I didn't go to Milwaukee today. But my brother and sister-in-law did. As The Baby, The Boy, The Girl, and I were circling O'Hare Terminal 3 Arrivals waiting for Uncle Chris and Aunt J. to meet us after their flight from Seattle, they were, in fact, diverted to Milwaukee. And there was much crying (except from The Baby, who was asleep).
So we changed the plan, and went to get lunch. I got horribly lost trying to find Canfield Road from Cumberland, and by the time I realized my error, The Baby was awake and the four of us were grumpy from hunger. We stopped at the Corner Bakery on Touhy for some salad (me), pasta (The Boy), and a ham sandwich (The Girl). The Baby shared everything. Spirits improved immensely. The Boy told The Girl that she was a germ, and that he was a white (blood) cell, gave her a hug, and told her that he was attacking her. Maybe I should rename them The Germ and The Cell?
At the end of the meal, Uncle Chris called to say that his flight had landed in Chicago. And there was much rejoicing! So we skedaddled back to O'Hare and fetched them. We played around in the yard and the house, and then the neighbors came over and there was a mass of little kids running around this side of the block. That was fun!
We took Uncle Chris and Aunt J. to dinner at Curio Cafe. It was our first time there for dinner, and it was really good. Operating on the theory that it's better to do a few things extremely well than a bunch poorly, the dinner menu is extremely limited -- they offer a steak, a chicken, and a shrimp dish, plus the lunch items from their children's menu. The Dad, Uncle Chris, and Aunt J. ordered the steak, served with fresh guacamole and a mound of perfectly molded rice; I had the chicken, served with fresh sauteed carrots (and peas -- my only complaint about Curio is that they use canned peas instead of fresh or frozen) and a huge, steaming baked potato (which I gave to The Baby). Everything came with a side salad or soup of the day; I had the salad, which was served with a lovely cilantro dressing reminiscent of Indian cilantro chutney. Uncle Chris got the soup of the day, which was cream of asparagus and he reported that it was very light and creamy. They are BYOB, and they do not charge a corkage fee, so we split a bottle of white with dinner.
Showing posts with label relatives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relatives. Show all posts
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Trying on Seattle
This weekend, I took The Boy with me on an extended Mama-Son date to Seattle. The purpose of the trip was to watch my brother, Uncle Chris, graduate from B-School at UW, but we also did some touristy things (Pike Place Market, the ferry to Bainbridge, the Museum of Flight, Seattle Center [where the space needle is located]), ate out, and shopped a bit. And, of course, visited with my sister-in-law, parents, and my friend Cranky. It was a good trip/visit.
Whenever I visit a new city, or re-visit one that is not one I call home, it always seems to be on-approval. I find myself evaluating the whole time: Could I live here? Would I want to? I've been there a handful of times and I'm still not sure about Seattle. Part of me thinks that I could live there, but then I don't want to leave Chicago. And that gets me every time. As far as visiting goes, however, it's a nice place.
Uncle Chris and Grandma and Grandpa Texas picked us up at the airport on Friday morning. We went straight to the Museum of Flight, where The Boy and I went straight to the cafe for lunch (early by Seattle time, but we were hungry!). We explored the museum for quite awhile -- I think Grandpa Texas, a current engineer and former Navy man, enjoyed it more than The Boy did -- until travel/jet lag hit me hard and my body demanded that I nap. Uncle Chris took The Boy to the playground in Fremont while I took a giant nap. After that, I felt much better.
When Aunt J. got home from work, Uncle Chris took us all out to dinner at a Thai place, Jai Thai, in Fremont. We got everything family-style, but the Swimming Ra dish (sliced chicken on sauteed spinach, with peanut sauce) was especially good. The Boy ate a plateful of rice vermicelli noodles -- he even tried them with soy sauce this time! -- and nearly passed out in my lap. He rallied for gelato at a nearby establishment, and even walked most of the way back up to my brother's place. We stopped to visit the troll under the bridge as well.
