School's out

Yesterday was the last day of high school for E and B for the summer. E is finally a senior and B is no longer a freshman! B had his two worse finals on Friday - biology and world history. Thursday night I told him he might feel better about taking those tests if he spent some time studying. His reply? "That's an interesting concept." I'm expecting an interesting report card.

Bloomin'

Awards for L

Andy and I went to Julian this morning for the school's Tribute to Excellence Awards. We had no idea what L was being honored for, but she received two certificates. One was for being the Misericordia Exceptional Volunteer. She said she collected $277 in the four shifts she worked. Way to go, L! The other certificate was a confirmation of the art scholarship we learned she received earlier in the month. She was the first one called up from her sixth-grade "team." Just look how excited and proud she was!

That's different

Our neighbors came back from a weekend trip to Iowa and brought us this sweet corn. I'm not sure whether it's red sweet corn or something else, but it tasted just like the yellow variety.

Family activity

Maybe we're a strange family but one of the things we like to do is watch people running and biking in the rain. When these short summer rainstorms pop up, we raise the blinds and watch people racing to find shelter. It's fun to watch them scramble. Of course, it's no fun if we're the ones in a surprise downpour!

Everything's green

L helped Cindy walk the dog Sunday morning before we headed home. Everything on the farm is so green in spring.

Yay, E!

E's friends started receiving their ACT scores Friday. We were gone for the weekend and she knew it probably arrived Saturday. The anticipation was excruciating. She was relieved when she finally opened the envelope!

Kentucky bound

Today was nephew A's high school graduation party. We were at the party venue in the morning to help Cindy set up tables, chairs and to decorate. Andy let E drive to Litchfield and back to get the cake and balloons. This fall he's headed to the University of Kentucky.

Here's mom setting out the (many) graduation caps she made from miniature Reese's. She said the hardest part was putting on the tiny tassels. I told her she could get started on some for E's party now. :)

It wouldn't be a family party if there weren't at least one mishap. Cindy's mother-in-law generously offered to bring two trays of mostaccioli for the party - one meat and one vegetarian. Unfortunately, the meatless version wound up on the ground in the parking lot before making it into the party. The good news, though, was that the other mostaccioli survived and Cindy had two trays of deli meat that mom brought, so there was plenty of food.

E and B with cousin A.

Here's L enjoying a handmade chocolate lollipop that Cindy's mother-in-law brought to the party.

Kevin brought A's dog, Kumar, for a visit at the end of the party.

When we were cleaning up after the party, we found that someone made and left us a little person from the Reese's wrappers. They even put a graduation cap on it. How cute is that! We think it was probably our cousin's daughter's boyfriend, but we may never know.

After the party, Andy, Cindy and I took the kids to Benld's Italian-American Days. The kids rode rides and played carnie games. The won a few prizes. L made a fast friend with a girl from Springfield and they walked around the park together for quite some time while B and E stayed together. We had a couple of beers and played Bingo - no winners among us.

Our cats

When I was clearing photos off of Andy's camera so he can take it to cousin A's graduation party tomorrow, I found these two pictures of our cats. I like to use Andy's camera to try to get their pictures so they don't blink. Even when I turn the flash off on my little camera, it still shines a light before the picture is taken and it always makes the cats blink. These are much better than I'm usually able to get.

A cat's life

Bridal Wreath

Our Bridal Wreath has finally come into bloom and last night's thunderstorm knocked them all over. Another good rain will probably destroy all the blooms.

Honors convocation

Andy and I went to the high school tonight for the annual honors convocation. E has been chosen to participate in it for the last three years - a physical education award her freshman year and an English award last year. This year, she was recognized for receiving a $500 grant from the school's Alumni Association toward her upcoming trip to Japan. Her English teacher did a wonderful job on her recommendation letter.

E also found out today that she will be hosted in Japan by a female teacher and then have a "school buddy" during the school days to help her get around. E is one of nine of the kids going who will be staying with a teacher. She's now suppose to email the teacher and school buddy to find out more about them. E's Japanese teacher has a unique sense of humor. She wrote this in her email that paired students with their host families: Please ask me no questions about your host family. I don't know anything about them. You can find out by e-mailing them! I am busy. No questions. If you just can't help it, you can ask me questions but please know that I have no answers to your questions.

Luggage

E checks out her new suitcase for Japan! She leaves in less than one month.

Henna

The local library branch was having a bike registration event yesterday so I sent L over to register her bike with the police. It increases the odds that the bike could be recovered if it gets stolen. On her way home she noticed that Harrison Street was blocked off for a festival so she decided to check that out. She came home, called her friend J and they went back together. L came home with her hand looking like this:

She waited about a half hour before washing it off. She didn't bother to ask the woman who drew the henna on her how long to leave it on or how to take it off. She rubbed her hand under running water and it came off.

