2021 has not been easy. At all. We are lucky because we basically *fell* into a support system, forming a pod with two other families in the same boat. Dual-income families, with young children, trying to hold on to our jobs. We are beyond fortunate that our three families actually, truly, and sincerely, connect. During…
Changed it up a bit this year, and basically just asked for gift cards. I loved this, because I got to spend time shopping for myself. Due to the pandemic, and due to parenting, I haven’t done any non-essential shopping in a long time. This felt so indulgent and wonderful. Featured products:Chavez for Charity elastic…
Two months since the last post. In those two months, the university that I teach at went from hybrid courses to entirely online, and our plan for Kenzie’s virtual learning fell through leaving us scrambling to find care within two weeks of school starting. The initial goal was to hire someone to head up Kenzie’s…
2020 is our 10-year anniversary, and we were headed to Kauai with Kenzie to celebrate. Well, that’s been put on hold due to COVID-19. So instead, we grabbed the camper and headed out to explore South Dakota (and Wyoming). While the entire trip was special to us, exploring Mount Rushmore, hiking around Devil’s Tower, the…
We had planned a trip to Kauai to celebrate our 10-year anniversary, but the COVID-19 pandemic put that on hold. So Jeff planned a pandemic road trip to South Dakota and Wyoming. We hit all the Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Devil’s Tower, Wall Drug, Cosmos Mystery Area and so much more! This was also Kona’s…
This two-second hack adds buttons to your glasses, so that your face mask can hook onto the buttons instead of your tender ears.
About 80% of homeschooling really sucks. I am a terrible kindergarten teacher. My patience and empathy are at record lows. In fact, as I write this, Mackenzie is having a complete and utter meltdown because I won’t let her run around the block by herself. (She’s six.) Juggling homeschool, with work, with a house that…
I told Kenzie that a fairy dropped off some clouds for our breakfast this morning! This was such a quick and easy dish to make, and a really nice change from the usual bowl of cereal. It’s also great because if you’ve got an egg, you’re good to go! I added some “bag cheese,” but…
One of my projects this past year was knitting a 1975 tempestry for the city of Evanston. The idea was that knitters all across my beloved suburb would reflect average daily temperatures over a vast range of years, and when the finished pieces were displayed together, we would see generations of weather shifts. I loved…
Today was a good day! It’s interesting, as Kenzie is adapting to change much easier than Jeff and I are. For example, her school is closed till at least April 12. In an effort to maintain a relationship with her students, our kindergarten teacher, Mrs. M, is doing a live story time every morning through…
Eerie. Everything feels eerie. After a flurry of activity trying to find toilet paper, disinfectant, hand sanitizer and non-perishables, we are hunkered down at home trying to keep our social distance. Skip my bitching and go straight to Kindergarten Resources Shelves at stores around us are completely empty. The general background noise of life has…
St. Patrick’s Day is a pretty big deal here in Chicago. The river is dyed an incredible shade of green, bars serve green beer, and there’s corned beef and cabbage everywhere. But St. Pat’s as a twentysomething bachelorette is a lot different from St. Pat’s as a fortysomething mom. I definitely needed some inspiration this…