The Birds are Back in Town

Our house finches came back to build their nest on our back porch again this spring. I can't tell you how happy we all were to see them.

After lots of hard work constructing the nest and then a few weeks of patient waiting, mama finch welcomed three little ones into the world.

A little family of five -- just like us.

The babies have gotten quite big and the tiny nest seems pretty crowded. The flying lesson is imminent. But it was a good show while it lasted.

Nesting

This morning Eleanor discovered a bird's nest on the light fixture right outside our back door. We have front row seats to some pretty exciting stuff here. These little birds are busy.

After consulting with our field guide, we are pretty confident that we are watching house finches.

We figure that they must have seen the Easter Bunny bringing us our new bird feeders and thought that this would be a good spot to bring up their babies.

Can't wait to see the baby finches. We'll be watching.

Her Creativity Runneth Over

Ellie might just be the most prolific four-year-old artist in the world.

She paints. She colors with crayons. She stamps. She cuts and glues. She dabbles with colored pencils. The girl loves to create.

Most projects are elaborate and have a two minute explanation behind them (i.e. " . . and this is my friend Maggie on a hang glider with a watering can . . ."). She rarely leaves any white space on the page (more is always better according to Ellie).

Her creative overflow isn't limited to home. According to her preschool teacher, Ellie would sit all day and make bead bracelets if she were allowed to. She stuffs her take-home folder full of drawings and marble paintings and punch out hearts.

On top of all of this, I enrolled her in a weekly art class -- adding to our already large art collection.

She. makes. so. much. stuff.

And I don't know what to do with all of it.

I find it hard to throw any of her work away -- even if it is just a half-finished, crumpled picture of our family (of which there are many). I look at each thing she makes as being representative of a "phase" that we will want to look back on and remember later.

Right now, she is still in the phase where people's legs and arms come out of their heads -- no bodies (I adore this phase). She has also started adding very dramatic-looking eyelashes to her drawings of girls (makes me nervous). And most every picture includes a flock of birds because her Nana told her that the easy way to draw birds was to make a "V."

So her artwork is all over our house - in piles, hung on cabinets, strung from display lines, tacked to bulletin boards.

Her creative outpourings have led to a lot of clutter, but I know that I am not going to look back through my bins and bins of saved artwork and think, "I sure wish that I threw this away."

Spring Forward

I wish that March meant that spring was here. It doesn't. But it does mean that it is reasonable to at least start thinking about spring.

I have spring time plans -- lots of them.

Improving My Garden. I like to stock up my seeds now so I am ready to go when the ground warms up (plus I can get pots of lettuce and radishes going in late April). Gardening with my kids is one of my very, very favorite things to do (I like it so much in fact that I wrote a story about it here). I can't wait to get out our (big and little) gardening gloves, our (big and little) watering cans, and our (big and little) shovels. I am ready for the type of therapy that only digging in the dirt can provide.

Our First Foray into Composting. I am going to explore my composting options in the hopes that I can find a method that works for our family and space (would love any tips from you experienced city-dwelling composters). And I am thinking about installing rain barrels too (would also love any tips on that).

An (Outdoor) Room of My Own. I am fortunate to have a lovely little deck right off of my bedroom. I have dreams of sitting out there, warm cup of coffee in hand, enjoying the morning sunshine. Or maybe having glass of wine by candlelight after the kids are in bed. Doesn't that sound delightful? Wouldn't you like to come over and join me? Well, you can't because I don't have any furniture out there.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about how I want to use this space, but I haven't been able to bring myself to actually commit to anything. Wicker? Teak? Day bed? Chaise?

This year is my year. I am going to buy some sort of chairs and sit out there on them.

More Yoga for Mama. In an effort to shed my post-partum bum, I have resumed yoga classes (the challenging kind, not the relaxing, more-like-just-stretching pre-natal kind). I have been taking classes at a new studio called Vessel -- good, fun classes. I forgot how great it feels to stand on your head for a few minutes every day.

So far, I have only been able to swing one class a week. It isn't enough. I am going to be greedy and try to get to a class three times a week. It is never going to happen, but I am going to give it a go.

Alright fellow winter-survivors . . . what are you most looking forward to this spring?

Pretending

Even though it looks like this outside . . . .

Inside, we are trying to believe that spring is here. If only it were true.

Three Crazy People in My Backyard

Backyard fun with Daddy.

Our Waldorf Birthday Ring

Many of you find your way to my blog because you are looking for information about Waldorf birthday rings (at least that is what Sitemeter tells me). I thought I would follow up and write about the Waldorf birthday ring I ended up choosing for our family birthday celebrations.

Here it is (minus the candles so you can better see the individual pieces). I bought it from The Wooden Wagon. We used our ring to celebrate Ellie's birthday last week and we will use it again to fete Brendan in the coming week. I bought pieces that represent both of their experiences in the past year.


Our ring includes: the numbers four and two, a little house to represent our new house, a horse for Ellie's fondness for all things equine, a ballerina in honor of Ellie's dance exploits, daffodils to remind us of playing in our new backyard, a tree similar to our apple tree, a choo choo train in homage to Brendan's love of all things transportation-related, and a dolphin in honor of our happy times spent on Sanibel Island.

