An American Girl birthday party!

We gave Levynn some options for a party - before Gram, Papa, Aunt Rachel and Cousin Chloe arrive on her actual birthday - and she picked Day at American Girl Place. Here it is!

Our summer list

We decided to compile a list of things we'd like to do this summer - be they things we've never done, things we'd like to do again, or things we do often - and we put pen to paper this week to see what all we had in mind.

Here it is so far, and you'll see we already have made a dent in it:

We're checking off those things we likely would do again this summer, and we'll cross out those that we likely won't.

Dad and the kids started with the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and Goudy Square playground yesterday, and today we all went to the "pirate park" playground (as the kids call it) that's by the lakeside high-rise where we spent our first month in Chicago.





We also stopped at Wrigley this morning, before the Cubs opened their series with the Yankees. Even Dad can say, "Go Cubs!" this weekend!

We don't think we'll be marking any items on the list Saturday. We've got other plans. Someone's birthday is right around the corner, after all.

NOW school's out!

Dad and the kids went to Levynn's school to pickup her report card. She got all As for the term and all As for overall year grades as well!

Whew!

Summer vacation is exhausting already!

Today, Dad and the kids met Mom outside the Tribune building for lunch, went to Millenium Park for the first day of the Family Fun Fest and went to the library to register for its summer reading program Book Beats.

Here are the kids with their summer reading folders - and Levynn's decorated face from Millenium Park, where we watched a performance by Aerial Dance Chicago. Levynn was so struck she wants to take classes with them!

Let summer vacation begin!

And in its first two-and-a-half days...

Levynn went to a birthday party for her best friend from kindergarten.

The kids ate chocolate chip pancakes from Yolk restaurant and honey-kissed muffins from the farmer's market for breakfasts.

We made mosaics (in the photos below) in front of Chagall's giant mosaic wall mural in the Loop, as part of Chicago's What's Out There Weekend.

Mom and the kids went to Garfield Park Conservatory while Dad met old college friends for music, dinner and a movie.

Dad and the kids went swimming.

Mom made strawberry rhubarb cobbler (again) from the farmer's market bounty.

And Dad and the kids went to a playground when Mom finally had to go back to work.

We're off and running!

The last day of school!

Yes, they're wearing coats - because it's 50 degrees on June 10.

Yes, it was 95 degrees 48 hours ago.

Yes, they're really getting big.

Yes, they just finished 3-year-old preschool and first grade today.

No, we can't believe it either.

Spelling Superstar

Levynn's class started weekly spelling tests in March, and she aced all 12 of them. More than 150 words. She even got bonus words most weeks. Mom and Dad are very, very proud. Mom wonders if any child ever has had such an accomplishment. (Mom is very, very proud.)

A night on the town, Part II

Practically a year to the day after Dad and the kids attended the She & Him concert at Millenium Park last June 7, it was time to try it again tonight!

Iron and Wine was, like She & Him, Dad's pick for the highlight of the park's free summer concert lineup. So Dad and the kids toted a picnic dinner down there. The difference this time: Mom was able to join us!

The crowd was even crazier, however. We arrived an hour early, and the best we could do was drop our picnic blanket half on the lawn and half on the walkway. We were lucky to get that, as people soon filled the walkway around us as well. And it was 95 degrees!

So, after Mom came from work shortly before the music started, we had dinner together (with John, who came down from the suburbs again), listened to some of the opening act (the fantastic The Head and the Heart), and then Mom and the kids called it a night.

Books and music

The Chicago Tribune's Printer's Row Lit Fest - a giant book fair - was this weekend, and we went there both days. Our marquee draw, Justin Roberts and his band The Not Ready for Naptime Players, had to stop their show yesterday when a thunderstorm struck after just three songs. (The same thing happened last year!) And Mom wasn't with us then. So we all went back today to hear the band again, have a picnic lunch on the sidewalk and to buy a couple children's books.


Speaking of books and music, Book Beats is the theme for the Chicago Public Library's upcoming summer reading program.

The end of the school year is near

UPDATED

So it's time for the spring assembly at Levynn's school!

Mom had to work, unfortunately, but Dad and Lincoln were there to record it for her - and you! - this afternoon.

The first-graders sang great songs! The music teacher told the crowd that they had the best ones, and Dad can believe it. Here they are!