Turning six, the party edition

I mentioned a month or so ago, in the wake of our first child's birthday party, that Calvin had already worked out his birthday party guest list, including such family members as his grandparents and aunts and uncles. He also planned out the menu, which started with havarti and dill cheese, crackers, guacamole, and salsa, continued with grilled salmon, fresh green beans, and potato salad for dinner, and finished with carrot cupcakes decorated in the colors of Oz.

He also designed his own invitation (the penguin on the left is Calvin, with blue eyes, and that's green-eyed me on the right, lighting the last candle on the cake with the electric lighter).

And he helped bake and decorate the carrot cupcakes.

One of his birthday requests had been for more of the delightful and unique Oz characters we'd given him last year, and the artist who'd made the first set happily obliged with some beautiful additions. It was his first present of the day.

Everyone who was in town came to the party and made it a wonderful afternoon, with presents and game play and munching and laughing and loving.

Boris!

And now it's official. He's six.

Family weekend

We had a weekend full of rare and exciting family visits. A cousin coming from Europe, visiting in the Ann Arbor area with a new baby, and a cousin from the west coast, visiting my favorite northern lower Michigan location. Opposite sides of my family, and a state's drive apart, and every minute of travel and planning worth the memories recalled and created in the moments spent together.

Gathering the children of the next generation to see them gab, and roll, and romp, and play was a joyous experience on Saturday night. I believe I remember some of the same antics from our own youthful past.

Up north we gathered in the kitchen for the preparations of traditional food, and then around the table to eat it, of course. This trip also means hunting for alien slugs (green pinecones) in the yard, driving to Mackinaw City for fried perch at the Key Hole Bar, playing miniature golf (with a duck), communing with the wildlife, and making a tree suspicious.

And now in Calvin's words...

Chicago

We spent our long weekend in Chicago while, if the traffic both coming and going is any clue, it seems most people from the Chicago area spent their long weekend somewhere in Michigan.

I could go on and on about the sunny, albeit unseasonably warm, weather, or the fantastic company, activities, and food, but I won't. I'll just tell the story, or most of it anyway, in pictures.

On Friday night we stayed in for fantastic shrimp chowder, salad, bread, wine, and general goofiness.

On Saturday, Curtis and Jon went for a "bro's day out", shopping, chowing, and the like, while Julie, Calvin, and I went to the Field Museum, and then to a sushi dinner.

On Sunday we were off to the races!

It was 96 degrees, but at least it was windy, and Calvin found a little shade for a rest with his book.

I think this is the universal face of enjoyment.

For the last race of the day, Calvin decided that horse number one should win. Curtis placed a $2 bet on him just for fun. They were some pretty long odds, but Calvin just really thought number one should win that race.

Here comes number one, long odds or not.

Just look at him go.

It was very exciting to be standing right at the rail, chearing on our very own horse. Or at least the horse we wanted to win. And long odds meant that Calvin won $10 on that bet.

After freshening up we were off to the Publican for dinner, a fresh and local foods experience restaurant. We were closed up in a booth where we spent almost three hours being catered to with eight different dishes, including, but not limited to, oysters, rabbit, duck, pork, perch, and a variety of exquisite side dishes. We also sampled beer and wine. To make the extended period of confinement easier for Calvin we brought along coloring, a mini puzzle, a mini Lego set, his book, and even the iPad (although we wouldn't normally condone that at any dinner table), and we all had a great time. Of course, he tried and loved every dish right along with us.

Oysters!

And on Monday we took the el downtown and enjoyed Lurie Gardens in Milennium Park before walking Michigan Avenue, doing a little shopping, and enjoying one last delectable meal before hitting the road.

It was still in the mid-nineties so dipping our toes in the freezing cold water of the gardens was very enjoyable.

And I accidentally put the camera on some odd setting, over-exposing all the rest of the pictures from the afternoon, so the remaining shots are an experiment in Photoshop tricks.

And now we are home.

One last day: Windmill Island

Into many vacations a little rain must fall, but windmill touring and another stop in downtown for New Holland snacks and beer don't require sunshine anyhow, and the weather cleared for a beautiful sunset and another wonderful evening with family (this time we watched Clue).

Downtown, the beach, and more

Lunch at New Holland, a must do tradition.

Watching Dutch dancing in the streets...an unavoidable tradition.

The carnival...a new tradition? Ugh.

Back on the beach.

And after bedtime for the little one, we watched an old favorite: Monty Python and the Holy Grail.