Random Photos

Just some random pics for you before we head out on vacation in Idaho for a few weeks.


Sam. You precious boy. You get cuter and cuter every day. You are still very much a newborn...needy, cranky at times, dependent in every single way. But you are starting to show signs of growing up. You smile sometimes, sit chill interacting with a toy, etc.


You got cute big eyes, unlike your dad's slits.


Yes Sam, do you have a question? What's that? Max isn't paying attention to you? It's not nice to be a whiner Sam. Max, pay attention to your brother.


Recently our neighbor posted this beauty of a sign. This is in response to Max steeling their little lawn flag that marks a sprinkler (for a reason unknown). Max loves a good flag and loves to run and wave the flag everywhere. It's hard to stop him, particularly cause he is so cute doing it. Well, this neighbor doesn't think it's so cute. In fact, it fills her with massive anger. This sign has been up for days! Everyone who walks by just shakes their head in shame for this cranky, sad woman. It's been comical. She actually purchased a security camera and has it pointing on the flag 24 hours a day. Classic.

Anyway, just a random post.

Happy Fathers Day to Me!

For Fathers Day this year, I decided to try something new. Caitlin always asks me what I want, what I want to eat, etc. I usually respond "whatever you want to get me or make me.". This year I decided to just say what I want.


So for food I told Caitlin I wanted to go to the Botanical Gardens for a picnic and to eat classy salads that have lots of mayo...like the kinds you find at Mormon parties. We dug it.


Food was awesome, but really Max couldn't wait to get into that garden.


We were able to slow him down and control him using these: twizzler cherry bites. Don't judge us.


In the gardens Max really only wanted to do one thing...which is throw rocks in the water fountain. My ideal fathers day involves me just playing with Max, so that's what we did,


Sam was a sleepy time guy.


Max and I laughed and played and did all sorts of crazy things.


What a sweet boy to his dada on his special day.


I also told Caitlin exactly what I wanted for presents...but strangely, she decided to do what I always tell her to do. She got me whatever she wanted! It was all themed on things I can do with Max. Like the kite that I already blogged about.


Water guns for the beach!


A book about Max and his dad! All things that I love and love to use with Max! After a delicious dinner of lasagna (my favorite food), I felt like I had had the best Fathers Day ever...until next year.

Father's Day weekend fills me up

Caitlin planned a jam packed day of fun activities for Father's Day weekend, including a Friday night at the beach and Saturday morning at the bounce house. If you didn't know, Max LOVES the bounce house. What 2 year old wouldn't? After that we headed down to the taste of Randolph street festival.


The place is crawling with food vendors from the many amazing restaurants on the few blocks west of the loop. Publican, famous for amazing meats, got my attention.


Yes sir, I will eat you.


Caitlin was attracted to De Cero's guacamole and chips...with good reason. We did both feel that maybe the guacamole was better in years past. But it is hard to compare year to year.


Something to know about the festival this year was that it was crazy hot. Like 97 and humid.


Here is proof. Max in a stroller. It is almost impossible to get Max in a stroller. It takes massive heat and a morning of bounce housing to get this kid to just sit down.


We got to the stage and tried to get Max to dance, which he loves to do. Not in this heat mama!


With a little holding he got more into it.


Sam? He was in to sleeping next to my belly. Probably from heat exhaustion.


I got me some beef belly sandwich with all the good fixings as well. Holy good in my belly this was.


Get in there right now fool sandwich!


Max had pretty much had about much festival as he could handle after an hour and a half...so we made our way back to Yari.


So coot.


Sam woke up at the tail end and I think was very happy to be free of my heat.


After sleeping so long that day, Sam was wide awake that evening. This allowed us to take some cute shots.


Like this.


And this! Saturday was awesome with only more activity goodness to come!

The Maiden Voyage

For Father's Day (on which I will report soon), Max gave me an amazing gift. When Caitlin asked him what he wanted to get me, he said a kite. So they got on Amazon and picked one out together. Today after work it was a Farley blustery day (even though it wasn't Windsday), so we decided to take that mother out for its maiden voyage. We went to the beach and prepared.


Max was insistent on flying the kite first, but he couldn't quite get it to stay up.


So together we worked on letting out string at the right times and picking up the slack at times of decreased wind. Before you knew, we had a full-fledged kite flying extravaganza going on! Father and son style!


Look how much fun we're having! hoorabies! Max was so proud and sat and held the kite for a long time, watching it dip and swerve and dive.

But, as is to be expected, he decided he would see what happens when you let go. That sent me sprinting across the beach at full speed, barely catching the line before it went into the lake. That, of course, was freakin hilarious to Max so the that is all he wanted to do. No dice homie...kite flying is going to resume another day!

Awesome gift, awesome memory. Thanks Max!

The Jammy Jungle

Don't you hate it when you get all tangled up in your pajamas while you sleep? This is how Caitlin found Max this morning - completely disheveled and lost in his shirt. It didn't stop him from enjoying some milk and rice krispees though. Nor did waking up all confused prevent him from having an amazing day that included this:



Swings!

Solid Max, solid.

Business Travel Boos

Who really likes business travel? You don't really get to see or do anything, just sit in hotels. Meanwhile, you miss this:








See ya on Sunday homies!

Kickin It At the Zoo

Don't let the last post fool you...we have ventured out with the dudes quite a few times since we have had Sam. Trips to museums, Costco, parks, the beach...and last Saturday, the ZOO!


Max was pretty amped when we asked if he wanted to go to the zoo that day. He ran and got his shoes on and chose a t-shirt...an awesome one at that. So when we showed up at a farmer's market in Lincoln Park first, he put his foot down on that. Get me to the ZOO!


Fine Max, fine. So we started walking north to the zoo. We mostly walked with a lot of swagger.


Until Max got bored of walking and joined Sam in the stroller. A friend hooked us up with a Juvi, so Max gets to ride like a playa!


Now Lincoln Park zoo is nothing special...but it is free and has just the appropriate amount of zebra butts to keep a 2 year old interested.


And a pretty darn decent monkey/gorilla house.


And one very active Sea Lion that Max watched for a good 15 minutes as he swam in circles.


Where to next Mama? Caitlin - I will punch the person who says this woman can't multitask.


We went north to Africa and saw some sizable giraffes and some pretty lethargic rhinos.


Not officially part of the zoo, but definitely one of my favorite Illinois animals, we saw this cardinal and talked about how pretty it is.


Max at this point started chasing seagulls and fells down and got his very first blood soaked boo boo. He was not happy about it and wasn't really sure what to do with blood. So, to lift his spirits, I got him a ride on the train.


Man did it work. That face is legit joy and excitement. He was literally ecstatic to be going in circles on this train. Even other parent's were watching him and not their own kid.


Hi everyone!!! Hi!!!!!


Sam found it pretty amusing as well.


Or maybe he was smirking at the flamingos. Hard to remember.


On our way out I snapped a photo of Caitlin and precious BeeBee Sam.


And the whole fam with the Chicago skyline behind us. Yep, it's where we live. Chicago is at its finest in the summer. Nothing but fun.


And beauty.


Max took a break to instruct me that his boo boo had not gotten better and he needed medicine and a band aid when we got home. Fine Max, we are on it bro.


Is it possible for Max to have a better Saturday? Hard to imagine. Plus he got to skip his nap! Man, a day doesn't get better than this.