jillian juniper

Today the world welcomed one of the luckiest little girls.  Little "baby J",  as we had been calling her, was finally born this morning.  She is the daughter of my sister, Jenny, and her partner Liz.  If you know Jenny and Liz then you already know what incredible parents they will be.

Jillian Juniper was born into a long legacy of strong, lovely, smart and beautiful women--all with J names, and all wearing the J ring.  Our great-great grandmother, Johanna wore a simple gold band as her wedding ring.  She gave that ring to her daughter, Jessie who had the letter J put on it in diamonds.  Our great grandmother, Jessie, gave the J ring to our grandma, also Jessie, who gave it to our mom,  Johanna, or Jody, as she is known.  When Jenny told my mom she was gay years ago, my mom gave her the J ring and said that she hoped that one day Jenny would  give it to someone that she loved as much as mom loved Jenny.  Today, with the arrival of Jillian, I know that she finally can.

To Jenny and Liz, as you embark on this new chapter in your lives please remember that there is no such thing as the "perfect parent".  There is the "pretty damn good parent" and the "I'm doing the best I can parent" and of course, the "holy shit, I'm just making this up as I go parent".  Any of those parents would be perfectly suitable at any time.  I remember someone saying that as hard as you imagine being a parent could be, you end up wishing it was that easy.  But don't fret.  It is also filled with moments so wonderful you think your heart just might explode from the overwhelming amount of love and happiness.
I am definitely not an expert on parenting but I am willing to help with anything you need at any time. Middle of the night phone calls through tears are my specialty.  That is what family is for.
I was not given a ton of advice that I remember but some of the best I ever received was, "Teach them how to pump their own legs on the swing as soon as possible."  So simple.  So brilliant.

To baby Jillian, you are so lucky you don't even know it yet.  You have been born into two amazing families and every one of us is just dying to love you.  I will always be there for you.  You can always count on your super cool aunt Liz,  especially when your moms are being totally lame.
Jillian, if you grow up to be half as sweet, hilarious, brave, brilliant, generous, kind, open hearted, and fun as your moms, then you'll be twice as sweet, hilarious, brave, brilliant, generous, kind, open hearted, and fun as anyone I know.
Congratulations.  I love you.  Enjoy.

Jillian and her beaming moms

with the J ring

It's a pillow! It's a pet!

In case you were wondering if marketing to children is effective, look no further than the Pillow Pet.
My 4 year old watches a show on Sprout TV that runs a commercial for these kind of freakish  things that are one part pillow and one part animal and the only thing separating the two identities is a 1/2 inch piece of velcro.

Eloise had been begging for one since before Christmas.  She pretty much memorized the commercial and would constantly extoll the benefits of the Pillow Pet.  I knew it was pretty serious when we saw them in a toy store (or the knock off version of them) and she asked me to check out the "reinforced stitching and hook and loop closure"  all while caressing it in a manner befitting a Price is Right model.

She was absolutely sure that she wanted the Unicorn pet.  She had chosen it from all the different animals.  There was no doubt in her mind.  Well, apparently, all the other 4 year olds had chosen that one too because by the time her birthday rolled around they were sold out.  Devastation.  Instead, for her birthday she got a bike, about 500 other toys, and a swing set but that night she asked about a Pillow Pet again.  A frickin' swing set!!  Are you kidding me with this??

On her last day of school, as a special treat,  I told her we could try to order the Unicorn again (why do I think Unicorn should be capitalized?  they're magical, people).  She was in luck and the order was placed.  I have never seen such excitement.  I explained to her that it would take some time to arrive but that I would let her know if I heard ANYTHING about the status of her order.  Every morning after that she asked me, "Mom, has it been 7 to 10 business days yet?"

