Summertime is an amazing phenomena here in Chicago. After hibernating for the winter, everyone comes out to play. There are free music concerts going on all over the place. On Wednesday I packed a picnic for the girls, and we went to the local park where they had a children's singer playing the guitar. The girls loved it. People are obsessed with going to the swimming pool. They always ask me if I have my pool pass yet (which I don't, because I'm not that obsessed). You have to buy a pool pass from the local park district to go to the pol. To go to the beach you also have to buy a pass, which costs over $100. We haven't been to the beach this summer.
Favourite food for summer is definately BBQ's, mainly hotdogs with flourescent green relish (not sure what's in it). Next is ice-creams.
Sport is huge. Kids are booked into baseball teams from 5 yrs old. There is practise during the week, and a game on the weekend. Lots of families can be seen riding their bikes (called "biking" not "riding"). They have a little wagon on the back for little tots to sit in. Luckily it is very flat around here. In the evening you see Dads playing basketball, or throwing the baseball with their kids - just like TV.
Fashion: flip-flops (don't dare call them thongs!) pretty much all the time; nearly every woman's foot that I have seen has red nailpolish on it; tye-die t-shirts for the men and kids; of course, baseball tops; matching accessories.
Summer camps - all of the kids on our street are going to summer day camps, so my kids see them less than they did during the school year. Dante is looking forward to going back to school so he can catch the bus with his friends again. Dante is also going to a summer camp and loving it. He has swim lessons everyday, and very proudly told me how he jumped off the diving board the other day and didn't need help to get to the edge. The 'camp counsellors' are uni students, and lots of fun.
Favourite food for summer is definately BBQ's, mainly hotdogs with flourescent green relish (not sure what's in it). Next is ice-creams.
Sport is huge. Kids are booked into baseball teams from 5 yrs old. There is practise during the week, and a game on the weekend. Lots of families can be seen riding their bikes (called "biking" not "riding"). They have a little wagon on the back for little tots to sit in. Luckily it is very flat around here. In the evening you see Dads playing basketball, or throwing the baseball with their kids - just like TV.
Fashion: flip-flops (don't dare call them thongs!) pretty much all the time; nearly every woman's foot that I have seen has red nailpolish on it; tye-die t-shirts for the men and kids; of course, baseball tops; matching accessories.
Summer camps - all of the kids on our street are going to summer day camps, so my kids see them less than they did during the school year. Dante is looking forward to going back to school so he can catch the bus with his friends again. Dante is also going to a summer camp and loving it. He has swim lessons everyday, and very proudly told me how he jumped off the diving board the other day and didn't need help to get to the edge. The 'camp counsellors' are uni students, and lots of fun.
Apparently the weather has been pretty mild. It has only just started getting into the 30's, and I don't think has gone over 35. The main difference to Australia is that there are a lot of thunderstorms, and lots of rain. The local district has a siren that goes off to warn of lightening - just in case you are in a swimming pool or playing golf. Funny thing is that they still go off during the night. I can tell that I am still very much an Aussia, because I still get very excited about the rain. Wish I could send it down south.
Scott has been missing much of the summer fun because he is still doing his German intensive. He is enjoying meeting some new students who have arrived at Trinity, and has a new friend from New York called Jake (who very helpfully fixed our shower the other day). Tomorrow he has a job interview with Don Carson to be a research assistant - not everyday that happens to an Aussie. Unfortunately, he hurt his back the other day rescuing a falling chest of drawers (thanks to Angela), and has been on valium, so I hope the interview goes OK.
Scott has been missing much of the summer fun because he is still doing his German intensive. He is enjoying meeting some new students who have arrived at Trinity, and has a new friend from New York called Jake (who very helpfully fixed our shower the other day). Tomorrow he has a job interview with Don Carson to be a research assistant - not everyday that happens to an Aussie. Unfortunately, he hurt his back the other day rescuing a falling chest of drawers (thanks to Angela), and has been on valium, so I hope the interview goes OK.
Scott and I went to see the batman movie the other day. Americans are more vocal during movies - quite funny sometimes. And they clapped at the end. A lot of the movie was filmed in Chicago, and you can see some of the beautiful architecture. Tomorrow I am taking the girls to see "Kit Kitteridge" and American doll girl movie. As you can see - summer has so far been full of adventure. I'm sure there will be more.
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