Tag Archives: Chicago

Rut

Posted on January 15, 2011 | 9 Comments

Winterrrrrrrrrrrr durrrrrrr…r.rrr..r.r.r.r.

I have a long history of winter blues. Followed by manic springlike behavior in the spring. This is my life. The rut of winter makes the months of April and May that much more exciting for me. It seems like I have reached Valhalla, Shangri-la, Heaven, and Underverse ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Justin has reminded me that Valhalla and Shangri-la simply cannot co-exist. I KNOW. That is just how crazy springtime is in my little heart.

But back to winter. This year has been particularly painful. Thank Valhalla that I have an easy-going happy baby. Because if I didn’t, I would not only be a sad cave troll, but I would be sad cave troll with an eye twitch and a short temper. I can deal with the sad.

Kind of.

I have vowed to get dressed every day for a week. And will also try to leave the cave. This helps immensely. Yesterday, I was dressed by 8 am, and was away from the house more than I was at home. My soul rejoiced, and it felt more like March than January. Productivity was at an all time winter high, and the baby was a joy.

I met up with some friends that I met back during our birth class at Mother Me Inc. We went to the Garfield Park Conservatory. It was my first time there, and I look forward to returning. Fresh air, plants, and adult conversation. This is like a shot of adrenaline directly into my heart. More of this, please.

I brought my camera, but when you are hanging out with other people and have a baby strapped to your hip, it is hard to concentrate on photography. I may go back alone and get some really nice shots. I did end up with some shots from the cactus room that I am pretty proud of. :)

Look! I spoke to other humans! This is Erin and Grant.

And this is Ethan Blaze. He spent most of his visit in this manner. Thanks for showing me the Ergo Hip Carry, little man.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged 6 month old, cabin fever, cactus, Chicago, garfield park conservatory, mom friends, photography, play date, SAD, spring fever, succulents, winter rut

Change of Heart

Posted on October 19, 2010 | 11 Comments

Ok, I am clearly nervous to write this because I just wrote the first paragraph and deleted it four times. It’s just that I haven’t had to break up with anyone in a long time. It’s strange to be back in that mindset.

I feel relief with my realization, but also such guilt. I’m looking forward to things to come, but also thankful for what we’ve had. And I have learned a lot about myself.

Chicago, I love you. I really do, and I will always defend you as one of the best places I have ever lived, but this isn’t going to go anywhere. I’m leaving you.

I know I thought that this would be a lifelong relationship, but things have changed. It’s not you, it’s me. And let’s still be friends, as they say.

——–

Friends, I am as shocked as you are about the following statement:

I think I want to move to the suburbs. Yes, want. Or even better? A smaller town. Just someplace with yards, trees, and space for kiddos to play. Somewhere that still has easy access to the city by a train, so Justin can still work at his dream job. And I still want to be able to visit when we please.

Yeah, in the back of my mind, I guess I knew this day would come. But I figured it would be many years down the road. Up until a couple of months ago, I was 100% sure I wanted to raise city kids. There are a ton of advantages to doing this, including access to a lot more culture than kids who live outside the city limits are exposed to on a daily basis. Thousands of people do it. I could list a hundred reasons to raise kids in the heart of a city that I love so much.

But all those reasons? They involve a lot of scheduling. They involve close supervision without exception. Logistics that would make your head ache. Oh, and about a million bajillion dollars.

Justin and I did not grow up in big cities. Our best memories of childhood are those that involve riding bikes, capture the flag with neighbor kids, creeks, dirt, treehouses and a crap-ton of fresh air. Now I know that times have changed a bit, and you can’t just let your kid run a muck without a care. But I can’t imagine not being able to tell Benton to “go play outside.”

I feel very strongly that part of the reason my brother and I grew up to be such creative and imaginative people, is because we didn’t have a playroom overflowing with toys. We didn’t have a schedule of playdates where our parents had to oversee our every move. We didn’t have to wait to run and dig and explore until the (wood-paneled) minivan pulled up to the park. We just went outside and the world was ours.

