The Pond of Mystery

 I had a different idea of what we would do today, but alas, the kids and the weather had me outnumbered. When you have an 80 degree day in the early spring, you've just got to get outside. We always like to take mini-adventures and seek out new parks or local natural areas and I had heard of the mysterious area called Foley's Pond that is quietly tucked away in a relatively populated area. Tonight we took a drive to seek out our mini-adventure and ended up getting a little lost. Of course, when I couldn't find it, Lilia really ramped up the idea of it being the "pond of mystery." Finally, on a normal side street, we came across a sign in front of what appeared to be a long path. After walking away back off the street we came across an open clearing and a beautiful pond. We first noticed the viewing deck that the kids immediately ran to just in time to see two Mallard ducks swimming by. We took a well maintained path around the entire pond, which probably took longer than usual due to Franky's ever pulling desire to throw things into the water. I reminded him that if stopped throwing things, the ducks might swim a little closer. He considered it for a moment, shrugged his shoulders and threw a borderline log into the pond. Because we got to the pond close to dusk, we saw and heard all sorts of birds including Mourning Doves and Red-winged Blackbirds. We even saw a Great Blue Heron take flight overhead. Foley's Pond really turned out to be quite the little treasure.

Landmark Oriental Theatre: Michael Pollan

Tonight I'm going to see Michael Pollan at the Landmark Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee, WI. You might know Michael Pollan from movies such as Food, Inc.(you can watch the trailer here) or his novels including The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. He's written a new book called Cooked, which describes apprenticing cooks to learn how they use air, water, fire and earth to cook everything from bread to beer. I'm excited not only to see Michael Pollan, but also intrigued by his new book (which I'll be receiving tonight at the show.) Updated story and photos to come later tonight!

Edit: It's been a long night and I've made the drive back from Milwaukee to Chicago. I not only have my signed copy of Cooked, but I had the pleasure of actually meeting Mr. Pollan himself. His discussion about how simply cooking at home can change our lives was as always, insightful and entertaining. Now I should be getting to sleep, but I think I might sneak in some reading...

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Today we visited the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park. This was a new experience for all four of us and it was definitely worth the trip. The Nature Museum is located across the street from Lincoln Park Zoo so I had seen it several times and had always wanted to go. The first section we walked through housed all sorts of amphibians and reptiles that are native to the Midwest including snakes, toads, frogs and turtles. They also have a River Works area that describes locks, canals and details about the Chicago River. Here you can put your boat in the water and watch it sail "downstream" or try to make a river into a lake by building your own dam. In addition to the live animals on the first floor, there were many preserved animals that are also native to the Midwest and could be seen on mini "nature walks" displayed as savannahs, prairies and forests. The second floor included the Extreme Green House which is set up like a real house with interactive displays and facts about being environmentally friendly in your own home. The Hands-On-Habitat is for children seven and under and had both Lilia and Franky running into the mock beaver dam, playing on a boat, climbing up a spider web and coming right back down on a slide. I would say our favorite part of the museum was the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven. I've been in butterfly sanctuaries before and while they are all nice, this one has the others beat. At one point, other than employees, we were alone to view the butterflies galore, beautiful flowers, birds and a koi pond with turtles and a waterfall. I could have spent all day in there, but it was time to move outdoors to to see the ducks, geese, more turtles and the daffodils in bloom. The museum also has a rooftop garden, but it being the end of April, there wasn't an abundance of green plants or blooming flowers. I'm actually looking forward to going back this summer to check out new exhibits and to see how lush everything will be. Lilia just asked me if we could go back next weekend. In my family if the kids are already asking to go back, you know it was a hit.

The Birds and the Seeds

 When it starts to warm up in the Midwest, you can feel it in the air and see it in your neighborhood. Kids were riding bikes today, playing basketball and there were a lot of people at the garden center getting ready for the warm months to come. Lilia and Franky love seeing all of the birds in our backyard so I thought, what better way to bird watch than to get a bird feeder? I couldn't help but laugh at all of the "anti-squirrel" feeders at the garden center including a disc that would shoot any squirrel that tried to get on the feeder clear across the yard. It reminded me of our own squirrel corn cob spinner that we had attached to an oak tree growing up. That thing provided hours of entertainment that included flying gray fur balls soaring across the yard. Squirrels are pretty smart though and soon enough, they figured out how to eat the corn without flipping themselves into oblivion. Today we bought a very simple feeder so hopefully we aren't just feeding squirrels, but birds too. Otherwise, I see a corn cob spinner in my near future.