On Saturday, we visited the Pike Place Market. My favorite part of the market is the Daily Dozen mini-donut and coffee stand. The Boy and I split a dozen mini frosted donuts. (We went back again on Sunday and got 1/2 dozen, of which I ate two and we brought the rest home for the troops, and a short latte for me [good foam].) Then we headed to Ballard to meet everyone for brunch. As Aunt J. pulled into a parking spot near the restaurant, a Thrift Shop was in front of us, so of course I had to stop in! I let The Boy get a Batmobile, which he played with for the rest of the trip.
Brunch was at Volterra, a new-Italian restaurant that has won a bunch of awards. I had the avocado-tomato-cheese omelette with hash browns and toast. Really though, I was so full from the donuts that I managed to eat only the eggs. Afterward, we wandered around the main drag in Ballard looking for Knitters' Circle, which Cranky had recommended. Along the way, I managed to find a shoe store and bought myself a pair of J-41s, my one splurge of the weekend.
On Sunday, we all took the ferry to Bainbridge Island, but The Boy and I left my parents and Uncle Chris & Aunt J. behind there and returned on the ferry to meet my friend Cranky. Despite our attempts to amuse him, The Boy was by this time quite in need of interaction with other kids. As we disembarked from the ferry, The Boy asked if Seattle had any museums. I suggested asking the throngs of kids leaving the pier bound for the Mariners game, but The Boy declined. Instead, we asked Cranky, a native Washingtonian, longtime Seattle resident, and local PBS-affiliate employee, for suggestions. She knew where to go: the Children's Museum at Seattle Center. We walked a bit and then hopped a bus (a curious thing -- you pay only as you exit; there is a free-zone around downtown) to Seattle Center, stopping within the complex to let The Boy run through the foundation sculpture. He was soaked and shivering (but happy) at the end; there is no way you could have gotten me to run through a fountain in 70-degree temps, even with the sun.
The Boy really enjoyed the Children's Museum, and later running around with some little kids at the food court auto zone. I think he just needed some kid time. We spent most of our museum time playing with the balls in "Cog City," while Cranky and I caught up. Aunt J. picked us up afterward and took us to Bothell for a barbeque.
For the most part, The Boy behaved beautifully, despite a time difference, staying up way too late, and being stuck in the company of 5 (and sometimes 7) adults. He rocked Uncle Chris's graduation ceremony, sitting mostly still for the 8 speeches, awards, and presentation of the candidates that comprised the 2+ hour ceremony. At the start of the ceremony, they asked the audience to silence cell phones, pagers, and children (as if they have a power-off button!?!) and despite this preemptive admonishment, a fair number of graduates had young family members present (and loudly unhappy), so it became a running joke among the speakers of the evening. But they had no cause for complaint about The Boy.
Whenever I visit a new city, or re-visit one that is not one I call home, it always seems to be on-approval. I find myself evaluating the whole time: Could I live here? Would I want to? I've been there a handful of times and I'm still not sure about Seattle. Part of me thinks that I could live there, but then I don't want to leave Chicago. And that gets me every time. As far as visiting goes, however, it's a nice place.
Uncle Chris and Grandma and Grandpa Texas picked us up at the airport on Friday morning. We went straight to the Museum of Flight, where The Boy and I went straight to the cafe for lunch (early by Seattle time, but we were hungry!). We explored the museum for quite awhile -- I think Grandpa Texas, a current engineer and former Navy man, enjoyed it more than The Boy did -- until travel/jet lag hit me hard and my body demanded that I nap. Uncle Chris took The Boy to the playground in Fremont while I took a giant nap. After that, I felt much better.
When Aunt J. got home from work, Uncle Chris took us all out to dinner at a Thai place, Jai Thai, in Fremont. We got everything family-style, but the Swimming Ra dish (sliced chicken on sauteed spinach, with peanut sauce) was especially good. The Boy ate a plateful of rice vermicelli noodles -- he even tried them with soy sauce this time! -- and nearly passed out in my lap. He rallied for gelato at a nearby establishment, and even walked most of the way back up to my brother's place. We stopped to visit the troll under the bridge as well.