Mom was always available and there to check up on us, but I don’t remember her having to facilitate our playtime and watch our every move. We were free.

I want my kid(s) to be free. And when I picture my family growing, it is not inside a noisy city apartment or condo. Our every activity isn’t carefully considered and planned out. Parking is not an issue. City noises aren’t sabotaging nap time. Playdates are not the only time they get to see a friend because there are kids in the yard next door.

I know this may sound crazy but I see a place that has more than a couple of rooms to live in. A place for Justin to have an office that is occasionally quiet and off-limits to grubby hands and squealy voices. I see a yard. A tree or two or ten that I will get to know and love. Someplace that has chair for me to sit in while I watch tiny bare feet run in the yard before the sun goes down.

Does it sounds extravagant? It does to me. I almost feel greedy. But when I really start to think about it, not that far out of reach. I am not that crazy for wanting this.

I want to go to there. I want to go home.

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Posted in Chicago

Tagged Chicago, house, kids, moving, small town, suburbs

Goats

Posted on September 26, 2010 | 7 Comments

Before we had a baby, Justin and I would go on dates to children’s movies and petting zoos. So now that we actually have a kid, we are pleased to appear slightly less creepy during these excursions.

One of my favorite things about being a parent so far, is that I get to witness a little person seeing the world for the first time. I love knowing that he has never seen a fish, park, or a cat on a bus before, and I was there to witness the first observance.

Justin shares this excitement for the “new,” so we decided to take him to the zoo. This is more for our entertainment than his, but it kept him interested for a few hours and he didn’t make a fuss. If you judge from the pictures alone, it would appear that he hated it, but I assure you we were not torturing the baby. He loves adventures.

Which brings me to the goats. There are few animals that more ridiculous. And the fact that the eat everything makes me wonder why they are often chosen as ideal petting zoo candidates.

As we approached the corral, I was giddy with excitement and Justin held Benton with cautious optimism. He assured the petting zoo overlord that we were not going to let him touch the goats, we just wanted pictures. They were weary. I assume they thought the goats would easily ingest the baby, and they didn’t want a lawsuit. Or a goat that had eaten a baby.

Surveying the scene from behind the fence.

The scene inside the fence.

We're in! Notice the tenseness of Justin's stance. This is as close as he would get him. Meanwhile I am yelling "Put his foot by it!! Closer!"

B, what do you think of this? No gang signs with the hands, please. I bet if you lean back just a bit, you would get a little mohawk hair trim.

Aren't you a fine goat specimen? "Put the baby by it!"

GAH! He really tried to eat Justin's elbow. Which can only lead to baby foot nomming. So we left. But give us a year or so and we will be back. Many times. P.S. What is with goat pupils? Scary.

bye bye

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Posted in baby

Tagged 11 week old, adventures, baby, Chicago, elbow nomming, goats, lincoln park zoo, new things, petting zoo

Mirror Game

Posted on September 13, 2010 | 21 Comments

I just hit send on my formal letter of resignation to my agency life.

And then I sat on the floor with my baby and a mirror and we played. We are working hard on turning the furrow into smiles.

Then I realized how gorgeous Chicago is today, so now we are going to take the train downtown to eat gelato in the park and introduce Benton to the Bean.

Here is the last time they were together. 76 days ago. Um...WOW.

There are a lot of people in cubes who would be pissed off if I wasn’t taking full advantage to being free of said cube. So in the name of not taking things for granted, I am off.

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Posted in baby

Tagged baby, Chicago, mirror game, the bean, work

Tiresome and Dangerous Beauty

Posted on June 27, 2010 | 23 Comments

In less than a month, I will be a parent. This being said, I have been actively seeking advice from any parent that will pay attention to me (in real-life and online.) I’m also reading books and taking classes, but I prefer to hear what worked for REAL people. With REAL human babies. Which I assume I will give birth to very soon. Although, if I have a litter of cats, I would know exactly what to do.