Happy Planting, it's Arbor Day!

Today, Franky and I found the perfect little tree to plant for Arbor Day. We wanted something that wouldn't grow to be too big (we don't have a lot of space) and something that needed only part sun. We decided to plant a Red Dragon Japanese Maple, which is slow growing and will have a mature height of about 6 feet. Fran did most of the digging, but the kids were happy to surround the tree with soil once we got it in. I took a couple of other pictures of the kids standing next the tree. I think it will have to be a yearly tradition to compare their height to our new, leafy addition. On another note, we got our first CSA box today from Fresh Picks. It was delivered in a cooler which you leave out the next time a delivery is made for return. I was home during the delivery so I just pulled the bag out and gave the deliveryman the cooler. Simple as that. Fresh Picks delivers whatever is in season so later this summer we'll get different items, such as tomatoes. Today we got spinach, beets, cauliflower, gold potatoes, red leaf lettuce, artichokes, scallions, cucumber and cilantro. I was very happy with the freshness and overall quality. Can't wait to see what we get next week!

Woldhuis Farms Sunrise Greenhouse

In keeping with what seems to be a plant themed week, I took another mini road trip to see the Woldhuis Farms 
Sunrise Greenhouse in Grant Park, IL. To say this greenhouse is huge would be an understatement. It is in fact, 7 acres of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, herbs, garden ornaments and pretty much anything garden related you can imagine. Sunrise even provides their customers with a map to help you find your way. Each aisle genuinely has its own "street" name such as Elm, Oak and Pear. At first, we got a little turned around (Yes, even with a map. Don't judge me.) However, the staff was extremely friendly and happy to point, or even walk, us in the right direction. Just when I thought the amount of beautiful plants was shocking, I saw the herb section. They have all of your typical herbs, but many which I had never even heard of. Root beer plant, basil amethyst and pineapple mint to name a few. One of the employees even demonstrated how to use some of the herbs as a natural mosquito repellent. Unfortunately, we were a little pressed for time so we didn't get to see every bit of the greenhouse. I did end up leaving with three pots of beautiful red dahlias as well as a turtle and a dragonfly ornament. Rest assured, I will definitely be back with more time and a lot of cargo space.

Potted Herbs

Every time I buy herbs at the grocery store I always tell myself I should really have my own at home. Grocery store herbs can be expensive and no matter what, they always go bad before I've finished using them. We only have a couple of windows that get full, direct sunlight. One is over our kitchen sink and one is blocked by a desk that always manages to get filled with papers, kids toys and art supplies. Now, I am not an organized person and I am not a crafty person. I'm always amazed by the talented people who are either one or both of these things. In fact, I've been to the craft store more this past month than I have in five years. Turns out, even if I "mess up" my crafts it doesn't matter. They're just for us anyway! Today, I not only cleared off our cluttered, window stealing desk, but I also bought herbs and made labeled pots. I admit, I kind of took the easy way out and bought grown herbs and didn't plant them from seed. I'll be doing that outdoors with vegetables and honestly, I really just wanted the instant gratification. I had seen lots of cute ideas for herb pots, but my mom sent me a picture of pots with chalkboard paint that caught my eye last week. So, today Franky and I picked out our herbs, buckets and chalkboard paint at the hardware store. I used painter's tape to section off the part where I wanted a chalkboard and got to painting. I let the paint dry for two hours, removed the tape and Lilia chalked on the labels. It was really easy to do (again, coming from a non-crafty person) and it really brightens up the room. Plus, no more wasting store bought herbs! Now if I can just find a place for all of the papers and toys I took off that desk...

