Normally, Chicagoans enjoy very fine autumn weather. It isn’t unusual for the kids to play in the sidewalk sprinkler well into October. But, this year, winter came in early November and hasn’t left. Last Monday the kids even had a very unexpected snow day from school. We were coming off a long week off for the […]

Christmas time. The time of the year when homes are cozy and warm, nights are quiet and peaceful, well-behaved children are wide-eyed and wonderful. Right. Right? Wrong. Earlier this month, as I have every year since Evie was born, I was stressing out with the expectations of what Christmas should be. Why did it seem […]