Stuff I Like

19 months, but who's counting?

2012-02-12T19:51:00.000-08:00

I haven't been as good about posting (or taking) pictures lately. As much as Molly smiles in real life, it's hard to get her to smile for the camera! But we tried to get a few cute ones this weekend and I think we succeeded. You be the judge:

So pretty!

Art time with Dad. Let the creative juices flow!

Hi, I'm messy!

The austerity plan - week 1

2012-02-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

So how did I do with all of the belt-tightening measures? Pretty good! I packed lunch 3 days this week; I avoided babysitters, shopping, take-out, and fancy dinners; and I did my shopping for the week on Sunday, only buying generic, sale, or coupon items. According to my Dominick's receipt, I saved $30.49! Given that my total bill was $86.54, I'd say that's doing pretty well.

I have to thank Kylie for emailing the tip that really made the difference. By signing up for Dominick's Just for U online, I was able to load virtual coupons onto my Dominick's Fresh Values card so they were automatically processed at check out. I planned my meals for the week based on the coupons I loaded and things that I knew were going to be on sale, so shopping was a breeze. I got milk for $1.17, cereal for $1.75, bananas for $0.35, a pack of chicken breasts for $3.11...you get the idea. Thanks Kylie!

Now, I did still go out twice this weekend -- to brunch with Courtney Sat morning and out for pizza with friends Sat night. But neither meal was pricey and we're just getting into this whole savings thing, so no big deal! Hopefully I can continue to make improvements every week!

I even make time for young adult fiction :)

2012-02-08T18:55:00.001-08:00

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loved the trilogy and can't wait for the Hunger Games movie. The third book was my least favorite, probably because it was the most violent and negative. BUT, that said, I really liked the way the author ended it. I was worried she'd leave us hanging on a few things, but she managed to wrap it up in a way that was satisfying and also believable.

View all my reviews

Yes, I still read...

2012-02-08T18:53:00.001-08:00

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. Not necessarily because of the plot. That was fine, but nothing special, and I'm not sure I totally bought the love story between the two main characters. But the descriptions - the descriptions! - of the different exhibits and tents at The Night Circus were such a pleasure to read. I couldn't wait to find out what the next new thing was going to be. Read it if you have any interest at all in finding out about the coolest circus never to exist.

View all my reviews

Tightening the belt

2012-02-06T19:38:00.000-08:00

So this month, we’ve been hit with new tires, new brakes, insurance premiums, a couple of flights, and a hotel deposit, in addition to the typical expenses of groceries, gas, gym, dinners, and bills. Taxes are also on the horizon, and thanks to my sister B, I know that we are going to owe a sizable chunk this year due to a withholding mix up with Jason’s last job. As my parents used to say when we were growing up, it’s time to tighten the belt!

How can we do this? Well, a few months ago when I made a list of ways I could live a greener life, I discovered that making changes for a month really did lead to more lasting changes in behavior. I’m still doing everything on the list on a fairly consistent basis, except for air drying my clothes and stopping the dishwasher before the dry cycle, though I’m feeling a little guilty as I type so pledge to do both this week.

I’m hoping if I come up with a list of ways to save some $$ for the rest of Feb and March, it will lead to overall improvements in our spending habits, and hopefully lower credit card bills for the rest of 2012. Aren’t I optimistic?! Here’s a list of 10 ideas:

Pack my lunch 4 days a week. Hopefully this will help save some calories as well as cash!
Take a break from going out to dinner/going out to expensive dinners. Yes, Jason and I love to try trendy restaurants like The Purple Pig and Chizakaya, but I think we would be just as happy having our next “date night” at the movies or grabbing burgers at a local bar. Same deal when we make plans with friends – I think everyone would probably be down with a cheaper option for entertainment.
Go generic. We’re pretty good about buying store brand products, but could probably be even better. As a marketer, it pains me a little to write this, but I bet Molly wouldn’t even notice if we switched to “toasty O’s.”
Plan meals. Shop on Sundays. While we’re on the topic of grocery stores, as much as I love our neighborhood markets (Olivia’s and W Crossings), we need to be a little bit more strategic about when we shop there vs going to the less expensive Trader Joe’s or Dominick’s chains. This weekend I picked out a handful of recipes and shopped on Sunday. It SUCKED to be at the grocery store on a Sunday, but now I have everything I need to make dinner the next few nights – including a vegetarian option for meatless Monday.
Place a temporary ban on ordering takeout. So if we plan our meals and shop on Sundays, there should be no need for us to order takeout, right? Yes Jason, that delicious pizza we ordered from Pequod’s for the Superbowl will have to be the last takeout we get for a while, because I know we can save at least $20 by switching to frozen.
Stop shopping. It’s time for a resolution that has nothing to do with food. Let’s move on to clothes. I have a closet full of cute stuff and no need for anything new. As fun as it is to spice up my wardrobe every few months, how ‘bout I give that up this year? Or just give myself a budget of $50 every season at Old Navy. I can scope out my favorite budget blogs WhatIWore2Day and His&Hers for inspiration. The Molls is going to need a thing or two this spring – can’t avoid that, she’s a growing girl – but I can probably restock her closet through savvy shopping. Nothing for Molls if it isn’t on sale!
Save babysitters for special occasions. Where else do we spend money? It’s kind of hard to find places to cut corners, but looking through my spending history on Schwab, I see I’ve written a few checks to babysitters recently. When you add babysitting fees on top of the bill at an expensive restaurant, that certainly makes for a pricey night out. We need to stick to the $15 “Parent’s Night Out” offered through daycare for our nights out (two times a month) and stay home the other nights! Unless, of course, we’re talking about a special occasion (birthdays, etc).
Clip coupons! Yes, I still get a Sunday paper. It comes loaded with coupons and advertisements that I usually throw straight in the recycling bin. But I need to start pulling out the coupons for Target, Jewel, and Dominick’s to see if I can save a few bucks on my Sunday shopping!
Move cash from checking to savings. If I don’t have it, I can’t spend it, right?
Give homemade gifts. I’ve got a pack of construction paper somewhere. Jason, looks like this year I will be presenting you with another homemade Valentine’s Day Card.

Wish me luck! Saving starts tomorrow!

Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit

2012-02-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

What better way to celebrate a birthday than with steins of beer and live German music at the Glunz Bavarian Haus? Both Jason and his friend Al have birthdays in early Feb, so we got a big crowd together and made it festive. Pics below! It felt great to be out and about on a Sat night (one of the teachers from daycare watched Molls), but Jason and I both pay the price today. I think it will end up being a pretty low-key Superbowl at the O'Grady household.

B and Archie

The boys: Daryn, Mark, Patrick, Marc, Jason, Al, Jon, John, Mike, and Dan

Me and B

Me and Linds

And then because I couldn't leave you without a few pictures of Molly, here she is, looking cute as always:

Molls in her new Star Wars T-shirt

Mom and daughter

Time to breathe

2012-01-27T15:21:00.000-08:00

Short week for me this week. I took the day off on Tues to hang with Molly and Marsha and then also had the day off today. Since Molly and I spent a quality day together on Tues, I did not feel bad at all about dropping her off at daycare this morning for a few hours so I could have some time to myself. So rare...so glorious!

I started out the morning by watching part of the Murray/Djokovic Australian Open match - in peace - and then went over to Midtown for a free pilates class - with the reformer! It was such a good workout. I think if I did it consistently, I would actually be in shape for once in my life. Something to think about.... I just don't know if I can realistically add another class to my schedule.

Anyway, I picked up Molls at noon, we played for a couple of hours, and now she's sleeping peacefully while I catch up on email, blog, and watch the first episode of Alcatraz on demand. My old LOST group is thinking about taking it up as our new show, so I need to catch up.

Speaking of catching up, I sometimes feel like that's all I do. Scramble to get Molly where she needs to be, get where I need to be, and get our house in order. Always a few minutes late and one step behind. So to have time today to just BE and to breathe has been wonderful. Jason is playing poker tonight, so the "me" time will continue :)

Dancing queen

2012-01-22T18:57:00.000-08:00

Molly has a new dance move:

It made us think of Elaine from Seinfeld. What do you think?