Moving and Metamorphosis

All of our caterpillars had made their chrysalises and last night the last (slacker) finally made his. This meant that today was moving day! Our caterpillars were in a little cup so they had to be moved to the butterfly sanctuary AKA mesh basket. They all formed their chrysalises attached to a piece of tissue paper that was on top of the cup. Today we removed the paper, safety pinned it to the side of the sanctuary and voila, a butterfly oasis! Franky and I put a cotton ball soaked in sugar water at the bottom of the sanctuary so the first butterflies will have a food source. After they emerge, I'll also put some sliced oranges in the bottom so they'll have something to drink. Now, the amazing part. The caterpillar doesn't just "sleep" and grow some wings and antennae. The caterpillar digests itself, turns into ooze (ooze, I tell you!) and then forms into a new insect, the butterfly. You can read about it in more detail here, at Scientific American. You will never look at a butterfly in the same way again! Really! Okay, it's quite possible that you might not get as excited as me. After all, I've been caught several times staring at the caterpillars and now, I'm in chrysalis inspection mode. Also, Fran may or may not have thought I was an intruder, with a flashlight, at midnight, staring at my little friends. Don't bother asking him. He won't remember. Moving on, we will be anxiously awaiting the arrival of our Painted Lady butterflies and I'll be sure to update!

Community Supported Agriculture

On tonight's menu (store bought)

Happy Earth Day! So, lately I've been thinking more about where our food comes from which has led me to do some research on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Primarily what CSA refers to is buying food that is seasonal from local farmers. This is essentially like buying food from a farmer's market, but in this case it is either shipped to your house or you pick up your package at a local drop off area. We are starting our first garden this year, however I'm not quite sure how many vegetables we'll end up with. I decided to take the plunge and today I signed up for Irv and Shelly's Fresh Picks and ordered one Fresh Picks Box in the double size. Irv and Shelly's (as well as many CSA's) also offer local dairy and meat as well as not so local fruits and veggies if you want to supplement. The option I liked about Fresh Picks is that you can order weekly and end your order at any time. So, if I suddenly gain a green thumb and grow lots of home grown veggies in our garden this year, I can stop or postpone my weekly order. I placed my order today and I can expect our first box to arrive on Friday. I just bought lots of veggies from the grocery store so we are on a mission to eat them before our box arrives later this week!

In other news,  we have a caterpillar update! For those who have been following, almost all of the caterpillars have formed their chrysalises. This week we'll be moving them to our butterfly sanctuary so they'll have room to break out and spread their wings. Excitement all around!

Chicago Wolves

About a month ago, Lilia came home with a ticket for a Chicago Wolves game from participating in floor hockey in P.E. Honestly, in the past I probably would have unintentionally forgotten or would have been reluctant to cash in on it. It's amazing how my mind has started to change ever since I started this daily challenge.  I've truly started to look at things in a much different way. I almost feel like I had blinders on before, but now I like the hunt of finding a new adventure. This time around when Lilia brought home her ticket, I went online and bought three more to go with it. I had heard that Wolves games are really family friendly and today that rang true. The pre-game started with fireworks (!) and a light show to get the crowd going while they announced the lineup. They even have a section where kids can pick out free poster boards and markers to make their own  rally signs. Above all,  I would say that Lilia's favorite part was the food (proving once again that she does take after me.) The fact that people were walking up and down the aisles carrying huge trays of snow cones and towers of cotton candy was enough to make her near faint. Cotton candy and popcorn was quickly gobbled up by both kids. Fran and Franky even got caught cheering on the jumbo tron! In my world, that officially makes them famous. Food, fireworks and fun. What more can you ask for?

Glitter Night Lights

We leave a light on for both of the kids at night, but last night Franky insisted he was still afraid of the dark. I was scrounging around  trying to find something else that lights up to to avail. I thought about an idea that I saw on Pinterest called "fairies in a jar" that involved glow stick liquid and glitter. Sounded fun, but I really wanted something that would last longer than one night. So, we took a trip to Michael's this morning to pick up Mason jars (after my last experience, I am now obsessed with them) glitter, Elmer's clear school glue and flameless candles. When we got home, I squeezed glue into the jars and tried to cover as much ground as I could. The kids poured a good amount of glitter into the jars, closed the lids and shook them up. It took a couple of rounds of glue and glitter shakes, but I think they turned out to be really cool. We poured out the excess glitter and let them dry for a couple of hours with the lids off. By the time nightfall rolled around we were able to put in the flameless candles and close the lid for the final effect. As you can see in the final picture, they cast a nice, warm glow. I wasn't sure if the glitter would be too opaque for the light to shine through, but that clearly wasn't the case. Needless to say, the kids are proud of their work and are actually excited to go to bed. Winning for all.

