Red-Hot Playgroup

Heather hosted playgroup last week and decided to experiment with an outdoor party. While it was lovely, we all soon moved inside to avoid sizzling like sausages. While outside, however, Eliza's mom, Susan, snapped these wonderful pictures (this not-so-wonderful mommy left her camera at home).

There is an adorable picture of Libby and Eliza, but I cannot for the life of me get Blogger to upload it. I am seriously annoyed with this Blogger stuff. How can they deny the world this beautiful photo of the two Elizabeths?

Here's one I can get to upload: Libby refused to leave her adorable sunhat on, so we decided to try a switcheroo. Ben (who's my boyfriend, by the way; I just love that kid) wore the pink number, and Libby put on the Cubs cap. She loved it! A Cubbies fan already?!

Like Father, Like Daughter

Martin, Libby, and I went to a street fair up the street in Evanston this weekend. Martin put Libby in the Bjorn (which she suddenly adores), and this is all I heard the rest of the time we were there. "Oooooh, she's so cute! She looks just like her daddy."

Martin and his mini-me.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all of you daddies out there! To Pop-Pop Marc and Grandpa Earl, we wish we could be with you.

Today, Libby and I woke Daddy up in bed with a breakfast sundae (OK -- it was really just me; Libby had been called away to her bedroom on important napping business). Libby is all about the Daddy these days, so I'm sure she was sad to miss it. Poor Mom -- she's an also-ran.

I've been trying to post this since, well, Father's Day, but the pictures just won't seem to load. Any other bloggers having trouble posting pix (I mean, even more so than usual)?

Dr. Daddy, Part II

Well, it's official: Dr. Daddy is in the house! Martin successfully defended his doctoral thesis Thursday. It was a thrilling day with an unthrilling lack of good pictures because I was so excited that my hands were shaking. (Tip: This does not make for good photography.)

However, here are Martin and Libby celebrating afterward:


And Martin, his committee (Michael and Judy -- the other two committee members were there via phone), and his good friend Staci celebrating.


What an exciting day! I am so incredibly proud of Martin and all of his hard work to accomplish it. He is a remarkable person indeed, and I'm lucky to call him my partner.

We followed up our wonderful day with a wonderful visit with Staci and her husband Paul and daughter Riordan. They were terrific hosts; our only regret was not being able to stay with them longer.

Rory, by the way, might be the cutest and smartest kid on Earth. She was so much fun to be around! Some highlights: We played "Care Bear Talking Game" (Rory's invention -- our Care Bears went to the park and had fun on the swings), had an impromptu jam session for a Care Bear conga line we'd created, and played word games.


Then Pop-Pop Marc came up and got us and we commenced a looonnnnnnggggg eight-hour drive to Maryland, so we could go home and visit/celebrate with Martin's family. Libby was an absolute trooper on the trip, and our visit with the Maryland family was well worth the efforts (as you can see below).

Grandma's apparently a sucker for a slobberpuss.

While the adults enjoy their celebratory crab-pickin' feast (and this Midwesterner was mocked for her pickin' style, I can assure you) ...

The kids all piled into the pool (kiddie and otherwise).


Mom, Dad, and Lib visit the horses that live right outside Aunt Clare's door (I swear, there's a horsey just outside the frame).

An attempt at an all-grandkids photo shoot goes madly awry thanks to the Libster.

We then climbed back onto a plane yesterday (I kept hearing Forrest Gump in my head: "So I went traveling ... again") and came home. Libby crashed out on Daddy's chest for about 98 percent of the flight, prompting many admiring and thankful comments from the people seated around us. What a gal! This kid put up with some seriously crazy schedules and travel demands over the last five days and hardly put up any fuss.


Apologies to Mary Beth for the Gump reference. Didn't mean to ruin your day!

Dr. Daddy

Well, it's official: Dr. Daddy is in the house! Martin successfully defended his doctoral thesis Thursday. It was a thrilling day. Alas, Blogger is acting horribly right now, and I can't seem to post any pictures. I will post them ASAP. In the meantime, I just wanted to pass on the good news!

And if you have any ideas on what Martin can obsess about now, feel free to post a comment below. He's going to have a lot more brain power and time to use up.

Seven and Nub (and Soda, too)!

Today my friend Kelly has decreed to be Post Pics of Your Pets Day. So we'll eschew the usual Libby pix in favor of ones of my furry children (plus one pic of Libby, so you can see what these poor cats put up with on a daily basis).

Libby lovin' on the Nubster.

Nub finds a pillow in just about anything.

Our delightfully annoying Seven, who constantly
worries after Libby and everything and anything else he can think of.

We miss you, Soda Louise, you wonderfully bitchy cat you.