searching for warmth

Dear God, is February over yet?  How is it that the shortest month of the year seems to drag on for the longest amount of time?  I think it has something to do with the record snowfall followed by below zero temperatures followed by gray, wet, cold, and who cares anymore?  I don't have any big goals these days.  My dream is to just not have to wear my boots for one whole week straight.

I have taken the girls in search of some warmth.  One of our favorite spots is the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park.    The museum has, among many other things, a Butterfly Haven.  In the middle of February it is pure heaven.  It smells divine, as it is a greenhouse fillled with pools of water, flowers, tropical trees, and 1,000 butterflies.  Eloise has always loved going here and when I suggested it she hurried to put on a special outfit comprised of her most flowery and colorful dress and hat and asked if I would give her a spray of perfume so the butterflies would flock to her.  I obliged but I'm not sure it worked.

Mike finally had some time off work so we took advantage over a weekend and headed to the Shedd Aquarium.  I really like the Shedd.  It makes me long for days on the beach or a snorkel trip sometime in my past.  In the Great Reef you can smell the salty sea water and you can imagine, for just a few minutes, that you are nowhere near Chicago.  It is a great size facility and you can do as much or as little as you want--spend 45 minutes or 3 hours.  I seem to find something new every time and always learn something.

This time we took in the live aquatic show which was a little lame but the kids loved it.  Harriet learned the sign for 'fish' and used it every time the dolphins jumped up and Eloise took lots of pictures.  I actually had to leave at a certain point during the show because they announced they would be having a Red Tailed Hawk fly into the arena and over the audience.  The MC of the show went on and on, before letting the beast of prey enter, about how we should make no sudden moves or noises.

 Umm.  No.

Sure, I left my children in there to possibly be carried off in its talons while I nervously waited just outside the curtain but I thought I was going to throw up from fear. Why wasn't there some sort of warning label on the tickets?

"Warning!  Live bird of prey will be flying overhead.  We do not mean in a cage or tethered to anything.  You not only need to worry about yourself  and your one year old making any sudden moves,  but also all the other idiots that are in attendance."

In case you didn't know, I have kind of a bird thing.

Another favorite spot during these last few months of winter is the Chicago Botanic Garden.  We go to the garden a ton in the summer but they have all kinds of great winter programs as well.  My favorite is the greenhouses.  They have 3 very large ones and you can walk though and shed your coats and hats and gloves and scarves and just take a deep breath.  We like to play hide and seek and check out the giant animal topiaries.

I am never at a loss for words when it comes to complaining about the weather and this year I have been given plenty of material.  We are going to get through it by being creative and cautiously optimistic that winter will be over by May.  I better start working on my high humidity and heat index gripes.

4 year old's idea of How to Attract a Butterfly

in the butterfly haven

identifying different species

at the Shedd with dad and apparently jazz hands

chilling out as penguins in the polar exhibit

picture of the aquatic show taken by Eloise.

I think I was crouched in fetal position in the back at this point.

snow day

As you may have heard by now, we had ourselves a little blizzard here in the midwest.

Even with all the hype and the warnings and the discussions and the predictions and the even more hype I still found myself standing in my kitchen this morning, in my pajamas, with my mouth hanging open in disbelief at what I was seeing.  It was amazing.

We are fortunate that there was really nowhere we needed to be and, of course, school was cancelled so we just settled in for a long winter's nap--that may last until Saturday.  We are only midway through the day we have already played in the playhouse, done 3 crafts, made Valentines, put on 2 musicals, baked bread, ventured out into the yard, watched some T.V., read books, and attempted naps.  We are going to have to pace ourselves.

Always on a snow day I feel compelled to make a special lunch.  One that is all warm and comforting and one that reminds me of being a kid.  For me, there is no other choice that even comes close.
Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.  Done and done.

Grilled cheeses come pretty regularly in our house for the kids but I don't eat them very often unless an occasion such as 22 inches of snow calls for it.  I have been told that I make the best grilled cheeses in the world!!! (this just in..."except for Edzo's").  Mine are nothing fancy, wheat bread, lots and lots of butter and whatever cheese happens to be in the fridge without mold on it---or, sometimes you know you can just cut that off.  Shhhh.

