Tips for turning on a downtown one-way, the wrong way

While slowly driving through the rain after an appointment downtown this morning and day-dreaming of Xoco's Almendrado hot cocoa, I turned a corner, just one-block away from the Rick Bayless genius establishment in full anticipation of sipping one of my favorite, warm beverage treats, only to realize that I was going the wrong way, during rush hour none-the-less! 

What to do. I didn't correct my error quite as smoothly as I would've liked in the moment. But I was chuckling inside at my mistake, thankful that the oncoming cars were at a standstill and for the healthy emotional progress I've made the since years ago when I would've shamed myself to pieces. I can't say the pedestrians that I almost ran over approached the incident with such candor. Eventually though, my adrenaline spiked as I felt the pressure of correcting my mistake and shame from the cab driver next to me and the pedestrians yelling at me. ...A tough situation to deal with for anyone whose Enneagram number is 3. So, to help myself move past my mistake that was so utterly shamed and disgraced by those around me, and to honor my failed intentions of a graceful recovery, I thought upon how to better handle the situation next time. 

Tips for turning on a downtown one-way, the wrong way

1. Make sure on-coming traffic sees you and adjusts.

2. Remain calm.

3. Take note of traffic lights and rights of way.

4. Check for pedestrians by looking both ways. (Very important!) 

5. Sync back-up to above steps.

This is what I will aspire to next time I catch myself in this conundrum, which is hopefully never.

Just a final note:

Dear commuters that I almost hit this morning while day-dreaming of Xoco's Almendrado,

So sorry about disrupting your soggy, headphone-laced journey through the two crosswalks I backed-up through while turning 90 degrees. I truly feel bad. At the same time, please watch out for yourself while walking through a crosswalk and consider showing someone who's mistakenly turned down a one-way the wrong way some grace and space to back-up. Moving forward, I'm dedicating my tips for turning on a downtown one-way the wrong way, in honor of the stress we all bore just a few minutes ago.

Helping Children Take Supplements / Banana Blueberry Spinach Strawberry Smoothie

Recently, one of my sons and I found out that he needs a bit more magnesium in his diet (It has calming effects, so I was on-board!). 

He is seven and doesn't swallow pills yet, so the best way for me to administer his vitamins/supplements is through food, as in crushed up or mixed in. I've done this for years with both of my sons' probiotic powder. Neither of them eat dairy so yogurt isn't an option, but probiotics are key to the health of their gut and in-turn immune system. The probiotic powder is easy enough to toss atop apple sauce as it is neutral in taste. The magnesium, not the case. 

So I and my son(...he now takes an active role in his diet as we've had many, many conversations about healthy food and how to make good choices for our bodies) have decided that smoothies are the way to go for helping him ingest his magnesium supplement. 

I usually toss together a smoothie without following a recipe, but tonight's smoothie was particularly good, so I thought I'd share. No qualms about following it to a tee. You control this recipe, the recipe doesn't control you! The probiotic powder and seeds are optional, but I love adding these in smoothies since it's such an easy way to boost the nutritional value and add omega-3s. I left out the magnesium supplement in the ingredient list, but feel free to toss in any supplements you or your loved-one(s) may need.

Banana Blueberry Spinach Strawberry Smoothie

4 strawberries, frozen
1/8 c blueberries, frozen
1/2 banana, frozen
1 handful fresh, baby spinach
1 tsp probiotic powder
1 tsp flax seed
1 tsp chia seed
3 brazil nuts
1-2 tsp pure maple syrup
1 pinch of cinnamon
filtered water to reach desired consistency (I usually cover 3/4 of the contents in the blender for a creamy consistency).


Mix well in blender (preferably a Vitamix) until silky smooth. Enjoy!

Tips for traveling with a baby (or children)

A friend of mine with a three-month old recently asked for tips on traveling with her baby. Sharing my thoughts incase it's helpful to you! These can easily be translated for traveling with children of any age.

