Flag Dessert

We continued our Memorial Day tradition of grilling and making "flag dessert".

This time, we constructed the "flag" using biscuits, strawberries, blueberries,

 and whipped cream.







The eating was as fun as the building!

Spreading a Little Sunshine

Dexter's sunshine cake brought some sunshine to a cool and cloudy Chicago day in late May. Dexy and Eric enjoyed sunshine cupcakes together.

Having a Ball with CC

When I told Dexter that CC would be at the party, he got very excited and started running around the house shouting, "CC! CC! CC!" CC had babysat Dexy once before and apparently she let Dexter throw a tennis ball all around her apartment. Dexter talked about it for days!

 CC brought a tennis ball to the party and she and Dexy enjoyed a game of catch. Dexter again had a ball with CC. I was impressed at how well Dexter threw and caught the ball.

Whoops - wild throw into the garden.

Holding His Own with PhD Students

Dexy and I had a great time at the HDSP party yesterday. Ijun brought a bubble wand for him to play with - and play he did! Thanks Ijun! 

Debbie (the host) had a medium sized scruffy named Benny that Dexter loved playing with. Benny wasn't used to playing with a young one and Dexter was impressed at how well he played "hide and seek".

 The rest of us called the game "Benny needs a Dexter break".

Dexter started asking people what they wanted him to "teach" them. I don't know why he was saying that (not a game we've ever played before). Maybe he thought that because it was a party with Mommy's "school friends" we all wanted to learn something. He taught various doctoral students how to hop (on one leg) and how to count (up to 11).

Sunshine Cake

When I told Dexy that we would be going to a party today, he asked whose birthday it was. I explained that it wasn't a birthday party, it was a grown up party (students in the PhD program are having a BBQ). Then he asked whose grown up birthday it was.  I decided to embrace the "birthday" idea and Dexy and I made a sunshine cake to bring to the party.  Dexy helped make and decorate the cake. It was his idea to make a smiley face (good idea!).

Happy Sunshine Cake, Happy Dexter.









Happy Sunshine Cake, Unhappy Dexter (tired of Mommy taking pictures).

Birthday Greetings

Mommy forgot to pick up a birthday card for Dexter's friend Ian's birthday ("school Ian", not "Ian H").  We used a cute blank card and Dexter wrote the birthday greeting all by himself. Surprisingly, it was legible enough for the mom to be able to read it aloud when she opened it. It elicited oohs and ahhs from all the mothers and the grandmothers. I could tell that Dexter was proud of himself.

Home Sweet Home

We now have bird families residing in each of our backyard birdhouses. Dexter loves to look out the back window to see what the birds are up to.

Eating Green Beans with Chopsticks

Ben and I found children's chopsticks in the $1 bin at Target. Dexter has trouble with real chopsticks so we thought the rhino at the top that holds the two sticks together might help him get the hang of it.

 He didn't maintain proper form but...

He managed to get the job done!

No Bees Allowed

Earlier this week, Dexter and Daddy were pulling weeds and preparing the vegetable garden for planting when Dexter discovered a bee hovering nearby.  He decided to make a sign indicating "no bees allowed" - chalk on sidewalk drawings of bees with X's through them.

Perceptions of Mommy

I love that Dexter (with help from Ms. Lois) recorded his perceptions of Mommy and gave the document to me for Mother's Day. I especially love that he took off about 20 years and countless pounds! I'm not sure why he thinks I would like to be a princess but I do know that he loves me when he greets me excitedly saying "Mommy! Mommy!" It's a little sad that his perception of how I like to spend my free time is working on the computer but it's also an accurate observation these days (there is no such thing as free time for Mommy!). Such a beautiful Mother's Day gift.

My Bologna On-Line

We leave the computer for one minute and My Bologna is searching for cat videos on You Tube!

Looks like we're going to have to start using parental controls!

Yes, They Have Sunscreen On

My dear, dear friend Elissa has been so gracious about watching Dexter on Wednesday afternoons enabling me to attend my research lab with my advisor.  She and Ian have come to call it "Dexter Wednesdays" and they always make it a fun time for Dexy. Elissa also sends Ben and me pictures of the boys together. Yesterday, Ian and Dexy played outside in the sprinkler. 

The subject line in the email from Elissa with the picture was "Yes, they have sunscreen on." I bet Dexter has his eye on a dump truck just outside the range of the camera...am I right, Elissa?

Ice Cream Social Cupcake

Dexy opted for a cupcake at the ice-cream social following the ceremony.

His poop was real-deal green the next day.

Celebration!

Dexy enjoyed the celebratory balloons that were released at the end of the ceremony.

Ducky Hat

Dexy in his hand-made ducky hat.

