Weekend

After weekends of planning for fun and having planned fun, this was a weekend of living-in-the-moment fun. It's exactly what we needed - a Saturday of part-exploring/part-errands and a Sunday where the weather is predicted to be icy rain so we are staying tucked indoors.

Saturday was a brightly sunny and chilly day. Our morning started at the children's photography studio jookie. The owner Jill is a Northwestern alum as well. In 2008, she photographed a one-year-old Jack.

We were thrilled to give back through her Valentine's Day fundraiser. We are excited to see the images she captured, which we'll share. Jack, per usual, did not want to go, and as soon as we got there, while I was still fussing with Jossie's hair, Jack was already in front of the camera, giving Jill adorable smiles. 

jookie is located in my BFF's old neighborhood, Chicago's Lincoln Square. We never go there anymore, so a trip up there warranted some time walking around the neighborhood and poking around the many locally owned shops. Timeless Toys has all of the requisite Melissa & Doug and Playmobil gear, but they also have a great selection of lesser-known board games and dress-up clothes. Gene's Sausage Shop is just as amazing as it sounds (besides smoked meats they have a nice selection of specialty ingredients, like fine sea salt). And Merz Apothecary has a variety of natural health and beauty products, including my new favorite, friend-recommended hand cream, Lotil. 

Our outing also included brunch at Cafe Selmarie, where we ran into college friends and enjoyed a hearty breakfast of multi-grain pancakes, scrambled eggs and chicken sausage. We rarely brunch anymore, with having the two littles, so this was a treat. I may have ordered myself a mimosa. It's very Middle America there - patrons dressed in oversized sweaters, jeans or leggings and snow boots. Little ones are rapping silverware against the tables, their hair sticking up from their mamas pull wool caps off of their heads. Local watercolors adorn the walls and are sale for purchase. The servers are all twenty-somethings, wearing their funky eyeglasses while serving up creative dishes like cinnamon roll griddlecakes. 

I like to record these outings - this moment in time while the kids are little, and we're city dwellers enjoying Chicago's treasures.  I sometimes think the story of my blog is this story - Chicago living with young children, making a home in 1,300-square feet of condo with the city as our backyard.

And today is Sunday. Everyone was in bed until 8 a.m., which is unheard of. I made waffles. They were not overly sweet but do have a hint of cinnamon warmth. To make them appealling to kids, add some maple syrup, fruit and/or a dollop of whipped cream.

Buttermilk waffles

From Breakfast (Williams-Sonoma Collection) 

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable (or canola) oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt (did you notice the foreshadowing above?)

Preheat a waffle iron. In a large mixing bowl, using a sturdy whisk, beat the eggs until evenly mixed. Add buttermilk, oil, sugar, cinnamon and baking soda. Whisk together until well combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until just the large lumps disappear. The waffle batter should be a little thicker than heavy cream. Transfer the batter to a large glass measuring pitcher (I used a four-cup measuring glass).

While the waffle iron is hot, pour some batter evenly over the center of the grid, easing it toward but not into the corners and edges with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula.  Close the iron and cook for 3-4 minutes. Enjoy!

And that's it - just a bunch of relaxing and some cooking for the rest of the day. Happy relaxing Sunday to you.

All you need is...

Jack's preschool teacher is fond of reminding the students that if you are nice to the class bunny, then Ms. Hopsy Cabbage will be nice to you. A loved bunny is a happy bunny.

I have two some bunnies who were driving me crazy at home tonight. After our holiday weekend of fun, it was back to work today. When I got home at 5 p.m., toting my Target purchases and trying to shake off the chilly Chicago temperatures, I had no break. There is no happy hour. No civility. It's right into mama mode, making dinner, negotiating squabbles, giving baths and brushing the teeth of a thrashing toddler.

The end of the night was laughably bad - Jossie and I had toothpaste all over our clothes and the bathroom floor had large puddles of water. I asked Jack the same question about seven times before he responded; he was too busy hopping around our living room, which was strewn with toys. I was tired.

Lately, I've had tiny triumphs at work - shared and personal. Even just tonight - while the crazy ensued at home - my boss emailed me about two major gifts coming our way. And as a fundraiser, I'm constantly thinking about my organization's outcomes and how we can accurately show progress to our donors.

Successes at home are a lot harder to measure, which is hard for my Type A brain to comprehend. Success comes in different ways - me keeping some bit of calm rather than reaching the end of my rope tonight is a tiny success. Me reading to the kids and them settling down to enjoy the stories is a tiny success. Jack and Jossie both falling asleep in my arms, all of us cuddled in Jack's twin bed is a tiny success, with a little heavenly intervention surely thrown in.

I'm never going to be a perfect mom. I will lose my temper from time to time. I will lean on TV - dear sweet TV - to entertain my kids while I make dinner. And I will wish I could just have some Peace and Quiet once in awhile.

But for now - these little bunnies are little. And needy. They need me and my love and the structure I bring to our home. I know they will benefit from what I'm trying to do here - for them to know they are loved above anything else.

A loved bunny is a happy bunny.

What do you think? Please hit "comments" below and post your thoughts.

Joy

After Friday's terrible story from Newtown, Connecticut, all I wanted was my family, my kids, my joy. Much of the weekend was spent thinking of and praying for the parents who lost their precious children, as well as feeling this sense of gratitude - as well as guilt for that gratitude - that I had my children with me, safe and sound. I still has moments of exasperation but overall tried to practice a bit more patience when my kids' behavior got nutty.

It was rainy and bleak most of the weekend but Jeremy and I turned up the holidays indoors. We made our annual visit to breakfast with Santa at the Chicago Botanic Garden early Saturday morning, which included a visit to the Wonderland Express. The kids loved the holiday trains; I loved seeing the miniature Chicago landmarks created from natural materials.

Visiting with Santa was an adventure. As we waited in line, Jossie kept making beelines for "San-tie, San-tie." But when it was our turn - and I set my sweet girl down in front of the big jolly man, Jossie burst into tears. When Santa asked her what she wanted, she sobbed, "baby doll."  And big brother Jack was pleased/relieved to hear he was on the nice list before asking for more Legos.



Jeremy's parents and sister arrived in the late morning for a quick weekend visit and a Hanukkah party that night. I'm not sure how it works out this way, but most of the holidays I host are the Jewish ones - Rosh Hashanah, Passover and Hanukkah. And I have to say, I kind of rocked Hanukkah Saturday night - not bad for an Italian Protestant girl. At one point, I believe I went so far as to instruct my Jewish mother-in-law on the making of latkes.

My new favorite nosh with pre-dinner drinks is Ina's rosemary cashews - a hint of heat and a hint of sweet.

Rosemary cashews
From Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home

1 pound cashew nuts
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until they are warmed through. Meanwhile, combine the rosemary, pepper, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl. Toss the warm nuts with the rosemary mixture until the nuts are completely coated. Serve warm.

Dinner was latkes, homemade applesauce, rack of lamb, and Brussels sprouts. Dessert was cookies and zucchini bread. It was nice to have this family time - around one table.

 

I really needed a little holiday.