Family time

We were out of the house at 8:15 this morning so we could have breakfast at Sweet Maple Cafe (mmmm...their egg and cheeser biscuit is divine) before driving to the House of Blues for Ziggy Marley's kids concert, Family Time. Ziggy took the stage after an interactive drum circle and played a 45 minute acoustic set of classic sing-a-long reggae songs like "Three Little Birds (Don't Worry about a Thing)," as well as a few originals, like "A is for Africa, B is for Brother" and "Family Time."

A was wiggly and a little fixated on snacking, but both girls enjoyed the concert tremendously. I think it was just the right length and volume for the young audience.

We got home before lunch/naptime and filled the baby pool we'd scored from a Freecycler. Z put on her swimsuit and A was wearing her birthday suit and a slathering of sunblock. Which made it particularly easy for her to "drop a kid off at the pool," if you know what I mean.

This evening we're going to take the girls to live musical performance, the first of the free summer concert series in Scoville Park. So tonight we'll be picnicking with friends to the sounds of an 80's cover band. Will we hear Taco's "Puttin' the Ritz?"

Updated on 6/15 to include this picture of Z and A dancing.

Stevie Wonder at the Taste

We did it. We brought Z and Baby A to the Taste of Chicago's biggest draw: Stevie Wonder. I detailed our adventures on the Chicago Moms Blog. Click on over to Stevie, it's a Wonder we made it at all.

Killer Queen

Josh and I saw Tributosaurus pay homage to Queen last night at the Park West, and they brought the sold-out house to its feet with five guitarists, three faux Freddys and a 20 person chamber choir. Josh takes guitar lessons from curt Morrison, Tribute's lead guitarist, but that isn't our only single degree of separation from the the band. The bassist plays in the Lincoln (Elementary) Dad's band with our next-door neighbor and is married to a woman who works at my agency--on my floor. (I haven't met her yet.)

Today we had a picnic lunch while watching our neighbors' boys play T-ball (they were on opposite teams). And you know what--there was another Arc employee there (I hadn't met her before either). It's funny how my suburban preschool-and-playground life is continually intersecting with my corporate life. I scraped paint off my front steps during the girls' naps and I met up with two of my best friends and their kids at the park in the afternoon. On a whim, I invited everyone's families over for dinner and we brought our grill out of hibernation for grilled garlic-lime chicken legs, hot dogs, corn on the cob, canned baked beans and some cookies Z and I baked Thursday night. It turned out pretty good for no planning. So good that after finishing all her "baby food" dinner (cheese, sweet potato, carrots and Cheerios), Baby A put away about half of a chicken drumstick.

Lose the heat, catch the beat

Temps in Chicago have fallen dramatically. Calm, cloudy and cool weather has replaced the icky, sticky heat and afternoon downpours of the last couple of days. Which means I just might have to pack a sweatshirt for tonight's free concert at Millennium Park.

We're packing a picnic for an Afro Beat show at the incomparable Pritzker Pavilion. Fela Kuti's son Seun will be playing with Egypt 80, the same 22-piece band that backed his dad in the 1970s.

We'll be keeping Z up past her bedtime for this special event. Good practice for July 4th, when she just may get to see her first Independence Day Fireworks display.