Actually, we think Molly is probably trying to jump, but it's still funny/cute to watch.

Since I haven't posted pics in a while, here are 2 recent favorites.

Molly in her Daddy's hat

Cooking up some banana pudding with Grandma and Mom. We thought if she stirred the pot, she'd take more of an interest in eating. Unfortunately, as fun as it was to make, the banana pudding was not a hit...

We had a great Sunday, hanging out with Grandma Marsha and Aunt B. Molly has started a crazy little babble that makes her sound like a robot. We also discovered that she knows her Daddy is "Jason" and her Mommy is "Maggie." Ha!

Smarty pants

2012-01-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

I don't have any new pictures of Molly to post, but my girl has brains as well as beauty, so I will spend some time talking (bragging) about how smart she is! Molly can...

Grab whatever color block you ask for, as long as it is red, yellow, or blue
Do the trunk motion with her arm when she makes the elephant sound (I can't even describe how cute this is)
Say the words "shoes" and "cheese." Who needs more?
Correctly identify all of the farm animals and make most of the noises
Also identify slightly more obscure things like "kites" and "bumblebees" and "ladybugs" (they do flashcards at daycare)
Call her Uncle Joe-Joe by name
Eat a few bites with a spoon without spilling (well, maybe just 1 or 2 bites, but it's progress!)

Unfortunately, my brilliant little girl will not say "Mama" even though we know she can make the "M" sound. We hear it every day when she says her favorite word: "MORE!"

Reality musings...

2012-01-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

Project Runway All Stars:

I miss Heidi (a lot) and Tim Gunn (even more), but am kind of liking the array of fashion icons they have had judging the episodes so far. Fingers crossed they have Nina and Michael Kors make a guest appearance at some point.
Michael Costello is incredibly annoying, but man, can he make a dress! I think I liked his the best this episode; however...
I was so happy to see Austin Scarlett take home a win. I can't see him making it too far in the competition, but I love his personality and was glad that he won a challenge that meant a lot to him.
Rami, where is the draping?! It's like he doesn't want to be known as a 'draper,' so he's specifically avoiding it and letting Michael Costello fill the role for the season.
Mondo has had a bit of a slow start. Nothing bad, but nothing amazing. I think that's how he started out Season 8, so hopefully he will start to dazzle us soon.

Top Chef Texas:

I am liking Hugh Acheson more as a judge than as a contestant, but I have mixed feelings about Emeril. He seems to be a pretty tough critic, like Bourdain, but where Bourdain was kind of funny about everything, Emeril just seems grumpy. And, I liked the chemistry between Anthony, Tom, and Padma. Oh well, at least we still have Tom and Padma!
The girls are SO nasty, it bums me out. Lindsay is whiny and awful and Sarah is just a straight up bully. The way they treated Bev in the last episode was painful to watch. Sweet justice that Bev took home the prize!
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah... I could go on and on about how much I hate her. It's actually making me NOT want to go to Spiaggia, a restaurant that has been on my list for years. Unfortunately, I think she is going to make it to the end. The judges love her food.
If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be Paul. I have a soft spot for Beverly, and I think Ed is also really good, even though he's a little petty and has an odd way of talking.

We'll see what happens! I'm watching, are you?

The calm before the storm

2012-01-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

My poor girl. The ear infection I thought was no big deal yesterday has reared its ugly head today. Molls woke up coughing this morning, and it's been all downhill from there!

She had a great morning at daycare, but I thought it would be a good idea to get her at lunch and let her nap in her own crib. I'm glad I did. By the time we got home, I could tell she was really feeling under the weather. She even asked to change into her PJs before her nap :(

The rest of the afternoon was a pathetic cuddle fest and now I'm listening to her cough in her sleep. Waaah!

The pediatrician said that the antibiotics can take a few days to kick in, so poor Molls might still be feeling it tomorrow. Fingers crossed she wakes up happy, but I am mentally preparing myself for another day at home. Good thing I still have a small amount of vacation time left from 2011!

Ear infection! What ear infection?