Here are a few examples of the advice (solicited and unsolicited) that I am getting from some wonderful moms and dads:

On Birth:

Take the epidural. Drugs are your friend. Don’t try to prove anything. Natural birth is crazy.
Definitely go for a natural birth. It is best for you and baby. Swim with dolphins during birth if you have to. Do chanting and light candles. Hospitals are evil.

On Feeding:

Breastfeeding is really hard. You have to be a saint to do it and some babies just won’t feed from mom. Supplementing or formula feeding is just fine. So-and-so grew up on formula and he is a brilliant scientist Olympian who rescues sea turtles.
You have to breastfeed. There is no other choice. And you have to do it within an hour of the birth. Breast is best. You should be comfortable enough to breastfeed in the nude on public transportation if you have to. It’s your right. If you have to supplement or use formula you should feel like a horrible mom. Good luck, you will be great!

On Sleeping:

Babies are loud sleepers. Put him down to sleep in the crib from day one or you will be sorry. And you will never sleep again.
You must co-sleep with your baby. Or with a bassinet near your bed. It makes night feedings so much easier. Or you will be sorry. And you will never sleep again.

On Help:

Make sure your mom is there right after the birth for at least a week. And don’t leave your bed. Friends and family will feed you, clean your house and take care of the baby in the first weeks. Don’t try to do too much or you will burn out and fall into post-partum depression.
Make sure you and your husband have alone time with the baby in the first weeks to help with bonding. Limit visitors. If you don’t, he will be over-stimulated and confused as to who his parents are. The family unit will crumble and then you will probably get divorced.

…

SO.

Maybe I am exaggerating a wee bit on some of these. Most advice I’ve received has been well-meaning. And I do like to hear about what worked and what didn’t from parents that have been through it already.

BUT:

Obviously there are different styles of parenting. Most people think they know best, which is probably true for their family. In fact, I’m sure that it’s near impossible for them not to do what they think best for their baby. But knowing what is right for my family? We will find out on our own when we get there. At least I know my options. Right and wrong can only be decided by Mom and Dad. Not by a neighbor, friend, grandparent, coworker, or woman on the street who is interested in my birth plan.

HOWEVER, there is one piece of advice nearly everyone has given me.

On the Home Stretch:

Get as much sleep as possible before the baby arrives. Nap, sleep in, sleep at work, sleep, sleep, SLEEP.

CURSES! I suck at this. I have never had a problem sleeping until pregnancy. But now, when I am supposed to be taking advantage of sleeping in, I wake up with the stupid sun every morning in between 5 and 6. At least I am good with napping. Although napping at work is surely frowned upon.

An advantage to waking up this early is quietly watching the sun rise with one Schween Boley.

Can you see her in the lower left of the nursery windows?

Then we make our way to the balcony to start the day. She is in her signature Cooked Turkey position on the left.

Although it is gorgeous, this does become a tiresome way to start the day at 9 months pregnant when I should be “taking advantage of sleep” as they say.

Speaking of skies, we have had a billion thunderstorms in the Chicago area recently. This has made for some incredibly beautiful and dangerous looking skies. Last week, there were tornado warnings followed by a rainbow and some golden/amber colored light. My mom was driving WITH THE STORM from Chicago through northwest Indiana and into Michigan. Probably the worst time to drive ever. She’s fine by the way.

I really need to break down and get a tripod so I can take a photo that isn’t grainy. I stitched this rainbow together from some shots taken towards the east off of our balcony. Click any of these to view full size…and full grain

Seriously, the sky was glowing. I didn’t change the color of that photo. See, here is what Alma captured in Oak Park.

And this next shot shows the storm from its backside. It was looming over northwest Indiana as my mom drove through, while most people were in their basements. Pretty, eh? But yikes for sure.