Peanut Butter: The Key to Happiness

 What better thing to do on a cold Friday night than eat peanut butter? Well, maybe other people do fascinating and exciting things on a Friday, but I'll take peanut butter. And wine. Similar to many families, we quite enjoy our peanut butter. In fact, Fran once told me that he hoped he never had to choose between me and peanut butter. So yes, we take our peanut butter consumption seriously. Thanks be to George Washington Carver. (Don't question my history. I'm giving this one to GWC.)  I had heard stories that Whole Foods has a magical machine where you, an everyday average person, can obtain a tub of delicious, fresh peanut butter with the flick of a switch. I told Lilia about this wondrous contraption and we've been talking about it ever since. (I think this post is really demonstrative of how cool of a family we are.) Tonight was the night. We went to Whole Foods and walked directly to conquer this beast. I grabbed a plastic cup, flipped the switch and gathered the paradise. Luckily, I still have some of my whole wheat bread left from a couple of days ago, which was the perfect vehicle for this peanutty delight. It was a delicious dessert and I'm sure it will be on the breakfast menu. Consider me a convert.

Message in a Bottle

 The Chicago area has been experiencing a tremendous amount of rain and the kids and I wanted to head to the beach to watch the storm waves. Normally, Lilia and Franky spend beach time searching for rocks and shells. This time, I thought about how fun it might be to throw a message in a bottle into Lake Michigan. I had always wanted to do this and granted, in my mind it involved an ocean and a ship, but hey, a gigantic lake is good practice. Lilia was really excited about the idea, but she did express concern that a pirate might find it and then he'd have our address.  A valid concern, but I reminded her if we saw a guy with a beard, parrot and peg leg hobbling up the driveway, we would just lock the door.  After that we just did pirate impressions and all hesitation was forgotten. The message in the bottle reads, "Greetings, if you find our note, please contact us!" along with our names and address. You never know, it might end up getting kicked right back up on the shore, but we'd like to think that it will travel far and end up in the hands of someone who will actually connect with us. So, if you live in the Great Lakes region, please be on the lookout for a lime juice bottle. We'll be waiting.

Lilia took this photo-not bad for a 1st grader

The Bread and Butter

 The forecasters called for thunderstorms all day and they were right. Wind, hail and rain has been hitting us since this morning. Couldn't think of a  better day to bake my very first loaf(s) of bread! That's right. This mom has never baked bread before. I've made cupcakes and I try my hand at Christmas cookies every year, but that's about it. I'm no Betty Draper, but at least today I could pretend to be Betty Crocker. A couple of weeks ago I bought yeast, whole wheat flower and bread pans for this recipe and was just waiting for the perfect day for baking. I was a little nervous because the prep/bake time seemed awfully long compared to the basic cookies I was used to making. When all was said and done, it actually wasn't bad. This also was the perfect recipe for my little helper. It used simple ingredients for him to pour into the bowl and the best part...a giant dough ball! We kneaded the dough together and then the work was pretty much done. The rising and baking times were really what took up the brunt of the prep/bake time. The bread came out perfectly and it is delicious! I was planning on slicing the loaves and using them over the next week, but I doubt they will make it that long without getting devoured.  I let the loaves cool for an hour, but they were still slightly warm when Lilia came home. Rainy day + warm bread with butter = perfection.