2012-01-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

I took the Molls in for her 18-month appointment today, only to find out that my healthy happy girl has a raging ear infection. Who knew? Jason thought he saw her rubbing her ear a few days ago, but that was pretty much the only sign she gave us. And this is how she looked this evening when we had friends over for BBQ brisket:

Loving the chaos! Other than that, she is doing everything an 18-month toddler should be doing -- saying no, rejecting meals, throwing tantrums, and having fun. As for stats, she's 31 and 3/4 inches (50th percentile) and 21 lb 4 oz (10th percentile). A little skinny, but we'll work on bulking her up with leftover brisket and mac and cheese. Mmmmmm.... another successful meal cooked on the big green egg!

I love this picture

2012-01-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

And Molly loves her new hat. Thanks for all the knitting Mom!

Happy Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

My mom and Molly were both feeling a little under last night, so the rest of us rung in 2012 at the clubhouse bar. It had a decent crowd, a band, and an assortment of hats and noisemakers, so we were happy.

This photo was actually posed -- not an action shot :) But it sure does look like we're having fun!

Archie and B

Our New Year's crew!

It wasn't a super late night, and I'm glad for that, because we returned home to a crying Molly. She has been fighting a cold and was too congested to sleep. Poor kid! I hope she kicks this before the flight home. Otherwise, it might be a long 3 hours. For us and everyone else one the plane.

Speaking of flights, I can't believe this trip is almost over. It's the longest vacation Jason and I have had since our honeymoon. And the longest we've spent with Molly since my maternity leave! We've had a grand time running up and down the street and splashing around in the hot tub. Molly has enjoyed the weather as much as we have. More, in fact. It's been hard to keep her indoors!

Every time Molly sees her navy blue sweatshirt, she wants to put it on and go out. Her favorite new game is to do this:

Kind of boring for the one overseeing the activity, but a blast for little Molly

We've also started to hear more "no no no's" from our girl. Someone is starting to test her boundaries. Or maybe she's just had too much attention this week. I hope that's the case because I am not ready for the terrible twos!!

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?

2011-12-28T09:33:00.001-08:00

Molls met her first horse today.

The horse's name was Sherlock Holmes

Happy holidays!

The great outdoors

2011-12-28T05:41:00.001-08:00

We're in heaven here in sunny Florida. It's not beach weather, but has been absolutely perfect for taking walks, riding bikes, and playing tennis ... and we are all taking full advantage. Molly demands at least 3 wagon rides per day and spends the rest of her time running around on the back porch. Jason, Sean, Betsy, Archie, and I have been playing tennis at every opportunity. And we've even fired up the hot tub to give Molls a swim. The best part is, we're here till Jan 2.

I forgot my camera at home, so will have to collect photos from Betsy and Jason from Christmas. There are many good ones to share! Attached is one of Molly and I with my Grandma, Mom, and Aunt Suzie.

The problem with multitasking ...

2011-12-21T15:18:00.001-08:00

In my rush to get holiday cards in the mail, I accidentally put the stamps in the wrong corner. What makes this even more embarrassing is that this late in December, all the post office had left were wedding stamps. SO, friends and family, if the post office does indeed hand sort my cards, you may eventually get an adorable pic of Molly in an envelope with a big white cake in the left hand corner. Or not. Yes, I am a working Mom.

Merry early Christmas

2011-12-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

Since we're heading to Florida for Christmas, we decided to celebrate early and give Molly a week to play with her toys before having to leave most of them behind. The gift opening was fun and Molly definitely understood what she was supposed to do -- as soon as we gave her permission to tear into the gifts, she got down to business. She's been a playing machine ever since! I've never seen her so serious...check it out:

The fam (a few nights before "Christmas")

What's in the bag?

Focus

Peekaboo!

Wouldn't be Christmas without something from Nebraska

Molly approves

Legos!

Molly in action with her new picnic basket:

Although it looks like Christmas was all about Molly, Jason and I ended up with some good loot too. I can't wait to start using my new pink iPod Nano. Thanks Jason!

Merry early Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Headbangers ball

2011-12-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

Love this band. Love this girl. Enjoy:

To watch the real video and see what's making Molly so happy, check out Jason's blog.