I do make my own tomato soup and, yes, I can feel your eye roll.  Listen, it is simple simple simple.  I have never liked soup from a can that much and I have a basement full of tomatoes so this is a no brainer.  I used the tomatoes I canned with my dad this summer and, even though it took me 20 minutes to get the lid off of the jar because he had screwed it on so tight,  it was totally worth it.  The recipe I link to below calls for tomatoes from a can which would be delicious as well.  Most of this stuff you should have in your pantry and if you don't, feel free to improvise.  This recipe is very forgiving and not fussy at all.

Treat yourself to a comforting and warm meal and try to stay warm and stay safe.  You know where to find us if you need anything, we're not going anywhere.  God, help us.

so excited about a snow day

the very snowy view this morning

venturing out

taken from the comfort of my warm,

 delicious smelling kitchen

yummy tomatoes

you cannot resist dunking 

bath toys suck

I've never really been "fun mom" when it comes to baths.  I never had any cute little towels with hoods and matching washcloths or tons of toys for the bath.  No bubbles or fun girly soaps either.  I guess I always thought of it as a task more than a play time or place.

My mom, who loves giving the grandkids baths, practically has an entire circus in the tub with them for bath time.  During baths at grandmas I have seen bubbles, scented bath bombs, crayons, paints, waterflutes, squirty animals, a xylophone, pitchers, cups, and something that creates glitter on them but I can't figure out what it is.

 A couple years ago I overheard my mom talking to Eloise about bath toys.  I think my mom was wondering why Eloise was so incredibly excited by all the bath stuff and why she was acting like she had never seen anything like it.  She said, "Don't you have toys to play with in your bath at home?"  and I swear the response was, "Yes! I have a green cup."  I died.

Since then we have received several sets of those squirty bath toys and other such items.  I do appreciate that others were trying to make baths more fun for the girls but I hate those fucking squirty bath toys.

If you have those toys I'm sure you have had the pleasure of squirting them in the tub only to see them spew a stream of black disgusting gunk.  I don't know about you, but I'm thinking that black disgusting gunk probably isn't good for kids.  I did what any good parent does and I googled the situation.  I did confirm that this is mold and mildew and probably not super harmful but not great either.  One of the titles of an article I found was "How to Clean Mold from Bath Toys in 9 Easy Steps"  Awww hell no.  I thought of "How to Clean Mold from Bath Toys in just 1 Easy Step" and threw them all in the trash.

We've had a few cycles of squirties since then, new ones in and moldy ones out and then I just said enough with the whole stupid thing.  I told Eloise to go through the house and pick some things that she thought would be fun to play with in the tub.  She did and it has been great.  I also broke down and bought this toy for Christmas and it is a super big hit with both of the girls.

Bath time now, with the two of them,  is a non stop party.  They whisk and pour and baste and have all kinds of fun.  They show amazing creativity and really truly play together.  And all without any mold.

the selection of bath toys we currently have.  

turkey baster is the the #1 hit.

what'd I tell you?

good times

harriet putting the 'bugs' in the net.  

the best $7.99 I ever spent.

eloise loves to 'cook' things she's not normally allowed to have.

this was 'peanut butter chocolate, filled  with chocolate milk'

her wildest fantasy

poor little sad bathers in their plain, white, hoodless towels

roasted

I don't know if it is the cooler weather or what but in the fall and winter we seem to be roasting vegetables all the time.  It is a technique that is not new or terribly exciting but it results in the most delicious vegetables that I always devour and that my kids have even accidentally eaten and liked.

I have been roasting  root vegetables (potatoes, parsnips, carrots) and winter squash for a few years now.  They are so delicious, so easy and pretty idiot proof.  Lately though, I have been expanding my reportoire to include other veg ( I like to say 'veg' because it sounds cool and British like Jamie Oliver and...Gwyneth).  So far, everything has been a success, even veg that I have never liked (cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts).  Seriously, the cauliflower was like eating potato chips.

Roasting vegetables is genius for mature, store bought veggies that may not be in season.  I found some green beans the other night in our fridge that were looking sad, sad, sad.  They were stringy, limp, and probably should've been tossed but roasting brought them back to life.  In fact, I was forced to stand at the counter  once they came out of the oven and pop them in my mouth one after the other like french fries not caring that they were scorchingly hot and burning my fingers and mouth.  Why does this miracle happen in the oven?  It has something to do with a chemical reaction caused by the dry heat of the roasting and the conversions and the sugars and the starches and the browning and I am obviously not a chemist.

