A Musical Summer

Posted on by
2

Last Thursday afternoon we met some friends in the park. As it turns out, they were having a concert that evening.

At first I was apprehensive about staying for a concert that started at 6:30pm, on a day where the kids hardly napped, and they needed a bath, and my husband had a work dinner that night. The thought of an early bedtime and a cocktail with mindless girly TV was calling me.

Still I was curious how they would react. After all, we just booked a singer for Ben’s 2nd birthday…

Dancing with Super Stolie

As you can see, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Which made me wonder, what other music can we seek out this summer?

1. The band at Adam’s park that evening actually has a summer schedule … Super Stolie Summer Schedule.

2. Mr Singer. This is the person coming to Ben’ birthday. Sometimes we go see him at the farm at the Zoo. Kids love him! The Sharp Cookies Schedule. A small donation is suggested but not necessary.

3. Whole Foods. For rainy days or days you need to shop, the Whole Foods in Lincoln Park welcomes Bubbles Academy to it’s stage from 10 to 10:30. It gets crowded so go early if you want a good spot.

4. Millienium Park. They put on the The Family Fun Festival from June 13 to August 21st. The free show, by Wiggleworms (Old Town School of Folk Music) has a show every day at 10am. There is also a whole pavilion of stuff to do.

5. Ravinia. Every so often they have a kids concert. For city folk, it’s quite exciting to have a big lawn to spread out on. Here is the full Ravinia Schedule, all the kids concerts are shown with parentheses.

This summer I’m going to try to hit all of the above at least once. If anyone wants to join me for some of these activities, let’s set it up!

Pin It

The Master Cleanse, an update

Posted on by
Reply

It’s been a week since I finished the Master Cleanse and I just wanted give a quick update.

My initial plan was to get down to my illusive 115 goal, which I had been trying for 6 months unsuccessfully to get to, then start eating and counting calories daily to maintain.

My sister did warn that you gain some of the weight back, but I guess I didn’t realize I would gain HALF of it back right away. My understanding now is that I slowed my metabolism which made it need less food. I also cleaned the pipes, making them more efficient and therefore needing less to function again. So when I went back, I should have eaten EVEN LESS. Ugh.

I was never tired on the fast, but afterwards I felt a bit light headed at times, like if I got up too fast. Not sure why. It was never anywhere near faint level, just noticeably different.

I guess somewhere in the back of my mind I instinctively know there are no shortcuts to weight loss. Just a bunch of hard, hungry work.

Having said that, I have been able to keep the rest of it off and more importantly I have been able to keep the other nagging, recurring problem in my life at bay – no one has asked me if I am pregnant.

 

Pin It

First Five Iphone Apps for your 4 Year Old

Posted on by
Reply

Seeing the picture in my last blog made me want to share the first five games that Jack successfully used on the iPhone. These games gave him the confidence to use the computer and some of them were actually educational too!

At this age, he was able to find these games and figure them out on his own without much supervision or tears of frustration.

1. Scoops. You tilt the phone to catch the falling scoops of ice cream.

2. Handy Manny. Four games in one. Match it, Find it, Color it and a Puzzle.

3. iWriteWords. Trace the letters with your finger.

4. Fruit Ninja. Slash the fruit with your finger as it comes on screen. So easy your kid will love it, but strangely so addictive that once I woke up in the middle of the night to the bed shaking as my husband tried to get a new high score.

5. Cut the Rope. Cut the ropes and some other simple things to feed the candy to the creature.

Stay tuned for the next level of Apps…

Pin It

End of School Days

Posted on by
Reply

School is out for the summer!!!

Having a kid in school makes me remember the incredibly wonderful feeling that the end of school brings. Accomplishment, the sense of everything easing up a bit, the thought of balmy hot days and endless ways to waste them.

All these end of school day festivities seem to signal that summer fun is about to begin! Here is Jack dunking his P.E. teacher. Pretty good aim for a 4-year old, eh?

Dunk Tank at Field Day

Finding Jack’s first school was an exercise not that dissimilar to a trying to find your way blind folded to the nearest Starbucks. There are so many pre-schools in the city to choose from. Location is key but you are willing to go a bit further if the menu or service is better at a Starbucks further away.

After this first year I’m pleased to say I feel we’ve chosen well. Jack has learned a lot. He’s also met many nice kids that he gets to hang out with every week day.

Family Picnic (in the library due to rain)

I was so proud of this crown Jack made for me I wore it all the way home. A non-english speaking construction worker with a wide toothless grin called me ‘Diana’. I regally gave him a royal wave back.

Pin It

The Master Cleanse

Posted on by
3

I’ve been talking about this fast for some time with my sister. She swears by it. I take her advice with a grain of salt because in the past she has done a lot of different diets like mostly Vegetarian and the Aitken’s Diet which sounds… well… nasty really… and now she’s following a more Macrobiotic Diet. She’s on a major food and health journey.

