Dolpins and Bears at the Zoo

Shortly after Erin was Deckside with the Dolphins last year, Brookfield Zoo sent its dolphins up to Minnesota so it could remodel the area.  The dolphins came back a couple of months ago, and this weekend was the grand re-opening of the dolphin shows.  We had been planning this zoo trip with Erin for months so she could be one of the first to welcome the dolphins back to their remodeled home.

While the dolphin show itself was great, the best part for Erin was after the show, when she was able to reconnect with the trainer she spent the most time with when she was Deckside.  M was gracious enough to talk at length with Erin, telling her about living up in Minnesota and working with the dolphins there, the transition back to the new space, and how hard everyone's worked to get ready for this new dolphin show.  Erin was so moved she was almost in tears!

After the dolphin show, we all split up.  Erin spent most of her time in the underwater viewing area; Charlie and Kelsey went their own way; and Drew and I headed over to the brand-new Bear Wilderness area.

Far and away the coolest part of this new exhibit is being able to watch the polar bears while they swim and play underwater.

Kudos to Brookfield Zoo for keeping its exhibits updated, exciting and relevant.  This is why we still visit after more than a decade of consistent patronage.

Outdoor Neighborhood Party

One of the things I absolutely love about our neighborhood is the outdoor parties and BBQs that happen all summer and into the fall.  This afternoon we enjoyed our first neighborhood outdoor BBQ party at Anne & Steve's house.  We were celebrating their daughter's third birthday.  I love warm weather in suburbia!

Budding Musician

At the end of third grade music class, the students start to learn how to play the recorder.  Then they get to bring the recorder home and practice it all summer long.  Drew's recorder came home this week, and he spent the afternoon working hard on those first two songs every beginning musician learns:  Hot Cross Buns and Mary had a Little Lamb.  Once he mastered the songs, he spent about half an hour playing outside by the curb.

A passerby enjoyed Drew's playing enough to drop a quarter into his little jar.  He was so excited to be paid for his first musical gig!

The Pampered Chef Kitchen

Baird needed to take in a side dish for his work party, so he and Erin worked on putting together a pasta salad.  When I was looking at this picture later, I realized that there are more than 22 Pampered Chef items visible in this one photo!

Baird and I had been married almost 15 years when I started my Pampered Chef business.  I really hadn't updated my kitchen tools in all those years, and it had occurred to me that at the 15 year mark, women need another bridal shower to replace worn-out bridal shower gifts.  So, in addition to my paycheck, Pampered Chef allows me to earn their products for free.  It's been like a perpetual wedding shower these last 5 years, and there's no better proof of that than seeing all the tools layed out and put to good use.

Retirement Tea

This afternoon on Irving School's front porch, we honored our two retiring teachers, Mrs. Stychara  and Mrs. Loco.  Mrs. Loco has spent her entire teaching career - more than 30 years - at Irving.  For as long as anyone can remember, she has been a wildly popular second grade teacher.  I first met her when we were both chaperoning an after-school bowling league back when Kelsey was in first grade.  I was so impressed with her confident, loving disposition and professional appearance. 

When Erin was in second grade she was lucky enough to land in Mrs. Loco's classroom.  From the trucker buddy to Where's Waldo, Mrs. Loco filled every minute of second grade with hands-on learning, and made it the very best possible year Erin could have asked for.  She even overcame the terror of discovering a family of mice hiding out in one of her classroom cabinets.  Erin offered to stay after school and help her clean it out, and they've been good friends ever since.

