june

Here is a picture of me at work:

I love my job!
Summer officially made itself known here in Chicago. Its been storming and now its the regular hot and muggy we know so well. We’ve been hitting all the park days and beach days we can, eating fresh and delicious foods from our CSAs (community supported agriculture-we purchase shares of the farms output and pick up produce weekly, and meat monthly).

I started a yoga class and Zibby started an aerial dance class (today they used the trapeze swing!)

Zibby got kind of close to the peacock at Brookfield Zoo

and Ive been cooking up all the fresh veggies from my CSA

cuteness

Look at this little punky baby trying to scrounge around in my purse

seriously, he is so cute I cannot deal with it!

speaking of cute:

go check out my flickr page to see more of zibby’s hilarious self portraits.

We’ve been out and about.
We attended a lovely birthday party held on the lawn near Montrose Harbor. What a great view of the city

Zibby and I took a family yoga class together that was a lot of fun. I think we would do that again. We had several park days last week and friday we spent a gorgeous day at foster beach with the homeschoolers. It was perfectly sunny and warm (but not hot) and there were lots of families and everyone played nice and it was just great.

We celebrated John’s birthday by going out to dinner and stopping by at Alex’s bar to say hello.

Today I spontaneously decided to take Zibby to an Ameba performance The first several pieces were really amazing, but the next few not so much…sadly. We left at the intermission. Then we came home and I napped while the kids played with John.

so, that was our busy and fun week. I love summer and there is so much to do. Next week we are going on a tour of the post office, maybe going to the MCA, homeschool park day and swimming class, plus the beach. I have to empty my camera to make room for more pictures!

Hope you are having fun too!

memorial day weekend

Zibby has red hair!

We dyed it yesterday and we all absolutely love it. It looks so great on her and she cant stop talking about it.

It was a pretty good weekend. Today I went notion shopping at my local fabric store which had 50% notions and many fabrics, too. I restrained myself and only got two projects with fabric. Stocked up on velcro, elastic, bobbins, needles and some thread. I got some tulle to make a tutu for my mom. No, my mom isnt going to wear it, she is going to give it to her husbands granddaughter. (this blended family stuff is hard to figure out) I guess she (the little girl getting the tutu) could be my step-neice? but Ive never met her yet. Anyway, she is three, and my mom thought she’d like a fancy pink tutu.

We also had time to go to plenty of parks and play, which of course, Henry and Zibby love.

Oh, and we went to the Constructor Craft Fair on Sunday in Berwyn. I have to confess, I was a little bit disappointed. It was mostly the same vendors as last year, selling mostly the exact same stuff. I did see a couple things that were really cute that I want to try and make, and I saw my friend Kim there, so that was nice.

Checking in on my garden. Its looking good. The bell peppers and the green lettuces look much bigger and are obviously doing well. The red lettuces are slower and the tomatoes are really slow. is that normal?

parking

Im adding this photo to my collection of pictures entitled “Bub with something on his head”

All of a sudden it became summer in Chicago. We’ve been out at the park or the zoo every day this week.

Look at these cuties! Park Day with our homeschool group (there were way more kids there, but they scamper off so quickly!)

I can barely get Zibby to sit still for one second

Spring sprang

Well, I did it. I started a garden. I planted three earthboxes today with seedlings that I bought at the Green City Farmers Market. I had intended to start my own seeds, but then I chickened out. I did a box of sweet bell peppers (orange and yellow), and a box of green lettuce and a box of red leaf lettuce. Tomorrow I plan to plant tomatoes. I bought way too many seedlings, of tomatoes, however. Maybe we’ll plant some not in boxes? I also got some perennials for the strange island of dirt my neighbors created last year in the middle of our yard. I planted them and there were worms and I did not freak out and die.

Now, I suppose we will just have to see if the animals around here eat it all up before we get a chance to harvest it.   Not exactly sure where the earthboxes will end up residing out front. I wouldnt mind if they sat on the grass, but other people seem to think thats tacky.

I’ve been busy sewing, too. I made a small field bag for my friends son

I used a denim skirt from Goodwill. The top half of the skirt I am trying to turn into a bag. Its kind of complicated, since I want to line it. We’ll see how it goes.

Our homeschool group started a Roots and Shoots group. We had our first outing last week.

The kids had a lot of fun.

overheard

Last night Bub said Ni Hao! while watching Ni Hao Kailan. Both Buzz and I heard him say it so clearly. He is trying to say more words, always repeating what he hears. He seems drawn to words that start with a hard c, clock, camera, controller (tv remote). He learned how to say No recently, and we’ve been hearing a lot of that.