Supermom gets taken down by kryptonite

2011-12-06T07:35:00.001-08:00

What happened to me? Within an hour of writing that blog post, I was taken down by some kind of food poisoning or flu! All that hard work baking, and I wasn't even able to drop off the homemade goodies! Jason still took the gifts in this AM, while I was wallowing in bed recovering from a sleepless night, but he had to replace the adorable penguin containers with a box of cookies from the grocery store. That whole supermom feeling didn't last long... But now Jason can feel like a superdad after picking up the pieces and saving the day on the gifts!

Supermom

2011-12-05T21:01:00.001-08:00

Yes, I am feeling a little proud of myself, but I totally kicked butt on the holiday gifts for the Penguins class teachers. Stocking stuffers, gift cards, homemade cupcakes and cookies, all in penguin-themed Tupperware and gift bags, and all organized/purchased/baked by ME. If I can't brag on the blog, where else can I brag?

Lil' kicker

2011-12-04T13:02:00.001-08:00

This year, Molly's daycare scored big points by hosting the holiday party at an indoor soccer facility. Perfect setting for a bunch of 1- to 4-year old kids who are sick of being cooped up in city condos for the winter. Molly had a blast running around and yelling "ball, ball, ball!" And Jason was happy to see his little girl get excited about his favorite sport.

Not exactly thrilled to meet Santa...

SO happy to have a chance to play soccer

Molly in action. We didn't get any footage of her actually kicking the ball, but I think you can tell from this clip how happy she was to be there:

We're still a few months away from Molly being old enough to participate in group soccer lessons. But we'll get her signed up as soon as she hits the 18-month mark!

A good report

2011-11-29T19:21:00.001-08:00

Big day today for the Molls. School pictures came back and we had our winter quarter parent-teacher conference. After a rocky transition, it seems like Molly has adjusted well to the Penguins class and has been having lots of fun. She's been singing, dancing, learning new words (add "apple" to the list!), participating in circle time, enjoying the various art projects, reading, eating, and napping like a champ. All without the pacifier!

16 months and proud of it

She's very into having fun right now and loves being chased, lifted, bounced, or turned upside down. We've also had great success with youtube. The chicken dance is a big hit (Molly can even do the moves) as well as a song called "We Are the Dinosaurs." She likes to march.

Molly still doesn't like when the boys try to hug her...and they ALL try to hug her. But I can live with that :) My girl just needs her space!

Little penguins

What I'm thankful for

2011-11-26T12:17:00.001-08:00

Life is pretty good right now, and I have much to be thankful for this holiday season. At the top of the list, obviously, are Jason and Molly. We're a happy little family unit, made even happier by the purchase of the Medium Green Egg smoker, which helped us make the best Thanksgiving turkey we've ever had.

Jason, Molls, and the Egg

Of course I'm also thankful for my 2 beautiful sisters and that they are both living in/near Chicago. It makes it easy for my parents (who I am also thankful for) to come visit and see all of us at once.

Sus, B, Mom, Molly, and Me

Now that we're finished with Thanksgiving...time to get in the Christmas spirit :) The stockings are hung by the chimney, with care, and we're picking up the tree tomorrow. Woo hoo!

All business...

2011-11-20T18:11:00.001-08:00

Jason and I finally decided it was time to snip the party in the back of Molly's hair and get rid of the mullet once and for all. Unfortunately, cutting a toddler's hair is much more difficult than expected. Molly no longer has a tail, but one side is longer than the other, and there are a couple of chunks in the back that look like they were hacked off at random. That's because they were. Poor kid... Now I know why children's hair salons like Snippets are in business!

Yes, I'm still cute

No more mullet!

What's cooking?

2011-11-16T19:05:00.001-08:00

With my family, Thanksgiving is all about the sides. Cornbread, stuffing, cranberries, potatoes, green bean casserole. Need I go on? We are also pretty particular about our pies. Mocha pie and apple pie are served every Thanksgiving. No pumpkin. And if you put a piece of cheese on your pie, my mom will give you a dirty look.

Because no one is really all that into the bird, Jason and I have spent the last few years experimenting. We've had some highs (beer can chicken) and some lows (turducken), but every year has been fun trying out a new recipe. Except, of course, the year I had the flu.

