for bed, but said she needed to go potty. While Amy was sitting with her, she was wiping that nostril again when she saw something green.

Getting closer she saw there was something in her nose.

You guessed it. A chive.

Wow!

Kindergarten Registration

Our boy is almost 5 and today we took Owen to his kindergarten registration. We filled out lots of paperwork while Owen went off with the other kids to meet the teachers, see the rooms, and have some time to play.

Owen's buddy Philip from across the street was also at our registration session, as was his friend Cyrus from his pre-K class. He had a wonderful time and received a sunflower seed to plant, the idea being that by the time the sunflower grows and begins to look down it will be time to go to school.

Here are some pictures from the day:

Owen at the school. Philip's family is arriving in his peripheral vision, hence the askance look in his eyes.

Owen when he returned to the room after his play time.

Owen and Philip.