I’m feeling rather nostalgic lately.  We are preparing to move from the only home we’ve raised our three children, and in doing so we are leaving a wonderful neighborhood and lovely neighbors.  Although we’re not moving far – just a mile north – I know things will be different. So, I’m taking full advantage of […]

Living in the city, my kids don’t have access to some of the summertime activities their suburban peers enjoy.  We don’t have a backyard with a sprinkler or a neighborhood swimming pool or a corner lemonade stand.  However, we are steps to a beautiful beach and walking distance to several fun fountains and plenty of […]

As I’ve written about before, breastfeeding is an important choice I make for my family.  Perhaps the best part about it is that Vivian’s food is always readily available no matter where we go.  I don’t have to worry about packing bottles or formula or water. Now that a feeding routine is established, breastfeeding is […]

There are so many reasons why I love my husband.  Like all good men, he is a hard worker and a devoted family man.  I also love him for more trivial reasons: he is really tall, he mixes excellent cocktails, he is devastatingly handsome, he lets me watch Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of …” with […]

Before Vivian joined our family 11 weeks ago I never knew just how much work went into raising three kids.  Everyone I pass on the sidewalk chuckles, “You’ve got your hands full!” and my reply is always “I just wish I had one more hand!” The first five weeks with Vivian were completely overwhelming.  She […]

I hate to generalize, but sometimes the differences between my boy and my girl are so stark.  They are both welcome to play with any toy, but it seems like Evie really does gravitate to girly toys and Mack can’t get enough of the typical boy stuff. Case in point: Mack’s current obsession with red […]

I hate to sound like a party pooper, but I think I’m about to jump on the anti-sugar bandwagon. After educating myself on the health benefits of whole foods and watching Dr. Robert Lustig’s lecture on the damage caused by sugary foods, I’m starting to lose my taste for it.  Last year I tried out […]

We are at a crossroads. In a little less than two months the lease on our downtown Chicago apartment expires.  It is a spacious home for a city apartment – two bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms on two floors – but our family of five has definitely outgrown it. Its time for us to move […]

I don’t want to jinx it, but I *think* summer might be here to stay.  Even though I was born and raised in Chicago, I hate hate hate cold weather, so I tend to spend every possible minute outdoors once the warmer months arrive.  The building we live in has an awesome roof deck, and […]

We were at our friends’ house for a BBQ last night.  It was a fun family gathering with kids happily running wild and delicious food from the grill. Even though it was chilly and rainy, it felt like a classic summer evening in many ways. Towards the end of the night, Chris rested Vivian in […]