However, when I saw her last year she had just come off the cleanse and she looked fabulous. And more importantly she seemed to eat a lot better, with a lot more consciousness.

So, after a particularly naughty weekend of two kids birthdays both complete with cake, one of which I took the leftover fried and cheesy bar food home from AND a visit to a cupcake shop ALL IN ONE WEEKEND, I decided it was time to clean out the system. My sister did say it would reset me and make me think about what I was eating.

The Master Cleanse suggests 10 days but I did the cleanse for only 3. On the 4th I was back to solids.

I did feel better and had more energy, one of those days I ran 30 minutes behind a stroller in 92 degree weather. No problem.

I also never felt that hungry. Anytime I started to feel hunger I just drank more lemonade.

In total I lost 7 pounds. I’m back to my WEDDING WEIGHT, baby! Of course, after two kids your wedding weight is a bit different. In a cruel twist of redistribution fate my boobs got smaller and my feet got bigger.

WEDDING WEIGHT, sort of...

I’m curious to see if I gain it all back. I guess it depends if I can keep mindful about what I put in my body or not. Stay tuned….

Pin It

Turning Points

Posted on by
Reply

In the typical day of the stay at home mom, you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes it’s best to just step out of the way and let whatever happens happen. It’s days like that when you really get a chance to see your kids for who they are. Today was a rainy afternoon with nothing to do and no play dates. I was a bit nervous how an afternoon in the house would play out, but I tried it anyway. Some afternoons the boys spend the entire time fighting over the same toy, some afternoons they ignore each other, but lately I’ve noticed a change. They are starting to play with each other. Since my sister is one of my best friends, when I see stuff like this it make me happy and weepy at the same time. But instead of cry, I did what I always to – get the camera out!

Hugging in the Hallway

Growing up is a funny thing. It’s gradual at first, then, after a while it becomes second nature. If you aren’t careful you might just miss the change.

Jack Trying to Teach Ben How to Give a Kiss

There is definitely a new maturity in both kids. Jack is nicer and more empathic to Ben, and Ben actually realizes he has a older brother and by the laws of nature he must spend the next 15 or so years of his life chasing after him and looking up to him.

Pin It

Summer is here!

Posted on by
Reply

Chicago is in a heat wave right now. Temperatures are in the 90s! When I picked Jack up from school yesterday, I realized they had NO AIR CONDITIONING! Perhaps it’s not a shock to people from this area but as a native born Floridian it’s shocking.

So when I saw temperatures in the 90s again today, I decided I couldn’t bear to send him there to suffer in the heat. Seeing his ruddy little cheeks at pick up yesterday made me feel terrible.

Instead we did the only thing you can do when it’s sunny and hot out – go to a park with a water element.

I jogged them over to Fellger Park, also managing a nice 30 minute run for myself.

We got a lot of dirty looks for bringing these!

It took Jack a while to get into the action but Ben ran right for the water without any fear…

Water!

Finally we ended the afternoon with the best part about a hot summers day, ice cream!

Ice Cream with Connor and Oscar

Pin It

Generation Shifts

Posted on by
Reply

I find it hard to believe how much we’ve changed as parents since the last generation raised us.

Everything is different.

They didn’t breast feed. We do.

They slept us on the tummy, we sleep our kids on their backs.

They spanked, we do time outs.

Sometimes when I’ve been a particularly lax parent that day I wonder if that is the day they will remember I screwed them up for life.

It also makes me wonder what the next generation will consider bad parenting that we considered the norm.

As I buy my organic produce, dutifully unplug my cell phone charger when not in use, and drink from my BPA free reusable water bottle at the gym, I know somewhere in the back of my mind it’s doing nothing compared to the harm of all those disposable diapers. I know it’s bad but it’s just soooo much easier. And I know firsthand, I did cloth diapers the first time around. I’m just sure I’m going to get scolded in 30 years for that.

I’m also hoping the ‘cry it out’ method will start to get a bad rep. I’m absolutely hate using it! For Ben’s naps I walk him around in a stroller until he falls asleep instead of listening to the crying. There must be a better way. If only co-sleeping was acceptable in my generation, I’m sure I would have done it. Wouldn’t it be nice to transform one room in your house for a sleep room where everyone slept? Maybe the kids would never wake you up in the middle of the night? Or if they did they would roll over, see their entire family there then rest comfortably? Or maybe it would backfire? They would still wake you up AND all their siblings?

One thing I will say since I’ve become a parent is how much more I appreciate my own parents. How much more understanding I have about the things they did or didn’t do. So maybe, just maybe I have a chance.

Pin It