Mellow Yellow Monday-Thankful For Games

We had a game filled Thanksgiving with 17 relatives and a host of games to review from ChiTAG.  I love my job!  We put the 8-18 year old testers to work...fun work.   Here's our yellow hued sneak peek for Mellow Yellow Monday.

We'll have full game reviews and loads of give aways leading up to the holidays.

Mellow Yellow Monday-ChiTAG

Chicago Toy and Game Fair Fun 2011

Our 2nd year at ChiTAG was even more fun filled and colorful than last year.    We'll have a full photo filled recap up today.    Here's a little sneak peek, where every shot has a least a tad bit of yellow, for the international meme, Mellow Yellow Monday.

 Sagezilla won 1st place in a Slingers elimination tournament!   We'll have a full Slingers review, site links, and more photos in our giant holiday gift guide, coming soon!

If you missed our earlier photo filled ChiTAG posts HERE, 
ChiTAG is The Chicago Toy and Game Fair--largest public one in the nation, and a play paradise for kids of all ages. 
  

Du-Jay checks out a giant model of the super fun game, Perplexus, invented by a college art professor we got to meet!

We were so excited to meet many of the actual game inventors, get autographs, and get to play the games.   


 Peggy Brown (right) has invented hundreds of games
 
All the booths were very hands on.    We even got to play the multi award winning Campbell's Crossword-Alphabet dice game with the inventor herself!

Bananagrams are one of our favorite brain growing games

Click below for more yellow hued fun to start off the week, and remember, you're never too old to play.   Toys and games keep the brain young!  

Mellow Yellow Monday-Chinese Pole

Sagezilla and Nemo reach for the yellow rope on the ceiling as they learn circus arts moves on the Chinese Pole.    Those little yellow squares of mat are far below, as they climb, without nets or harnesses.   These brave and fearless kids are anything but yellow.

Check out more yellow hued fun from around the world, by clicking the link below.

Mellow Yellow Monday-Perils Of Watching Hockey in a Theatre Home

Sit still long enough and kids will costume you up around these parts, and even incorporate you into a show, if you don't watch out!   Good thing Dad's a good sport, as well as a sports fan.  He may be a man of many hats, but that bright yellow C shows up under the tower of disguises, to identify him as a Blackhawks fan...still.

Check out more Mellow Yellow fun from around the world.

 

Mellow Yellow Monday--ChiILin' At Primus

The band, Primus, played last Friday at The Congress Theater in Chicago, and we were right there in the pit, documenting it for posterity.   They have a brand newly released album out, Green Naugahyde.   

Here's a yellow hued teaser for Mellow Yellow Monday.   We'll have a full photo recap soon.   


During the show, Les gave a shout out to a costumed character we later saw at his car.   He said, "Wow, you dressed up for the show.    Might as well be a giant, tropical fruit."  Orange you glad I didn't say banana.   We're wondering if this is the same infamous banana boy we hung out with and photographed at North Coast Fest.   If so, this slippery character gets around.   But his "appeal" is hard to resist.

Mellow Yellow Monday--ChiILin' At Riot Fest

 This weekend at Riot Fest, someone pointed out that our metal and punk shows on ChiIL Live Shows are anything but chill.   Very true, but they did go down in Chi, IL (or Chicago, Illinois), so the name refers to a sense of place, not a mellow style.   Still, we'll share a few of our yellow tinged fest photos for Mellow Yellow Monday.   

X:

Loads of people love to relax with old school punk, stage diving and loud rock, and you'd better believe thousands of people who spent the last 5 days in an orgy of music and late night revelry are having a very mellow Monday.

Suicide Machines:

Social Distortion:

Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band:

Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg:

7 Seconds:

For more diverse entries for Mellow Yellow Monday, from around the world, click the link below.

Rickshaw Dog...Mellow Yellow Monday

THIS is why I love living in the city.   You never know what you'll see in Chicago.   I love the element of surprise.    This one made me pull over on the side of the road and grab my camera!


Check out Mellow Yellow Monday for some cool, yellow shots from around the world and across the street.

Mellow Yellow Monday--ChiILin' At The Bristol Renaissance Faire

We'll have a full blown, photo filled Ren Faire recap later today.   For now, we skimmed off a few yellow shots to give you a little lemon flavored taste for Mellow Yellow Monday.    The faire was extra colorful this weekend.    Among the usual eclectic mix of formal, historically accurate Elizabethans, fairies, and fantasy folk, there were a good smattering of steam punks!


Click below for more yellow fun from around the world.