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Posted in Daily Picture, pregnancy, Uncategorized

Tagged 9 months pregnant, Chicago, family, insomnia, parenting advice, photography, pregnancy, rainbows, storms, sunrise

Melt

Posted on March 9, 2010 | 5 Comments

On the way to the train yesterday, Justin and I had an argument about Spring. It is my favorite season, and because of my heightened awareness during that time of year, I am going to say I am more of an expert on Spring than he is. See, I am even capitalizing “Spring” because it is that important.

So, the argument was over the definition of Spring and when it starts. Justin was saying we are experiencing spring right now, just because it has gotten into the 40′s for a few days. I am not so easily fooled. This is March. In Chicago. She is a cruel mistress. I am happy about the warmer temps, but this doesn’t mean I am putting away the puffy coat and pulling out the green shoes just yet. When it is true Spring, you can smell it, feel it, hear it, and see it. I have about eleventy-million photos from Spring of last year, and what we are experiencing this week is just not it.

However, I’m willing to admit we are on the cusp of something. That is obvious. The snow is melting more each day, and everyone is restless. Things will begin to explode within a few short weeks, including the icy hearts of millions of Chicagoans. We will have made it though, and the city will have its annual spring freak out. It’s my absolute favorite time of year. I love having a May birthday, because it seems like a good time to reset the year. January is no time to celebrate New Years, and I propose we move it to Memorial Day weekend. Who is with me?

Last Friday, it was sunny out. Not warm, but definitely sunny and above 32 degrees. So I went to the park at lunch to inspect the scene. People were out and about, and many were ice skating. Sorry if you are into ice skating, but it is time we pack that crap up now. I want to see the rink melt and the patio set up.

The garden isn’t showing any life yet, but I still enjoyed the feeling of being almost there. It is amazing what a little sun can do. Anticipation is in the air.

We have melting! We have sun!

People will clamour for these precious tables in a few weeks. And look! Bean reflection in the melt.

I fell in love with these plants. I didn't expect to find anything so pretty in the park, since I assumed everything was dead.

My favorite nubbin was even shining bright.

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Posted in Chicago, Daily Picture

Tagged almost spring, Chicago, Daily Picture, garden, Millennium Park, photography, snow melt, the bean

Night Moves

Posted on November 7, 2009 | Leave a comment

I know I have already shown you a picture of this wall, but I REALLY like it. So deal with it.

When taking night photography, it is best to have a tripod. Well, I am not commuting with one of those things. Taking the camera everywhere is heavy lifting enough. A prime example of why it is best to have a tripod is picture #6. Blurry city. I kept it anyway because it looks like an impressionist painting, and I love how the lights look on the water.

I may have poo-pooed the impending nighttime commute a couple weeks ago, before the time change, but it does hold some charms. The city at night gets to pick and choose its focal points. Certain places are lit that you would normally not focus on during the day. And without the busy backdrop of sunny surroundings, our view is more selectively focussed and the points of interest are amplified. I especially love how Lasalle St looks like Gotham; the arrogant Chicago Board of Trade building bookends the financial district at the street’s end.

When I arrive in my neighborhood, the trees that are still clinging to a few yellow leaves look like they are on fire in the street lamps. Everything is quiet, even by 6 pm. The only sound comes from me purposely walking on the edge of the sidewalk through the crunchiest leaves I can find. People are busy in their homes, catching up on eating and sleeping. Fattening up for the long winter. It’s an annual pastime of this great city.

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Posted in Daily Picture

Tagged Chicago, commuter tourism, Daily Picture, night photography

Light Brite

Posted on October 26, 2009 | Leave a comment

I walk by this ever-changing color wall every day on my way home. Hooray for color.

Schween is also into colored lights.

She is also into fake prey, her own shadow, and imaginary grasshoppers.

She may not be the brightest bulb on the strand, but she gets by on her good looks.

