This is Hardcore

Dave and I met at This is Hardcore 2007. As the years go on everyone is getting older, married, divorced, having babies. It's crazy to see old friends from out of town and catch up on where everyone is. Elinor has always done really well every year but a 2 year old at a 3 day music fest?? You never know what you are going to get. She mostly thinks everyone is there to hang out with her. She gets to get extra iPad time and eat all the snacks.

I forgot the ergo the first day. Luckily it was only half a day and I had her Aden and Anais blanket. I made it into a sling just in time for a nap.

and transferred her into a box of sweatshirts before the bands started playing. This box became her safe spot for the whole weekend. As soon as we walked behind Dave's merch table she ran and jumped in. She kept her backpack of toys and coloring books in there.

The night Dave's band played we had access to the backstage room. It's always the best. There was even a nice private bathroom attached.

Trying out someones guitar.

Watching daddy play

A friend took this of us. She became obsessed with a doctor game but wasn't sure on how to do some of the tasks. By the end of the weekend she was a pro.

vegan cupcakes named after Dave's band. Hardcore Sweet Cupcakes named a bunch of their cupcakes after the bands. Worked out perfect that Elinor wanted chocolate anyway. Thank you Hardcore Sweet Cupcakes for giving us a blacklisted cupcake for free!

Hanging with her buddy George. He stayed over a night and taught her some songs. She hasn't stopped singing them and making up her own.

another friend that stayed with us from Japan. Hopefully we will get to see Takashi when we go in October.

Making new friends who are super good with kids. Don't mind Tom's grumpy face, he loves her.

This was either while Dave was playing or right before. She dissed me to hangout with Chris.

Remember how she wasn't into watching Dave's band play in Boston? Well this time she loved it. She was playing air guitar, jumping, dancing and trying to go on stage. Thanks to Chris that sat by her (since she wouldn't listen to me) and held her back from running out. If you aren't too familiar, there are generally a lot of people running on stage, singing along and jumping off. Not too safe for her to run out into.

I love Robby's pictures

If you are curious to look back at past years here is 2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013

2 beach trips and a show

Rest stop break

A few weeks ago we took a trip to Boston. Well, not Boston but it's so much easier to say than listing the towns we went to in MA. Dave was playing a show and had to do some work. Elinor and I tagged along to meet up with some friends and go to the beach. I miss the beach a lot. I'm really a stay at the beach all day type of person. I think that's why I miss being so close. We would go to the beach sometimes for only a hour or 2 and it was so much fun and didn't take hours to get there.

We ended up making to the beach 2 days for a few hours each. It was so nice. Elinor made friends the first day. I didn't bring any toys so when we set our blanket next to a group of moms and their kids (and toys), I sent Elinor over to ask if she can play too. I know, I'm the worst but the kids ending up being so sweet. They all worked on digging a hole for 2 hours. I somehow forgot how rocky some northshore beaches are and I didn't pack her water shoes. I felt so bad. I had to carry her over the rocks to put her in the water.

We got to eat a ton of good food that you can reread over here and we also went to Dave's show. Since the venue was in the same town that Dorie and Henri live in, I was able to miss out on the beginning of the show to hang out with them and some other friends. I miss that area. Everything is so close and there are awesome playgrounds everywhere! Elinor and I made it back to the venue in time to see Daddy play. She was not into it this time. We were stuck on the stage as I held her from running away. We were both sweaty messes. After they played, we got ice cream and all was good. She was a maniac jumping on the couch behind the merch. I can't imagine what she thinks about the things she gets to do.

Hanging out with friends. Thanks Nancy and Stacy for coming to play too!

I always wonder if she will think that our music is so lame when she gets older or if she will think it's cool she got to travel so much. 

sleeping with one of her favorite puppy friends

bonus vine videos from the show 

Chicago and a lot of pictures

Dave's band had a show last weekend in Chicago. Elinor and I tagged along to come see them but also to visit my sister and nephew. My sister used to visit once a month but has been busy. We haven't seen her since Elinor's 2nd birthday! Normally when I go with Dave to shows, we don't do too much. We eat good vegan food and maybe go to some stores. Having Elinor with us while traveling has opened our world up. We actually look for things to do in the cities we are traveling to.

 There was no one in line so we went to the counter. We were rudely told by three workers to go to the kiosk. Fine but they didn't have to be so nasty about it. Then we waited 2 hours for the car with no explanation. 

 looking at pictures with Auntie and Conor

She was in love with Conor and wouldn't leave him alone. Our first trip to the park in her underpants.

I can't even tell you how many times I've been to Chicago and I never have been to Lincoln Park Zoo. We ended up going twice! It being free totally helped but it is an awesome zoo. We also went to 2 different conservatories that were also free (Lincoln Park, which is right next to the zoo and Garfield Park) . We had planned to do a couple other things but it rained off and on every day we were there. We hung out a lot in Wicker Park. There was good food and a perfect playground with a splash pad. The first day we went Elinor played in her underpants because we weren't prepared but the next time I came with a bathing suit. Remember when we went to the Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary Gallery in NYC? Well we got to catch it in Chicago too. It was opening night so people were dressed up. Someone dressed as Slimer and scared Elinor. We ended up having to wait outside while everyone else finished up. We had an awesome few days though.

Watching Dave play with her friend and guitar players daughter.

It's always the best when there is a backstage room for us to get away to.

 Helping Daddy sell shirts and records

Traveling with a toddler is interesting but a lot of fun to see everything through her eyes. My best purchase before we left was this ABC Sticker Activities (My First Sticker Activity Book) and a Melissa & Doug Princess Puffy Sticker Playset . Oh man! She played with both of them for hours! I thought the activity book might have been a little too hard for her but nope she did awesome with it. It kept her busy for both flights and waiting 2 hours for the rental car (thanks hertz and also thanks for charging us $80 for a carseat that is free is you have AAA but it doesn't count if you rent through priceline. FYI multiple customer service workers you talk to before you get to your destination will tell you and you have no choice.). She played with the puffy sticker playset everywhere we went. It was small enough to slide into the side of our bag. Shows can be boring for her now.

A little unsure of Ghostbusters but they were super friendly and gave her a temp tattoo.

happy baby pose!

As soon as we landed on the way home she said "I wanna go again!" We told her but we are home now. She said "well what's next?!" She's a traveler just like her daddy. I'm hoping she does as good on our flight to Japan in October!