Famille Du Pentium

So after yet another lackluster year, this weekend the Cubs will implore us to once again “Wait until next year!”

I managed to get some tickets to today’s game versus the Diamondbacks, and the Cubs actually did a pretty good job – shutting out Arizona 5-0.

Pictures of Ethan and I at the game are HERE.

My aunt Marylin (Mimi, as she was known to us when we were kids) passed this summer of complications from Alzheimer’s disease.  The last time Mimi was at a family event was the family reunion in New Mexico in 2004 (or was it 2002?)  Anyway, the last time I saw Mimi was at the Chicago reunion, because we couldn’t make it to New Mexico because of one of our kids being born.

Her memorial was in Colorado Springs at the end of August.  Most of us arrived Friday afternoon, and had dinner at Fargo’s, a Colorado Springs favorite spot for many years.  Saturday we did some sightseeing, and then attended the memorial service itself where everyone shared stories.  Afterwards, we went to the Flying W Ranch, where we ate a chuckwagon dinner and watched their music show.  We left Sunday, and others stuck around to sightsee.

Pictures are here.

So we’re back from my Aunt’s memorial.  Some tear-jerker moments, as well as some fun.  My family does know how to have a good time, sometimes, when they get together.  It’d just be nice to have fun for it’s own sake, instead of because we’re all in town for a funeral.  I’ve got pictures of Colorado Springs, I’ll put ’em up later this week.

Aaron is in Honors Lit, and was also just re-accepted to the JV Soccer team in school.  He’s also still playing AYSO of course.  Games all start next week, although practice for both is already well underway.  He’s also taking 2nd year Spanish, which is odd because he never took first year.  Apparently a snafu at the school scheduling office.  So he’s now got a Spanish tutor, because if they move him to first year Spanish, he’ll have to drop Honors Lit.  Sigh.

Justin’s in Kindergarten, and he seems to be adjusting to it well so far.  Ethan’s in second grade, and now instead of asking for homework and getting really simple spelling or reading assignments to keep him from complaining about not getting enough homework, he’s now getting mandatory Math assignments, and tough ones at that.  That’ll keep him quiet for a while!

The beat goes on…

Day 1

On Friday, July 10th we slept a bit late and got going on the road around 10.  Springfield is about 3.5 hours away, we made it there in about 3.  We got to our hotel early, so before checking in we went to the State Capital and walked around.  We could have gone in, but we didn’t want to spend all afternoon there (a swimming pool awaited us at our hotel!) so we just walked around and took in the atmosphere and got our pictures taken next to Abe.

Friday evening after swimming, we all got together at a restaurant named Darcy’s Pint, where the specialty of the house is a dish called a “Horseshoe” which contains beef or other meat covered with fries which are in turn covered with white cheese sauce, all nestled on a bed of Texas toast.  Here we all are, and here’s what a horseshoe looks like:

Darcy's Pint Horseshoe

Mmm, Yummy!

Day 2:

On Saturday, we went to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.  These are actually two separate buildings and the museum is the main attraction.  It goes over the life of Lincoln, the Civil War and Emancipation.  Many pictures are ready to be enjoyed.

After that, we headed out to New Salem, Illinois – a now abandoned city near Petersburg (where Lincoln is buried) where Lincoln first moved when he turned 21, and worked for a while as a shopkeeper, postmaster, and doing odd jobs.  This was actually two days of activities, we went both Saturday afternoon and Sunday before we headed home.  Pictures of the Kids and us in New Salem are here.

Then there was some other stuff, and we got a flat tire driving home:

Flat Tire

It was near old Route 66:

Mother Road

Wasn’t that exciting?

ALL the pictures here.

So now that our busy June is out of the way, what’s left for the Humphries-Dolnick family this summer?

Not much.  We’re saving up for a big cruise around the British Isles next summer.  That alone is taking all of our “fun money” resources right now, so vacations have become staycations.

But we are doing one big outing this summer – Springfield, next weekend.  Then after that, things just sort of taper off for the rest of summer – probably a good thing as we’re all pretty tired from the activities lately.  So anyway, next weekend: drive to Springfield on Friday and check in to our hotel, then we’ll hang out with the Dolnick clan over the weekend and see the sites that made Illinois famous, like the Lincoln log house and … uh, whatever else there is :).  Then return home next Sunday and it’s back to the drudgery and work-a-day world.  Sigh.  Looking forward to next summer.

Today wraps up a busy month of activities for the Humphries-Dolnick family, as you recall.  We went to the Skokie Independence Daycelebration at Niles North High School.  This is where we usually go when we’re not out of town on the 4th.

To start things off, there were games for the kids.  They had a couple of bands playing; the first band was unmemorable and I don’t even recall their name.  The second one was called “7th Heaven” and they did a great job, including a jam where they covered 30 songs in 30 minutes.  There was also food.  Then the fireworks.  Then the traffic jam.

We got there very early so we could get good parking right by the grass, and then watch the fireworks from our car (and make a hasty exit afterwards.)

Pictures, as usual were taken and can be enjoyed HERE.

As I’ve blogged before, Aaron and Justin were in the MNASR Buddy Baseball program.  Last Wednesday was the final game, and of course we have pictures.  Enjoy!

Last weekend, Aaron participated in a two-day tournament for AYSO Section 6, which covers five states including Illinois.  The tournaments were held at the Libertyville Township Soccer Complex, a beautiful (and huge) soccer complex about an hour north of us.  There were final standings, but unfortunately I don’t have them yet.  Still, here are the pictures.

This officially marks the end of the Spring soccer season – no more (organized) soccer for Aaron until September.  He’s still practicing, of course!

As promised, here they are.  Again, it was a laser tag event, so not very much material to shoot in the dark.

We had the party at Lazer Zone in Glenview, Illinois.  The place doesn’t serve food, but has party rooms.  They suggest that everyone order food through their preferred pizza delivery company, Viccino’s.  To their credit, the pizza from Viccino’s was very good, and they offer a discount to Lazer Zone patrons.

On arrival, and after getting organized, guests have one Lazer Tag session, which is about 30 minutes or so.  First they view a training video, and then are fitted with the lazer tag gear (head gear, a light emitting “gun”, and a backpack that controls it all).  Then they enter the battle zone where they have recharge stations, bases to protect, and each other to tag with their “lasers” (really just lights).

After the first session, the pizza is delivered and everyone eats.  Then they go in to their second session.  Same as the first, only this time no training video.

Afterwards, we had cake in the same party room and then paid and left.  They cleaned up for us, and the whole event was managed very nicely by them.  We’d go back again.

You might be wondering why we posted pictures of Justin and Ethan‘s birthday, but not Aaron’s.

Actually, Aaron and Ethan’s birthday party (one party for both) is this coming Sunday, at Laser Zone (a place that does laser tag) and although it’s generally a dark room that they play in, we will attempt to get some pictures and post them after the party.