Labor Day Weekend

We spent a day in Holland to celebrate Dad Lanting's birthday and enjoy a sunset sail.

Forest Heights Block Party

Whew! It's over. We spent some energy and time and stress this summer being on the block party committee. Our block party is more like a sub-division party since it covers an area of several blocks. It was a great success and the children and adults alike had a great time. We started with a bike and pet parade, provided a craft table, toys and moonwalk for the kids, and had a burger bar and hot dog cookout. The final touch was a visit from an ice-cream truck donated by one of the committee members. Parties like this sure bring all of the people out on the street . . our neighborhood has a ton of kids, but you wouldn't know it until you put a bunch of them in the same yard!

The Future is Mestizo!

This spring, 8 year old Steve brought up the rumor his classmate told him: Barack Obama is in for it because the blacks don't like Obama for being part white and the whites don't like him for being part black. There was the chance to tell Steve, who is bi-racial himself, that someone like Obama, who had a hard time fitting in, gets forced to search himself to embrace an identity that affirms both parts of his heritage, and when he does, becomes uniquely equipped to be leader and mediator between the two groups of which he is part. I was able to affirm Steve's special identity as a bi-racial Mexican-American by pointing to the enthusiastic response American citizens are having to Obama's candidacy for President.

Every since I read Virgilio Elizondo's The Future is Mestizo a few years ago, I have been keeping my eye out for "between-person" type of people to be my teachers and leaders. If they survive and overcome their formative experience of fitting in no-where, they find a capacity to make that No-where the new Somewhere we all need to go.

As a lover of words and the power of words, I love it that Obama is skilled with words in his writing and oratory. As a self-introspective person, I love it that Obama has done the work of reflecting on his own story and publishing a few books to let others read to find out what the past and the future mean to him.

A lawyer, at his best, is a professional at using the power of words and wit to expose injustice and pursue truth-telling. Words well spoken and timely said have more power to confront and heal than the most impressive use of military force.

The Longest Walk Ever in Lincoln Park

Douwe and I parked on the south end of Lincoln Park, met Amy, Natalie and Peter at the Green City market, walked through the zoo, had a picnic, walked to a playground at the north end of lincoln park and walked back south, swinging west enough to find a Potbelly's for a malt and step in to a beautiful flower shop called New Leaf. The children enjoyed it and even though we did a lot of walking, it was a relaxing day for catching up. The weather was beautiful with that breeze off Lake Michigan.

Amy also hoofed it to Lincoln Park and back from her hotel on the Mag Mile, so I'm sure she was pooped by the time the afternoon ended!

Birthday dinner

Since our birthdays are only three days apart, Kris and I have made a tradition of planning a night out. Sara joined us for dinner at May St. Cafe (not May St. Market @) to celebrate this milestone. The queso fundido held up to El Taco Real standards. I still can't believe we turned down dessert though, that has to be a first!

Enjoying a treat

Here's a few cute shots of cousins Douwe and Liam enjoying each other's company.

A day outdoors

We were outside pretty much all day, with a picnic in the afternoon and a dip in the pool before supper. Douwe loves being in the water, wants to challenge himself by trying to reach down for toys, dip his face in and scare himself a little for fun. He wants to just swim, but knows that it might be a bit too risky to go for it yet.

Douwe's Scoot

This little clip shows how Douwe gets around. He uses one hand to propel himself forward and uses the other hand to point a finger out ahead of him or hold an object. We're guessing that because we have mostly wood and tile floor surfaces that he is putting his own extra padding to its best use.

Field Trip to Chesterton

This Saturday morning we got up early to take a drive to the Old World Market in Chesterton. We purchased some local produce, wine and pastries and then enjoyed a treat on our blanket in the park. We also found a fun little first instrument kit for Douwe. He is all over the percussion toys but the harmonica is perplexing him.

Does Douwe still look like his Daddy? Unless it's just the matching shirts.

Push toys and pointer fingers

Douwe's most fun activity is walking behind a push toy. He thinks he is the greatest and looks around wondering if we all think so too! Of course we do! I need to get a photo.

Douwe also tries to tell us everything he is thinking by using his pointer finger and cooing. Today he said, "Look at the airplane!" every 5 minutes . . . my parents house must be under a flight path.

For those of you with toddlers, when does a baby tire of delighting in gravity's magic upon food morsels?

Happy mail day at our house! We got a couple coloring book pages from Steve with a return address on the envelope so we eagerly dropped a return note in the mail.

Douwe and I spent the whole day outside today first at a friend's pool and then in my parents' back yard. don't think August is used to having temps in the 70s, but it sure is wonderful.

Jeff used to live on Lafayette in Griffith, but we can't get on the street to see if the tornado got the house he grew up in.

The Bush

A few weeks ago on vacation I had a nightmare that I would be compelled to watch one of my children drown. I feel like that is happening right now as I have no idea where Steve is or who is tucking him in or helping him brush his teeth or laughing at his joke "Mom, I don't like you . . I love you!"

So I keep saying to the sky, because who else really can I say it to, I'm angry about this situation, angry enough to die . .which is what Jonah said when that bush died as suddenly as it grew. We discussed Jonah 4 in church this Sunday and tonight as I'm telling my bedroom ceiling I'm angry enough to die, the measly bush made a new kind of sense.

I'm like Jonah. Abstract news of destruction in Ninevah, Darfur, Thailand or Iraq is too huge for my emotions to handle or my empathy to embrace. I care, but not that much. Too bad for those people, but I need to do a load of wash. So Jonah got that bush for a few hours, I got Steve for a few years. Now that is something specific a human can care about and get attached to. And it is suddenly removed, the gift, the comfort, the delight of it. Is it all a mean trick, a lesson laced with ridicule to make us feel ashamed for not being moved enough about the cities, the countries in peril? I always thought it was, but now I see something a little kinder in that strange plant's purpose.

God affirms and welcomes our anger and concern about the absurdity of things, even if it's the death of a God-damned plant. A human can only handle so much, he knows this. And then he gently reminds me, reminds Jonah: What, a troubled child, a worm-chomped bush, makes you angry enough to die? You are that concerned? Are you right to be concerned? "YES WE ARE!" we finally shout. There it is. Yes, you are, and so you are tasting, as much as a human is able to, the immense compassion I have for every living thing. You can't fix things, you can't even care enough! But, child, maybe now you'll understand that I am angry enough to die about each human that can't tell right hand from left, walking around in a muddle, and what's more, their cows too.

Tonight I can fall asleep now because my anger and longing for things to be made right comes from something way bigger and braver than me. There is some comfort if the Maker of the Universe gets it, this overwhelming emotion we froth up over a wormy bush. He'll make everything all right again. Won't he? I hope so.

Grilling out

We were invited with some cousins to have supper at "Groen Park," our parents' backyard. It was a beautiful evening to enjoy a meal outside.

Blueberries

We travelled south to DeMotte early this morning to pick blueberries .. . Douwe lasted about 35 minutes in his stroller, then he helped Dad pick a few.

Retreat

I asked my friend Kristin to take a little two-day retreat with me, so we spent a few days at her family's place in Holland. Douwe and Mica enjoyed the attention and such water activities as the miniature pool, the beach, the sprinkler and the water table. On such a hot day, we moms couldn't resist joining the babies for a dip!