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While I am no longer a baby gear expert (hard to believe that season was 6 years ago for me and so much has changed in the baby-gear realm!), here are a few general principles/ideas I've discovered to be helpful along the way. Obviously less is more when traveling, especially when there's so much baby gear that can be required on trips!

1. Know the resources at your destination and do an initial errand run if you can for items such as diapers, baby food*, etc.
2. See if there's anything you can borrow (from the airline, hotel, rental car or a neighbor/family member at your destination) so as to avoid lugging a lot of gear (pack n play from a neighbor/family member, crib from hotel, car seat/booster from rental car company, etc.).
3. Ship what you can: for long trips have diapers/baby food delivered from Amazon, etc. (I've had Zappos ship sandals at the last minute to our destination).
4. Do what you can to make your life easier by cutting corners that you usually wouldn't. (If you make your own baby food, give yourself a break and buy pre-made food on trips.)
5. Pack an awesome bag of essentials; it will likely be your sanity! (a few diapers, wipes, burp clothes, change of clothes for baby, extra pacifier if using, light blanket, *snacks and favorite toys plus a treat for yourself.* A drink/pacifier that baby can suck while plane is ascending and descending, if you're flying.) Older children can pack their own bag-of-fun, and I like to pack a small bag of extras with interesting toys/books for when their supply runs low or–on road trips–has landed on the car floor.
6. Figure out when you can catch a break on the trip and plan on it. ...So important as trips require extra energy and usually mean less sleep when little-ones have a challenging time sleeping in a new environment.
7. Show yourself grace, especially in the tough moments, and go with the flow of the adventure!

Rainbow Quilt Surprise

Came home after a fantastic dinner with my husband and friends, and found this lovely surprise under my desk! I think I literally gasped because I was shocked to find this little creation of art. Though both of my sons were in bed, I knew which one made it. Signature order, structure and thoughts expressed through pattern. After stumbling across this expression, I could just imagine seeing my little guy's movements, effort and thoughtful placement of the fabric swatches. I used to see surprises such as this a lot, but it's been a while now that he's in Kindergarten all day. What a delight to see such playful artwork in a unique place. Refreshing. Thankful for my present tonight.

Spelling Practice

A new way for my little guy to study his spelling words: Ordinarily I strictly request no toys at the table during homework time. Instead, tonight I capitalized on a spark of creativity and asked Gabe to teach his three Lego friends how to spell each word off of this week's list by reading the word, writing the word and spelling it out loud. Gabe's imagination is one of the most beautiful things about him. He took my recommendation very seriously and did it with delight. A win-win, no homework struggle.

New Years Resolution 2013

Okay, readers (if you're out there). One of my new years resolutions is to blog more. Not because I want to be one of those hip, famous bloggers, but because I love sharing ideas. And do I usually share my thoughts here? No! A brief note: I have countless photos I've taken and thoughts I've jotted down with good intentions to share here, but that have gotten lost in the abyss of to-dos and the following.

I used to think I didn't have time to blog because I was too busy parenting, designing, exercising, reading, researching, cooking, you get the idea. And it was true, or at least a nod to my priorities in that ever so busy season of having two little, energetic guys 15 months apart.

But now, I'm in a new season with both of my fast-growing boys off to school all day. Excuses are gone if I want them to be. I'm still busy, but could certainly make the time if I really want. Plus, I'm in a new era of technology than years ago when it was such an arduous process to share photos and submit a post on the fly.

However, with my recent discovery that I'm a 3 on the Enneagram (more on that later), I'm realizing that my current inactivity with social media / my blog lies mostly in the fact that it is sometimes nearly torturous for me to write freely and candidly, especially when it comes to the reality of the possibility of being scrutinized 24/7 in the ever-so-vast, vulnerable, never sleeping realm of the virtual world.

