A special night out

Tim and I used our Groupon for the Ivy restaurant in downtown Wheaton. Possibly one the best dinner's I ever had. Excellent is all I can say...food, service, atmosphere, people, weather, history and architecture . The restaurant is housed in an old church from the 1920's...kinda creeped Tim out, but the food was incredible. We actually bought 3 groupons so we will be back at least 2 more times. The owner told us that 2100 groupons were bought in less than 18 hrs. After dinner we walked around and snapped a bunch of pictures. It was just a fun romantic evening 

Candy store is one long hallway

Historic Adams Park

Old court house renovated into million dollar 4600 sq ft condos. 20 ft ceilings and your own private clock tower

pretty

They are much prettier if you enlarge them to see the lighting

Yo dude! they are only 6 freakin years old!

Yesterday was Karrick's 1st day of  "Park District flag football" for 6 year olds. What it actually was, was an 1:45 min intense training camp for future NFL players. Never saw a flag, kids that had a normal 6 year old attention span had to run laps. Offence and defensive plays were taught and ran though multiple times.

Above Karrick is playing Center...all 40 lbs of him plus the 38lb kid behind him were (now I'm only guessing) not close to the giant kid that (again just guessing) is probably 8 and large for his age, starring right at my Karrick. 

 Look closely at all these pictures, call me crazy, but it looks like contact football to me.

Karrick was a real trooper, somekids left the field while other started doing somersaults. When it was finally over, the coach called everyone over and said
 "Now, next week we have a lot to learn and I will be bringing the play book" .

"Did he just say play book?"  "we don't even have a play book" says my 14 year old high school football player

Supposedly, next week will be another practice then the group will be split into teams to play each other in flag football. It will turn into tackle after a few weeks. WOW!

I'm guessing we'll lose half the kids. Karrick liked it, didn't love it. I was very proud of him, he never said "Lets go, this blows" 
He finished the cold, endless practice more suited for 12 year olds.

#26 hands the ball off to TJ #42

Here are 2 shots from TJ's earlier game against Glenbard North in Carol Stream. Rumors are floating that TJ is being moved up to the A team...not real surprised as he now has 2 months of football experience under his 14 years of life, belt. The way TJ operates, he'll be on Varsity by sophomore year

 I was able to snap some beautiful fall foliage during Karrick's 6 year old flag football  boot camp

spooky

It is that time of year in the McGinty house.

 Halloween is Tim's favorite holiday and the house is transforming into a house of horrors. Tim has wall papered the living room with a lovely skull and bone pattern, accented with red eyed gauze draped ghouls. A lovely fog rolls in every evening at dusk as the chain rattling chants bellow from the vents. If it weren't for the florescent black bulbs we would be living in total darkness.

Just think only a month left to pull it all together  

  Yes, those are what is left of Karrick's real teeth

 This hottie greeted my with a shallow "what's up little lady?"

 Mom always said "beware of the middle child"

Toothless and headless

These 2 stunning pieces of art are my contribution to "Our house of horrors"

After Karrick exclaimed "those are just gonna RUIN EVERYTHING" I painted a large black mouth, red eyes and nasty eyebrows over the cute happy face on Mr Skeleton. Still not up to Bella La Karrick's standards as he suggested "pointy red teeth with just one on the bottom with blood dripping off would be super scary"

I think this is just the tip of the iceberg as I heard Tim mention something about the roof and flying things...

He just grew up...

Sometimes when I pick Karrick up from school, I bring my camera with the long zoom lens, sit back and take candid shots of him. Just natural non posed pictures. I can sit clearly across the park and zoom in on his play with his buddies. I'm stalking my own kid

My toothless rag-a-muffin of a kid just grew up..

Out of the mouths of babes #406

As I came down the stairs this morning, Karrick looks at me in horror and says

"Don't buy the square band-aids, they suck the blood out of your arm for a week...THEN KILL YOU!"

What?? I ask

"Seriously mom, I'm not kidding"  he says while pointing to the TV

I look at the TV just as the

 Today show is wrapping up its segment on "Death and the Birth control patch"

Good Morning!