Yesterday, I had a craving for a really good, but somewhat inexpensive, lunch. I also had a bunch of little errands to run at destinations within close proximity of each other, but nowhere near our neighborhood. I picked up The Girl from preschool, and we headed southeast to Lincoln Park. The Tot fell asleep in the car on the way to pick up The Girl, so I was able to run a quick in-and-out errand on the way to lunch.
We had lunch at CBA on Armitage. This is probably not a destination for anyone not immediately in the neighborhood or as a post-class lunch spot after Wiggleworms class, but the pull of The Wrigley Fielder draws me in a couple of times each year. The Girl wanted something with salami on it (she's a weird kid), so she got the E-Town Express, which she loved. The Tot commandeered half my Wrigley Fielder. Total for 2 bagel sandwiches, 2 chips and a bottle of Nantucket Nectar was about $15.
After lunch, we ran errands: Gap Kids for returns, next door to the busiest CVS I've ever seen for postage stamps, back into the car to the Carter's Outlet off Clybourn and next door to Sur la Table for Mother's Day treats. We got back home about 2 p.m. and left the TV off, making chocolate chip-M&M cookies instead.
The ballet-soccer Monday Mania wasn't as bad as it has been, although I made the mistake of walking to ARCC, over to school to watch The Boy's soccer practice, and then back home again, so The Boy and The Girl were pretty much exhausted.
Showing posts with label ballet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ballet. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Green City, Playdate
This morning, I got up early and took The Boy with me to one of the City's green events, a drop-off harmful substances and pick-up a rain barrel and/or compost bin thing. It was held in one of Comiskey Park's parking lots, just north of the 35th Street entrance to the park. We got there around 9 a.m., about an hour after it started, and we were in and out quite fast. We dropped off old paint, Pine-sol, and about 8 pounds of used batteries. I also picked up a subsidized compost bin from the City for $30. Fortunately, I brought my checkbook, because they only took checks. Not everyone was so lucky, so I wrote a check for the guy behind me, who like a few people only had cash.
When we got home, I traded kids with The Dad, and took The Girl to her ballet class. For the first time, I spent the whole class period in the waiting room, and I'm happy that I did not hear Ms. Jen reminding The Girl of good class behavior -- nor did I see her sneak out of class into the waiting room. After class, I brought The Girl and Peri over to Starbucks, to meet Peri's mother and brothers. This is when the giant (very fun!) playdate that was our afternoon began.
Peri, Enver, and The Girl walked home with me. We stopped at Walgreen's to pick up diaper-rash cream and sliced bread, and ran into Beth T. and her kids. A. is in ballet class with Peri and The Girl, and S. is just a few months younger than The Baby. I invited them to come over as well. When we got home, The Boy and D., our neighbor, were already in their swimsuits to go on D.'s slip-n-slide. I found suits to lend all of our guests, and everyone ran back and forth between D.'s slip-n-slide and the sprinkler that The Dad set up and ran for a bit in our front yard. It was nice to talk further with Beth T. and the kids all had a great time running around and, later, playing inside and in the backyard.
When we got home, I traded kids with The Dad, and took The Girl to her ballet class. For the first time, I spent the whole class period in the waiting room, and I'm happy that I did not hear Ms. Jen reminding The Girl of good class behavior -- nor did I see her sneak out of class into the waiting room. After class, I brought The Girl and Peri over to Starbucks, to meet Peri's mother and brothers. This is when the giant (very fun!) playdate that was our afternoon began.
Peri, Enver, and The Girl walked home with me. We stopped at Walgreen's to pick up diaper-rash cream and sliced bread, and ran into Beth T. and her kids. A. is in ballet class with Peri and The Girl, and S. is just a few months younger than The Baby. I invited them to come over as well. When we got home, The Boy and D., our neighbor, were already in their swimsuits to go on D.'s slip-n-slide. I found suits to lend all of our guests, and everyone ran back and forth between D.'s slip-n-slide and the sprinkler that The Dad set up and ran for a bit in our front yard. It was nice to talk further with Beth T. and the kids all had a great time running around and, later, playing inside and in the backyard.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Gas Guzzler
Yet another reason to be thankful that The Boy can walk to school next year: the price of gas within the city is the highest in the country. I spent $73.10 to fill up The Great White Moose this morning, and it's only an 18-gallon tank. Between the price of gas and construction on the Edens, I don't want to drive anywhere ever again.*
It's a good thing that I've found more activities for the kids to do in and around the neighborhood. On Saturday, we spent nearly the whole day on foot. In the morning, The Boy, The Girl, The Baby and I headed to West Walker's annual community garage sale. It was a successful trip on two fronts -- we found a made-in-Illinois Radio Flyer wagon (for $15) and a 20" bicycle for The Boy (for $10) -- and we saw lots of our neighbors and friends on a beautiful spring morning.
My plan had been to walk directly over to ARCC for The Girl's ballet class, but our stroller was too laden with stuff to make that feasible, so we first headed back home to drop off our loot. We stopped to talk to a neighbor, which made us too late to walk.