This Thanksgiving, in honor of our obsession with Top Chef, we're going to try a Rick Bayless recipe -- Mesquite-smoked grilled turkey with red chile adobo sauce (see page 2 of this article). Why not? It can't be worse than the turducken. And by cooking the turkey on the grill, it frees up the oven for our delicious sides :) Wish us luck!

National Blog Posting Month

2011-11-15T19:16:00.001-08:00

I guess November is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) and I should be writing a post a day. Ack! Missed the boat on that one. I promise to do it next year. Or maybe I'll just do it next month instead. My own personal Blog Posting Month :)

If you follow this blog, you'll know that I usually only manage one or two posts a week, and that lately, I've basically just been posting pictures of Molly. Family members are probably okay with that, but I feel like I should be writing more. I want to write more.

Now that I have tendinitis in my wrist, I have fewer excuses for not blogging. I can't play tennis (though I could still go to the gym...). I can't knit. So I might as well update my blog! Jason is traveling the next couple of days, so look forward to new posts about Top Chef, football, and whatever else pops in my head after Molly goes to bed.

Speaking of the Molls, I'll leave you with this:

The Vipper of Vip, wearing a cape of her own design, at Chloe's 3rd birthday party

Snuggle up

2011-11-12T18:49:00.001-08:00

I've never been a big snuggler. Ask my mother. Ask my husband. But now that I have a 1-year-old in fleece pajamas, my world has changed. How could I not love cuddling up with this adorable little girl??

Happiness is a warm baby

Second cousins

2011-11-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

While I was getting ready with Lauren and the other bridesmaids on Saturday, Jason took Molly out for ice cream (Graeter's!) and then over to play with her cousin Ella. Well, technically, they are second cousins if I can trust the 'cousin chart' and kinship definitions on Wikipedia :) I think I probably can.

I loved Emily's email about the weekend:

Here are some of the pictures of Ella and Molly together from Saturday. They really enjoyed playing together. And we got the biggest kick out of watching them eat together. Ella had to eat everything that Molly ate and served the same way as Molly was served. It was great to watch!

-Emily

P.S. I think Molly needs a dog!

First taste of the good stuff

Ella, Molly, and Uncle Neal in the sandbox

Competitive toddler eating -- who can take down the most peas?

Adorable times two

Chillin' with Sadie and Uncle Neal

Snuggling with Sadie and Uncle Neal :)

More fun times with Ella and one of the dogs...probably Sadie (Molly's favorite)

Beautiful bride

2011-11-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it -- all of my close friends from high school are married! Last weekend was Lauren's wedding in Cincinnati. We wined and dined on the Kentucky side of the river on Fri night and then danced the night away at Hyde Park Country Club on Sat.

Lauren (and her mom, and probably Steve) put in so much work making every detail of the wedding absolutely perfect. The flowers were gorgeous, the food was delicious, and the band was awesome. I'm pissed I forgot to bring home a jar of the homemade pepper jam they had as a wedding favor. Oh well!

Anyway, it was a wonderful wedding and I'm so happy I got to be part of it!

Rehearsal dinner on the river

Dana and LT

Getting hitched! At St Xavier in Cincinnati, OH

Linds and Dana -- looking lovely. I had a pretty purple dress too, but no pictures to prove it!

A double dose of Halloween

2011-10-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

This year, Molly got to sport her costume twice -- once at the daycare Harvest Fest on Thursday and also at our very own O'Grady costume party last night. Molls was a pretty serious Pebbles at the Harvest Fest. But I think by the party on Saturday, she was used to the whole costume thing and had a good time running around and enjoying the tricks and the treats. It probably helped that she had Fred and Wilma by her side on Saturday, and her Grandma and Grandpa, too!

Hanging out at the Harvest Fest

Costume parade...pretty much just looks like a bunch of parents walking with kids in coats :)

Urban trick or treating -- how many kids can you cram in an apartment hallway?

Sponge Marsha Square Pants trying to pick up Pebbles' trail of treats

Yabba dabba doo!