All you need is salt, pepper, olive oil, a 450 degree oven, and some pretty gnarly roasting pans that are coated with years of "seasoning" as my mom would say.  I spread  the vegetables out on the pan, drizzle some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and put them in the oven for about 20-40 minutes depending on what you are cooking.  Toss them half way though and eat.

One of our favorite meals and a weekly regular in the fall and winter is roasted vegetables (shallot, butternut squash, carrot, sweet potato) over salad greens and roasted chicken.We top it with Annie's Goddess dressing.  So delicious.

We've also enjoyed roasted tomatoes tossed in pasta, or spread on bread with cheese.  Talk about reviving out of season or shriveled vegetables.  Roasting is perfect for these kinds of sad tomatoes that you find in January.  You don't have to peel them just pop on the pan and let them soften and sweeten up.  Dare I say, they taste almost homegrown.

This is a great article on roasting vegetables to get you started or to give you some new ideas.  I remember reading this article when it came out in 2006 and it is still one of my most used issues of EFD.  Enjoy!

***roasted vegetables, although delicious, do not make the prettiest or most interesting pictures.

cauliflower

root veg

green beans

reading

Around Thanksgiving we were down at the coffeehouse and Eloise grabbed a book from the shelf.  She opened it up and read it aloud to us.  Mike and I looked at each other in disbelief and then, as she kept reading, we became nerdily giddy with excitement.  It seemed like something just clicked and all of the sudden, she was a reader.

Eloise was as excited as we were about this new skill.  She wanted to read everything:  street signs,  banners, grocery store ads, food packaging, that one Christmas list that I had unfortunately left out on the counter and, of course, lots and lots of books.

As luck would have it, we have come across a couple events at our beloved library that seem as though they were tailor made for Eloise and her newfound love of reading.

The first program is called Book Buddies and invites children to gather, sing, listen to a story and then pair up with a Northwestern college student to choose from a bevy of specially selected books and do some one on one reading.  After about 30 minutes of reading with their Buddies they regroup for a craft and goodbyes.  The college students are perfect for reading with kids this age. They are engaged, interested, funny, and not nearly as boring as mom and dad.

The other library program we discovered is called Tail Waggin' Tutors.  Children of all ages sign up to come and read to therapy dogs once a week.  I thought Eloise was going to lose her mind when I told her we were going to do this.  You know how she is about dogs.  At the first session, which was just supposed to be a 'meet and greet' with the dogs, she read a book to every single one and learned all of their names.  For the next six weeks, she will visit the therapy dogs at the library for her shift and read to them for 20 minutes and then have 10 minutes of 'cuddle time'.  The dogs love having the kids read to them, it calms them down and they are wonderful listeners.  It is a great opportunity for kids to practice their reading and super fun for a dog-sick girl like mine.

I am very much enjoying seeing how proud she is of herself.  She is obsessed with "I Can Read" books and was the recipient of about 50 of them thanks to her book loving Aunt Vicki.  She is having fun showing off her reading to all members of the family but especially loves reading a bedtime story, or two, or twelve to Harriet.  She is now working her way, ever so diligently and excitedly, through both of their overstuffed bookshelves, one story at a time.

reading with her book buddy

reading to a very relaxed Saphie

therapy dogs getting read to

book number 4--does Saphie look bored?

little sister wants to be a reader too someday

bedtime stories

harriet, sweet harriet

On this, the day of your 1st birthday, I wanted to let you know what  your very first year in the world with us was like.

We waited and waited for you to come along.  It took many tries, and at times was very trying, but when we realized that it was you that we got, it was all worth it.

You came on a very snowy day in the early evening of January 5th.  You were so excited to get here that you came in a rush before Grandma and Grandpa could return from the cafeteria, before any doctor was available to deliver you, and before Mommy could get the epidural she planned on.

Your big sister came to meet you at the hospital and gave you a pink teddy bear named "Pa-Bear-iet".  Get it?  That bear is the one in your room up on the shelf.

The first few weeks were tough, of course, because you were just a new little baby and you had many needs.  At times, things got really tough especially in the breastfeeding department.  So many times I wanted to give up and thought I just couldn't do it.  You didn't let me quit and I am very thankful for that and proud of us both.  Now, when do you think you'll be wanting to give that up?  Soon?  Real soon?

