Fun paints

The Pearl art supply store in our neighborhood is closing and has all its products on sale for half price. So we wandered through it the other day and found the one thing we hoped to find, tempera paint. Levynn used it at The Art Institute once, and the vibrancy of the colors really struck us. We used it today for the first time.

Funny man

Alan Arkin. Dan Aykroyd. Jim Belushi. John Belushi. Peter Boyle. John Candy. Steve Carell. Stephen Colbert. Rachel Dratch. Chris Farley. Tina Fey. Bonnie Hunt. Eugene Levy. Shelley Long. Jack McBrayer. Tim Meadows. Bill Murray. Mike Myers. Gilda Radner. Harold Ramis. Joan Rivers. Horatio Sanz. Betty Thomas. Nia Vardalos. George Wendt. Fred Willard.

And our own Lincoln?

He started a new program today with Dad at The Second City, the same Chicago sketch comedy theater where all of those performers began their careers.

He's not learning improv, per se; it's primarily a socialization class. But we quickly jumped into mirroring exercises, which the instructor described as basic improv techniques, and Lincoln really enjoyed it.

He wasn't too sure about it at first because he was expecting toys; we had told him it was a playgroup, and his previous playgroup had a lot of toys. But once we started moving our bodies after the first few minutes, he was into it.

This should be fun.

Talent?

Levynn started her 16-week ballet class at Old Town School of Folk Music today, and she's been so excited you would have thought she couldn't wait another day.

Well, after class, the teacher - who should know her stuff - told Levynn that she has "ballet feet."

Maybe it's just that she already had done ballet twice. Or maybe it's something else.

Let it snow!

Why not? We neither drive nor shovel!

We're in the middle of what is supposed to be Chicago's largest snowfall of the season so far, perhaps topping a foot by tomorrow afternoon.

So even though the temperature had not reached this month's high of 23 degrees(!), Dad and the kids went to the park after school today.





By the way, the kids seem to have made an impression on this building's staff. On the way outside, two of them - first a maintenance guy coming out of another elevator, then the leasing agent running out of her office as we passed through the lobby - stopped us to discuss a movie night being planned for tomorrow. Each wanted to know whether 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. would be better for us. Dad said 6, and a short time later there were flyers advertising a 6 p.m. showing of "Up."

Christmas with Massachusetts

We have a veterinarian in the family.

... and a firefighter.

Loves for Gram.

Fun with Dan.

More fun with Dan.

And even more fun with Dan. What else is new? (Ask him how many kids of his own he wants.)

Get him, Linc! After all, he got you!

There must be something about sweeping snow.

Reading with Papa.

Swimming with Dan

and Gram. And Papa, too. Mom and Dad sat this one out.

Christmas in Kentucky

Who says little kids can't work as a team?

They even sit nicely (for the most part) at the dinner table together!

"I love Katniss," Lincoln says.

"I love Christina," he says, too.

What a nice Byron.

And that's what he gets for it.

Reading with Grandy.

Would you believe Mom and Byron played with that when they were little? It was unveiled during our visit at Mammy and Pap's house.

Grandpappy Snippy Snappies!

Loves for Granddad.

It looks like someone's having fun!

Grandy tells a ghosty story.


Levynn reads to the youngins.

Merry Christmas Day!

We're ready!


Santa was here!



Levynn was very proud of her gifts, from school...

Merry Christmas Eve

We returned to the 94th floor of the Hancock Center today to visit Mr. and Mrs. Claus, just as we did each of the previous two Christmas seasons we've lived here, and we ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory downstairs afterward just as we did last Christmas Eve. So call it a tradition.

We arrived a little early and were first in line - again, just like last year - and when Santa appeared from behind curtains he asked the kids for hugs, Levynn AND Lincoln obliged.

For the first time, they even sat with him for the photo without Mom and Dad!


The photo below was taken on the bottom floor of the building, in front of the holiday train exhibit.

Now look at this one from last year, taken in the same area.


Tonight, we got ready for Santa's arrival at our building.

And Levynn got ready for the morning...

Making Christmas cookies

Getting cultured

We went to the Museum of Contemporary Art for its monthly Family Day, which had crafts, treats and new exhibits since our last visit. And - surprise, surprise - they've simply replaced wackiness with more wackiness.

The kids do get a kick out of this stuff, though. Lincoln decided to play hard-to-get through this one.