Meet the O'Flintstones

A big crowd for a little condo

The Denver post - part II (2 little pumpkins)

2011-10-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

We ended up going to the pumpkin patch on our last day in Denver, so of course we ended up with some adorable pictures. I'll keep the writing on this post short because the Project Runway finale is starting and I want to be able to give it my full attention :) But I don't think anyone checks out this blog for the prose anyway...

The oldest O'Grady brothers and their little pumpkins. Hats courtesy of Grandma Lynette... awww!

Molly decided to crash Jeremy and Megan's family photo

Our happy family -- check out those mountains in the background!

All tuckered out on the plane ride home after a wonderful vacation :)

The Denver post - part I

2011-10-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

We're taking so many good pictures, I think I will have to put together at least 2 posts from this trip to Denver -- our first visit to meet Will! Without further ado, here is my ADORABLE nephew (and Jeremy):

Awww! Guess who knit that sweater?

We arrived Friday morning, after a pretty easy flight with a very well behaved Molly, and headed straight over to Megan and Jeremy's new house in Stapleton. Jeremy was there to greet us at the door, with Will in his arms, and Jason and I were quick to jump at the chance to hold him for the first time. I know Molly was that size, at one point, but it's like I don't even remember it!

We've been busy this weekend -- parks, Aunt Kathy's art exhibit, good food, and lots of time with family. Molly was able to hang out with 2 of her great-grandmas, and also her great-great grandpa Joe. If only Steve was here, we could have taken another 5 generations photo! We took a few 4 generations photos though, which I will include in post #2.

Sliding through the rocks. Wheeee!

Dinner out -- Molls and Will just chillin' at the table with everyone

So happy to be here!

Great-great grandpa Joe, Molly, Jeremy, and Will

A tale of too many servings

2011-10-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to go to Publican for a while now, so was very excited when Susie decided to celebrate her birthday there.

The birthday girl, and Sean, at Publican

We all enjoyed the dinner, but made a few rookie mistakes. I think the next time we go there will be better. First of all, I probably won't go back with more than 6 people. We had a party of 8 (me, Jason, Susie, Sean, Betsy, Archie, and my parents) and with the communal seating, long tables, and high ceilings, it was really hard to talk to everyone. Second, I don't think I will order anything from the seafood side of the menu. The meat dishes were sooo much better than the fish dishes. No question.

We also had a bit of an ordering mix up, that I think was probably my fault since I was in charge of ordering :) I chose 7 dishes and 2 vegetable sides to share -- but since we had a party of 8, the waiter thought I wanted 2 servings of everything. By the third dish, we were all getting full and starting to worry about how much more we had coming. I was expecting small plates and every course was coming out family style! Luckily we figured out the problem and were able to cancel the double orders. Needless to say, we all walked out of there completely stuffed!

The highlights of the night included the Brussels sprouts (who knew!?), the squash, the pork tenderloin, and the lamb curry. I also really enjoyed the ham plate as a starter. Oh, and the sweetbreads were very good too, so long as I didn't think too much about what I was eating :)

Happy birthday, Sus! And thanks for the extravagant, and I'm sure very expensive meal, Dad!

Little pumpkin

2011-10-16T19:21:00.001-07:00

I thought my readers might like to see a few pics of Molly choosing her pumpkins for Halloween. Because Molly is still little, we went with the small ones from the bins. She had fun making her selections.

Now Molls is hanging out with her Grandpa and Grandma Overbey while Jason is in DC for a convention and I am in Dallas for a sales meeting. I knew the day would come when our work trips overlapped. Luckily, my parents already had tickets booked to Chicago for their Northwestern reunion!

Zoo visit #2

2011-10-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Jake and Corinne were in town, the weather was gorgeous, and the Bears had Sunday off. Perfect Sunday for a trip to the zoo! Molly was much more into it this time. She loves birds, so the penguin exhibit was a big hit. And of course the monkeys provided plenty of entertainment.

Big girl -- picnic in the park

Bird! I had fun on the merry-go-round. Not so sure about the Molls :)

They was like peas and carrots

This weekend was much cooler, so I'm glad we got our zoo trip in when we did!

A girl and her Bears

2011-10-09T06:23:00.001-07:00

Molly is officially ready for football thanks to her Chicago Bears pillow pet from Uncle Jake.