As indifferent as I was about this gimmicky and quite frankly, kind of stupid toy,  and as much as I did not want another stuffed animal in this house,  I have to say that it really is true love between Eloise and Pilly.  Short for Pillow Pet, of course.  She sleeps on her every night and yesterday Mike found her reading stories to Pilly early in the morning.  They were both sitting on her bean bag together.  Move over, Commander Flufferton, there's a new pet in town.

realizing that this box has the words pillow and pet on it

now it's a pillow...

now it's a pet.

pure happiness for only $19.95 (plus shipping and handling)

crushing

I think I have a crush on Mr. Singer.  Who?  You might ask.  Mr. Singer, of Mr. Singer and the Sharp Cookies, a local children's band that plays in and around Chicago.  Totally normal, right?                      

I realized that I (and the kids, of course) have gone to see him (and his band, of course) probably about 6 or 7 times in the recent past.  I find myself checking tour dates on their website late at night and buying tickets way in advance for upcoming concerts.  Sometimes rearranging our schedule so we can catch a show.

This is a weird new phenomenon.  It is a far cry from the days when I was following the Grateful Dead or Dave Matthews Band doing all sorts of illegal things.  Nowadays I'm squeezing into tiny venues with the toddler/mommy/nanny set and dozens of oversized strollers trying to score some goldfish crackers or maybe a chair so I can nurse the baby.
I don't get it either, but there it is.

Mr. Singer is awesome.  You might not think so at first glance.  The overalls with loud and wild print shirts, his handlebar mustache and goatee,  his spiky hair and gap between his 2 front teeth...
Whatever. Trust me. It works.  I'm pretty sure he winked at me in the audience today.

He usually plays with his band, which I found out today includes his wife :(  Their songs are catchy, funny, and cute and they really seem to love playing for kids.  This morning we saw them at Lincoln Park Zoo in the Farm.  They play there every Wednesday and  it was a great time as usual.  He mentioned they would be playing this weekend at Midsommarfest in Andersonville so you know where I'll be, with the kids of course.  It's all for the kids.  On second thought, maybe I can find a sitter.

great day at the zoo

Mr. Singer.  

Not a great picture because all of the damn kids in the way

loving the concert

wouldn't be a trip to the zoo without a $19 cup of ice cream

I, Liz, take you, tomato...

Yes.  I love tomatoes so much I wish I could marry one.  Homegrown tomatoes in the summer is about as good as it gets in my opinion.  I'm sure this is the first of many future posts about this perfect food.

So we have to start at the beginning and that is getting the tomatoes planted.  Finally done.  This year, we planted 28 tomato plants!!  We have to make sure we have enough for canning, salsa, drying, chili sauce, slow roasting, tomato sandwiches, grilling, and just popping in our mouths right off the vine.

We must also  plant a few extra for the squirrels.  The damn squirrels!  They are such jerks about it!  They don't just find one that has dropped on the ground and then run away with it to enjoy in the privacy of their own homes.  Oh no!  They actually pick a tomato, and only the ripened ones. They take ONE bite out of it and then leave it on top of the gate or in some other prominent place for us to find.  Just to say, "nyah, nyah, na, nyah, nyah!  You can't eat this one because I took a bite out of it"  Stupid squirrels.  Joke's on them because I DO still eat it sometimes, so there!

We got a variety of tomatoes to try this year.  I have to ask, who is naming these things?  Among others we have Better Boys, Big Boys, Early Girls, and then the ever popular Old German.  We purchased some from The Talking Farm, some from Anton's, a local greenhouse, some from the farmer's market and then some from Home Depot.  I am going to try to keep track of which ones we like best and which ones fared the best.  I say that every year however,  and by August I can't remember a thing.

