Remember last week when I was talking about bucket lists and how unattainable they are? Let me tell you a little bit about my daughter Susannah. So, Zu is- what we call in the business- a cheerful soul. She loves things. Everything. Once, after being asked about personal preferences, Nora attempted to insult her by scornfully saying how everything was Zu’s favorite. “It sure is!” was the heartfelt response. So. Bucket lists. Nora and I had created intensely detailed items {Read More}
Today/Tonight.
August 31, 2015 By 2 Comments
Today I: …Took three kids to get “back to school” haircuts. (Even if the youngest’s “school” is only School of Hard Knocks/School of Disrupted Naptimes.) …Packed a picnic lunch to eat at the splash pad for one last splashy summer. (The fact that the park was 2 blocks away from the haircut joint and the spraying water ensured I wouldn’t have to hose them down myself post-lunch shouldn’t count against me in the least.) …Wrote one email. While holding a {Read More}
Peace out, post-roadtrip edition.
July 27, 2015 By 6 Comments
Good news: We made it out East, safe n’ sound. (Were you holding your breath? I hope not, because we traveled on Friday. Ouch.) Long story short (as Nora has recently/bizarrely begun to say), the 15 hour drive actually went pretty smoothly. This was thanks to my big sis’ New England efficiency, my love of driving to oddball NPR podcasts, my kids’ ability to sit in one seat (kinda) for the entirety of their waking hours and a portion of {Read More}
Win a week at Camp Bubbles, Chicagoland!
June 23, 2015 By 6 Comments
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Bubbles Academy. Even though I’ve been compensated, all thoughts, opinions, and euphoric children are entirely my own. *** Chicago parents of teensy Littles: I know you know Bubbles Academy (that 14k square foot marvel located in Chi’s Near North ‘hood). I’ve been taking kids there since before I was married. That’s right, I’ve had a longer relationship with them than with P.J. I’ve long extolled their clean, safe, happier-than-happy play spaces and {Read More}
Bowling, Books & Brains, Oh My!
June 17, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Remember how I’ve been taking a break from the Wednesday round-up for the past few months? (If you don’t remember, just nod and smile. We’ll both believe what we both believe.) WELL. There’s just so much fun stuff going down this summer in Chicago- so here’s a good start: A Smattering of Things Your Kids Want To Go Do You know that sound your kids’ brains make as they looooose their haaaaard-eaaaaarned knowledge(eee)? Brain drain is real, folks. Luckily, so {Read More}
Summering As A Verb.
July 17, 2014 By 4 Comments
East Coast Travels, Volume One: In a nutshell, we’ve got cousins, concerts, old friends, new pals, flappin’ about in a pool, and loving on Mim and Pop. That’s a pretty big nutshell. See you next week, friends. You won’t be able to miss me. I’ll be the one weighing roughly a thousand pounds from all of this incredible food… …and face-planting into the pool because of all of these incredible (and incredibly energetic) children.
Leaving On A…Honda Odyssey.
July 10, 2014 By 10 Comments
Hey kids, Lemme tell ya, packing up your life for five weeks o’ travel is weird. And if that travel ends you up at your family’s homestead, it’s almost weirder. Here’s why: There’s a certain amount of STUFF that you (and I and Nora and Susannah and Jasper) are used to seeing and touching on a daily basis. And when you go home, there’s the knowledge that everything you’ll need is more or less there. Except for the stuff that more or less {Read More}
Chicago Sailing, AKA My New Favorite Thing.
July 8, 2014 By 8 Comments
Disclaimer: Although we were offered a free sail by Chicago Sailing, I was in no other way compensated and all thoughts, opinions, and sunburned shoulders are my own. I’ve lived in Chicago for close to 12 years. And, in all that time, I’ve never been further into Lake Michigan than the holding my kid ten feet from the shoreline obligatory “swimming” thing. (And, you know, the occasional harbor dinner cruise.) This is ridiculous, considering that for roughly five years I {Read More}