Once she was decked out in head-to-toe ballet pink, The Girl joined her ballet class, and The Boy, The Baby and I joined our friends at Starbucks for some coffee (the moms!) and a snack (the boys -- both big and little). The Boy and Enver had a great time being utterly silly together, while The Baby alternately begged me for coffee or cried because I was drinking it. The Dad, who had been visiting a friend in Aurora, walked over to meet us after his Metra train arrived. Then we all trooped back to pick up The Girl.
We spent the afternoon hanging around outside, talking to and/or playing with neighbors and generally enjoying the day. Our former neighbors came to check up on their house, and stopped over to say hello. The Boy was thrilled to see them.
* Which is not to say that I won't. I do, after all, have lots of good friends and relatives in the 'burbs.
It's a good thing that I've found more activities for the kids to do in and around the neighborhood. On Saturday, we spent nearly the whole day on foot. In the morning, The Boy, The Girl, The Baby and I headed to West Walker's annual community garage sale. It was a successful trip on two fronts -- we found a made-in-Illinois Radio Flyer wagon (for $15) and a 20" bicycle for The Boy (for $10) -- and we saw lots of our neighbors and friends on a beautiful spring morning.
My plan had been to walk directly over to ARCC for The Girl's ballet class, but our stroller was too laden with stuff to make that feasible, so we first headed back home to drop off our loot. We stopped to talk to a neighbor, which made us too late to walk.
Once she was decked out in head-to-toe ballet pink, The Girl joined her ballet class, and The Boy, The Baby and I joined our friends at Starbucks for some coffee (the moms!) and a snack (the boys -- both big and little). The Boy and Enver had a great time being utterly silly together, while The Baby alternately begged me for coffee or cried because I was drinking it. The Dad, who had been visiting a friend in Aurora, walked over to meet us after his Metra train arrived. Then we all trooped back to pick up The Girl.
We spent the afternoon hanging around outside, talking to and/or playing with neighbors and generally enjoying the day. Our former neighbors came to check up on their house, and stopped over to say hello. The Boy was thrilled to see them.
* Which is not to say that I won't. I do, after all, have lots of good friends and relatives in the 'burbs.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Busy Day
Today was a very busy day for me. As soon as I got up, I took The Baby with me to the Swedish Bakery in Andersonville to pick up petit fours for The Girl's birthday tea party. I also got a couple of donuts to bring back for The Boy, The Girl, and The Dad.
When we got home, it was time to take The Girl to her Saturday ballet class. She had a fantastic time with "Miss Jen." I went across the street to Starbucks and got some work done.
After ballet, The Dad took The Baby, The Boy, and The Girl to our neighborhood greasepit, Munchies, for hot dogs and gyros, while I prepped for the party. We all had a bath and changed into our party clothes.
And then five little girls and their mothers came over for tea!
When we got home, it was time to take The Girl to her Saturday ballet class. She had a fantastic time with "Miss Jen." I went across the street to Starbucks and got some work done.
After ballet, The Dad took The Baby, The Boy, and The Girl to our neighborhood greasepit, Munchies, for hot dogs and gyros, while I prepped for the party. We all had a bath and changed into our party clothes.
And then five little girls and their mothers came over for tea!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Dance, Baby, Dance
The Girl started ballet class this week. Apparently, dance class is all-the-rage among the under-5 girlie set. Perhaps because I had a boy first, or perhaps because I took a single 6-week session of ballet as a child (and hated it; what I really wanted was to wear a tutu!), ballet class was never on my mama radar until recently.
But an outpost of ARCC just opened on Irving Park Road in Old Irving Park. I love my neighborhood, but Lakeview (or even Lincoln Square), it is not. I'm thrilled to see something other than a megachurch, laundromat, or greasy spoon. And Allison has been sending her daughter to ARCC's Saturday morning class in Wicker Park for the past six months, so it came well-recommended.
When I asked The Girl if she wanted to take ballet with Allison's daughter, her answer was an enthusiastic yes. So I signed her up, and she started today. I have no idea what they did in class, and I don't think The Girl particularly cared -- she got to flit around in a uniform of pink tights, pink leotard, pink skirt, and pink ballet shoes with a gaggle of similarly dressed 3-year-old girls.
The Boy, The Baby, and I headed across the street to Starbuck's to snack on milkboxes and cookies. The Baby sat nicely in his own chair -- so cute! so big! -- and flirted with the usual Saturday morning crowd. When the girls were finished, Allison kindly brought The Girl and her daughter over to join us.
But an outpost of ARCC just opened on Irving Park Road in Old Irving Park. I love my neighborhood, but Lakeview (or even Lincoln Square), it is not. I'm thrilled to see something other than a megachurch, laundromat, or greasy spoon. And Allison has been sending her daughter to ARCC's Saturday morning class in Wicker Park for the past six months, so it came well-recommended.
When I asked The Girl if she wanted to take ballet with Allison's daughter, her answer was an enthusiastic yes. So I signed her up, and she started today. I have no idea what they did in class, and I don't think The Girl particularly cared -- she got to flit around in a uniform of pink tights, pink leotard, pink skirt, and pink ballet shoes with a gaggle of similarly dressed 3-year-old girls.
The Boy, The Baby, and I headed across the street to Starbuck's to snack on milkboxes and cookies. The Baby sat nicely in his own chair -- so cute! so big! -- and flirted with the usual Saturday morning crowd. When the girls were finished, Allison kindly brought The Girl and her daughter over to join us.
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