Snow Day!

If you ask me, this winter has been GREAT. Sure, we had a week of deep freeze, but you kind of need that or else you'll end up bug-ridden in the summer. More often we've had a lot of 30-something degrees and sunshine, which I much prefer to 40+ and grey, drizzly.

And the snow.

The white powder has come down just a few times, but when it rains it pours drops it creates a shimmery blanket over everything. Enough to close down the school for a day or two.

We totally took advantage, and I'm not sure who was more excited, me or the kids!

We're fortunate to live near a decent sledding hill. It was already a beautiful scene with the sound of kids yelling "weeee!" and then a family of gorgeous red cardinals played around us, making it picture perfect. We returned home to have hot cocoa, of course. Followed by getting all cozy again while reading Keat's The Snowy Day.

I think the Danes have a name for this, it's hygge.

p.s. I've received some questions about the mug. You're right. That's not my family. I purchased this over a decade ago at a Salvation Army in Chicago. Ten cents! I'm pondering now if I should try to find these people...

Other Happenings in 2014

It helps to do this, you know? It helps to look back and be grateful for all the things we were able to do in spite of my disease. It's nice to be reminded that I'm advancing in knowledge, raising my kids in a thoughtful way, and keeping family traditions alive.

Don't ask me how this happened, but I now have a kindergartner. Here he is with my mom, who was helping me out that day, probably for health reasons. . . Oh! Back to positivity. I really enjoy our walks to school together. Leepo was SO ready to be in the classroom and he loves his teacher and classmates. He is now a voracious reader and we're so proud of him. 

We're kind of closing in on purchasing needed furniture items, but we've developed such a strong habit of visiting furniture outlets and resale shops that we just can't quit looking. That's not to mention the many enduring friendships we've made over the years talking to furniture-enthusiasts and sellers. Our week is not complete unless we're sitting in some teak chair, catching up with our friends, and convincing others that lamp/coffee table/side-chair is in need of a good home. 

On the topic of traditions, I've been going to the St. Charles Scarecrow fest since I was 9 years old! I've been able to take my kids and it's so sweet to see them experience the simple wonders I enjoyed as a child. Here's Homegirl (previously known as Beanie) with a large gourd she referred to as "Snakey."

2014 was a good year for having guests stay with us, even for weeks at a time. Some people say they stink like fish after a few days, but we honestly love our guests and miss them when they leave. Admittedly, the best are the ones who cook, clean, and paint our house while they're here. Ahem. ;)

MSI in the background

The kids are more into science these days and that makes my heart leap with joy. We got membership to the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) and I marvel at what a treasure that place is. In the summer, we walk from the MSI to the local beach and we're so grateful we live near the great city of Chicago.

Because I never know what each week will bring (stupid colon), I've gotten better at seizing any and all opportunities to do field-trips with the kids. Doing so has made me more purposeful and the results are fantastic. In the last picture, you see my son learning about squid and how they're used for research in the fascinating realm of biofilms. Since that time, he's said that he wants to be a scientist, maybe even an astronaut. I love this age for the intellectual curiosity it brings and the fun to be had with it.

You guys, when I'm not in the bathroom, I'm a pretty interactive and great mom. :)

When a Picnic is No Picnic

Lately we've been going to our beautiful arboretum that is so close to our house. The trip is only 5min, but the packing takes forever. This is what my bag contains, including blanket. What do you carry in yours?

Art These Days

I was in AP Art Studio in high school and studied painting under Russell Harris (he's the man, by the way); later in college I was instructed by Enrique Martinez Celaya. I had the pleasure of taking an intro course alongside Jessica Drenk, who now makes fabulous artwork like this one:

Carving 12 by Drenk

How, you might ask, am I using my talents these days? Well, looky here.

Yep, I'd say I'm doing pretty well for myself. Awesome, right?

Made my Kid's Halloween Costume!

Major milestone. I made my son's Halloween costume.

Did it require sewing? No. Was it done out of necessity? Yes.

In September, I asked Leepo what he wanted to be for Halloween. I asked him this because I loved hearing him say "Sammy the Skunk." So cute. So easy to purchase at a costume store. But one day things changed, "I want to be a PILL BUG, Mama." What? "A pill bug, a rolly-polly." Are you sure? Like, really sure? "Oh, yes, Mama. That is what I want to be."