Pancakes With a Side of Candy Bar

This morning I woke up earlier than usual, woke the kids and went out to breakfast. On a weekday. This might not seem unusual to some, but this is the first time I've ever accomplished this feat. I'm not exactly a morning person and for the most part, I sleep until the very last minute and then end up running around the house like a crazed maniac. Making breakfast, putting lunch together, finding socks for Franky that match. Why don't I do this at night? I'm totally going to do this tonight! (I will be repeating that phrase again tomorrow morning.) Honestly, we really don't go out to breakfast on the weekends either. It always seems like a hassle. Getting the kids ready, waiting to get a table and then waiting for food with a hungry 3 year old who has a penchant for pretending his utensils are weapons. Well, part of this year long experiment is to try new things. Especially things that are out of my comfort zone. Things that I think might go awry so I'm too afraid to do them. Honestly, even typing that out seems silly. And it is. We took the kids to Walker Brothers restaurant, which was new to them. They both had pancakes (Lilia had chocolate chip) with a side of bacon and they each got a mini candy bar on their plate. I had the most delicious potato pancakes I've ever eaten complete with both sour cream and apple sauce for dipping. The four of us sat, the grown ups drank coffee, the kids, orange juice. Lilia and I played tick-tack-toe and Franky, well, he pretended his utensils were swords.We weren't rushed and everyone got where they needed to be this morning, on time. Lilia saved her candy bar for lunch and I noticed her excitedly telling her teacher's aid about our breakfast excursion when I dropped her off this morning. A great start to the day, indeed.

Lights Out

This morning I had the idea to do a nod to Earth Hour and spend some time tonight without using lights or technology in the hopes that it would become a weekly tradition. I thought of this in terms of the environment and teaching the kids about what it means to save electricity. My idea however, turned out to have quite a different effect after today's events at the Boston Marathon. Today, sitting in the candlelight, I watched  as Franky played with Play Doh and Lilia painted. She started to sing these lyrics from Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World", which she learned last year in kindergarten:

"The colors of the rainbow,
So pretty in the sky.
Are also on the faces,
Of people going by,
I see friends shaking hands.
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying,
"I love you".

It was in that moment that I realized I refuse to buy into the notion that we live in a "crazy world" where we should live in constant fear. For every person that wants to do evil, there are a million that want to do good. I wasn't moved today by bombs going off, but rather by the first responders who without hesitation, ran to help others. The otherwise strangers, consoling some and carrying others. No, I won't be teaching my children to be fearful, but rather, powerful. I don't feel helpless in the wake of tragedy and I don't want them to grow up feeling that way either. I won't avoid traveling or  crowds or large events out of fear. Life is meant to be lived. It's said that people come together during a tragedy and that is true, but I see people coming together every day to help one another for the greater good. That's the world I live in.

Heavy Lifting, Power Tools and a Sandcastle

The shed, pre-move

 Today I was really excited to get started on our very first vegetable garden! We agreed to do a raised garden and just needed to find the perfect, sunny spot. We have a lot of trees that cast shade and a swing set that takes up some major, sunny real estate. Fran and I stood at various locations in the yard and just stared, arms crossed, wondering where to get started. Our neighbors probably thought we were contemplating something very important, but really we were just confused garden newbies and couldn't make a decision. The sandbox, also sitting on prime real estate, would have to be moved to shedsville, which meant, the shed had to be moved as well. The sandbox plot will then be replaced with the garden. (I hope you're keeping track. There's a quiz at the end). Unfortunately, this took longer than we thought, so the garden will have to be put in next weekend. Fortunately, moving the shed required the use of power tools. It just so happens that 1. I've never moved a shed and 2. I've never used a power tool! Fran probably trusted that it would be hard for me to kill him using a cordless screwdriver. To be fair, I have a lengthy track record of injuring myself, including a fractured wrist after running into a wall and a shattered toe from tripping on a baby gate. Baby steps with the power tools. Let's not get all crazy and move immediately to a chainsaw. We want to keep all of our appendages. The kids helped move a couple of things, but once we started moving axes and sledgehammers, I thought it best that they mosey on over to the sandbox. Again, the saving appendages thing, blah, blah, blah. Anyhow, we moved the shed to it's new resting spot and I screwed some wood planks through the bottom using my cordless screwdriver expertise. Meanwhile, Lilia used her new sand pail to make this year's first sandcastle. All in a day's work.

Swallow Cliff Woods

Another chilly spring day, but this whole "doing something new" thing is getting to be addictive. Now Lilia is asking me first thing in the morning,"What are we doing to do today? What's our new thing?" Today, we headed to Swallow Cliff Woods in Palos Park. I didn't grow up going to Swallow Cliff, but Fran, who spent most of his childhood in the area, has fond memories of the surrounding forest preserves. The intriguing thing about Swallow Cliff is that it used to be home to toboggan slides for many years and even though the chutes are long gone, the people keep on coming. The stone staircase that used to lead tobogganers up to the top of the chutes now challenges people looking for some considerable exercise and is a means to get up to the scenic trail. Lilia had no problem bounding up the stairs and passing up some of the panting hikers. The trails were still pretty muddy from recent rains and thaw so we trekked back down the steps and around a paved path at the bottom of the hill. On our walk, we saw a water pump and lo and behold, Lilia had never used one before. I gave her a quick demonstration on how it works and she had a blast pumping water. It's the little things, I guess.