And if I'm really honest with myself, blogging regularly also comes with the fear of caring too much about it and seeking the approval of those of you reading this, which I have worried would manifest in a false self-identity to the ultimate demise of my soul and become an unproductive waste of time. (Hello, run-on.)

But alas, I am choosing to let go of those fears and give it a shot, even if it turns out to be a failing one.

So here goes, and thanks for reading.

PS: One last thought: the awful aesthetics of my current site is a major inspirational hang-up for me. Look for a face-lift in the near future!

Great Parenting Article

Check out this article on Raising Successful Children from The New York Times. I often think of overwhelming extremes when I hear a title like this. Think tiger mom or helicopter parent, both of which are addressed in the first sentence of the text. The article is one of the best on parenting that I've ever read. (...So good I'm actually posting it on my blog - surprise!) It is concise and based on research. Thank you, Madeline Levine and Carol Dweck.

Teaching Good Perspective to My 5 Year Old

Yesterday at breakfast it became apparent that my son needed a little help with his perspective after I sliced a banana into his cereal bowl and popped the tiny end that I had been holding into my mouth. Gabe was bummed that I had eaten the teeny piece, which for me was just an automatic action. I apologized and pretty quickly seized the teachable moment by moving on to helping him view the situation with good perspective. Behold, below is the sketch I drew while we conversed. This was also a good reminder for myself as I am in a season of overhauling my perspective, being disciplined in my thoughts and living in the present moment.

Love as a Verb

"Love is the commitment of
my will to your needs
and best interests,
regardless of the cost."

From a book I'm reading called Grace Based Parenting. 
Great way to put it. So hard and important to live out.

Meaningful Design

Fantastic Ideas Promoting Health in the Lunch Line. See here.

5 + 3

On occasion the reality hits me that I have a five and three (almost four) year old. Man, where has it gone? I can recall countless nights of interrupted sleep, thousands of diaper changes, meals made, dishes cleaned, all of the duties of a mom or caregiver. Every now and again I realize that I've forgotten about many of the stages from baby to toddler to preschooler. Instead of remembering the daily tasks, the thoughts I want to remember and dwell on most are the times of enjoying each other and playing with my boys – the on-the-knees times, wearing out the jeans times– with a single focus uninterrupted by thoughts of needing to do something or be somewhere else, the days of having nothing to do except be with each other and explore a world so new and exciting to them, the teachable moments that come only from immersing and engaging oneself in the throws that come with loving a young child, often trying and testing and more patience building than imaginable.

As much as I'd prefer times of relaxed play, the house still needs to be cared for (especially after two moves last year), laundry and dishes cleaned and on. There is typically a constant tug-o-war going on in my heart over what to do first.

My Grandma always had a clean house. I lived with her for two years. Dishes were never left in the sink, pots and pans were always shined, sheets were ironed, laundry precisely hung. I distinctly remember a phone conversation she and I had years later when Gabe and Will were babies. She told me to forget the dishes and just get on the ground and play with them. She said the dishes and house can wait. These conversations were refreshing to me (at first I had to ask myself if she really had just said what she did) and since she passed away a few years ago, her words are even more refreshing in a deeper way now. They have gained importance and a deeper meaning over the years, especially during the times when my house is messy and I feel like a failure for not having it all together, whatever that means.

I think of her nearly every day (ironically as of this last fall I live just four blocks from her old little bungalow house). Many of the household chores / methods she taught me make more sense now than then, and mostly – and thankfully – her words ring in my ears about enjoying the present reality of playing with my boys. Not great for my house, but so good for my soul, especially when I realize that raising my two little guys really and truly is going so fast.

Parenting: Brilliant Time Out Discovery

Ah! I just had a great discovery about time outs: If I designate my sons' time out location in the kitchen near the sink, I can do the dishes while the offender is in time out. This is great for two reason: (1) I keep myself distracted from them and the frustrating situation, and (2) do something productive with my energy and desire to control the situation... instead of trying to control them. Perhaps once the dishes are finished, I'll move the time out stool next to the pile of clothes that need to be folded.