Today I Saw My Future. And It Is Bright!

The sun came out in Chicago today. The temperature went over 50 degrees. My kids spent the morning happily playing outside in the yard. They ran and ran. And then they ran some more. We hunted around the yard for bulbs poking their heads out of the ground to say hello. I dug the bikes out of the garage for a little spin around the block. We ate lunch out on the deck (with our coats on). I made a pitcher of lemonade. Then both of my little ones fell fast asleep because they were exhausted from their much-needed morning romp outdoors.

Those of you reading this in California or other warm, sunny locales can go ahead and have a little giggle if you want to, but for us Chicagoans -- summer is here!

Now, don't get me wrong -- I know that it is going to snow a few more times. Any experienced Midwesterner knows that by the time March gets here, the worst of the bad weather is over. But it isn't quite over, over.

But every March I can remember, a day comes along when the sun shines and the temperature is unseasonably warm. People feel good. We are reminded that Chicago actually has more than one season. The bold wear shorts (even though that is never a good idea for legs that haven't seen the sun since September). We leave our stuffy, stale houses and venture outside. The streets are full of people walking dogs and babies. Some of the bars open up their outdoor patios. Neighbors who haven't seen each other since the Christmas decorations went up get reacquainted.

A day like today keeps us going. We can endure a little bit more snow, right? Spring really is coming, and so is summer. For now, I am off to sit in my yard and soak in as much sun and warmth as I can while I dream of my summer plans (parks . . . pools . . . picnics).

Cross-posted at Chicago Moms Blog.

Happy Housewife

I woke up today to the news that Barack lost in Texas (How? How?). I was seriously sad for about an hour or so.

But things are looking up now. Here are a few reasons why:
(1) The sun is out. The temperature is in the high thirties -- downright balmy for these parts. I thought it was going to snow yesterday. But it didn't. A reprieve for now.

(2) Turns out my ranting about eating the last grapefruit yesterday was all for naught. Shortly after that post, the doorbell rang and a nice delivery man brought our Harry and David fruit of the month (a great gift, by the way). Guess what was in the box? Grapefruits. It is as if the Grapefruit God himself heard my pleas. So I am set in the grapefruit department for a few more days.

(3) I have been cleaning like a crazy person. This is unlike me. I usually neglect all my housewife responsibilities because I get distracted with other things like . . . blogging. But today, I am making progress. Vacuuming. Waxing my kitchen table. Cleaning out the fireplace. Repairing the rocking chair. Dusting. Laundering. Organizing my shoes. Productive.

(4) Brendan and I sat by the back door looking for planes and birds for about forty-five minutes. Lucky for him, we seem to be right under an O'Hare flight pattern. "Nane in iyyyyy" over and over.

(5) After we pick up Ellie from school, we are going to try out a new gelato place as "research" for a story I am working on. Research. Can you beat that?

Another good day.

My March

Here is what I have in mind for the next 31 days or so . . . .

On the Food Front:

Baking Bread. I have always wanted to be able to make my own bread. Actually, I would really love to be able to competently make at least three kinds of bread (baguette, brioche or challah, and a whole grain). Kneading is one of my all-time favorite activities (I could happily make homemade pasta for hours). So moving on to breads seem like a natural next step. The folks at Gourmet Magazine were kind enough to feature a recipe for a brioche-like bread in this month's issue (ideal timing!). But I am looking for recommendations for other tried-and-true recipes from seasoned bakers out there. Anyone? Anyone?

Easter. I am hosting an Easter celebration for a few family members who will be in town. Probably brunch. Now, I just need to plan the menu and decide on the table settings, etc. Hosting a holiday seems so adult-like (and a little intimidating).

More Vegetables. For ALL of us. I regret to say that I have become a little bit lazy on the nutrition front. We have been fattening up on braised meats and hearty soups. Periodically, I have to rededicate myself to pushing the veggies on my little guys (after the second or third, "Yuck, I am not trying that," I tend to fatigue). We could all stand to incorporate a few more fresh veggies into the menu. For myself, I am trying to have a few raw vegetables with dip for lunch. Homemade veggie cream cheese ("confetti cream cheese") on bagels for the kids for snacks. And my old standby -- sneaking all sorts of cut up veggies into quesadillas.

On the Home Front:

Our First Ever Easter Egg Hunt. I don't care how cold it is on March 23rd. We have a yard, so we are having an Easter Egg Hunt -- even if the eggs are hidden in snow.

Planning Our Garden. Possibilities. Possibilities. Thinking about what to plant where is keeping me awake at night. I hurry to the mailbox each day, hoping to find seed catalogs I have ordered.

Clutter Control. I am determined to venture into my complete disaster of a closet this month. Donate. Throw away. Repeat.

On the Work Front:

Expanding My Horizons. I published my first piece in Chicago Parent this month -- and more to come in the April and May issues. I also hope to have a few small articles in the next issue of Going Places Magazine. Next is getting up the courage to pitch some ideas to national parenting magazines. Gulp. We'll see how it goes.