As the days, weeks, and months continued your giant personality started to shine.  You started smiling, and then giggling, and then making raspberries.

You got teeth!  At 4 months you had 4 teeth and now you have 8.  You have a great, toothy, jack-o-lantern smile.

You love babies.  I mean you are crazy for babies.  "Baby" was your first word.  You have many little dollies that are just the right size for you and you love to hug them and say "awwwww".

You have a few nicknames.  We mostly call you Harriet but you are also known as Hattie, Bugsy, Little Devil, El Diablo, and Ficus (this is due to the affinity you have for the leaves and dirt belonging to the plant of the same name in our house)

You are ticklish under your arm pits and you giggle like, well, like a little girl whenever you get tickled.

You are very easygoing and a great sleeper.  For this, I have forgiven the no-epidural situation.

You are a big girl.  You are tall and everyone looks at you and says you will be a basketball player.  That will be fine if it gets you some kind of scholarship someday but, sweetie, judging from your parents' athletic ability I think you should plan on hitting the books pretty hard.

You love food.  You love to eat most anything and there seems to be no end to your appetite.  I say most
anything because even though you regularly dine on paper, stickers, lint, and strings you will spit out an egg, cooked by any method, the second it touches your tongue.

You are in love with your dad.  You light up and say "da-da" when you see him, hear him, or are reminded of him in any way.  This love is completely mutual.

You are just about to start walking and you are standing up by yourself more and more each day.

You love it when I lip sync and dance to Hanson's "MMMBop" in the kitchen for you.  You don't seem to judge me for listening to Hanson's  "MMMBop"

You only have eyes for your big sister.  She makes you belly laugh, holds your hand in the car, and is teaching you sign language.  It doesn't matter what she is doing, you just want to watch her.

You have had one birthday party so far with Grandma and Grandpa and another is on the way this weekend.  Today,  Eloise and I  just celebrated with you by taking you to Nordstrom for lunch and buying you your first pair of shoes.

Mostly though, today I just stared at you in disbelief.  I was trying to picture that tiny new born baby you were, marveling at the little toddler you have become and wondering where all the time went.

I love you, Harriet.

new year, new list

Happy New Year!  It has been way too long since my last post but we had a busy, fun filled holiday complete with family, friends, sickness, and travel.  It is so nice to be back home and finally have a few minutes to contemplate the new year and what my wishes are for the future.

I never really keep resolutions very long but every year in January I do try to get back to the gym and get my eating under control again after the debauchery of the holidays.  This year I wanted to make a list of little things that I would like to accomplish this year.  More like bite size pieces than one giant, seven  course meal.  Seems more manageable and if I write them down I can check back around August and see what I still have left.  Sounds like a plan.

So, I present, my list...

1.   I would like to cook my way through an entire cookbook.  I will either try a cuisine I am not  comfortable with like Indian or Thai or just pick one of my favorite cookbooks and try every recipe.

2.  I would like to volunteer my time to help others in some way.  I am kind of ashamed that I haven't done this sooner.  My parents taught me better than this.

3.  I would like to play more games with Eloise instead of watching television.  She got some great games for Christmas and is really looking forward to playing them.  Replacing the 30 minutes of t.v. at night, once Harriet is in bed, with a game for just the two of us seems really worthwhile.  This would only be a couple times a week, I'm not insane.

4.  I would like to give Tabitha's Salon Makeover and Shear Genius a try because then I could say I do indeed watch every single thing on BravoTV.

5.  I would like to do a Wiggleworms class with Harriet.

6.  I would like to read a book.  A whole book.  That's right, just one.  But it can't be a cookbook or anything that includes stuff like milestones for toddlers either.

7.  I would like to sew more.  I need to remind myself how much I love it and how accomplished I feel when I complete something.

8.  I would like to do Zumba regularly at the gym and hope that I get better at it.  I have taken it only a couple of times and currently I feel like someone impersonating a Latin dancer.

9.  I would like to get back to writing thank you notes.  I don't know when exactly I stopped doing this  but I do know I feel more guilt about it than anything else in my life.

10.  I would like to continue to enjoy my life and my family and be thankful every day for the time that we have together and for the happiness that they bring me.