After an anxious, emotional (understatement), and sleepless (mostly) weekend of laboring, Tracey and I finally gave birth to thirteen bouncing baby girls. Well, adult girls. And we’ve both already lost all of our pregnancy weight! Amazing, right? The cast of LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER CHICAGO 2014 was announced today (by us, the proud parents). I might have even sent LTYM Founder and National Director Ann Imig a text asking, “If LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER CHICAGO is Tracey’s and my baby, would that make you the grandmother?” Maybe I sent that text. (I did.) I am so glad that the hardest part of our season is over, and now it’s onward…
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Heavy.
This is the second night in a row that I am wide awake in the middle of the night for an extended period of time. Coincidentally, yesterday was the second day in a row that Tracey and I conducted auditions for LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER CHICAGO. Though the audition process isn’t about the two of us—naturally it’s about the stories that are presented to us in hopes of snagging one of a very (very!) limited number of spots—it affects me deeply enough that it warrants some release here on my personal blog. My inner circle knows exactly how agonizing auditions are for me. They’re exciting, of course, but agonizing all…
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Just sNOw.
It’s been a rough week for me. I have a lot on my mind: my brain is overworked. Also, tired. You might laugh and wonder what’s different from any other week, but in fact my brain has two types of operation: 1. “Obsessive, never-slowing-down, juggle juggle juggle” or…NORMAL. 2. “HIGHLY obsessive, no-idea-what-slow-even-means, can’t-shut-off, juggle juggle juggle juggle”, or…NORMAL ON STEROIDS, otherwise known as Overdrive. “Normal”, or MY normal is totally manageable for me; it’s actually how I thrive, how I get things done. Overdrive comes with emotional side effects and occasionally, a little bit of anxiety. That one’s a little more difficult. To add insult to injury, it just WON’T…
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New 1893 World’s Fair Exhibit At Chicago’s Field Museum!
When I was working on my book a couple of years ago, I researched the 1893 World’s Fair pretty extensively for the chapter I wrote about Chicago history. The World’s Columbian Exposition, as it was also called, is extremely fascinating to me. Here’s some of what I wrote about it: “The World’s Columbian Exposition was conceptualized as an 1892 celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the New World. The cities of St. Louis, New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago competed fiercely for the privilege of hosting the World’s Fair and representing the United States to the rest of the world. (Chicago ended up having the deepest…
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Hot Off The Presses
In an embarrassment of riches, I am the featured mom on two other sites today. (Well, technically one of them went up yesterday but I’m still within the 24-hour window.) I’m featured as a “Real Chicago Mom” on Family Travel with Colleen Kelly. Colleen has a travel show by the same name that is debuting locally on Chicago WTTW, Channel 11 this weekend. It airs: Friday, May 4 at 8:30pm Saturday, May 5 at 11:00am Sunday, May 6 at 5:30pm Her first episode is all about Chicago (yay!), and of course she’s hitting some other great destinations in Season 1. Follow Colleen on Twitter @familytravelck and on Facebook by clicking…
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Five Reasons To Visit Chicago’s John Hancock Observatory, Now!
I love the John Hancock building. I love its location at the north end of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile (that’s the famous shopping area on Michigan Avenue). I love its structural expressionist style and the architects’ use of X-bracing on the exterior so that the building could be taller with wide open floor plans. I love the restaurants and shopping at the base. The Signature Room on the 95th floor is where my family has celebrated some of our most special occasions. And of course, I love the Observatory. Located on the 94th floor, the John Hancock Observatory (JHO) provides Chicago’s best lake view and on a clear day you can…
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The One In Which I Give You Action Items
Big stuff today. Unfortunately, for you to get the most out of it, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Let me explain. First of all, I am so very excited that I have been selected by Hallmark to be a contracted blogger in their “Life Is A Special Occasion” campaign for the entire year. Once each month, I will be writing about the special moments–big and little–in my family, as well as all kinds of other things that may, if you’re not careful, cause you to have the warm and fuzzies. I’m especially proud of my inaugural post for this campaign; it’s all about my chronic dance…
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Chicago’s Water Tower: Small But Mighty
This Saturday marks the 140th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The fire, rumored–but never confirmed–to have been started by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, not only razed just about the entire city but also set the stage for its rebirth into the world-class metropolis it is today. (If there ever was a silver lining to a disaster, that would be it.) The fire even jumped the Chicago River (more than once) on its way to burning an area four miles long by a half mile wide. It was one of the biggest disasters to occur in the United States in the 19th century. The Water Tower, at the north…
- Amazing People, Chicken in the Car, Fun in Chicago, Proud Moments, Something That Could Change Your Life, Travels
Make No Little Plans.
“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will themselves not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will not die.” ~Daniel Burnham, American architect and urban planner, 1846-1912 How much do you know about your hometown? Could you tell somebody about its history? Do you take advantage of what it has to offer in the way of entertainment, architecture, parks, and all of the other good stuff? Do you feel comfortable exploring the entire area, as opposed to staying in the cocoon of your neighborhood? Do you know anything about the…