Gabe's Prayer

11.21.10 // 6:45 AM

Jon is off at work, and the boys and I have had a great time hanging out in the kitchen this morning: Will on the counter eating a breakfast snack and Gabe standing on the stool up against the counter making brown rice and sunbutter cracker sandwiches.

It was a peaceful time of me having a few minutes to get the dishes done while staying engaged with the boys.

Gabe was finished and cleaning up then went to the bathroom to wash his hands before wanting to work on his Lego plane. He came back to the kitchen after washing his hands and told me that before he washed his hands he was "just praying to God." He folded his hands as he talked about praying.

I was intrigued by this as only a few times before has he mentioned praying on his own, independent of nudging or routine. I asked him what he prayed about and he said he had already sent his message up to God and that it was gone now. Ah, this kid is amazing.

I was really curious what he was praying about so I asked again using different words about what he said in his message and after a couple of tries, this was his prayer:

"Thank you God, that Ninevah is not a bad city any more."

The reason I love this prayer is because it shows Gabe's heart and the thoughts consuming his precious mind. We haven't read stories from the Bible in a few days and clearly the stories have run through Gabe's head several times since. Gabe's concern over Ninevah and the choices the people there were making shows that he wants people to make good choices and that he has a desire for others to experience God's grace when bad choices are made. He wants good and he wants love to prevail. This simple prayer gives me a sense that there is a seed in Gabe to become a global citizen in caring for other people and cities. Gabe has had previous conversations with us about how everyone needs to be loved and how he has a lot of work to do to tell everyone in the whole world that they are loved. I am curious to see where life takes this little guy and where he takes life.

Of course, I am his mom, and it is possible that I'm reading a little too much into this situation. But I also believe that a mom knows her child's heart and is able to see into it with a keen awareness – for the harsh or exciting reality – more so than an average observer.

Tuckered out

Will was already asleep tonight across the room, and I was tucking Gabe in. We were nearly finished, and I asked him if he had any roses or thorns (a little game we play) to share about our day. (In all honesty, I was stalling because I just wanted to enjoy the moment of peace after our earlier moments of unmanageable behavior while brushing teeth). Gabe responded with his eyes half closed: We can't talk about that right now. We can talk about that tomorrow. Good night, with a fluctuation in his voice while pronouncing an extra syllable in the word night that suggested I leave him alone because he just wanted to go to sleep. It made me laugh inside as my mind perceived the interaction as a hint for what might lie ahead in the adolescent years. One more sweet kiss and I left the room with two sleeping boys.

A new frontier

Well, the time has finally come: We are transitioning to a no-napping household. Gabe no longer needs a nap – which I have finally accepted and embraced as of yesterday – and, well, I'm still oscillating on what to do about Will. His behavior often tells me that he needs a nap, but he has been resisting, so the jury is still out on how it'll all go down. I'll note that Gabe will be 5 in less than a month and Will is 3.5, so they've really done remarkably well at napping up until this point. And I will say I've been quite intentional about wearing off their energy so they would sleep during the day.

I have been dreading this transition despite my many older and wiser friends assuring me that it wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. I was leery of my friends' opinions, and so I have to say, it hasn't been nearly as bad as I anticipated! After all, both Gabe and Will were asleep by the time I left their room at 7.15 PM. In fact as I was rocking Gabe, he told me that he was done rocking and needed to go to bed because he was tired!

I'm a creature of habit and love a good routine so the fact that their sleep routine has been hairy as of late (hard to get them to nap, later bed times with routines full of resistance to sleep, night wakings), is not what I consider fun. I like to know that they're going to sleep at a given time every day so that I can organize my time and count on my expectations of what is going to happen and when. (I know I sound very rigid, and I've come a long way toward embracing flexibility.) So the fact that my boys are back to going to bed early and on regiment is fantastic for my heart and knowing that I have an extra hour back into my night! ...Though I know that will disappear at some point as well.