On Saturday, we visited the Pike Place Market. My favorite part of the market is the Daily Dozen mini-donut and coffee stand. The Boy and I split a dozen mini frosted donuts. (We went back again on Sunday and got 1/2 dozen, of which I ate two and we brought the rest home for the troops, and a short latte for me [good foam].) Then we headed to Ballard to meet everyone for brunch. As Aunt J. pulled into a parking spot near the restaurant, a Thrift Shop was in front of us, so of course I had to stop in! I let The Boy get a Batmobile, which he played with for the rest of the trip.
Brunch was at Volterra, a new-Italian restaurant that has won a bunch of awards. I had the avocado-tomato-cheese omelette with hash browns and toast. Really though, I was so full from the donuts that I managed to eat only the eggs. Afterward, we wandered around the main drag in Ballard looking for Knitters' Circle, which Cranky had recommended. Along the way, I managed to find a shoe store and bought myself a pair of J-41s, my one splurge of the weekend.
On Sunday, we all took the ferry to Bainbridge Island, but The Boy and I left my parents and Uncle Chris & Aunt J. behind there and returned on the ferry to meet my friend Cranky. Despite our attempts to amuse him, The Boy was by this time quite in need of interaction with other kids. As we disembarked from the ferry, The Boy asked if Seattle had any museums. I suggested asking the throngs of kids leaving the pier bound for the Mariners game, but The Boy declined. Instead, we asked Cranky, a native Washingtonian, longtime Seattle resident, and local PBS-affiliate employee, for suggestions. She knew where to go: the Children's Museum at Seattle Center. We walked a bit and then hopped a bus (a curious thing -- you pay only as you exit; there is a free-zone around downtown) to Seattle Center, stopping within the complex to let The Boy run through the foundation sculpture. He was soaked and shivering (but happy) at the end; there is no way you could have gotten me to run through a fountain in 70-degree temps, even with the sun.
The Boy really enjoyed the Children's Museum, and later running around with some little kids at the food court auto zone. I think he just needed some kid time. We spent most of our museum time playing with the balls in "Cog City," while Cranky and I caught up. Aunt J. picked us up afterward and took us to Bothell for a barbeque.
For the most part, The Boy behaved beautifully, despite a time difference, staying up way too late, and being stuck in the company of 5 (and sometimes 7) adults. He rocked Uncle Chris's graduation ceremony, sitting mostly still for the 8 speeches, awards, and presentation of the candidates that comprised the 2+ hour ceremony. At the start of the ceremony, they asked the audience to silence cell phones, pagers, and children (as if they have a power-off button!?!) and despite this preemptive admonishment, a fair number of graduates had young family members present (and loudly unhappy), so it became a running joke among the speakers of the evening. But they had no cause for complaint about The Boy.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
The end is nigh
The Boy has 3 days left of school before summer vacation begins. Talk on the playground at pick-up has dwindled away from fall 2008 matriculation and toward summer vacation plans. I have so many things I want to do this summer, although I'm sure that I have not adequately prepared for any of them:
- join a pool
- go to Kiddieland
- rent/borrow a beach cottage in Michigan/Indiana/Wisconsin for a week
- hire a babysitter once/week
- visit Super Grandpa in Indiana
- visit family in Michigan on Lake St. Clair
- go to Minneapolis-St. Paul to visit The Girl's birthday twin and her parents
- take the water taxi between Navy Pier and the museum campus peninsula
- go to lots of museums and parks
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mother's Day
This year, Mother's Day was not all about me as a mother. But that's OK. It was a nice day anyway.
The Dad's 35th birthday happened to fall on Mother's Day this year. And his octogenarian grandmother was visiting from Florida, so we skipped our usual Mother's Day brunch at Ina's Kitchen in the West Loop and went out to the suburbs for a huge family gathering at the Holiday Inn instead. I was a little frightened when I walked into the hotel and saw large rounds and other tables scattered around a cavernous banquet room. But the food was good for what it was (mass buffet), and the dessert table was even better. Uncle Bad Influence riled up The Boy, The Girl, and their second cousin, while The Baby snuggled on Uncle Fuzzy's lap. The Dad and I got a rare moment of peace (but only a moment!) and some adult conversation.