Today Zibby asked me, When is that phone gonna get off your head?
I was talking to a friend on the phone at the time. We both laughed.

Heres a pic of the kids at the Lincoln Park Zoo

In the last two weeks we’ve been to the Aquarium, Brookfield Zoo, and the Lincoln Park Zoo. Busy enjoying Spring.

Im working on several sewing projects. Here is an ensemble I made for a friends daughter (and my daughters friend!)

It gives me particular joy to find fabric at the thrift store and repurpose it into something else.

I made these three bags for an Imagination Tribe market bag trade

originally they were: Pillowcase, Pillowcase, Housedress

I also found some curtains that will be perfect as slings. One thing thats great about thrift store stuff is that you can often work it so you can utilize hems and seams that are already done for you! I have an idea about turning a skirt I bought into a purse, but I dont know if I have the know-how to really pull it off. Guess I will have to just give it a go.

OMG I forgot that we went bowling on monday and Henry bowled. It was hilarious and fun, but it was the second time in a week and ended up being a little too much. Afterwards three of us moms took our kids to the park, and it was warm though it rained on us. Luckily this park had an umbrella thing over the sandbox, so we stayed mostly dry under there. The moms. The kids played in the rain! they got so soaked and dirty, but had a blast.

and last but not least, heres a nice shot of Stinky and Bub

if you are lucky, on sunday night you will get photos of me and my earthbox, as well as our new birdfeeder (s)

au revoir!

april update

Did I mention that Bub likes to wear things on his head?

BubZilla has arrived. Henry has reached that magical age where he cannot be left unattended for 2 seconds or else he will destroy something. Not in a mean spirited way of course, but in a “what happens if you put a potato in the toilet” kind of way. What *does* happen when Bub puts a potato in the toilet? Zibby freaks out if she needs to use the bathroom and then Mommy has to fish it out (as well as the other toys and clothes he has thrown in as well).

The other day I innocently set Henry on the bed to watch tv with Zibby while I took a shower.
Four minutes later I stepped out of the shower to this:

And he can get off the bed on his own now, too. And quietly.

Which just means that I have been on my toes for the last week, and for the forseeable future. Its called Get Off Your Butt Parenting. He doesnt respond to words. You have to get up and go over and redirect him or move him.

Oh, and I forgot, he learned the word “No”. Joy. LOL! Really, its cute. Do you want Cornflakes? No. Do you want Joe-Os? No. Do you want Karma Puffs? Yes.

Zibby has been on a counting kick. We have been counting cars while we drive (62 red vehicles on the way to Tumbling on Wednesday!) And sometimes we just count. Sometimes we take turns Zibby says 1, I say 2 and so on. We can get up to sixty. She can get up to 21 all by herself, and then to 29. Thirty stumps her a little. She can even count backwards from 10. She asks me lots of addition questions, and I answer her.

She is still writing a lot. She can spell Nancy, Zibby and John and is working on Henry (she knows H-e-) and she spontaneously wrote Zoo today before we left for the Zoo. She is enjoying her Tumbling Class and is really improving in Swimming. She is much less afraid of getting her head wet, and has even put her face and nose underwater. We are definitely continuing with that.

We went to see Hannah Montana the movie and it was fun. Zibby liked it a lot. We actually havent even watched High School Musical lately. But we do listen to the music.

Ive been having some fun selling stuff on Ebay. I made 250$ this month! of course, now Ive run out of the nice things I had to sell! I also got it together to participate in an Imagination Tribe trade. I made 3 market bags, but then I fell in love with one, so I only sent 2 for the trade. All 3 were made with material repurposed from the thrift store. I love that!

anyway, gotta run. will post more soon! I promise!

Bubdate! 18 months!

I love Henry so much that its unbelievable. He is such a wonderful and sweet baby. 18 months is a really fun age, he is walking and running (waddling very fast?), trying to jump, and full of hugs and kisses. He likes to cuddle in the sling with me and either falls asleep in the sling while we rock or while nursing. He still nurses a lot and gets most of his nutrition that way. Recently he’s been more interested in noodles and other tastes of table food, but not consistenly and not more than a few bites.

He usually is asleep by 10 at the latest and wakes around 8 am. He takes one nap that can last from 1-3 hours depending. He likes balls, cars, throwing things, legos, and anything Zibby is doing.