For me, the number one lesson in parenting is that kids cannot be controlled. It took me a long time to realize that I needed to remind myself daily that my role was not to keep my kids under control, but instead view my role as managing them. ...But that is another topic.

On a more practical note, both boys will definitely still have a quiet time in their room alone by themselves for about an hour. Gabe has transitioned beautifully because of our routine; For the last few months, while I was putting Will down for a nap in the boys' bedrooms, I would have Gabe keep himself busy in my and Jon's bedroom (where he napped) with worksheets, coloring or reading and such. He enjoyed this independent time as part of his nap-time routine and so now he's already used to going in our bedroom and keeping himself busy in a constructive way.

It's been a challenge to teach the boys to sleep and prioritize the rest of two little dudes that are 15 months apart. Yet, it's definitely been well worth the journey both to me and my character (patience and perserverance!) as well as an asset to their well being.

I've been rather obsessed with keeping my boys well rested because it truly means for a much happier child and family! So if I can share thoughts or nitty gritty details of keeping energetic children close in age on a sleep schedule, by all means, ask, because I'd love to pass on what I've learned.

Yuck. Avoid corn sugar!

Check this out. This is terrible! Please spread the word that the Corn Refiners Association wants to change the name of high fructose corn syrup to corn sugar.

Here's a response by Dr. Mercola to the article above.

xo

O Little Town of Bethlehem

I am becoming more aware of the crisis between Israel and Palestine. Recently I watched a film called O Little Town of Bethlehem and went to a screening of the film.

In the film an Israeli Jew, Palestinian Christian and Palestinian Muslim shed light on the issue in an effort to spread word of the situation. The three men featured in the film support non-violence and hope that equality for both people can be met through a peaceful solution.

Sami, one of the men featured in the film was also at the screening. He was compared to being the Martin Luther King of Palestine. Yanatan, another of the three men in the film, is feature in this article. The event mentioned in this news story was happening while I was watching the film.

My heart and prayers go out to him and his family. I wish there was something tangible I could do to help.

My hope is that we can all become more aware of this situation in the Middle East and that the media can cover news in this region in a truthful, unbiased manner. I highly recommend watching O Little Town of Bethlehem if you're interested in the situation between Israel and Palestine.

Jon will be going to the two countries next month.

Amazon = a mom's best friend!

I have so many blog entries rolling around in my head, just not enough time to sit and type them out. So for now what I will say is short and sweet:
I heart Amazon.com!

Please note Subscribe & Save plus Amazon Mom discount plus two-day free shipping. Hello fantastic!

A few photos from SF

My sistas (Jessica, Angie, Sarah) + Me at Fraiche

Hydrangeas + my neice, Abi, at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Mi Madre + Mi at Jessica + Jonathan's wedding

My dear hubby + Me

Last Month's To Do List

Moving truck came one month ago today! Honestly I can't believe it was only a month ago.

Here's my to do list in short from this last month:

Move from Minneapolis to Chicago, maid of honor at sister's wedding in SF, host bridal shower + bachelorette parties, unpack, potty train my three year old, prep to start new job, hire nanny times two (since the first one backed out), meet with new pediatrician, date with cute husband, prep boys + paperwork for preschool, visit brother-in-law's farm downstate, get together with old Chicago friends, unpack + organize, make homemade pasta sauce + salsa from the six boxes of tomatoes collected at the farm, teach boys what it means to live in a condo building, politely communicate with downstairs neighbor that her demand for a household rule of "no running ever" will in fact not be possible, Chicago adventures with the little dudes including North Avenue Beach during the Air + Water Show, Shedd Aquarium, Green City Market, Lincoln Park Zoo, Hancock Observatory (today = so much fun!), convert three year old's crib to toddler bed, wait for house to sell, reinforce boys' sleep rules, miss Minnesota + friends, unpack.

Whew.