Mrs. Loco didn't just teach second grade, she was Irving's resident tooth puller.  School legend has it on good authority that she is a direct descendant of the tooth fairy, and many a student with a wobbly tooth has made his or her way up to Mrs. Loco's room to have the thing removed.  Drew was an especially frequent customer.  As soon as one of his teeth would begin to wiggle, Drew would say, "Maybe Mrs. Loco can take it out today."  More times than not, his ventures into her classroom for a tooth status check would net in a "I'm sorry, Drew, it's just not ready yet."  Mrs. Loco had pulled so many teeth over the years, she knew exactly when one was ready and when one wasn't.  She was always so tender and so gentle, the students never felt more than a slight tug.  Over the years, many parents sighed with relief when their children came running out of school, baby tooth in hand, exclaiming, "Mom!  Look what Mrs. Loco pulled for me today!"

Thank you, Mrs. Loco, for your years of dedication to our children and school.  You will be sorely missed!

Tribute to Excellence, Part 2

Today was Drew's day to be recognized.  He's worked hard this year and has grown in every way.  It seems like every time I turn around he's taller, smarter, and more mature than when I last took note.

Drew and his friend Rye posed with Mr. Hodge after they received their rewards.
Congrats on a good year, Drew.  I'm so proud of you!

My New Purple Vase

It's that time of year again, when the kids start bringing things home from school by the truckload.  All year, I've been waiting for Drew's clay project to come home.  Kelsey's third grade clay project sits on Baird's dresser, holding miscellaneous small items in place.  Erin's third grade clay project sits on the counter by the mud room, and it contains change for the bus.

When I picked Drew up from school this afternoon, he presented me with this purple vase (which just happened to exactly match the shirt I was wearing):

 So now I have a new place to put my gorgeous pink roses!  Thanks, Drew, for nicely rounding out the third grade clay collection!

Get the Scoop

The students at Irving School were challenged to collectively read 3,000 hours in one month.  They were given pieces of paper with ice cream scoops on them and told that for every half hour they read, they should turn in an ice cream scoop.  Each week the scoops were collected and posted on a wall near the school office, creating a giant ice cream sundae.

Drew was determined to do more than his fair share to enure the ice cream party happened.  He read wherever and whenever he could.  He contributed 48 scoops to the project.  He was on his own little quest, reading all of Eragon and part of Eldest.

The students found out today that they had exceeded their goal, and this afternoon they enjoyed ice cream sundaes with every topping you can possibly think of.  Sweet!

Finally! A Heat Wave!

It's been a cold, damp May.  So much so, in fact, that most of this month has felt more like late March/early April.  Today, however, the sun broke thru, the temperatures hit the high 80s, there's humidity in the air, and it feels like summer's finally on its way.

There's no better way to spend the first really hot, humid Sunday afternoon of the season than under a sprinkler with a good friend.  Drew hung out at GH's house, where the boys wore themselves out playing water games.

The Stage

It is very common for culinary professionals to ask to "stage" in a chef's kitchen. Staging is when a cook works briefly, for free, in another chef's kitchen to learn and be exposed to new techniques and flavors. A stage normally is used to see how a new chef or cook can adapt to working with current people/environment in the kitchen. When a future chef is seeking an internship, often the stage is the next step after the interview.

Kelsey's been working on a project for school that required her to interview my Friend Mel.  This morning, Kelsey and I helped Mel garnish appetizers for a late-morning wedding.  Kelsey was able to get her head around all the aspects of catering, from set up to serving to clean up.  She put in a full day's work before noon, and she enjoyed it enough to say she'd like to do it again some time.  And I truly enjoyed working alongside my good Friend, her neighbor, and my daughter.

Thanks, Mel, for these great pics!

Taste of Irving

Tonight was the annual Taste of Irving.  This multicultural potluck has been an Irving tradition since before Kelsey went to kindergarten.  I've been on the planning committee off and on over the years, but this was the first year that I was in charge.

We had planned an outdoor, block party-style event, but the weather refused to cooperate.  We switched gears at the 11th hour and pulled the party inside.  The food was as diverse as those who attended: there was everything from Moroccan meatballs to Italian beef to fajitas to savory appetizers from India.

Irving parent Norman Kerr and his band, Ifficial Reggae Movement, provided entertainment, to the delight of all.