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Posted in Daily Picture

Tagged cat, Chicago, Daily Picture, lights, photography, pink wall, schween

Mourning Glory

Posted on September 1, 2009 | 3 Comments

Can someone tell me how to be a morning person AND a night owl?

…No one?

I think this may actually be impossible. If you come across such an anomaly of a human being (robot?) please put them in touch with me immediately. I’m in trouble over here.

Writing posts at night is just not happening. I used to post everything in the morning before work, and felt great about it. Now I just feel lame.

What happened to my mornings? The gym. Oh, how I love my new gym. The running on cement every morning had turned my knees into gravel–LOUD, CREAKY, PAINFUL gravel. So no, I never made it from my couch all the way to the 5k. However, I am alright with that because instead of my morning runs, Justin and I have been making it to our gym in Andersonville before the sun even hits Clark street. I feel great. One of my goals is to be able to arm wrestle Michelle Obama and not lose in the first 2 seconds. Arm wrestling me is on top of her list of her priorities. Surely.

So even though I am getting in shape and feeling healthy, my blog life is really suffering. I am going to have to move it up a spot on my nightly list of priorities. “Falling asleep on the couch before 9:30 p.m.” will have to move down a notch. 10,000 lame points have just been awarded to me.

So if you have any ideas that would help me that don’t involve methamphetamines, that would be swell.

I have a lot in common with the morning glories that climb the fence near my train. Here is how they look before lunch.

And here they are around dinner time.

On a happier note, my friend Randy just got a job in Chicago and is moving here! He will be a fine addition to this great city. Here he is showing the proper way to smash/eat an over-sized burger with way too much grease. Welcome to Chicago!

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Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged Chicago, Daily Picture, guilt, gym, morning glory, morning person, night owl, photography

This Pertains to My Interests

Posted on August 17, 2009 | 5 Comments

This image has nothing to do with the brunch you are about to receive, but I took it on Saturday night on my date with Justin. It is the closest thing we get to "big sky" in our hood. Don't laugh at me if you are from Colorado.

So this weekend, my brother, his friends, and his ridiculously nice camera came for a visit. You might ask,”Was he apartment hunting because he is moving here shortly?” No such luck. Yet. But I feel like we are making strides in the right direction.

Most of the trip was a series of mishaps and getting caught in the rain, but at least brunch didn’t let us down. Six of us trudged up to northern Andersonville, or “Wisconsin” as Justin would say, and waited for about 6 hours in 90 degree heat/steam before being seated. We were eventually lead to a table on the patio directly in the sun, in the same heat that we just waited in for 27 hours. On the bright side, a constant stream of condensation from our water glasses dripped on our legs, and Amber guzzled an iced coffee the size of her torso.

Sounds great, right? Well when the food arrived, all was forgiven. Just look at it!

Summer peach & almond bostock french toast: Two thick slices of homemade almond crusted brioche french toast, layered with warm syrah poached summer peaches and vanilla creme anglaise.

Let's just see that again.

I am telling you, I am more of a savory breakfast person, but this is one of the best things I have ever eaten before noon. I wish I could send this through your computer screen so you could taste it.

Casey's keylime and apricot brioche french toast: Three thick slices of french toast layered with homemade lime curd and fresh apricot.

The awesome thing about having a six person brunch is getting to try all the other dishes that you were pondering on the menu. I had blackberry blisscakes, mango & sour cherry blisscakes, huevos borrachos, and my good friends–home fries.

We signed our bill just as the storm hit the patio, we congratulated each other on our perfect timing, then we ran/waddled to our buses and declared brunch a victory.

If you would like to try these delightful dishes, and you live within 10 hours of Chicago, go to M Henry on Clark. You will not be disappointed.

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Posted in andersonville, Chicago, Daily Picture, dining

Tagged andersonville, brunch, Chicago, Daily Picture, food, french toast, m henry, peaches, photography, review