Hey you, Chicagoland. Pay close attention to what you’re about to read: GO SEE THE DRURY LANE PRODUCTION OF “BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL”! Yes, I yelled. And yes, I said “effing” in the title up there. I would have used the actual F word in honor of its major role in the musical, but this is a family-friendly blog. Let me back up for a minute. The fine folks at Drury Lane in Oakbrook asked me to come and check out the show, on their dime, and I jumped at the chance. I loved the movie, and just a few months ago my sister and I went to see (and…
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Wait, What Day Is This Again?
And the month, please? Well, I’m kidding about the month part. I know exactly what month it is (April), because I’m in the thick of LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER season. I am seriously having trouble keeping track of the days, though. (I just looked; it’s Wednesday. In case you also wondered.) I just returned from a whirlwind trip to New York City (for the LTYM book launch) and New Jersey (to visit my other family) and I had all kinds of fun being completely relaxed and in a state of recharge, especially at this moment (Sunday afternoon) at this place (the beach in Seaside Heights) with my sistuh from anuthuh…
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They Blinded Me With Science Humor
When I was researching my Chicago family travel book (Wait. You didn’t know I wrote this book? Huh.), I found all kinds of places around the Chicago area that my family had never experienced before. One of my (and my boys’!) very favorites was American Science & Surplus. This is not a sponsored post, by the way. The store contains what you would expect: science stuff and odds and ends. Lots of it is VERY odd, in fact. You can get test tubes and bottles, but you can also get little motors and paper and maps and crime scene tape and marbles and lava lamps and frames and military stuff…
- Best Thing Ever, Family Fun, Friends, Fun in Chicago, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Something That Could Change Your Life
Whirlyball, Where Have You Been All My Life?
Actually, I guess it’s the other way around. Whirlyball has been a Chicago staple for years and years, right here in front of me, but for some reason–and I’ll be kicking myself over it for a long time to come–I had never tried it…until this week. (Disclosure: the fine folks at Whirlyball invited me and some friends in for some complimentary play. I was not compensated for this post.) Whirlyball, which is a combination of lacrosse, basketball, hockey, and bumper cars, is a fast-paced team game and SO MUCH FUN. Players are buckled into “WhirlyBugs” with a plastic scoop in hand. The idea is to get a whiffle ball through…
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Note To Self:
Next year, remember to ask someone to remind me that I will likely need a sleep aid on the night in between LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER CHICAGO audition days. It’s what happens when we listen–oh, so willingly!–to these from-hilarious-to-heartbreaking stories of motherhood for hours at a time. At night, the stories start to ooze out. They stick with us for so many different reasons. When we’re in the beginning of the process of having to choose which ones are right for the show this year, there is excitement about finding our newest LTYM Chicago family members combined with sadness in thinking about the many who will have to be let…