Boy of Summer

How about if I don't do the thing I normally do, which is shamefully acknowledge how I have neglected the blog. How awful I am as a mother.  Yada yada yada.  I been busy, y'all.  

The thing is, that I was looking forward to the summer being a slow down from the spring.  It hasn't really been much of a slow down.  Work started pretty hectic, but it has "slowed" down a bit.  I say "slowed" and I mean just the "required" stuff at work.  I have so much that I am working on aside from the things I have to do.  

I am trying to learn R (a computer language and statistical package).  Plus I have several projects I am trying to wrap up.  I have a presentation later this month and next month (in Paris) that need attention.  And the sociology department asked me to teach a class in the Fall- maybe two.  I am trying not to be overwhelmed about everything, which is doable, as long as I don't think too long about all the things I am not doing well.  

We started Nico in Cubs Care baseball this year.  He really likes it.  He is the oldest kid in the class- he is almost 7 and the rest of the kids are either 5 or just turned 6.  So, he is head and shoulders above the class in terms of listening, coach ability, and athletic skills.  His coach seems to really like him- and has set him up with other baseball opportunities.  

He is so tan and so blonde right now.  At camp, he spends hours on hours on hours outside- playing sport, swimming, hanging out.  It is quite remarkable.  Most days at camp, he swims for at least an hour.  Plus, we have him in swimming lessons on Thursdays.  Speaking of which, he is finally turning into a fish.  He has always been a bit apprehensive in the water, but lately, he's going under water and overall much more comfortable.  In fact, Dave even has video of Nico asking his swimming teacher to throw him in the water.  

We started the summer pretty strong in terms of reading, but somewhere along the like, we've dropped off a bit, which is a shame.  

He and Dave are going down to Louisville next weekend.  Mike and Gay are coming up, and wanted to see Nico and Dave.  The plan is to stay with Cathy and Tony, and maybe even get a judo workout in.   Everyone is looking forward to it.  I wish I could make it, but next week is going to be a bit crazy with the camp schedule and I am going to need to get out in front of it.  I never get to have any fun!!

Swimming

Like most of the weekends that we have been having around here, this past one was great. It really started Thursday night when we went to Movies in the park.  This is apparently something that a Chicago bank does every Thursday night, at parks around Chicago.  This Thursday it was The Lorax at Hollywood Park, which is the park that is literally, steps away from our house.  Nico was a gem, but didnt want to stay for the whole thing.  This was after Nico's school went to Shedd Aqaurium during the day.  I can totally tell that Nico is an only child- he has no perception of the idea of sharing.  Still.  I will post pictures from Shed later.

Friday night we met one of his school mates at a jump place in Niles.  This proved to be very fun and they proved to be good people.  Apparently, he is part of the old swedish mafia of North Park (it was originally settled by swedes).  They have a boat and have promised to take us out sometime.  Which is awesome, because I was just thinking that I needed to figure out a way to swing having a boat.  But it seems a bit unrealistic when the cost to park a boat in Lake Michigan is probably more than our rent. 

Saturday we headed to the YMCA for Nico's swimming lessons.

He was not too keen on sticking his face in the water, since he did it last week.  Which makes sense, I guess.  But then this happened:

(Sorry that Nico is selling so much crack... those trunks were a bit big).  

Here he is with Ms. Erin swimming.  No big deal.

Saturday afternoon I went up to Michigan to see Uncle Scott and JJ (who just moved to Kalamazoo from Rochester, NY).  We hung out at the house and watched Old School (apparently Rock had never seen it before).  

Sunday, I met Dave and Nico at the soccer field and we played two games (we won one and lost one).  Then we headed home and got to bed early.  Arent you worn out from reading all of that?  This coming week, we are going to try some vintage transportation vehicles museum/festival in Rockford- which Dave found.  The general consensus is that Nico is going to love it.  

Today I had a skin doctor appointment.  For the last year, I have been a bit nervous about skin cancer- mostly because I am terrible at remembering sunscreen.  And when I do wear it, it never seems to keep me from getting burned.  In particular, I was nervous about a couple of spots on my arms and a spot my nose.  Turns out my doctor just froze off some "likely precancerous" spots off my left forearm.  Which is so much better than I thought it might have been.  

Swimming Lessons

So this week has been a bit exciting.  Dave went to Florida last week for work and Nico and I hung out in Chicago.  He's not super excited about going to school yet- I think it's mostly because he doesn't have any really good friends there.  But I am working at it.

On Thursday night, we made homemade ice cream.  We did it with heavy whipping cream, so it was sort of gross... mostly because it was so greasy.  But Nico thought it was fantastic!!

Know what is really great about living 1.2 miles away from his school?  Being able to walk to pick him up from school.  Even cooler, is that the walk home took us through North Park's campus village and Peterson Park.  And we saw this girl.  Just hanging out.  

Saturday, Nico started swimming lessons at the YMCA.  He was a champ.  I was worried that he wouldnt want to do it... since he was a bit reluctant on Saturday morning when we woke up.  But he jumped in the pool and listened to his teacher and everything.  It was great.  After, we headed out to Franklin Park (near O'Hare) and had Sonic for lunch.  Then we scooped up Dad from the airport.   

Sunday, Dave and I had a game at the Foster Turf fields.  And one of Nico's sitters came and hung out with him.  I got to play in goal (I have been playing in the field).  And we won.  Does anyone else wonder how it is that the two games where I wasn't in goal are two games that we lost?  Coincidence?  I think not.  Okay, don't tell any of my teammates I said that.  :)

swimmin...

Thursday. The weekend is almost here. Thank god.

Not much new to report. Dave had a work thing last night and I worked after work on a paper. He got done a little early and we snuck to the Black Bean cafe without nico? It was so strange to be at dinner without him. It was delish and we had the chance to talk about some job market stuff. There is a position at the University of the Virgin Islands that I sent him, thinking, dang how sweet it would be to live in the caribean? He pointed out that I would probably get annoyed about the only place to shop being the shitty kmart and the tourist market in Charlotte Amalie. I reminded him that while I am prone to impulse and flights of fancy, I at least have enough sense to not complain when I brow beat him into agreeing to something. He declined to comment.

I managed to find some swimming lessons for little guys done by the city of Tallahassee. I think that we might try to do them with Nico next month. It's funny, because I find myself saying "swimming" like "swimmin" with the emphasis place equally on both syllables, like Nico says it. In any case, it should be fun. I hope it looks something like this: