A visit from Ama and Pops

We’ve been enjoying time with my mom and dad this week.  Although my dad had to return to New Jersey on Sunday evening he did get to experience Eliot’s first trip to the bowling alley.

My mom has been here all week and has been a huge help with Eliot while Maggie works for Common Threads’ summer camp.  Tonight we enjoyed a picnic and the Grant Park symphony in Millennium Park.

Summer?

As you can see in this first photo, our weather hasn’t been all that summer-like yet.

But on Tuesday we had a perfect day for our day off so we rode our bikes downtown for a picnic lunch and some splashing in Millennium Park.  You’ll also notice the haircut Eliot got between these two photos.

Our Day Off

We recently shifted our day off from Monday to Tuesday.  This morning Eliot and I made homemade biscuits while Maggie caught up on some sleep after a late night working for The Chopping Block.  Later in the morning the three of us bundled up for a windy walk along the lake.

Slide!

Eliot and I spent some time at the park across the street this afternoon.  He decided it was time to conquer the slide and, as you can see, he had a fun time doing so.

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A Weekend of Parties

We had a delightfully fun time of parties this past weekend. First was our Spanish Tapas party for the lovely neighbors in our condo. Here’s the menu:

Homemade Sangria

Bacon wrapped dates with balsamic reduction
Empanadas with cilantro cream
Olives and Manchego cheese
Garlic potato salad
Stuffed mushrooms
Smoked salmon with creme fraiche on toast points
Goat cheese and marinara spread
Arroz con Pollo with Saffron
Flan

I cooked for a few days ahead and I’m very proud to say that the food turned out well and all seemed to enjoy themselves. The last guests left around midnight.

Sangria

The Table

 

The aftermath

 

Then on Monday we celebrated Eliot’s 2nd birthday! We had a very fun time with Eliot’s birth mom and her family. The afternoon involved hamburgers, chocolate cake, openings LOTS of presents, and playing playdough on his new table! He definitely slept in the next morning after all the festivities.

The Spread

A New puzzle

Birthday Cake!

Licking the bowl

Playing on his new table