More crazy weather

After the second insanely destructive thunderstorm in less that a week (this one featuring lightening, thunder, hail and winds that lasted 2+ hours), Josh ran outside to capture the eerie, pumpkin-colored sky at dusk (approximately 8:35).

Damn, it's cold

It was -10 with a windchill of -25 during this morning's commute. So cold my toes stiffened under tights, socks and winter boots and it hurt to breathe. So cold I put A in a snowsuit, scarf and hat to walk 2 doors north to daycare. Z was similarly bundled for her trip to the car for preschool drop-off.

I'm so tired of this weather.

Where's my ark?

I've never seen so much water! And neither has the rest of the Chicago. This weekend brought us the worst rain our city's seen in 137 years. Yes, you read that right.

We tried to go to the zoo this morning so that the kids could play in the indoor Hamill Play Area, but flooded roads kept us away. So we went to the Garfield Park Conservatory, where leaky roofs brought the outside inside. We followed our rainforest adventure with lunch at The Brown Sack, which is so kid-friendly the staff played children's music and asked if we'd like to have the paprika left off our mac and cheese. I also had the best milkshake of my life. Chocolate peanut butter.

If the rain slows to a sprinkle, we'll be heading to the Renegade Craft Fair this afternoon. Because I'd rather be wet than stir-crazy.

Shuella: How do you like my shoe umbrella?

I've been meaning to splash around in my trial pair of Shuellas, and today the weather finally cooperated! I'd worn black leather sandals to work, and by 5pm it was raining buckets. So, feeling a little excited and more than a little self-conscious, I sat down and slipped on my size 8 hot pink "shoe umbrellas."

Designed by a local Chicagoan, Shuella promises to save our sandals, our kitten heeled peep toes, our precious suede pumps from certain ruin. (They may even save a few of us from finanical ruin at the hands of Zappos and Piperlime!)

Shuellas come in a zippered pouch about the size of a cosmetic bag. Stash it in your purse whenever there's a chance of rain. Then, when the sky opens, unfold and put them on--right over your regular shoes.

I felt conspicuous as I headed west on Lake Street. Was everyone looking at my floppy rain boots? Why did I choose pink? They're so bright! Are they falling off? I caught a glimpse of myself in a store window, and my humiliation subsided. At least sideways, they looked halfway normal. A little bit cute even. And my feet were dry and comfortable. As long as I didn't shuffle too much, walking in my Shuellas was no different than walking in any other pair of boots. There's even a no-slip sole!

Practically speaking, Shuella is a home run. Stylistically, I need more input. So take a look at my feet in the picture above and tell me, are you laughing with me...or at me?

Shuella retails for $49.95. You can find them online (with free shipping) at Shuella.com or at Nordstrom on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

I love electricity

There's nothing quite like a 25 hour blackout to drive home how much I depend on modern conveniences. The kind that plug into the wall. Sure, there's the obvious electric stuff like the lights, microwave, TV and air conditioning. But there are also so many little things that make my life easier: the garage door opener, the cell phone charger, the cordless telephone, the Internet.

There are devices unique to parenting like the baby monitor, the breast pump and the white noise machine. And since I'm a the mother of a toddler who likes everything just so, I had to deal with a bedtime freak out when my 2 1/2 year old found out we couldn't play her bedtime music and her night light wasn't working. "But I can't seeeee," she cried until we gave in and joined the worst parents ever club, placing a votive candle on a high shelf in her room. The headlines flashed before my eyes as I fell asleep, "Unprepared for disaster, parents leave a candle lit, burn down house."

Other highlights of our night without power included changing diapers by flashlight and cleaning up not one but two massive spit-ups by blindly patting the floor, feeling around for warm, sour-smelling puddles. When we woke up, we couldn't call on Curious George or Clifford, our a.m. babysitters. But I was able to call up a friend who didn't lose power and beg her to find room in her freezer for cuts of meat and bags of breastmilk.

We spent the morning at the Original Pancake House and the library, where we ran into crowds of neighbors in the same situation. Apparently everyone was looking for a place to take the kids and score some free wifi.

By afternoon nap time I'd gotten accustomed to our new, camp-like existence. The cooler in the kitchen was packed with ice. We'd stocked up on batteries, candles and a battery-powered night light, and the block was hopping with neighbors exchanging stories and guessing when the power might be restored.

Then, at 5:15 p.m., I heard the most wonderful noise: the sound of dozens of window units kicking into gear at once. And from the street, cheers of glee.

Cross-posted to Chicago Moms Blog

Spring cleaning

Chicago's long, cold freeze finally broke and today it is absolutely glorious. And with spring on the way, my front porch will no longer be a mere pass-through on the way into our house.

So I decided to spend Z's naptime giving our more-two-than-three season room a thorough cleaning--no easy task considering it is all windows. Old-fashioned tiny paned windows covered by soot-filled screens and gritty storm windows. All so old and warped that nothing quite fits together. And since it is about 10 steps off the ground, I had to use a bucket of vinegar and water, a mop and a ladder to clean the outside.

Anyway, getting my porch cleaned would have been rewarding on its own, but I was doubly delighted to see all of my neighbors emerge from hibernation and take to the streets with their much-grown babies, toddlers and dogs. This area may suffer from some miserable winters, but the snow and ice is worth seeing the broad smiles as everyone heads back outside in the springtime. We do not take good weather for granted, that's for sure.

Speaking of folks out for a stroll, Josh walked to Walgreens and reported that I wasn't the only Oak Parker with a yen for spring cleaning. Apparently the entire block smells of cleaning supplies.

Winter in Chicago

We received a foot of snow yesterday, but the city that works worked hard to get the streets clean in time for today's morning commute. Oak Park did a pretty great job, too. Here are some pictures from my commute and one from my office (cubicle) window.

Baby it's cold outside

5 degrees this morning. Brr!