Press the play button to start the video. I don't have a decent video editing program so I can't get the wind noise out of the video. If you have a slow connection or can't see the video send me and email and let me know. (michael@orths.com).
It is a late start but strawberry picking season began yesterday. We went out with the kids to pick some berries. I'll have a movie posted soon I hope.
We've gone to Silver Lake twice this week already and with more 90 degree days coming up we'll probably be back for more. The kids found a dead Bluegill and gave him a proper burial.
I went to a CD signing for Dan Akroyd and Jim Belushi's new CD "Have Love Will Travel Review". I got to meet Dan and Jim as I was dressed up as a Blues Brother. (Even though they are not doing that thing anymore.)
We got the kids a swingset and put it together this morning, after 3 trips to Menards we got it finished. We put it between the fence and the garage. If you haven't been here in a while we also put in a patio between that area and the big pine tree last year. The kids seem to love the swingset, but it's only the first day. Hopefully it gets good use, I think it will. Before it was up 2 hours Harry had two major mishaps...he came down the slide and went to run around to go again and ran right into the glider Renata was swinging on. Shortly after that he did a face-plant off the swing. But he keeps going back for more. We also replaced the light fixture in the upstairs bathroom today. It looks really nice and matches the look of the bathroom pretty well. The peonies finally bllomed today as well. The daisies have been blooming for about a week now.
It's beginning to look a lot like summer, every where you go....Is that supposed to be Christmas?
Today almost felt like summer. It got up to about 75 degrees and was mostly sunny. It has been dreary and cool for the better part of the last week. The kids were happy to finally get out and play in their pool and splash in the water.
Earlier in the day we went to check out the new Harborside Market down by the museum with mom. It looks like the start of something cool. It is still small but hopefully will grow into a nice farmers market in the future. Also the location is really great.
Today would have been Mom and Dad's 44th wedding anniversary. I bought mom some flowers, considering if dad was still here he would probably have sent me out to get flowers for mom anyway. It is hard to believe dad has been gone for over a year and a half. I still miss him everyday.
Three days down, something like 70 to go. Argh. We are making the most of vacation, though, and I've been digging in the toddler busy book for craft ideas. Today Renata, Harry and I painted on wax paper with a glue and paint mixture.
Renata suggested we take her artwork to Auntie Gerda (who loved it very much). Auntie Gerda mentioned that Aunt Eleanor's surgery went well. Otherwise, same old, same old.
Yesterday I finished the Harry Orth memorial underwear quilt.
I wonder if it would be a good business to sew the clothes of loved ones into quilts. What better to do than to snuggle up to your husband's old shirts. I remember wearing Michael's clothes and sleeping on his pillow when he travelled on business with Cornerstone.
Renata had dance class this evening. She has been getting close to her new friend, Ali, who is also in dance class and just happens to live only a block away. They have their recital this weekend, which we are relieved to not be a part of, considering it is insanely expensive and the teacher is over-stressed and sick. She loves class; however, and seems to catch on and behave perfectly.
Today we went to the Kenosha Public Museum with the kids. Here are a few pictures.
After we had lunch at the Wurst Grille which is out on the deck under the coffee shop in the old Visiting Nurses building. We had Chicago Style Hot Dogs.
School's out for summer. The kids are out of daycare and we have 11 weeks to goof off thanks to the geniuses in Madison who passed a law saying that we can't go back to school until after Labor Day. So this is an extended summer I guess. We won't finish the school year until later next year. I'll try to keep posting, hopefully daily just a little bit about what is going on in our lives. I hope everyone else will do the same. Send me an email (michael@orths.com) to get added to the list and I'll also let you know how to post pictures to the site. Yesterday we went to church, mass was said for Don Carls. Next week Sunday mass is being said for Dad at 10:00am. I hope everybody can make it. I'll post more later.
