Hart's Farewell party (photos)

ChicagoMomsBloggers . . .par-tay! (photo)

Yahoo! BlogHer party at Viand, July 26. I think that's me near the back, a few faces from the right.




And the goodie bag! Wow! Jeff claimed the adorable mini colored pencil set from Yahoo! Hart got the Vox t-shirt. He presented his baby-walking charge Emily with all the cool baby-related items. Her mom was pleased. I gave sitter Tahra a t-shirt of her choice . . . .

Seven

It was dangerous, very dangerous, she knew. Death Eaters everywhere. Newspapers filled with harrowing news about "the Boy Who Lived" and " Undesirable Number One." A mere glance at the newspaper showed numerous photos of him and his supporters. She dared not even look closer.

New security measures were put in place hourly. No newspapers, magazines, television, computer. Except for necessities, it felt too risky to leave the safety of the house. An incautious word, an accidentally over-heard conversation certainly would spell doom.

She realized she had no choice but to carry on alone. In stolen daylight moments and under the cover of darkness, she persisted . . . reading, reading, reading.

Cryptic XIII-Harry Potter for $200

H: Is this Polyjuice potion?
L: It's actually nail polish.

Condoleezza Rice, the real-life Dolores Umbridge?

One is a fictional character (we think). Dr. Rice favors royal blue and Professor Umbridge clearly has a preference for pink, but do the dissimilarities stop there? You judge.

Toy Swindling, Advanced Course

Jeff, A.K.A the Swindler, was too quick for all of us. I understand he charmed you school folks into opening the store especially so he could buy that Dragon Beanie Baby. Therein lies a long tale of deceit and treachery.

Maybe I need to send a school-wide memo that Jeff is not to have money or buy anything without written permission from me.

I instituted a home policy in January. However, Jeff and his brother have gone to extraordinary lengths to weasel new toys and prizes out of unsuspecting teachers, relatives and friends. Constant vigilance!

Update from a friend: I've seen firsthand how the boys can charm toys from strangers. They must have some quality that inspires that.

Auto-Motive (art)

Auto-Motive II

"I've brought some friends over to play," Jeff announced as he returned from the Port-a-Potties, at last night's 4th of July festivities. Two little blond boys eagerly grabbed a few of the three dozen Hot Wheels that Jeff always has on hand.

I was slightly taken aback. "Does your mom know you are over here on our blanket?" I asked. Moments later, a tall blond man squatted down beside our encampment.

"Jeff, did you ask the dad if these guys could come over and play?" Evidently not.

This hardly qualifies as public mortification that I am used to with my boys. Still, I know that a teenager making overtures to a 3- and a 5-year-old is odd. If the dad was alarmed by his preschoolers being shanghaied by a much older boy, he did not show it.

Without formal preliminaries, the four kids dug into the cars. "How did you know these boys were interested in cars?" "We brought a few ourselves," the dad told me. How to explain that Jeff easily can smell out toy cars in a dense crowd of 12,000 people?

We adults made general small talk while the kids played. And then Jeff summarily dismissed them, "It's getting dark. You have to go now."

Hart returns from camp (photos)