Ugh. Well, you just know you're not going to find a pill bug costume hanging on the rack. (Did I search in vain, anyway? Yes.) And it's true that this blog was forged with the DIY spirit, but when it comes to sewing I'm a total dunce. (I intend to learn, but under less demanding circumstances.) So, not being a seamstress, I went on Facebook and asked around about how to address this situation. My friend Laura clued me into a "mommy trick," it's all about the hoodie.

U Create
(No, this isn't the costume I made. Keep scrollin'.)

Yes, a simple zip-up hoodie can serve as the base for a limitless variety of accouterments, and thus create a custom Halloween costume. So where did I go next? You guessed it. Goodwill. For just a couple of bucks I left with a grey toddler hoodie and I began to feel optimistic.

My next stop was Hobby Lobby for the remainder of the supplies. I learned from another friend, Carin, that if you download the Hobby Lobby app on your phone, you can get a 40% discount on one item, or sometimes your entire purchase. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to grab, but I knew I had to factor in a few things:

• Like the mullet, the pill bug magic is all in the back. That's fine, but it's not conducive to sitting in a car seat. I would have to make this part of the costume easily removable.
• This animal is monochromatic, so I'd have to introduce interest by choosing grey pieces with different hues. 
• My materials had to be light-weight because I'd be gluing it all together. 
• We live in the Midwest, this costume better work with a winter coat, too. 

I spent way too much time in that store pondering (enough time to notice the intriguing male customer population there), but ultimately I came home with the following stuff:

Styrofoam for the shells, pipe cleaners for the antennae and legs. 

To make the pill bug armor, I proceeded to cut the styrofoam balls into quarters with a bread knife (this part got a little messy). Once I had them, I took these pieces and wrapped them in felt, which I simply glued into place. I'm sure the type of person who loves the challenge of an awkward shaped Christmas gift to be wrapped would appreciate this, and even have a system for how to do it. I, on the other hand, just tucked and glued where I could.

Since the back of the costume would be seen from all sides, I affixed foam half-circles to the top of each shell with a tab. What you're seeing in this next picture is the backside of a 'shell,' and I'm gluing a pipe cleaner and holding it in place with another piece of felt.

Finally, things were starting to take shape. I used regular glue to attach the shells (with legs) to the large swatch of fleece I purchased, in addition to creating foam pieces in the front. Prior to doing this, I had cut the fleece into an "I" shape so that there'd be tabs at the corners. The idea was to make a smock that could be tied together over the hoodie, and easily removed for when we were traveling in the car from place to place. It goes without saying that I cut out a hole to go over the head.

DONE!

Once the 'smock' portion of the costume was completed, all I had to do was attach the antennae and googly eyes to the hood. With bated breath, I then performed a dress rehearsal with Leepo. Gladly, I was given the thumbs up sign and we went on to have a spooktacular Halloween with my family.

Leepo on his way to treats with my Aunt Bubu.

This was the first year that my boy got it. He was running door to door yelling sweetly asking "Trick or Treat!?!" and showing great pride in his stash. I have to say, I was also feeling pretty good when people commented on his costume and gave me kudos for being clever about it. If only they knew, it was so easy a doctor could do it!

And it was all worthwhile.

New Traditions

These boots were kinda meant for walkin'.

I admit to feeling a bit goofy when I'm on a hiking trail in my Sunday clothes, especially when I see sweaty athletes in their gear pass me by. And yet, this is going to be a regular occurrence!

Tim and I decided to take walks as a family after church each week. (I don't know how this will work in the dead of winter, but I'm sure we'll come up with something.) It has been SO nice to get out in nature with the kids, enjoy this beautiful earth we've been given, and talk without interruptions. All too often we're distracted at home with phone calls, Facebook status updates, and chores. Getting outdoors does away with such things. The exercise is a nice bonus, too. Before we leave the house, we try to get something cooking in the crock-pot so that when we return we can have something hearty waiting for us. (Coq-au-vin is a favorite here.)

And to think these moments were few and far between when I was a resident. Have you heard of the term 'Golden Weekend'? In the medical world, that means you have Saturday AND Sunday off. Yes, you read that correctly, a Golden Weekend is what nearly everyone else would consider a regular ol' weekend. As a resident, however, it was the thing of folklore and akin to winning the jackpot.

These days I work weekends on-call about once a month. And when I miss out on our Sunday traditions it leaves a space in my heart that I can't wait to fill in. It's the simple things.