My Cubs nightmare looms

Today the Cubbies clinched their division.

Tomorrow we're going to a Cubs game. On the train. With my in-laws and my two children. The opening pitch will be thrown just after 1pm. Also known as naptime.

Please, pray for me.

Pumpkin picking at the Children's Farm

One of our three pumpkins has already been demolished by the neighborhood's very own squash-eating squirrel, but
he can't take away my memories! For the second year in a row, our playgroup families have headed down to Palos Park to pick pumpkins, pet farm animals and picnic at The Children's Farm.

Z didn't care much for the pumpkin patch this year. She didn't like the fact that all of the pumpkins were "dirty." But she loved frolicking with her friends and visiting the lifestock. And maybe it's just me, but I thought it was a little unsettling to see a poster depicting various cuts of beef right by the stall where the kids were brushing hogs and petting cows.

Plenty more photos are uploaded here.

Kidcentric day

Most days are pretty kidcentric these days, but in light of the rainy weather, Z and I tried a couple of new activities.

First thing in the morning I wrapped Baby A in the Hug-a-bub and we took a walk through the neighborhood. Z monologued the whole time, observing everything and creating an exhaustive running commentary: "That car looks just like our car, right Mommy? Is that a toy someone lost on the ground, Mommy? Who lost that toy squirrel, Mommy? Was it a little boy or a little girl lost that wet squirrel? It was a child and not a grown-up lost that squirrel. Did they drop it and lose it, Mommy? Why? Why weren't they being careful and they dropped they's squirrel? Is now that squirrel is crying, crying for its Mommy. Right, Mom? Mommy? Why's that tree have red leaves? We're going for a walk around the block. Children always hold hands when they cross the street. Right Mommy? To be safe. We always hold hands. We don't run into the street!"

At 10am we attended Miss Tracey's Storytime at the Brown Cow with Gloria and her daughters (also 2 1/2 and brand new). It is a very popular event, and it soon became apparent why. Miss Tracey had all the kids completely entranced. She didn't read from books, as I expected. Rather, she engaged the under 4 crowd with silly antics and lots of audience participation.

This afternoon we headed south to Berwyn's Toy Trains and Models, an old-fashioned toy store with a heavy emphasis on trains (from Brio and Thomas to the big-deal, super-realistic model trains hobbyists go nuts over). Z spent about 5 minutes at a wooden train table before discovering the dolls (so much for gender neutrality). I was delighted to find an aisle dedicated to Playmobil and Ravensburger toys, both fabulous German toy brands I remember from my childhood in Berlin. We bought Z a little Playmobil set (a nursery with mommy, baby, a changing table, crib, and a few teeny, tiny accessories). I had as much fun assembling and setting it up as Z did playing with it.

You can't stop the beat

Gloria and I took our babies to a showing of Hairspray today. It's the first time I've taken a baby to the movies and only the second time I've taken a child (we took Z to see Ratatouille a month ago).

Relatively speaking, it was a piece of cake. I left the car seat and stroller in the car and put her in the sling for the walk to the theatre. Once inside, I loosened the sling so she was cradled in my lap. She wanted to nurse through the previews, but slept through 95 percent of the film. I missed one song-and-dance number to change a diaper, but otherwise I was able to enjoy the movie from my seat. My friend was not as lucky: her 2 month old wanted her up and moving so she spent most of the time standing in the back of the theatre.

As for the movie, it was pretty good. Cheesy as expected, but enjoyable. I really liked the art direction and costumes. And John Travolta? That man has no shame.

I love Millennium Park

It may have cost Chicago millions of dollars in cost overruns and opened a few years after the millennium, but Millennium Park brings together fine public art, music, food and kid-friendly fun. I played hooky for a couple of hours today and I think Z had a blast.

Downtown on the farm

We'll be at the FamilyFarmed.org Expo 2007 Saturday morning. The event is at the beautiful Chicago Cultural Center and it promises to be a feast of information and organic food. On the schedule are presentations on healthy eating for families and urban agriculture, exhibits from local family farms and CSAs and demonstrations from top area chefs like Rick Bayless, raw foodie Karyn Calabrese and Bruce Sherman from North Pond. Plus, I'm hoping to graze/shop my way through food samples at the farmer's market. It's too early for a ton of fresh produce, but there will meats, cheeses, breads, honey, nuts and handmade soaps, I'm sure.

Not sure what it is, but they're also promising an "Organic Kids Activity Corner." Kids under 12 are free and adult tickets are two-for-one if you purchase them in advance on their website.

Weekend highlights

Sports highlight 1: Our Chavurah had an adults-only evening featuring Cuban food and bowling and I don't know if it was the added weight around my midsection or the fact that I'd never bowled completely sober before, but I managed a bowling score of 100 during both of the games I played. I usually score in the 45-65 point range.

Sports highlight 2: The Bears trounced the New Orleans Saints, which means Chicago's going to the Super Bowl for the first time in over 20 years. I am not a football fan, but I'm excited for my city. The burning question: will there be another Super Bowl Shuffle?

And, for some non-athletic highlights, I thought I'd round of a couple of the latest things to come out of Z's mouth.

"You look like a zebra, Daddy." (Josh was wearing a black, gray and white striped shirt this morning.)
"This store has a whole candy section!" (At Target, which does indeed have a whole "Want Sweet?" aisle)
"I want dos! Dos are only for girls who go potty." (In the Target snack food aisle, pointing at some awful looking food called YoGos)
"I'm wearing a diaper, Mommy?" (Said moments before a blissful look crossed her face and her diaper became sopping wet)