Mellow Yellow Monday--ChiILin' At Raging Waves Water Park

It doesn't get much mellower or yellower than this.   We had some seriously mellow fun in the sun at Illinois largest outdoor water park this past Sunday.





For more Mellow Yellow shots from across the city and around the world, click below.

Mellow Yellow Monday--ChiILin' At Circle Pines Social Justice Camp

It's been a couple of circ weeks, with my oldest at CIRCle Pines Camp in Michigan and my youngest at CIRCEsteem in the city.    Here's a little, yellow tinged taste (for Mellow Yellow Monday) of Du-Jay's first adventure with sleep over camp.    


Circle Pines is a magical, peaceful, fun filled place between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a large and devoted contingent of campers that make the nearly 4 hour drive from Chicago.   We even met 3 campers and a Mom volunteer who flew in from California for camp.   And we met a number of others from places as far flung as Florida and the East Coast.   We've been impressed by the number of campers that come back for generations.


We'll have a full, photo filled feature and loads of video footage from Circle Pines in the coming month.   We're still in the editing process, but we're very excited to bring our readers interviews with campers, parents and staff, along with candid scenes, awards ceremonies and performances from the final days of summer camp.   So check back with ChiIL Mama early and often.

Circle Pines Center is a member-owned and run non-profit cooperative organization.   They run a children's summer camp and year round retreat and conference center with programs for families, children and adults. The co-op owns 294 acres of land with rolling hills, hardwood and pine forests, meadows and frontage on Stewart Lake. They have miles of trails for hiking and cross-country skiing, diverse wildlife and an organic garden and orchard. The mission of Circle Pines is to teach peace, social justice, environmental stewardship and cooperation. The Center aims to demonstrate cooperative alternatives for economic and social issues and to teach cooperation as a way of life.

For more Mellow Yellow Fun from around the globe, click below.

Mellow Yellow Monday--ChiILin' With A Cold Drink

Ahhh vacation.    

"Burp juice"--Sagezilla's word for all carbonated soda drinks since she was a toddler, is an "every great once in a while" treat.    She made up for lost time with some sweet Sioux City drinks when we met up with old friends at an old mill restaurant and historic covered bridge half way between Cincinnati and Delaware, OH.


Check out more Mellow Yellow fun below.

Mellow Yellow Monday--Girl's Rock Chicago Pre-Show at Metro

Here's a little peek behind the scenes at Metro in Chicago, before Girls Rock Camp stormed the stage with 18 bands.   These all have a hint of yellow for Mellow Yellow Monday.    We'll have more colorful back stage fun in a wide variety of hues, in the very near future.    Girls Rock is in the process of making CDs of the girls' studio recordings and flip cam video of the Metro show can be seen on their YouTube Channel.    ChiIL Mama's video version/pro audio & board feed of the whole Metro show is coming soon, so check back early and often.   


Sagezilla's super jazzed to have her first real guitar, but it's black n white so we can't show it to ya on Mellow Yellow Monday, unless I can catch her wearing yellow while she practices-which isn't too likely.   On Sunday, we got her a Fender Mini Squire, 3/4 sized, that we found on Craig's list.   It even came with a cool flame strap, pick holder and gig bag.   Hmm.   Come to think of it, there may be yellow stitching in the flames.   I'll get back to you on that one.


Click below for more Mellow Yellow fun from around the world every Monday.   (or Tuesday as the case may be.   We got a little behind with the holiday and all.)    Enjoy!

Mellow Yellow Monday--Remembering Alia Serendipity

Alia Serendipity's "Memories Box" by Sage

June 21st marked the summer solstice, but it was also a special day in our family.   Although our eldest dog was a foundling "alley score" as a 3 week old pup, nursed on a bottle, and of unknown actual date or origin of birth, this was the day we always celebrated Alia Serendipity's birthday.    She would have been 17 this week, but we had to put her to sleep April 1st.

Alia was a special part of our lives for nearly 18 years.   She was present at both of our children's home births and they chose to be there for her death.    On Tuesday we took time to remember her.   I'd suggested gathering photos, writing poetry, writing or sharing our memories of her....    However Sage had her own ideas for how to mourn and celebrate her four legged family member.    

For Mellow Yellow Monday, here's Sage's "Memories Box" containing Alia's canister of ashes, toy likenesses of Alia and Xanthus-her lifelong Husky/Malamute buddy who died at 13 back in 2005, and a leopard box Auntie Maia sent from Portland for memories of Alia.   Sage also included some of her favorite toys and treats (which our husky mix rescue puppy, Igraine the Brave or Iggy Pup, happily ate later.)   

