The Other Side of Summer

No posts in all the month of August. Here's what's to blame: the CountyCat book request iPod application from the Milwaukee Public Library (on which, more later), a lack of good air conditioning in the home office, AMC's Mad Men, putting and then holding one's house for sale in a dormant real estate market, trying to hit out of the tall rough at work as we prepare for a new academic year, and falling in love with Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. There's a Bob Geldof song titled "August Was A Heavy Month," which about sums it up. I don't know if it's a good song, because I find Bob Geldof a touch insufferable, but I can get behind the title.

Here's what you missed:

During the hottest and mosquito-laden weekend in July, we city folks went camping in the Bong Recreation Area. Here, Caleb shows off the tent that Kirsten got to bring the comforts of home to the untamed wilderness.

Sam and Cousin Andrew, fast friends. Andrew, his brother Alex, and Auntie Jean were here on a month-long visit from China. "Where's my boy?" Sam would ask. "I need my boy."

Snug as three bugs in a rug, with Cousin Alex.

Swim goggles were all the rage. As was deet.

We are not men. We are Devo.

Legends of sandlot baseball.

Uncle Tim shows off the world's largest and second largest collection of Type IV delayed hypersensitivity reactions to mosquito saliva-borne antigens. Wikipedia reminds us that a mosquito's "preferential victim's sweat simply smells better than others."

Sam in a Box. Accessories are sold separately.

Sam, Alex, and Andrew make a fort of the couch cushions.

Caleb, after a haircut.

This is a picture of Uncle Tim.

Dinner with the whole dang family. America, the Beautiful.

Andrew and Sam demonstrate the glory of a Wisconsin August.

The Fab Four's first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show on February 9th, 1964, drew an estimated 73 million viewers, about 40% of the population of America at that time. Teenage girls were never the same. It's such a feeling that, my love, I can't hide.

Here's a rule: If you don't see each other but once a year, it's your birthday.

Re-staged for the West Coast broadcast.

Patiently waiting for the cake to be cut.

Just desserts.

Sam, Cousin Aidan, Uncle Eric, and Caleb in the pool.

Caleb all set for his first day of 4-Year-Old Kindergarten, or -- in the parlance -- 4K.

Sam in new shoes, backpack, and fresh rain.

Their mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Reactions to the first day of school range from tenuous to elated, often within the same face.

Cousins and their dads.

Sam shows off his new Transformers backpack. Or, if you're Sam, "Tranpormers."

The boys try to comfort me in the final moments before the bell.

Off to infinity and beyond.

Root Root Root for the Home Team

Sam and baby Bell at the South Shore.

Racing Caleb and Olin on the swings.

Sam and Karina on the 3rd.

Caleb takes a picture of his mother, aunt, and, um... yeah.

Sam and I enjoy the Big Bang.

Caleb on fireworks: "There goes this one!"

More of us in our front row seats in Granny & Poppa's 26th floor lake-view cabin.

At the pool on the 4th.

With Granny & Poppa at the Lake Park Fourth Celebration on July 5th.

Caleb serenades Kirsten on her birthday. "A-one and a-two," he would say, leading some to think he'd been watching Lawrence Welk.

Granny, Aunt Julie, Sam, and Uncle Mark work at Legos.

Grampa Jim procured us seats with this view at the 7/5/10 game at Miller Park, Milwaukee vs. San Francisco.

Prince Fielder wears my birthdate. And belt size.

At the ballpark with Tristan, Karina, Tim, Kathleen, and Kirsten. Tristan cleaned our mini-van windows on the way home; as I told him, that makes him a pretty cool dude in my book.

Caleb drives the tractor home.

Everywhere I Hear The Sound Of Marching Charging Feet, Boys

Grandpa Jim's neighbor Tim visits with his French horn and cavalry bugle.

Sam plays the bugle, and actually gets sound out of it, which is no mean feat for a four-year old.

Sam demonstrates the proper bugle embouchure to Caleb, who can blow the horn but can't make it sound.

Sam gets a little cocky with his new talent.

Uncle Tim helps Caleb with Aunt Karina's old trumpet.

Now Sam's just showing off. (Caleb has removed to the hammock, his own particular area of expertise.)

Tipping Uncle Tim.

Caleb feeds Maggie at Grandma Glenda's house.

Sam shows off his muscles.

A photo of Grandpa Gary, as taken by Sam.

Self-portrait.

Caleb enjoying some ice cream at Chill on the Hill.

Caleb's (or possibly his brother's) photograph of the moon over Humboldt Park, which is strangely similar to Rene Magritte's Empire of Light II.