I am not an expert in planting tomatoes. I do exactly what I have watched my dad do with his tomatoes  since I was 4 years old:
Find a sunny spot.  Dig a hole.  Put the plant in and bury it deeper than you think you should.  Cover with a little compost or grass clippings.  Hammer in stakes.  Tie them to the stakes with some torn strips of fabric.  Pinch the suckers off as you see them. Flip off the squirrels. Water.  Wait.  Enjoy.

pretty maids all in a row

we also planted lots of peppers and herbs but they are kind of second fiddle

these pancakes saved my marriage

I love breakfast food.  Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite treats.  Eggs I can do.  Bacon is not a problem.  But pancakes?  I'll be damned, I could not make a decent pancake.  I even knew they were terrible but I kept making them and trying new things each time.  Don't stir the batter too much. How about whole wheat flour? Maybe butter instead of oil.  One morning as we were all eating our pieces of sawdusty cardboard I knew I had to admit that the pancake had beaten me and I would no longer be willing to fight.
I said to Mike, "god, these are terrible!  I cannot make a pancake to save my life."
He had never once said they were bad.  He just quietly added extra butter and syrup and maybe grabbed another glass of milk to help choke them down.  On this day though, he sensed my defeat and said tentatively, "Hon, you make so many things so well.  Maybe pancakes just aren't your thing."
Sweet, I know, but I was reinvigorated.  I would not give in.

One day I was lamenting about this to my friend, The Baker.  She told me she had nearly the same experience with this troublesome carbohydrate but she had found THE PERFECT recipe!  What?!

A little background on The Baker...  She went to culinary school, married a chef, had three kids, started a blog, opened a bakery business making the most delicious cakes you'll ever taste.  She is a hilarious, generous and creative person and I am so glad we are friends.  Most of all because now I have her pancake recipe!!

The first time I made these they came out perfectly.  Every time after that, even better.  They always get all gobbled up and everyone spends the day in a sleepy dream-like state.  Now, my husband is happier then ever and finally has a wife that can do everything perfectly.  :)

yummy goodness at 7am

I have to do the obligatory "tiny stack" a la Grandpa Nichols

gets her every time

the. end.

last firsts

This week was full of 'firsts' for Harriet.  This time around, the milestones definitely seem different.  I think it is because in the back of my mind I'm realizing that these firsts are the last firsts. We know we won't be having any more children.  It is so hard to hang on to all the little moments, I mean you just can't,  but you try to capture them and you try to appreciate them in between all the other stuff you are doing in your day.

I barely remember any of Eloise's firsts.  In fact, I really only remember what outfit she was wearing at any given time.  I definitely got Mother's Amnesia from the 1st to the 2nd child.  I think we all get Amnesia which is how and why we go back for more.  Once I was back in the thick of things, it all came rushing back to me---the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Oh...that's right...that's what the day after labor feels like.  Oh yeah, that's what vice grips on my nipple feel like.  That's how you buckle that damn car seat 5 times a day.  That's what my face looks like after 4 hours of sleep.  Oh...and that's the pure joy of hearing a baby giggle for the first time.  That's what it's like to always be the most important person in the room to another person.  And, that is how ridiculously excited you get when this little being rolls over for the first time and has their first little taste of food.
It's all coming back to me.

going...

going...

gone!

That's how you roll over, motha fuckas.

and, a little bite to eat

hatched by two chicks

 My sister Jenny and her partner of 13 years, Liz are having a baby girl!  She is expected to arrive sometime in June but it looks like it could possibly be sooner than we thought.  I wanted to share shots of the shower we threw for them last month because I know once she is here, it will be all baby pictures all the time. Who wants to see outdated shower pictures when there are cheeks and toes to go ga ga over?

I always love to plan a party, and this one with the pink and green color story, I loved it even more.   

All of the sisters and sisters-in-law helped to plan the event.  None of us live in the same city, or even country,  so it was a million emails and the coordination of many moving parts.  Although at times I think I got, and may have deserved, my name on the board with a "does not work well with others" behind it, the shower turned out beautiful and the two mamas and guests were delighted.  

shower invite that was inspiration for the decor and theme

pastry table

chick cookies for favors

cupcakes

centerpieces

centerpieces with little nest and an excited little cousin-to-be