Kenosha Lighthouses

 Today Franky and I took a drive up to Kenosha, WI to see the Kenosha (Southport) Lighthouse. It was a gray, blustery day, which I think was entirely perfect for the trip. I'm sure they are just as beautiful in the summer, but something about seeing these lighthouses through the foggy sky while the wind is whipping through your hair really gives you a reminder of why these exist. We started our walk at the top of the hill in Simmons Island Park. The adjacent Southport Light Station Museum was closed, however we were able to walk the grounds around the lighthouse and with a little imagination, you could almost feel what it must have been like working long months in the freezing cold Wisconsin winters. We even got to see the old outhouse (now a storage shed) that was used by the keepers. Suddenly my romanticized notion of being a lighthouse keeper faded ever so slightly. A quick walk down and around the hill leads you  to the beach where the wind and drizzle really kicked up. Somehow the waves crashing and seagulls flying overhead made the cold a little more bearable. Franky loved the beach and that is not an overstatement. He inspected his footprints in the fresh sand, climbed up some mini dunes and found all sorts of rocks. We had the entire beach to ourselves which I'm guessing isn't the case during the summer months. It was quite the adventure and now we're tucked away into our warm house. There's one other new thing awaiting me this evening. My first pint of Hop Stoopid Ale. Better get on that taste test. Not a bad way to end a great day.

Recycled Craft-O-Rama

 Lately, I've been trying to incorporate some more environmentally friendly ideas into our daily life. I've been saving boxes so the kids can try their hand at making recycled art. I had quite the collection of boxes and milk cartons going on in my kitchen. At one point, I was pulling out of the driveway and I noticed Fran walking out to the recycling bin with a cereal box and milk jug. I rolled down the window and started yelling, "Save the recyclables!" "Put those back on the kitchen counter!" I'm guessing he was secretly afraid that I was competing for a spot on Hoarders, but I had better ideas. Normally, all of our art supplies are located in various plastic bags (see "Magic of Mason Jars" post on my sad obsession) and I was planning on buying some new containers to organize the tangle of crayons, paint and play-doh.  I then remembered my hoard, I mean, organized pile, of boxes on the counter and got to work. It was easy really. Just a couple of cuts here and there and I had art supply containers! I decided against having the kids paint them because when they eventually tear, I would like to recycle them and that's not possible if they're covered in paint. For the art project, I cut a plastic apple container in half and filled the individual "cups" with paint. We cut flower petals out of a waffle box and a stem and leaves out of a spaghetti box. The kids painted their leaves and stems and set them out to dry. Lilia glued her painted petals, leaves and stems onto a large sheet of white paper and illustrated a garden scene complete with a bee, butterflies and two fairies. Voila! A recycled masterpiece fit for the fridge!

Mission: Sticky Note

Today I wanted to do something simple. Hopefully an act that might put a smile on someone's face. I've been thinking about ways to do random acts of kindness and I recalled reading at some time about placing sticky notes with positive messages where they are least expected. This is the inspirational idea behind the website Operation Beautiful.  I wanted to test out my sticky note prowess by leaving two notes for Lilia on the bathroom mirror. When she discovered them after school she ran downstairs to give me a big hug. She was beaming. I told her about the idea behind Operation Beautiful and she was really excited to get in on it. We knew we would be headed to the local indoor ice rink/gymastics studio today so our mission: sticky note the girl's bathroom mirror. I wrote the notes before we left and kept them in my purse. When the time was right, we went into the bathroom and began to stick. Now, I consider myself to be a rule follower, so there was an underlying fear that the bathroom police were going to come get me. To complicate matters, there were two people in the stalls and we didn't want to be seen so we quickly stuck, photographed and ran out of there! Of course, Lilia peeked her head back in to see if anyone was reading them. She reported back that a woman was reading each note out loud and smiling. Mission Accomplished!