Blue Buddies

Some shots from Dexter's end-of-the-school-year ceremony (the kids wearing graduation hats are the ones headed off to kindergarten next year):

Adding a Touch of Class

And I'm thankful to our friend, Monica, who got video of Ben accompanying the three and four year- olds in their rendition of Rubber Ducky. All the teachers told him that he really added a touch of class to the ceremony. Dexy was really good at singing during the rehearsals but he spent the entire song squeezing air from the ducky onto his mouth during the actual ceremony.

He's a Fast One!

I was very sad to have to miss Dexter's end of the school year ceremony because of classes.  I was very thankful that Ben remembered the video camera.

Shuffling

I discovered some videos on the videocamera that we hadn't yet downloaded. This one is from back in February - Dexy dancing.

Buddies

Ben caught a perfect moment between Dexy and My Bologna!
Nice work, baby!

Tulips in Bloom

This week, the tulips that Dexter and Ben planted last fall erupted in full bloom. 

 Dexy took a minute to stop and smell the flowers.

My Bologna enjoyed resting in the warm breeze.

Bouncing Boy

Last weekend, we all went to a 4 year old friend of Dexter's for a birthday party. They had a bounce house and Dexy spent (no lie) four hours bouncing! We had to periodically drag him out to drink water (he refused to eat anything, even cake!).

Dexy enjoyed bouncing with the other kids and engaging grown ups in the fun. He would take one of the balls and toss it out the opening then politely ask a random nearby grown up to throw it back into him. Ben and I were proud of his manners - he never forgot a "please" or "thank you"!

Dexy did come out to take a swing at the pinata but was back bouncing again in no time. 

They had some pitchers of margaritas out and Ben indulged in a few (insisting that there was barely any alcohol in them). Based on Ben's performance in the bounce house later that afternoon, I'm willing to bet there was a decent amount of alcohol in them (and in Ben)!

"It's a Chevy!"

Dexter recognizes the music of the ice cream truck that drives s l o w l y through the neighborhood all summer.  Each time he hears the music, he runs to the window to look for the truck.  Tonight, upon hearing the music, he ran to the window and exclaimed, "It's the ice cream truck!" followed a few seconds later by, "It's a Chevy!"  Daddy checked (it would be useless for me to check) and, sure enough, Dexy was correct. "I saw the symbol," Dexter explained. More than Mommy could do.

Last Day of School

Today was Dexter's last day of this year's pre-school, Blue Buddies. I gave him a tulip from our garden to give to his teacher, Ms. Lois.  She has been a wonderful partner (and advisor) in fostering Dexter's development - a true gift to Dexter and to our family.

Dexter told her, "I love you Ms. Lois."

And he proceeded to give her a hug (in general, he's not a big "hugger" so it was a very special moment).

Studio Prep

As Ben was trying to get his dobro prepared for a studio session today, he found himself with a "helper".

It didn't sound half bad with the two of them playing the same instrument together.

Construction Surprise

Dexter chose Famous Dave's for Daddy's birthday lunch. As luck would have it, there was a huge construction site with big vehicles in the same lot as the restaurant.

Unfortunately, it was lunchtime so the construction workers were taking a union break. Still, seeing construction vehicles was huge thrill for Dexy.

New Things for Daddy's Broken Things

We took a family walk after ice cream cake breakfast and ran into Julie walking her crew (Junior, Mac, and Shannon).  I mentioned to Julie that it was Ben's birthday and Dexter chimed in, "We got him new things for his broken things!" "You got him new things for his broken things?" Julie asked (not sure she had heard him correctly). "Yes. We got him a new shaver to get his prickles and new underwear without holes."

Turns out the fancy new shaver was broken and the underwear was a size too big so Daddy is stuck with his "broken things" until we exchange the gifts.

Ice Cream Cake Breakfast

Not an everyday occurrence!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Probably the best gift that Daddy got was me telling Dexter the night before to quietly wake only me up in the morning so Daddy could sleep in.  Dexy remembered (!) and on Ben's birthday morning, he came into our room and quietly woke me up whispering, "Mommy, I'm hungry." (this is his new standard "wake-up"line).  I got out of bed and took Dexy with me to get coffee and an ice cream cake for Daddy. We were gone for about an hour when I realized that Dexter's alarm clock was probably going off and waking up Daddy. When we got home, sure enough, Daddy was half asleep in Dexter's room trying to turn off the alarm. Had we gotten home one minute earlier, we may have gotten to the alarm before Daddy and had we gotten home one minute later, Daddy may have made it back to bed without having been seen.  Alas, once Dexter spotted Daddy, there was no letting him go back to bed - it was time to eat Daddy's birthday ice cream cake for breakfast!