Brookfield Zoo

Last Wednesday, Gavin and I had the chance to do something we haven't done in a while - make a spontaneous trip to Brookfield Zoo, just the two of us.

First stop - the dolphin show.  Gavin likes to climb up to the last, highest row of seats.

Then we went to the underwater viewing area:

Sea lions:

This was right at the end of our day - the Feathers and Scales building.  We got to see the zookeeper feed live bugs to the tiny poison frogs, below.  It was so cool!!  You have to look closely - they are REALLY tiny, but at least they are bright blue and green!

Olympics Week

Last week in summer school, the theme was "Summer Olympics."  The kids ran races, tossed rings, jumped and hopped, and made lots of Olympic themed artwork.

They walked out holding torches:

Gavin brought home several different projects with the five rings:

It's kind of hard to tell, but he's wearing a laurel leaf crown and holding up a little trophy.

We also went to Centennial Beach several times last week - it was nice and hot!

Tae Kwan Do

Gavin loves Tae Kwan Do!  He is really motivated by the stripes (he has earned three - two more and he moves up a belt color to yellow).

Breakfast with Dan

Our good friend Dan Harrington was in town last week and we met him for breakfast at Jam and Jelly in Downers Grove.  It was delicious!

Gavin didn't feel like posing, but I coaxed a smile out of him.

Gavin had more fun pouring cream and sugar into our coffees, and pouring syrup on pancakes, than anything else!

Artwork

Here's more of the artwork Gavin creates at school.  Last week's theme was "What will I be when I grow up?"

They talked about firefighters one day, and three Naperville firefighters visited the school.

One day they talked about mail carriers:

And one day they talked about being doctors.  Here is his "doctor kit" and an "X-ray" of his hand, among other things:

Haircut

I have been taking Gavin to our hair stylist, Connie, ever since his first haircut.  He still wants to sit on my lap, still squirms, and still hates having the hair over his ears cut.

BUT, he did recently decide that the "buzzers" were okay!  That help the process go faster.  Except he said it tickles, so that means more squirming.  Which means I get his little shoulders squashed into my stomach and chest and he kicks me in the shins. -sigh-  But he looks so cute when we're all done!

Here we are at the latest visit (Francis showed up to document the process).  Trying to get off my lap:

Ducking his head:

"What are YOU looking at?"

"Are we done YET?"

DONE! Now it's time to play with Connie's toy food:

I'm exhausted when we're done, and usually I persuade him to let me clip the hair over his ears when we get back home.  The good news is, he said next time he'll sit in the booster seat in Connie's chair and not on my lap! Yes!

Museum of Science and Industry

Last weekend we took out first trip (with Gavin) to the Museum of Science and Industry.  He LOVED it!!  Planes and trains - what more could a boy ask for?

This hall had part of a Boeing 727 hanging from the ceiling (as well as some other smaller planes) and several old train cars:

There was an extensive model train set-up, which was a perfect model of Chicago's downtown and southside:

Remember that Boeing 727?  Well, people can walk INSIDE it!  Gavin was over the moon.  He could've  explored that plane all day.  We sat in almost every seat:

You could pick up the phone and listen to air traffic controllers.  Gavin said he was talking to the captain.

Even from the outside, he was still fascinated:

Then we went to the section with baby chicks.  We didn't stick around to see any hatch, though:

Gavin's second favorite exhibit?  This old trolley car!  It was part of the old State Street line:

Gavin and Grandpa pretended to hang on as the trolley navigated the city streets:

Another train.  Gavin was thrilled, and it was a perfect morning!

Painting

Francis and Gavin picked out a cute bud vase at Philip's Flowers recently.  It's dark metal and has two birds.  Gavin wanted to paint one of them blue and the other one red. He was very careful:

The finished product!

A Day With Nana

 Nana and Gavin both had last week off, so one of the days, Nana came over and did stuff with us all day (and watched Gavin so I could get some things done, too).

We started out at the Naperville Toyota dealer.  Auntie Clare was having some work done on her car so we met her and Nana there.  Gavin loves the showroom!  And guess what was in the "used car" section?!?!

 Yes - a red Mustang GT!

Gavin has learned that there are different versions of our van.  Whenever we see a Sienna, we have to check the letters on the back to see if an "XLE" like ours.  So he was interested in the vans that were in the showroom that day:

He wanted me to take his picture next to the lettering on the back of each one.

Below, Gavin has something important to discuss with Nana in the waiting area: 

Then Auntie Clare went to work and we went to the library and Riverwalk:

Later we went to Tae Kwan Do, then came home and had dinner, and Nana read Gavin a bedtime story:

It was a busy, but super-fun, day!

Artwork

Gavin is enjoying summer school and brings home a new art project every day!  

Each week they students have a different unit.  These pictures are from the week they learned about "The Mighty Jungle" and "Under The Big Top."

Dressed like he's going a safari - that vest is actually a paper grocery bag! The binoculars are made from paper towel rolls and the "canteen" is from paper plates.

Dressed as a clown.  He walked out of school this way but wanted all the stuff off as soon as possible!

There's even more at home!  I'm not sure where to put all of it. :)