When the Elinor and Juliet were born almost three years ago (ohmygosh has it really been that long?!) I entered what I now refer to as Survival Mode. Twins are hard enough, but when four older kids are also a very vital part of the overall picture life becomes…desperate?…chaotic?…challenging, shall we say? With Survival Mode […]

My Mack is STILL in school. Chicago Public Schools might just be the last school in the entire country to let out for the summer. I actually don’t mind: we’ve had a crappy start to the summer as far as the weather goes, so he might as well enjoy the heat of August and early […]

Easter was 80 degrees and sunshine. The week following encouraged long walks under fair blue skies. Then, this past weekend happened. Snow. SNOW on the last Saturday in April. Like, a lot of snow. And rain. So much muck that all the fun stuff we planned for the weekend was canceled. Perhaps the saddest cancellation […]

While Ben was at swim lessons the other day, I brought the other kids to play at the adjacent playground. The twins were so happy to roll down the slide and Vivian was content to chase after them. A fine spring day indeed! Evie and her friend Anna Maria hung out on their own, caught […]

Mack had spring break last week. He goes to a different school than his siblings, so selfishly I really enjoyed having him home without the normal distractions. One morning after picking Ben up from preschool I took the boys for hair cuts. They complained the entire walk to the salon (“I don’t want the little […]

March is a big month in our family. Three of the six kids celebrate birthdays, so we are busy with all the fun festivities. Birthdays sure are a nice way to make it through a dreary month in Chicago! Birthdays in our big family are a big deal because normal days are spent vying for […]

Ugh. Winter. We are now halfway through February and officially OVER the cold and ice and dreary skies. Dainty snowflakes fluttering from the sky are no longer charming, even to seasoned Chicagoans like us. With all of us stuck in the house, I desperately (frantically?) look for any opportunity to make a memory, pass the […]

Brrrr. This morning, Chicago officially hit -24 degrees. Today’s high is -10 degrees and that was already reached at midnight. We’re warm enough in our house, but the outside air is actually deadly. It is so cold that the door handle INSIDE our house looks like this: The kids are home from school for at […]

Last week during a chilly walk home from school, Ben informed me that today would be the shared birthday for two of his little stuffed animals, Cubby and Beary. His adorable declaration reminded me of a similar celebration Vivian requested more than four years ago: a Hello Kitty Birthday. His request was earnest and enthusiastic so […]

Last month, The Little Village Solidarity Network, a local organization here in Chicago, collected basic items needed by the Central American refugees traveling north in the migrant caravan. Several sites in the city opened their doors to compassionate Chicagoans who wanted to do something to show support for our desperate fellow humans marching towards our border. […]