Zen at 19 months

He's an exact replica of his dad, in looks and personality! Loves balls and any kind of sports equipment. Loves to run and climb. Totally uninterested in books. Is very sweet, however, tolerance for any kind of cuddling: approximately 3 seconds. Doesn't like the feel of the sand at the beach and is horrified at the waves, but will go from group to group of people stealing their beach balls. Has a beautiful little laugh that will melt your heart.

Zion's Summer So Far...

I can't believe that June has gone by so fast. It was nice to have Mom and Michael come for a visit, even if we didn't get moved. Uncle Michael is a really, really good uncle. He and Zion got to bond, spending one day together at Great America (Zion proclaimed that the trip to Great America was "the second best day of the whole summer!" when Michael asked him what the best day was, Zion replied, "I don't know...it hasn't happened yet!"). They also went to see the movie "UP" as well as playing countless video and card games.

We've managed to get in some beach days now that the weather is warmer. Zen's still not crazy about the water, but Zion goes in to the frigid lake and doesn't get out until we leave. Zion has been a great help around the house, doing chores such as walking the dog, taking out all the garbage and recycling, picking up after Zen, unloading and putting away groceries, and entertaining his brother while I shower, email, etc. He has also enjoyed going to Sojourner's community house to hang out on Fridays. In the evenings, we've been taking family walks with the dog. Zion will bring his scooter and zip around downtown Evanston, and everything is right with the world.

Evanston Falcons

For an urban area, Evanston has its share of wild creatures. Last summer we were treated to the sight of a red fox, just hanging out at the boat launch, chillin'. A few months ago, we saw a large, very healthy looking coyote running down one of Evanston's main streets on the way to school. We were so excited that I made an illegal turn down a 1-way street so we could follow it. We drove slowly alongside, marveling at its wildness, until it turned down and alley and slipped into someone's backyard. Finally, Jedi has been overjoyed to chase rats in the alleys on our evening walks, investigate the myriad of rabbits who surprisingly live downtown, and even to catch a baby squirrel in a parking lot the other day (she had it by the tail twice, but didn't know what to do with it...she let it go each time so she could chase it some more until I rescued it from her "fun" time).

This month, we've been priveleged to be able to observe the falcons who come to Evanston every year to make their nest and lay their eggs on top of the public library on the next block (see picture). This year, they had 4 babies who decided to use the building right across from our balcony as a airstrip while learning how to fly. It has been amazing to look out and see them so close by. This week they have sharpened their skills and are able to cruise around in the area of our building's rooftop garden, dipping and swooping and screeching with joy. If the windows are open, they even wake us up in the morning! Here is a picture of 2 of the babies as they are thinking about spreading their wings...

Always Something Fun to Do

Amazing how there's always something fun to do at the beach.

Beautiful Beach Day

We haven't had much of a spring here yet--yesterday was the first day since last fall that we left the house without jackets! It was supposed to rain all day, but Ben was here, so we were looking for something fun to do. I led all 3 boys on a walking trip around Evanston. We hit the comic book shop, the pet store on Dempster, and then went all the way down to Main for a trip to Dave's Rock Shop. There was a litany of complaints after 45 minutes of walking, especially as the temperature climbed (10 year old boys do NOT like to walk), so without anyone noticing, I turned us east towards the beach. The cold water refreshed and improved everyone's mood except for Zen, who promptly fell asleep in his stroller.