This event is exactly why I love Oak Park.  We all came together and acknowledged our differences, yet celebrated our common ground.  It's a great way to acknowledge that together, we're stronger and better.

Roses are Pink

Years ago I brought home a pink rose bush and planted it in our back yard by the garage.  Everyone else in the family hates it because it hangs out onto our carport, blocking easy access to the garbage cans in the alley.  Each member of the family has, at some point or other, begged me to remove the rose bush.  Usually such pleas are made after hair has become tangled in a branch, or a shoulder has been scraped on a thorn.  When such pain is inflicted on my family, I empathize, patch up, and refuse to remove the offending plant.  Here's why:

Morning 4 Square

Every morning before the school bell rings, a group of third grade boys, led by Drew and SiMi, play 4-square.  It's certainly not the 4-square I played growing up.  This game has its own set of rules that the boys all understand, but are foreign to those who don't play.  Terms like "back stop," "chicken feet," "king's eye," "old man" and "happy town" are thrown around to set up the rules of the game.  I'll be honest here:  after watching countless numbers of these matches this school year, I still don't fully understand all the rules and exceptions.  The boys who participate, however, know exactly what's going on.  Occasionally a player is called out and contests the call.  A small argument ensues.  Then the captain of the square will ask those playing and those waiting in line, "Who thinks so-and-so's out?"  The boys raise their hands (or not).  Majority rules.

This 4-square ritual has gone on all year.  Neither wind nor snow nor ice has stopped the game.  As long as the students are allowed to wait outside, the boys (and occasionally, a girl or two) have played on.  Nothing has stopped them.  As the school year winds to a close, I wonder if this ritual can stand its biggest pause yet:  summer break.  Only time will tell.

Tribute to Excellence, Part 1

In elementary school, the awards assembly is very, very long, since every single student is recognized for something.  In the "everyone wins" mentality that is so pervasive in our modern American culture, elementary school students are recognized for just showing up and turning homework in on time.  By the time kids get to middle school, the bar is set a bit higher, and the awards are fewer.  Only about 2% of middle school kids receive recognition at the school awards, and of that 2%, fewer than half are recognized for more than one thing.

Erin has always worked hard to be an overachiever, so it was no surprise that she received two awards.  The first was for taking 2nd place in the Ethnic Festival essay contest.  The other was for the web page that she helped design for Virtual Classroom.  The web page won first place in a worldwide competition.

Way to go, Erin!

Yearbook

The 2009-2010 Irving School yearbook came out today.  Drew was thrilled to get his, and is planning on spending the next several days filling it with autographs from teachers and friends.

Re-Entry

Baird came home, quite literally, in the middle of the night last night.  His flight landed at O'Hare just before midnight, so he arrived home to a sleeping house.  Drew and his dad had a great reunion this morning.

Welcome back, Baird!  It's good to have the 5 Ring Circus back together!

Everything PLUS the Kitchen Sink

This morning I was up early, dropping Erin off at Julian so she could catch the bus taking her to the track & field sectionals. On the way home, I swung by Irving School to help MJ set up for the Irving Yard Sale. Wow, I couldn't believe what I found! The entire first floor of Irving School has been transformed into a giant yard sale! There is everything you could ever imagine at this indoor yard sale, including a kitchen sink.

AWake collected the first sale before 8am.

Get over there this morning before 1pm and help support the Irving Schoolyard Project!

Positive Contributions

Early on in my parenting "career," a wise, veteran parent counseled me to catch my kids doing good, and to publically praise them when I did.  In that spirit, I'm bragging on Drew and Erin today, who both came home with proof of their good behavior.  Drew was Student of the Week at Irving, and had his picture hanging in a glass display case.  Erin was Student of the Month at Julian, and had a certificate hanging in a glass display case.  They brought their awards home with them this week.  I couldn't be more proud.

