Happy 2nd Birthday, Audrey

Since I've been feeling a little under the weather, I wasn't as "on the ball" with the picture taking. Here are a few of the pictures I did take.


The birthday girl herself...Aud-Paud.


Audrew with her new rocking-horse -giraffe.


Audrey showing off her new "movie star" sunglasses.


Aud opening another present on her daddy's lap while Jackson watches.


Audrey and her birthday cake.


Audrey with Auntie Laura and Uncle 'Ben.


Aud with Unc Leighton and Aunt Bee.


Finally, me and Jack. But since the window behind us was so bright I had to seriously jack up the brightness of the photo to get us to show up.

House Work

In case you hadn't heard, Bine and I had our house re-sided. Here are a few transition pictures. There are still a few small details to finish, like painting the new front steps, etc. But it's pretty much done.

Front-Side View




Front View



The windows in the front "porch" area are all new ones that can be opened, so it will be nice to sit up front with the breeze blowing through. The front door is new, too, and we can now enter and exit that way instead of always coming and going through the back door. The front door was not lockable from the outside.

Mother's Day Art Show

Here are a few pictures from the Jackson and Audrey Art Show that took place at Lou and Angie's house on Mother's Day.


Jackson, happy to see Nanna Lee


Jackson giving Nanna Lee a tour of the art.


Jackson showing off one of his favorite pieces.


Me and Aud taking a picture together.



Fun with static electricity.


Jack and Aud put on a dance show on the couch "stage".


Aunt Bee gives Audrey a ride.


Aunt Bee gives Audrey another ride, this time in her shopping basket.


A Mother's Day photo of Nanna Lee with her four babies, with Renz's graduation photo acting as stand-in for Renz.

Monty Python's Terry Jones

Terry Jones of Monty Python fame (as well as many books and his fantastic opinion pieces against the war in Iraq, for example I'm losing patience with my neighbours, Mr Bush) was in Chicago for a screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail followed by a Q&A and an autograph session. My friend Maggie and I went and had a great time. I got to ask a question in the Q&A, got one of my Python books autographed, and even got a picture taken.


Terry Jones on stage for the post screening film discussion and Q&A.


Me and Terry Jones during the autograph session.


My copy of Monty Python's All the Words, now autographed.

A Tribute to the Matriarch

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Kane County Cougars Baseball

For taking part in a reading program, Jack got tickets to see the Kane County Cougars play baseball. It was his first baseball game. So Jack, Lou, Boompa, and I headed out west to watch the game. The last two Sundays we were going to go were cold and/or rainy. Today the weather was beautiful. Unfortunately the Cougars didn't play so hot. Here's a brief recap from the Cougars website...

The Silver Hawks built a 6-2 lead in the middle innings, getting six runs -- three earned -- against Cougars starter Matt Fitts (0-4) in four-plus innings. After Matt Ray homered in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-3, Mike Hart yielded a run in the sixth for a 7-3 score. Kenny Smalley logged 3 1/3 innings of two-hit shutout relief after Hart, but Dusty Coleman's RBI double in the bottom of the ninth was all the Cougars could muster beyond the fifth inning.

Jack was ready to go by the bottom of the fifth. It may have been the way the Cougars were playing. :)


Lou, Jack, and I in our seats before the game.



Jack taking part in the parade of kids who did the reading challenge.


Jack on the in-field showing off the shirt he got from the reading challenge.


Lou, Jack, and Boompa watching the game. Jack is enjoying a gnosh and wearing his new Cougars hat.


Jack getting a better view of the game from my lap.