eggs

The other night I boiled 4 1/2 dozen eggs to color because last year everyone  including Alexis colored eggs. I just assumed I would have the same enthusiasm this year. We all know what happens when we assume...

Turns out it was just me and Karrick and a whole lotta eggs.  Callahan did plop one egg in a cup where it still remains 3 days later...teenagers!

We really had a great time, just my Karrick and me. Three hours later when we were done, Karrick said "I just love coloring eggs with you" awe

I shot this with my telephoto lens from Callahan's bedroom window. Karrick waited so patiently while I boiled a bazillion eggs. He swung on his swing just lost in his own thoughts...so sweet . Oh and by the way...how spectacular is our grass? Beautiful lush soft and green

 I bought 6 egg coloring kits..3 original Pass and 3 fancy pass. Let me tell you 

a) the tye dye Paas sucked-it just sucked and it was a mess

                           b) the glitter- sequin Pass sucked- 2 tiny baggies and the glitter didn't stick

                         c) the marble Paas sucked- the only difference for my extra buck was to add my own vegetable oil..really?!

We ended up just using good old fashion Crayola crayons to color eggs before dropping into the coloring cups

Below, see the glitter floating on the liquid...that's where it stayed. Don't confuse the white speckles on the egg for glitter

As always regular food coloring straight on the egg works best. Karrick is rolling 2 eggs in a cup with a few squirts of food coloring...you just have to be willing to walk around with discolored fingers for a few days

Callahan's new skill

It's only fitting that Callahan is wearing his Mathlete t-shirt

 Callahan is single handily taking apart the 1990 Mazda Miata. He is rebuilding the entire thing, Cal took off the outer panels, sand blasted them, removing the rust and repainting

He is taking the engine apart piece by piece and restoring them.

Cal will be out in the garage for hours and all you hear is power tools

This kid knows more about cars then anyone...every car on the road he can recite make, model, horsepower  what kind of engine and how it works down to the cellular level...it's pretty creepy, but very impressive. I don't know enough about cars to even write what he knows. How does he know all this?  I don't know, he has watched Tim fix our cars and boat. Callahan was born pre-programmed with Google.

I think i'll cal him the human google

 Below is the beautiful view from my deck

Soccer for Karrick

I'm well aware that my kid is wearing baseball cleats...It was a great idea at the end of last season to buy them on clearance..Aarrgh!

Karrick started soccer today and had a ball. He needs the fast pace, wasn't feeling the baseball. Karrick loves to run so this hopefully will be more his style.  Jenn is the coach, but her son Tyler (blue jacket) is a soccer player and he is the one teaching the kids. The father is a travel coach, and will show up when possible. I enjoyed watching Tyler play with the soccer ball...lots of fancy moves that I know nothing about...but they were cool. I think we scored big in the coaching dept especially for a Park District team. Their other son is on the team and has the same birthday as Karrick and they are both 8. Turns out they met last week at a McDonalds focus group. Karrick had to play with Happy Meal toys for an hr and was paid $65 ...small world

I had on a hoodie and my down coat...it was freezing. Karrick was the only one w/o a coat. He has Zero% body fat and never gets cold. "I don't sense cold" is what he always says. I saw him with hands in his pockets, so I ran over with his sweatshirt.. "No mom I said I'm not cold my hands are in my pocket because  Im trying not to use them" That was his idea not from the coach. Sharks and Minnows on the field was about the funnest game Karrick has ever played

How sweet is this, a doggy wheel chair they were just walking by and I had to take a picture

week 8

this group of pilings was sticking out of the Chicago River...so cool!

 Today for the 8th week in a row, I dropped TJ at Act One Studio for his 3 hr acting class. Today I had my favorite teenage girl, Alexis to keep me company. Instead of my usual path East (Michigan Ave, Oak St Beach or a museum) we headed West. TJ's school is on LaSalle and Ontario. I decided to save shipping costs and walk to pick up TJ's new comps and headshots at JS Photo the premier place for professional comps/headshots or photos. The difference between JS and other printers is amazing.

 anyway we walked west about 2 miles. It was such a strange walk...so much different than when I lived down there (on lake Shore that is) gone are the projects and in it's place are a bazillion condos, but virtually no people. I did find many little stores and tons of restaurants just tucked in rehabbed warehouses or ancient buildings...stuff you would never see driving 

TJ's new headshot- for acting

below is the front and back of TJ'd comp for modeling


scanning the comp cards cast a reflection due to the glossy material

These shots were taken on the Halsted bridge that is being rebuilt, the one side that had an open walkway over-looked a large concrete company below

 looking east

Eight years old!!! My little Miracle

I can't even believe my little dream boat turned 8 yesterday. Karrick was our surprise baby and let me tell you that everyone should have a bonus baby. His older brothers are 13 and 15. With Karrick I got to just enjoy him...as a newborn, baby, toddler, little boy and now a big boy. There wasn't that "new mom...my kid did this early...bigger, better, faster bullshit" which is good because Karrick kept us guessing and contradicted everything  we thought his whole life

Ridiculously low hormone levels in early pregnancy- doctor didn't think he would survive in the womb

Early labor at 30 weeks which required 6 weeks of bed rest which turned into a 9 lb, baby at 38 weeks

Thought he might be have a mild form of Autism, just to find out he is the most outgoing kid ever 

Didn't walk until age 2 with lots of therapy, talked extremely late . Had problems with transitioning and play (stacked and sorted everything)

Every teacher from Kindercare at age 2, Pre-school, kindergarten and 1st grade thought there was "something" going on, but "just couldn't put their finger on it" Dyslexia and processing problems were mentioned. Very delayed in learning Thought he would be held back or special Ed

Just to find out in 2nd grade when everything clicked that the kid is gifted in math...he is 1 of 5 kids that is pulled out for advanced math...scored in 99% nationally in math.

My little angel is a delight to everyone he meets, he is a rule nazi and has been known to throw his classmates into a crying fit over "tag" rules. Wears his emotions on his sleeve, loves to sing and laugh and is quite the man with the ladies

You never know what will come out of his mouth...honest to a fault.

The kid knows more about Mythology than anyone

He is just about the cutest dang thing on earth

A true gift from God, words can't express how much we love him. He honestly touches everyone he meets

Happy 8th Birthday little man

Baby Jade

light

 two weekends ago we spent the weekend downtown at the JW Marriott for our anniversary. Saturday after we dropped TJ at his acting class we took Alexis with us to sight see. Our 1st stop was the Driehaus Museum . 19th Century home of banker Samuel Mayo Nickerson.

Just stunning! Flash photography was not allowed, but there was no stopping the beautiful light shinning through the stain glass windows