"Don't take your eye off your toddler."

This morning I ran downstairs, while A was in the middle of the kitchen floor playing with her cups. M was eating her cereal at the table, and the box of O's were on the kitchen COUNTER...until I heard a weird sound. Here's what I saw...

Classic. I missed the 5 second allowance, so in the trash they went!

'hawks Rock

Yes, I jumped on the bandwagon. Yes, a couple years I thought the Hawks referred to the Atlanta Hawks. Yes, I recently learned what Icing means.

Despite this, when I first watched the Chicago Blackhawks play this year, I was hooked. The team rocks, for so many reasons: young, big, strong, and lightening fast.

So when the hawks won the cup, I was hoping the parade would be on Friday, one of my days with the kiddos. Well, as luck would have it, we were able to head downtown. When M found out last night that we were going to parade today, she couldn't contain herself. Then she found out we were taking the train down...she didn't know which was more exciting.






THEN, when we actually made it downtown, with balmy temps and mobs of people, M had her breakdown. We waited across from Daley Plaza for for the parade to come...and we waited...and we waited. After 5 minutes, M asked to go home. After 90 minutes, M was sitting "indian style" on the concrete, dozing. I woke her up when the police escort went by. She climbed up on my shoulders, somewhat lifeless, until she screamed "HORSES!" The budweiser wagon with clydesdales went by, and M was full of life.


The motorcade of buses went by, full of hawks players and their families, but M kept screaming for more horses. Hilarious!







While all this was going on, T had fallen out of her UNbukled backpack carrier. Her feet were up near her face, while her bootie was on the ground. She was screaming bloody murder, but I was unable to hear her. I still have no idea how long she lay there. I hope DCFS is not reading!

Well, it was still worth the trouble. We cheered on the team with thousands of fellow chicagoans, then headed on the train (and even got a seat). We were back in OP in no time.

What a morning!

Summertime, And the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin'...

...And the books are read.


Summer reading was my parents worst nightmare. My poor mom would try anything and everything to get me to read a page or two of any book. She usually had to read to me just so I could start the next grade.



When I walked into Maze Library last year and saw their summer reading program, I was fluttering between excitement and the same feeling as when the property tax bill arrives. I then realized I don't have to do anything but appear happy for M to read, and encourage it. She surely doesn't need to know about Daddy's history with books. She doesn't need to hear, especially from her Uncle M, that Daddy didn't read a real book until high school.



(picture from the http://www.oppl.org/ site)


Well, M inherited a gene that either skipped a generation or at least skipped her parents...the gene giving her the joy of reading! Last year she read (we read to her) at least 50 books.


This year, each child under 5 gets to "adopt" a fake pet of their choosing: a hamster, dog, iguana, or fish. M chose a hamster, named her Sally (then added Rose to make Sally Rose).

They're also given a page of stickers, which they place on their adoption certificate, one sticker for each book. After 18 books, they get a prize from the library...a choice between 4 things. M already has her heart set on a slap bracelet (go figure).


What a great program! Lets hear it again for the OP Library system!

Fly Diaries

By chance M and I checked out this book, Diary of a Fly, from the library a few weeks ago. What a cool book, a hilarious book which happens to teach a thing or two about a fly.

Oh, and I just found out that the author and illustrator, Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss , also wrote Diary of a Spider and Diary of a Worm...I can't wait!!!!

I really have enjoyed reading to M the many children's books from the library, and have started to appreciate not only the stories, but also the great artwork in them! I'll try to include some more examples soon!