My New Blog

I have been blogging about my green interests and exploits on a new blog I call the Green Mama - Chicago.  It started in Feb and I have been posting every couple weeks, so if you are interested in what I do with my "free" time, check it out!  (and if you like it, sign up to follow the blog so that I don't look like a loser with no one following me.)   ;)

Good Times

We have been having a lot of fun lately at our regular activities as well as finding a new fun place to play out near my mom's place. We have found a tiny, (crappy) library branch that almost always has a good museum pass available, so AJ and I went to the Museum of Science and Industry 2 times in a week a little while ago. I think he thinks the place is his. I can't believe he's only turning 2 and already knows his way around a huge museum that used to get me all turned around as an adult! This picture is of the model train exhibit that we both love to watch. The train going by in the shot is AJ's favorite because it's a ton of tractors on the move. It's like merging 2 of his favorite things into one...tractors and trains! Today in our building's hallway he randomly told me he likes the Swiss Jolly Ball. I asked him what museum has the Swiss Jolly Ball, and he said "Museum Science Industry!". Then he proceeded to tell me that they also have trains, tractors and a dancing bear (all correct). He blows me away sometimes.

The clip is of AJ playing at the Zephyr train exhibit...he's calling the Zephyr and the steam locomotive Thomas and Toby, 2 of his favorites from the Thomas and Friend's marketing mania we've recently succumbed to...and then he tried to pump the piston and needed some help, but I like how at the end he realizes the shape of the handle reminds him of a camel! LOL

During the wacky and cold weather (before the beautiful heat waves!) we also went to the Garfield Park Conservatory at least once a week. It's so nice to be around all those plants and humidity when it's so cold outside and dry inside everywhere else. Since they have a slide and space to run around too, it's almost like going to the park. AJ can now go up the stairs all by himself and then slide down the slide to meet me at the bottom.

This saves me a lot of energy, and believe me, I need it these days, running after AJ while nearing 7 mo preggers! Here he is in the video coming out the tube slide, and with snack-trap in hand, no less! I've also included a couple shots of AJ in the show house, where they have tons of beautiful hydrangeas and azaleas blooming right now. The space is truly stunning and these pictures hardly do it justice.  It's just kind of hard to take a picture of a kid on the move and capture the beauty of the blooms at the same time!
 The yellow orchid shot I took while AJ was exploring a "secret path", which is what he calls the flagstone paths that cut through the foliage. Everything is blooming there right now. Tons of pretty orchids, interesting cacti, etc., and AJ now recognizes the bananas and papayas in the Sugar from the Sun room. They have recorded wildlife noises in this room (and nowhere else, that I've noticed) and they used to freak AJ out...especially the bullfrogs near the waterfall...but now I think he looks for the frogs instead of being scared.  It's pretty funny when he looks at me and asks, "where frog, mama?"   We almost always pack a lunch and eat there too before heading home for a nap, and there's an ornate Moroccan fountain in that room. I liked how this shot of AJ at the fountain shows the scale. It's one of the only pictures I have of AJ where he looks small! And he is even standing on his tip-toes. 

I babysat our friend's son, Louis, and the boys played so well together. I think it's cool how now there is so much more interaction in their play. Here is a picture of the two of them having a blueberry muffin snack at the table. In true AJ and Louis fashion, AJ finished his muffin in about 3 bites and Louis was still eating his (at a normal person's pace).  Then AJ whines for more muffin, as if Louis is still eating because he has gotten more! So I split a second muffin with my bottomless offspring, and when he polished that off, Louis might have been about halfway done with muffin #1! At least they were cracking each other up through most of the morning, as you can see! This week on the 70 degree day (Tues?) we went to the forest preserve with Louis and AJ's other friends Violet and Jack (plus MY friends, the moms!), and on the walk back to the car, Louis tripped and fell, like all of our kids do, but it ended up he broke his arm in 2 places! Luckily, he is a trooper and didn't even cry when they set it for the cast...in 3 or 4 weeks he should be good as new.

Was it already 2 weeks ago that AJ and I went to my mom's house? I guess so...well, she had the idea to take us along with AJ's cousin Kyra to a place at the Elk Grove Park District called Jumps and Jiggles. (AJ has since asked several times to go there in the morning when I ask him what we should do that day) It's basically a huge play/climb structure on a soft surface, indoors, with other smaller, more Playschool-like things for the kids AJ's age. He loved it! There is also a real carousel that the kids can ride as much as they please. We took Kyra and AJ on it, and here are 2 of the pictures. AJ was OK while I was holding him, and although he loved the carousel at the Zoo last summer, he was totally freaked out (but not crying) when I put him on a horse and we started to move. I swear he had me in a headlock and I had to keep squatting with the stupid horse!!  Finally I just took him off and held him for the rest of the ride. Kyra on the other hand loved it and rode it 3 times in a row! Oh well, we'll see if he's into the zoo's ride again this summer or not...

When we got back to my mom's house, Kim came over with Karly and Grayson, and I had to post this picture of Grayson after demolishing his biter biscuit. Kim told me I could give him one if I agreed to wipe him off afterward. No Problemo! Totally worth it for this face! And oh, my. I really can see his daddy in him in this shot! (Not because of the messy face though, B! LOL) Must be the eyes.