Allie's all time favorite odd dog food was clementine oranges, but we were out of them.   We'll include those when we bury her ashes in the back yard, under our Red Osier Dogwood Tree (AKA:  the Bubby and Ubu Bush) where all our past dogs are remembered.   Their ashes go back into the earth and their collars and tags hang from the branches.   When we hear them clink and chime, the kids say the ghost dogs are running with the wind.

For our solstice birthday remembrance, Sage also broke out her guitar and made up a wonderfully haunting song for Alia.    After the first 2 days of Girl's Rock Camp, Sage had already really taken to guitar and was enjoying writing her own songs and expanding on the new chords she's learned.

We'll have more Alia stories and photos in the weeks to come.   She was a true character and a well loved part of our family.

Click below for more Mellow Yellow glimpses from around the world.

Mellow Yellow Monday--ChiILin' With The Dancing Horses and More in Delavan, WI

I've got some bits of yellow to share for Mellow Yellow Monday, from our day with the animals in Delavan Wisconsin.   It's close to a two hour drive from Chi-Town to see The Dancing Horses, Animal Gardens and Petting Zoo, but it was worth it, and not bad for a day trip.    


Sagezilla and her brownie troupe had a great time exploring the horse farm, boating in little self propelled 2 seater boats, riding a camel, feeding animals, and checking out an entertaining exotic bird show that starred the bird, Mr. Echo, of "America's Got Talent" and Animal Planet fame.    We'll have a full blown photo filled feature on The Dancing Horses on ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Travel Kids in the very near future.


It's been a busy week and weekend, with the end of school, bike to work-school week, back to back blogger events Thursday night, and an outta state horse park Brownie-Girl Scout excursion Saturday.   I'll catch everyone up on a full recap soon.   Today Sagezilla began Girls Rock Camp and Du-Jay started CircEsteem Camp.   In Chi town, we have a cool, rainy Monday, and wow is it a lot more mellow than the bustling, bickering, blistering hot weekend.   Enjoy more yellow posts from around the world below.

Mellow Yellow Monday--ChiILin' With Great Divide, How Far to Austin, Van Ghost at The House of Blues, Chicago

A lot of people think shoe shots are misfires, accidental snaps when the camera should have been off.    But I love to shoot shoes on purpose.   It fascinates me, especially during concerts, to see what the musicians choose to put on their feet.    Do they go for fashion over comfort or vice versa.   A surprising number play bare foot.   Do they start in cool but painful looking heels and kick them off part way through?    (I was bonked by a flying heel in the photo pit at HOB Saturday.)    What connects people's bodies to the ground?   What grounds people?   See if you can figure out whose shoes are whose...    


Click below for more Mellow Yellow Monday fun from around the world.    Check out Great Divide HERE, Van Ghost HERE and How Far to Austin HERE , for tour dates, song samples and more.   It was also a CD release party for Ben Ripani.   Check out his site HERE.   We'll have a photo filled recap up in the very near future, both here on ChiIL Mama and on our live show archives, ChiIL Live Shows.com.

Double Mellow Yellow-Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies at Beat Kitchen

We frequently contribute some of our weekend highlights to the fun meme, Mellow Yellow Monday, but I don't think we've ever done a double yellow.   This week with the aforementioned +  I ♥ Faces picking yellow as their theme today...we'll there ya go.   There's always a first...    At least they picked a great week for us to double up.   Sunday's show was quite colorful and there's more than plenty of the sunny side up to go around.   


We've skimmed off the shots with at least a hint of amarillo.   We'll post the rest soon.   There were some rockin' ones with tiny bubbles.    Check in early and often for our video interview with the band and loads of live show footage.    These guys sound as fun as they look!


Click below for more Mellow Yellow fun from across the planet.

Mellow Yellow Monday-ChiILin' at CircEsteem's Spring Circus

CircEsteem's Spring Show was a huge hit!

We'll have loads of photos up as a slide show in the very near future and video clips to come, after a bit of editing time.   I shot at all 3 shows, so these talented kids are well documented!    For now, check out Du-Jay in his yellow, clown taxi and Sagezilla, the purple gypsy punk (there's a splash of yellow, too).

When the kids began circus in the fall, Du had stage fright and was too shy to share a scene with other kids in practice.    This past weekend his confidence had grown to the point where he performed on a real, raised stage, in front of a huge auditorium full of people and was happy and excited about it.   He even performed in boxer shorts and hit himself in the face with a shaving cream pie!    It's been the biggest transformation.


If you're in the Chicago area, I can't recommend CircEsteem enough.   Now we'll have circus withdrawal till summer camps start.


For more yellow fun, take a mellow Monday trip around the world by clicking below.