He definitely understands a lot of what we say to him and he can answer questions yes or no  by nodding his head. If he feels like you arent listening, he can grab your face and make sure you look him in the eye.

He makes signs for “nurse”, “all done” , “more”, and “potty”. He can wave good by and give “high 5’s” He gives kisses and hugs to me and buzz.

He can say mama, papa, nana, sister, kitty, go (he often wants us to make the tv “go”) He can also say ball, ah-choo, uh-oh, and if you say “one” he says “two”. He also has a word for peekaboo, and he can say car.

He can do the little dance that they do on Blue’s Clues, and follows along when they do it. He likes to dance to music in general. He likes to swing at the park on go on the slides.

He can climb up onto the sofa and chairs now and open the doors to the bathroom, closets, and pantry (and empty their contents) He can throw things hard and far.  (potatos are a favorite) He can put on other peoples shoes and walk around in them. He can help me get my slippers on. He can deliver the remote control if you ask him nicely. He definitely knows how to turn on and off the tv, and he enjoys tv. He likes Blues Clues, Nihao Kailan, Go Diego Go and Dora the Explorer.

We let him go diaperfree at home quite a lot, though he does wear a diaper when we go out. We help him use the potty as much as we can. We still rely on cues and timing. Im happy we have done EC with him as much as we have.

I did recently get him his first pair of hard soled shoes for the park, but mostly I keep him in soft shoes, moccasins and such. He wears a lot of soft pants and sweatpants and tshirts.

Im not sure what else to say. He is a happy and sweet little boy who fits right into our family. He always wants to do what Zibby does and he is SO EXCITED when daddy comes home after work. I enjoy sleeping with him and nursing him and slinging him around. Its fun to watch him get more coordinated and independent. I am eager to have him talking more too.

I forgot that I wanted to write that he is 24 lbs and 31 inches tall.

YAY BUB!

March Malaise

Ive been feeling down in the dumps lately. Im trying not to wallow. I am trying to be proactive and active and positive. I have a lot to do, which makes me feel slightly panicky and like sticking my heels in (Im sure Im mangling the metaphor, but I cant remember exactly what I am looking for).

I convened a meeting for those in my condo building interested in starting an earthbox garden. I got the go-ahead from everyone to get it going ahead. Now I am all in a dither about how many to start with (5 or 10?) and should I start seeds indoors? Is it too late for that? Do I order online or go to the garden store? How do we make the garden look attractive and not messy or “low class” (not my words, certainly)

And we have a list of other building projects that I need to start getting estimates for. This I have experience with, but its still a lot of phone calls, getting blown off by vendors, finding new vendors, making meetings, getting proposals, weighing the options, adn then presenting them to the board.

Plus, of course, the rest of my life, kids classes, activities, my volunteer committments with La Leche League, running the household, trying to find time to spend with my husband, and the weather is ugly and teasing and I just really need spring and warmth and sun.

Hurry up April!

update

We spent the last week being knocked out with a bad cold.

There were fevers and chills and aches and lethargy and hacking coughs and now runny noses.

Its probably that phenomenon of Post Confernce Illness that happens after you spend a weekend in a hotel (and hotel pool) with a bunch of people from all over the place. We all got sick after the UWWG, and …I think after Florida, too, when we vacationed with 4 other families. Oh well. Im feeling better and thats great, since a friend invited me to go out Sunday night to hear Amy Steinberg sing. Ive missed her before, so this time Im hoping it all works out and I get to go.

So, Im trying to be more productive lately. More organized. Crossing stuff off the To Do List. I am doing better.
I have set up a Landscaping and Garden Committee mtg for next week for the building to discuss my earthbox garden idea, as well as other landscaping stuff. I got a date for the big condo meeting, and I did the budget and am working on the agenda. I need to start interviewing vendors and getting estimates for the various projects we might do this summer, and I need to take another board member to the bank and get some paperwork done there.

Oh! And I made my first listings on Ebay as a seller. I have four auctions going, and they all have bids already. My ebay name is nankilicious if you want to go check them out! Im excited to see how they turn out.

We also found a bike for Zibby on craigslist. We drove to Downers Grove on Thursday and picked it up. She loves it, its purple and pink and has princesses on it, and training wheels. The guy who sold it to me lives less than 5 blocks from the house I grew up in! Weird. So of course I drove around the old hood a little. All the homes that used to be painted brown in the 70s and 80s are all now beige or taupe. Almost every single house was beige, it seemed.

I will post pics of Zibby on her two wheeler after this weekend.