What's not to Love...?

...? except that Indigo doesn't live here....today was just one of those "I love Oak Park days."
In fact, it reminds me of when I first moved here and walked around chanting, "Better than Berkeley."

Here are the kids, out on the sidewalk this evening (what a concept) while Peter was out previewing a movie about how we are destroying our kids' lives by pushing them relentlessly( Race to Nowhere).

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He was out all night, so I had to drag them to the IM celebration party (Jack just finished Chesapeakeman) and IM sendoff party (EP and Stec are going to IM Hawaii this week).  Addie says that nighttime riding is the best and I agree.  Here's proof.  Two gorgeous kids out enjoying a magnificent evening in a place where the weather is usually TERRIBLE.  We biked all eight blocks to Eligio's, and since we were early played around on his sidewalk.  Needless to say, there was nobody out except three African American guys, one who was holding a small dog on leash.  Ashby: "cute dog."  Man: chuckles.."thanks...."

yes, we have practically no homework, and we love our parents, and we don't have cell phones or electronic toys.

 How we missed a photo of the lovely Ave, I don't know, but only certain fabulous photos of Ave get exposed to the outside world. As Jack said: "Karen likes to call herself the unencumbered woman.  Ave is the unencumbered prototype."  Well, yeah!!!! Thank goddess for Ave!!

 I said to Mike and EP, just be yourself on race day.  Kona is certainly a big deal, and by the time you actually qualify and then train and drag your family there, who knows what's on your mind, but these are two guys who have the capacity to truly be in the moment and soak it all in.  They are the personification of Chicago.  Loyal, Macho, Tough, No Bullshit.  We are so lucky that they are our friends and bother to ride with us.

Two peas in a pod.

yes...our mother actually lets us out of the house AFTER dark....