How are you spending your time this March?

Winter Gardening

Missing your garden? Starting to feel that "winter blah" already? Looking for a hands-on activity for your little ones on those long, winter afternoons spent indoors? I have a project for you: forcing paper white narcissus bulbs. So easy. My pre-schooler loved it.

All you need is a glass container (so little eyes can see the roots work their magic), a few decorative stones or pebbles, some bulbs, and a daily watering (good work for little hands). I got everything I needed at Smith and Hawken. But I am no gardener, so click here for a more comprehensive "how to" on forcing paper whites.

The bulbs only take a few weeks to get going. And the fragrance. Ahhh. So lovely on a less-than-lovely winter day.

Total, Complete Chaos

Eleanor and I are having a magic moment as I write this. We are in the office, listening to Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 on itunes, working side-by-side at the desk while Brendan naps. She is coloring a picture of a horse. I'm doing a bit of blogging . . . and basking in a moment of perfect mommy happiness with my sweet girl.

Here is my planned project for the day:



I am not proud of this. Behold my "kid drawer." This is basically a drawer full of garbage. Plastic garbage. Melamine garbage. It is a graveyard of mismatched sippy-cup tops. I am inclined to take this entire drawer, dump it into the trash, and start over (maybe I should hold on to one or two sippy cups).

I am looking for something a little more civilized and understated than green plastic (but this isn't as easy as I thought it would be). Here is what I have found. This set is a little too "jailhouse" for me. I adore this place setting, and imagine a group of perfectly-behaved children sitting together dining on quiche with a simple green salad while they sketch with their little all-natural crayons or whatever those are.

I think I am just going to order child-sized stainless steel flatware and white porcelain tableware from Michael Olaf. Simple. A definite improvement over my current mess. So long plastic pink spoons.

'Tis The Season

A lazy weekend spent decorating with our little elves.

Fall

Exploring during a walk in our neighborhood;

Swinging at Wicker Park;

Getting an early start on the raking;

Playing with our farmer's market finds.

Our First Harvest

We have an apple tree in our new backyard. We love it . . . and we have no idea what to do with it. Currently, every squirrel and bird in Wicker Park is having breakfast, lunch, and dinner munching apples in our tree (at least twenty birds at all times). And the half-pecked, rotting apples fall to the ground at a rate of about thirty a day, only to then become totally ant-infested. This becomes quite a mess if not promptly tended to.

On Saturday, we had a "harvest." Well, as much of a harvest as we could manage with a ten foot ladder, two disinterested kids, and no proper apple picking apparatus. I have to look into getting some advice on proper backyard orcharding.

On to the upside of the apple tree. . . I made a delicious apple crisp for dessert on Sunday night from our apples. Pretty amazing to have "our apples." I am going to obtain a better picking tool so we can do some additional harvesting.

And the birds that the apple tree attracts to our yard are amazing. Ellie is out there with her Illinois Field Guide to Birds checking them out. Our favorite is our female downy woodpecker (see picture). Ellie is desperate for a Scarlet Tanager because it is red . . . her favorite color.

Our New House

We moved into our new house two weeks ago. (I am going to skip all of the typical whining about moving and being exhausted because it isn't at all interesting. But trust me when I say that I have lodged all of the usual complaints . . . mostly to myself).

But the move is over and the house is really ideal. We get to keep all that we love about our life in Wicker Park (lots and lots to love). Plus, we get a big yard with an apple tree in full bloom (see photo). And a playroom in the basement for those Chicago winter days when it is ten degrees below zero (otherwise we will be in the yard). AND a garage so I don't have to shovel the car out at 7:00 a.m.to get Ellie to school. What else could a girl ask for?

You have never seen a family completely mess up a lovely house faster than we have. Largely, because instead of pressing on with the unpacking, I have spent much of the last week sitting on my deck, watching Ellie and Brendan experience the joys of having a backyard. Sidewalk chalk. Blowing bubbles. Chasing balls. T-ball. Spraying each other with the hose. Making mudpies in the dirt. Playing with Aunt Meg's dog Penny.

Definitely a good move.

Moving

We are moving. Good for our life. Bad for my blogging. Will be back in a week or so (pack, unpack, play in new backyard, wait for new wireless service to be installed, etc.).

Our Tiny Table

This Noah's Ark themed table was a gift from Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas last year. Aside from the five days it took to assemble, it has been a fantastic gift. Ellie eats her breakfast there. She uses it for art projects and coloring. It has been the site of countless delicious meals Ellie has prepared for her babies and animals. We sit together and play games. Brendan likes to stand on it and attempt to reach the television. He has also just figured out how to climb into one of the chairs and sit properly on his bum (and he smiles delightedly at me each time he successfully accomplishes this). It is built well and has withstood some pretty rough treatment.

A great item that we will no doubt use for a long time.

Birds of a Feather

I wanted to show off my mobile. It is made by Helene Ige. A lovely thing to behold for the kids AND the adults. I got mine from Grow at 1934 West Division in Chicago.