Maybe We're Amazed...

It's going down July 31st at 8pm. We are seeing Paul McCartney at Wrigley Field. And just to make sure we get our fill and take full advantage of this opportunity, we are going to see his show on August 1st as well.

Everyone knows we are huge Beatles fans, and now we will FINALLY be able to see in person the man who wrote songs like Hey Jude, Let it Be, Yesterday and . We're also big fans of his post-Beatles work. Some of you may remember we made our exit down the aisle to his song Dance Tonight, and Maybe I'm Amazed is one of the great all time rock love songs. We are excited. Seriously. Really, really excited.

Two nights. Two concerts. One Beatle.

As Bart Scott said, we Can't Wait

10,000 Maniacs

Wowzers! Just a quick note to say that our blog hit 10,000 views yesterday. That's a whole lot of people clicking on "All Together Now!" to check out what the Bennet's are up to. Either that, or a couple people clicking a whole bunch of times. Either way, we're pretty sure that somebody besides us is checking this blog out from time to time, and we appreciate it. Keep coming back and we'll keep on sharing our memories with you!

Thanks for laughing along with us during this great Journey!

The Baby Headphones in Action...

A Very Tasty Fathers Day

As lovers of food, Ashleigh and I could probably turn this blog into just that; a food blog. We're always cooking or trying something new, and always looking forward to the next meal. This weekend turned into quite the food frenzy, beginning with John's first trip to the new Chick-fil-A in Chicago. If you haven't been to a Chick-fil-A, drop what you are doing, run don't walk, and get the spicy chicken. Delish.

Friday (post Chick-fil-A)
After another long week of hard work at the office and crappy Chicago weather, we finally got a break and some decent temperatures. We kicked off the weekend with a nice stroll around the neighborhood. Our first stop was the Michael Jordan owned restaurant; one sixtyblue. We grabbed a spot on the patio and ordered some munchies and drinks. John had the Chesapeake Crab Sandwich (fresh, amazing) and Ash had the Vegan Caesar salad, her favorite.

Next up was The Crossroads, where we watched large groups of women trudge down Madison street on their way to the United Center to see New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys in Concert. It ain't exactly Lennon and McCartney, but apparently there is still a large portion of the population willing to pay good money to see those clowns dance in matching suits. I could make a joke, but what's the point.

Saturday:
The Taste of Randolph! Our Neighborhood's main street festival is also like a mini-Taste of Chicago. Named for Randolph Street, and featuring food from some of the best restaurants in Chicago, it's a fantastic place to catch some live music, eat some GREAT food and do some serious people watching.

                               Momma enjoying some sun               Daddy enjoying some food

Taking a couple pics with the big boy. He was the hit of the day and we 

heard "he's so cute.." about 100 times!

The Headphones work! There was some pretty loud music at the Festival, 

but Jude never even knew it!

This is one of my new favorite pics of Ash, holding up a great sign, and 

Jude obviously loving it! Hahahaha.

It was a great Fest. Ashleigh picked up a nice summer dress, John got to eat a lot, and Jude got to try out his noise-cancelling headphones (amazing). Vince Vaughn didn't show up this year (that we saw), but we had plenty of fun walking beautiful Randolph Street.

Sunday:
Father's Day! Another day of nice, warm weather. We headed to our new favorite spot for brunch, just around the corner; Angel's. It's not flashy on the inside or out, but there is a patio in back, and the food is just ridiculously good. This was our second time there, the first was for Mother's Day! Go figure.

Also, I have to mention the amazing gift that Jude (and Ashleigh) got me for my first Father's Day. Some custom collar stays (or "stiffs" as Ash likes to call them). I complain about not having these all the time, so Ash got some made for me, in a fancy case, each with it's own personalized message. Some are words of inspiration from Jude and Ashleigh, some are Beatles lyrics, but all are with love. Thanks so much babe!

We finished off the afternoon with a couple retail stop that every dad dreams about; Golfsmith and Costco. It was a lovely end to a lovely weekend.

But as much as this day is about celebrating Father's, I know that this would just be another day if I didn't my little man to celebrate with. It's as much his day as mine, and I'm so happy to share it with him.

Happy Father's Day, 2011

Ninja, Peas!

Jude got his first taste of everybody's favorite green veggie last night. Peas! Thanks to our handy dandy food processor, Jude is eating fresh, homemade baby food. And if his facial expressions are any indication, he is loving every bite....

The Avett Brothers - Salvation Song

"We came for salvation. We came for Family.

We came for all that's good, that's how we'll walk away.

We came to break the bad. We came to cheer the sad.

We came to leave behind the world a better way"

Our Little Al Bundy

You can't be more relaxed than this. Little man taking a breather after a big meal

Needless to say, we have higher hopes for Jude.