It cost L $5 and supposedly will last 20-30 days. The finished result:

Hand-me-downs

E got her new golf clubs recently and that means that Andy gets to recruit another child to play golf so L inherited her "old" clubs this week. L went with Andy to the golf store and picked out her new pink grips and a pink (of course) golf bag. They picked up the newly gripped clubs this morning.

Roly poly homework

B's biology homework last night was to find at least four roly poly bugs and collect them in a petri dish. B waited until it was dark (and sprinkling) and went behind the garage to look under bricks we have laid out by the garbage bins. Somehow he managed to recruit E to help him. They found three and came in out of the rain. Mission successful.

Start of Phase 2

L started Phase Two of her braces this morning. She wasn't nervous until the orthodontist started talking about the implant she'll need in about five years after he makes space for one (or two) of her missing two teeth. Instead of choosing one or two colors of the bands around her teeth, L asked for a rainbow. The hygienist had to pull one small band from all these different colors to give L the look she wanted. She was able to spin the "Wheel of Ortho" and won a $25 gift card. The office didn't have any $25 gift cards left so she got a $10 Subway card and $15 to Sports Authority. She was one peg away from winning $100 cash. The orthodontist also started her on rubberbands that she's supposed to wear all the time. Afterward, we went for lunch at Russell's BBQ. L went back to school for her few afternoon classes. She's wearing her Blackhawks jersey because the Hawks beat Minnesota last night in overtime to continue in the playoffs.

The irons have arrived

E finally has her new irons, with women's grips and a half-inch taken off the shafts, completing her new golf club set.

Bouncy, bouncy

Andy and I took L and her friend R to an indoor trampoline park this afternoon. They jumped for two hours and talked nonstop. I think their favorite was the foam cube pit where they were able to throw the cubes at each other. They also played basketball and dodgeball, and ate a couple slices of pizza.

Not a minute after we dropped R off at his house, L asked Andy, "So, what do you think of R?" "He's a nice boy," Andy said. "Oh, good," L said.

Dodgeball!

Putting him to work

Just what I like to see - a young man mowing the lawn. It tired him out, though, and he fell asleep sitting up on the sofa.

E went up to Deerfield today with Andy and played in another golf tournament. She used her new clubs, but not her new driver yet, and shot a 92! She ended up in fourth place. Too bad only the top two finishers get trophies. Here she is showing off her sunburn. Andy went to Buffalo Grove while she was golfing so he could golf and ended up with a bit of a sunburn too. He came home with flowers for me for Mother's Day:

New clubs

E was thrilled to pick up her new TaylorMade custom-made golf clubs today. "They're so pretty," she said. Um, OK. She has an entire set coming, but the irons had to be sent back because her golf pro realized they didn't take a half-inch off of the shaft like they were supposed to, and they didn't put women's grips on them. She's getting man clubs because the shaft is stiffer and it should make the ball fly farther. At least that's what I'm told. The whole point is to shave strokes off her game and give her more control. We'll see. She has another tournament tomorrow.

The hills are alive ...

Allison and I went downtown to the Lyric Opera this afternoon to see "The Sound of Music." It was really good and the first time either of us had been to the Lyric Opera. The "star" of the show was Billy Zane, who played Rose's rich boyfriend in the movie "Titanic." I'd like to take the kids, but not sure if we'll have time before it leaves Chicago. Afterward we went to Andy's office to show Allison around and find Cousin M's cubicle. Andy rode home with us.

Tonight we went to L's last band concert of the year. We followed that up with dinner at Goldyburgers. It was such a warm day we were able to sit outside on the patio. L and I love their cheese balls.

She was so happy she made a smiley face with her ketchup.

Limo ride

L has been anxiously awaiting today. She went to her church friend N's house after school and waited for a limo to take them and other friends to N's birthday party at a Chinese Buffet restaurant. The limo was a surprise for N and he was thrilled with it, as was L. I was waiting in the parking lot to get a few pictures of the limo when it pulled up. I knew L would want to show her friends at school. Little did I know she was taking selfies of herself inside the limo the whole time. Here they are getting out of the limo in front of the restaurant.

Art scholarship

L came home with some great news today. She received a $250 scholarship from the school to take a summer art class. She has asked to be enrolled in a two-week session of wheel-throwing at Terra Incognito, a local art studio. E took a 90-minute class there last summer so I think L will really enjoy her two-week experience.

Making 'man pockets'

E is so jealous of boys because their jeans have "man pockets." B can fit his DS in his pocket, a phone, keys, money and still have room for more. E's pocket barely holds money and it can't contain her phone - a big problem for today's girls apparently. Today she had enough of the sexism! She sat down, needle in hand and created a man pocket on her girl jeans.

The white is the addition she made to her blue girl pocket. If she likes her new man pocket, she's planning on fixing the other side, too.

And the demonstration ... her phone isn't going to fall out of her pocket now. Necessity is the mother of invention after all.