Another Foodie Film Fest

Mel and I got together for one last foodie film fest before school's out in another few weeks.  I brought my bacon and chive popovers.  See if you can find the well-dressed lady on a star background in the popover in the front row.  This little surprise piece of artwork was brought about by bacon and chives.

Adding a popover to crispy green beans with hints of smokey paprika...

...and garlic-thyme potato pieces...

...made today's lunch just incredible!

Mel had initially thought about making soup, but decided to switch gears and made this lovely lunch instead.  Just when I think the food at her house can't get any better, Mel comes up with something like this and it was just incredible!

We sat down with these gorgeous plates of food made from scratch and watched Food, Inc.  This is a must-see movie that's very thought provoking.  I've mentioned before that I like to know where my food comes from.  Watch this movie and you'll agree.

Cooking Class

My friend Tracy is one of the most giving people I know.  She always has a project going on, whether its organizing delivery of bottled water to those in Tennesssee whose lives have been upended by the recent flooding, or cooking meals at a Ronald McDonald House, or doing a breast cancer walk.  While there's always a "project du jour," Tracy's passion these last few years has been her annual White Sox tailgate party that raises hundreds of dollars for White Sox Charities as well as charities that benefit her home town of Sycamore.
Tonight Tracy joined me in my kitchen, and I taught her how to make Jamaican Jerk Chicken Salad, one of my all-time favorite meals.  This salad is under consideration as possible tailgate food.  We talked over what parts can be made ahead and how to tweak the recipe so it will hold up well in July heat.  Tracy doesn't cook hardly at all, so I taught her how to handle and trim raw chicken and showed her how to use a "big knife."
Even if it's decided that this recipe won't be used at the Tailgate party, I'm happy knowing I spent time with a good friend, and I was able to send her home with a fantastic recipe.

Mud Bath

It's been cold and rainy since Saturday, so soccer practice was iffy today. Mid-afternoon, an email came down from Strikers declaring Thatcher Woods was fit for practice, but it was very muddy. "You might want to bring a plastic bag for your child's cleats after practice" was the advice they gave.

Somehow, I don't think that those who wrote the email envisioned the Girls U14Navy/Pacific team would look like this when it was all said and done. I hardly recognized Erin as she walked to the car. All I could do was laugh. Erin's response to having practice on a day like today?

Best.Practice.Ever.

Skyping with Baird

Baird's in training this week in San Francisco.  We recently set up a Skype account at home so Erin could keep in touch with her Croatian friends.  Tonight we used it to connect with Baird.  It's so efficient to have everyone gathered around the computer and take turns talking about the day.  It reminded me a bit of being around the family dinner table.  The kids, especially Drew, were excited to have this time to connect.

Mother's Day

In the 15 years since I became a mom (has it really been that long?!), I've learned a few things:

*I did my best parenting before I had children
*I never knew how intense (for good and bad) my emotions could run

*I'm an imperfect parent raising imperfect children in an imperfect world...and so is everyone else

*There are fewer things in life that are more humbling than a child's love and adoration

I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that I love being a mom.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.

This is the special surprise Kelsey and Erin made for me last night:  the letter M (for Mom) baked in chocolate cake made from scratch with chocolate frosting, trimmed with purple frosting.  It was rich and delicious!

And as an added bonus, Erin scored her first goal of the spring season this afternoon!

Thanks, family, for being exactly who you are.  I wouldn't trade you or change you no matter what!

Collaborating on a Surprise

Kelsey and Erin kicked me out of the house for a few hours this evening in order to work on a Mother's Day surprise for me. Baird and I grabbed a quick bite to eat and hung out at Border's Bookstore for awhile until the girls called to say it was safe to come back home. This is what they presented me with when I walked thru the door:

It's the remnants of whatever it is they baked for me.  They called this a modern-day sculpture.  I'm not quite sure what to make of it, but I can tell you that they had a blast working together, and I can't wait 'til tomorrow to see what they made for me!