More Carrots, Please

It's about that time...to begin introducing cereals, oatmeals, and veggies into our little man's diet. First was cereal; FAIL. That stuff tastes nasty, so I can't even blame Jude for spitting that right back at us. Next was Oatmeal....better. Not as much of a "who farted" face, but he still was not too impressed.

So then came the carrots. Orange in color and rich in Vitamin E. He wasn't too thrilled at first, but after a few bites he hit his groove. Spoonful after tiny spoonful he downed his first helping of veggies like a good boy. He was having so much fun, that mommy and daddy decided to get into the mix, and turns out we are just as messy as JBB.

Here Comes the Airplane....................MMMMMMMMMM 

             This. Is. Awesome.       Dad, get me MORE CARROTS!     

You were right, Jude, these things ARE awesome! 

Next time, Mommy gets a bib too!

Jude's First BIG Giggles

I was playing some peek-a-book with Jude tonight and out of nowhere he started cracking up. This was the first time he had some serious belly laughs, and not just some little giggles. It was music to our ears, and I'm sure there will be many, many more times like these...

Baby Jude, the Noisemaker/Chin Sucker

Jude's Suite First Baseball Game

It was a wet night at Wrigley, but you wouldn't know it from where we were sitting.  We were lucky enough to be offered some tickets for the Cubs vs Cardinals game last Wednesday, May 11th. The best part is; they were FREE, the second best part is; we were in an all-inclusive SUITE!

The hot wings and hot dogs were aplenty, as were eager friends ready to get their hands on the baby! We got to catch some live baseball, hang out with some friends and co-workers, and enjoy the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. We would have preferred his first game be at Busch Stadium (home of the STL Cardinals), but since they were in town, we figured it was OK to expose young Jude to the enemy's lair.

There was an hour rain delay, but the storms subsided, the Wrigley groundscrew worked their magic and they got the entire game in. Sad to say, the final score was: Cubs 10, Cardinals 4. No matter, we had a great time (plus the Cardinals spanked the Cubbies 9-1 the next day to take the series). 

Go Redbirds!

The Bennets are Baseball fans, for sure. Love catching all the games we can!

The Timeless Scoreboard at Wrigley Field....Before and During the storm

When things got crappy outside, they got cozy inside the SUITE

Finally, the rain stopped, the players took the field, and the Cardinals took an ass kicking.                         But what a great time!

Goodnight, JBB. This is baseball, we hope you enjoy it, and eventually win a full ride athletic scholarship. XOXO, Mom and Dad

Easter 2011....Away We Go!

So...Easter was about three weeks ago, so it's about time we update you all with the fun we had over that particularly great weekend. Thank you to all for the cooking, cleaning, and company. It was great (as always) to see everyone.

First up; Ashleigh's family. The trip to Central Illinois began on Thursday night , where we hopped onto I-57 South and made the 3 hour drive to the place where dreams come true....as long as you're dreaming about opening a Meth Lab*.

To Mattoon!

   First Family Easter Pic, and Jude getting Ready to get his Easter duds on

Baby Bennet Bunny and Jude with Grandma, Momma and Great Grandma     

Jude meets his Great, Great Grandma Sims and the Family gathers for a rare 5 Generation photo op!

And then the Bennet Clan hopped their way West to what can only be described as Central Illinois' version of Mexico. Not because of the beautiful beaches or constant sunshine, but because you should not drink the water.

To Pekin!

Grandma Menk and the Great Grandparents (also Menk). Thanks for a Great time!

Uncle Jeff and Jude hit it off (can't you tell). Great Grandma said "let me show you how it's done!"

Then the Easter Bunny showed up! What???!!! Even Max got in on the action, but who could it be.....?

"..and I would have got away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids and that mangy mutt..."

(in case people did not get the reference)

*though she laughed, Ashleigh did not approve this joke

Jude Jumpin' Around (House of Pain Style)

So...if you enjoyed the video we posted yesterday, you may like this one as well. A little editing and some music and BOOM! (YouTube blocked the original video due to copyright issues, so hopefully this one is decent quality).

You don't just jump...You Jumparoo!

We decided that Jude needed something to do with his legs instead of constantly kicking the floor while in his activity gym. So this past weekend we decided to get him a jumparoo. Daddy put it together in a flash and Jude loved it right away. He may be a little small for it still, but a blanket and foot support helped Jude really get into the whole jumping action. I'm happy to say that this child has been jumping for over an hour without stopping. He will not let me take him out! So what's a mom to do? Take a video of course. And if I'm taking one....might as well take two. That will be uploaded later since it's taking forever! Love my bugaboo in his jumparoo.

After......

And after an hour of hardcore Jumparoo'ing, it was inevitable that the bottom would drop out....literally. Worth it.

JBB & JNB - 3 1/2 Months

Here's a pic of Jude taken today, next to an old photo of John when he was the exact same age. We're still working on getting some baby pics of Ashleigh. Right now we think that Jude's got a lot of his daddy in him, but definitely his mommy's eyes...What do you think?