Afterwards, we headed back into the city to clean the house before The Dad's friend and former colleague, Ranga, came to visit. Ranga used to be a software engineer, but now does IP work for a respected Silicon Valley firm. He was in town to depose an expert witness for the defense (his client), so we talked about people and places we used to know back when The Dad and I lived in San Francisco. We ordered Chicago's famous stuffed pizza and, afterward, had an ice cream cake to celebrate The Dad's birthday. The Dad took his friend back to his hotel and I put the kids in bed.
The Dad's 35th birthday happened to fall on Mother's Day this year. And his octogenarian grandmother was visiting from Florida, so we skipped our usual Mother's Day brunch at Ina's Kitchen in the West Loop and went out to the suburbs for a huge family gathering at the Holiday Inn instead. I was a little frightened when I walked into the hotel and saw large rounds and other tables scattered around a cavernous banquet room. But the food was good for what it was (mass buffet), and the dessert table was even better. Uncle Bad Influence riled up The Boy, The Girl, and their second cousin, while The Baby snuggled on Uncle Fuzzy's lap. The Dad and I got a rare moment of peace (but only a moment!) and some adult conversation.
Afterwards, we headed back into the city to clean the house before The Dad's friend and former colleague, Ranga, came to visit. Ranga used to be a software engineer, but now does IP work for a respected Silicon Valley firm. He was in town to depose an expert witness for the defense (his client), so we talked about people and places we used to know back when The Dad and I lived in San Francisco. We ordered Chicago's famous stuffed pizza and, afterward, had an ice cream cake to celebrate The Dad's birthday. The Dad took his friend back to his hotel and I put the kids in bed.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Long lost relatives
The most notable thing about my day was getting a call from my cousin Maria. I haven't seen her in about 15 years. She lives in Okinawa with her husband and children, but is in town for a convention. The Kids and I are going to drive out to see her Friday afternoon. I'm sure traffic getting back into the city will be hairy and awful, but seeing my favorite cousin from my youth will be worth it.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Isn't it romantic?
I forgot to post this!
Grandma and Grandpa Texas came to visit this weekend. After I picked them up at O'Hare (in the snow), we stopped briefly at home and then went on to the Loop to get them checked into their room at the Palmer House. The Boy, who has become quite a hermit since he started preschool full-time, stayed home with The Dad. And The Girl, The Baby, and I went with my parents to check out the windows and otherwise enjoy the festive atmosphere of the Loop at Christmas. As former Chicagolanders, my parents have fond memories of the city at Christmastime, my dad especially so, as he spent nearly 20 years working for an engineering firm located between Monroe, Adams, and Wabash, and knows that area quite well.
After Grandma finished her tour of the Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's) windows with The Girl, she spotted a really big ring in the southeast corner window. I noticed a few people in the back of the window, peering over and with cameras. I assumed that they were on some kind of special Macy's tour, but then I noticed the couple walking in front of us, in front of the window, and the man who turned, got on one knee in front of her and she started crying. I didn't see the rock, but it was apparently in the window with a sign asking ___ to marry ____.
Grandma and Grandpa Texas came to visit this weekend. After I picked them up at O'Hare (in the snow), we stopped briefly at home and then went on to the Loop to get them checked into their room at the Palmer House. The Boy, who has become quite a hermit since he started preschool full-time, stayed home with The Dad. And The Girl, The Baby, and I went with my parents to check out the windows and otherwise enjoy the festive atmosphere of the Loop at Christmas. As former Chicagolanders, my parents have fond memories of the city at Christmastime, my dad especially so, as he spent nearly 20 years working for an engineering firm located between Monroe, Adams, and Wabash, and knows that area quite well.
After Grandma finished her tour of the Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's) windows with The Girl, she spotted a really big ring in the southeast corner window. I noticed a few people in the back of the window, peering over and with cameras. I assumed that they were on some kind of special Macy's tour, but then I noticed the couple walking in front of us, in front of the window, and the man who turned, got on one knee in front of her and she started crying. I didn't see the rock, but it was apparently in the window with a sign asking ___ to marry ____.
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