The Bears don't play until Monday, but maybe if Molly gives her new toy enough love between now and then, it will give them strength to beat the Lions!

Go Bearsssss!

Once bitten twice shy

2011-10-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

Molly's first week in the "big kids" classroom ended with this:

Tiny teeth marks -- at least it didn't break the skin!

Apparently there was a scuffle over a fire truck and the other child ended up biting Molly on the hand. Ack! On a positive note, Molly handled it okay -- no breath holding or anything like that.

One more gamble

2011-10-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it took me a week to get to this post! The trip to Vegas last weekend for Lauren's bachelorette party was so much fun and needs to be documented. Here's a quick run-down of what we did:

We hit up the new casino, The Cosmopolitan, on Friday night, starting out with dinner at China Poblano, a Jose Andres Mexican/Chinese restaurant. I stuck to the Mexican side of the menu, because it is so hard for me NOT to order tacos if I have the option. But people who ordered noodle dishes were happy as well. It was a great restaurant to start the night because we were able to order small dishes that didn't break the bank. And, the salt air margarita was to die for. Instead of salting the rim of the glass, the drink was topped with a lime/salt foam...heaven for a salt lover.

The night continued at the bar on the main floor of the casino and kept going into the wee hours of the night for part of our group, as Lauren kept wanting "one more gamble."

Saturday afternoon was dedicated to the pool at Bally's, where we lounged around all day in a cabana and got poolside massages (feet for me -- all that walking around Fri night in heels was hard on my legs!). And then I was lucky enough to win $150 playing roulette on my way back up to the room. I bet on black and my bday (20). Double whammy!

Sure does feel good to win $150 on the walk back from the pool!

On Saturday night, we went to Tao, which honestly, was a lot cooler when I went back in 2009. This time, the line was packed with bachelorette parties (like us) and skinny, 21-year-old college guys with acne. We danced for about 45 min, got that out of our systems, and then hightailed it out of there to hit up the bar at the Hard Rock.

Me and the bride-to-be!! About to scarf down late-night food at the Hard Rock.

My roommates for the weekend -- Dana and Nat.

I think I need to take a vacation with my girls every year. Just hanging out in the room, getting ready together, talking about this that and everything else, was wonderful. I miss them already. Good thing Lauren's wedding is just a few weeks away!

Saying goodbye

2011-09-30T18:01:00.001-07:00

Now that Molly is 15 months, it's time to say goodbye to the Koalas and hello to the Penguins!

Starting Monday, Molls will be transitioning to a new class at daycare. And because of space issues, she will not be able to join her pals Malina, Alexis, and Brendan in the Chimps room.

But that's okay, the kids in the Penguins class look nice too. And Molly already knows 2 of the teachers, so we feel good about that.

What's new about the Penguins classroom? Well, Molly will eat meals at a table. An adorable, kid-sized table! And she'll sleep in a cot instead of a crib. I'm very curious to see how that goes...

We will miss the Koalas though. It's been good to us. Hopefully it will be as good to the Brandis because little Lainey is taking Molly's spot!

Molly's last full day with Isaac. "If you see me walking by, and the tears are in my eyes, look away, baby, look away."

New kicks

2011-09-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this before the weekend and didn't have time, which was too bad, because Natalie had cute videos of Cole to show off and I wasn't able to share anything adorable of Molly.

Anyway, we got Molly her first pair of gym shoes last week and she LOVES them. I think she thinks they make her fast.

Adidas!

Feeling cute

And here are a few clips of Molly in action:

She's just so fun now! I love it!!

Molly had an action packed weekend breaking in those new shoes with her daddy while I was in Vegas for Lauren's bachelorette party. Look for a post about that to come soon. But right now, I'm feeling a little too tired to upload my photos. Totally. Out. Of. Gas.

Deja vu

2011-09-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

I was thinking of calling this post "winners and losers," but thought I may have used the title already. Sure enough, almost 1 year to the day, I posted a random blog entry about the US Open, Project Runway, Friday Night Lights, and my fantasy football teams. Ha! Many of the same topics are on the list for this evening's post! So here goes...

Winners from this week/last week:

Novak Djokovic: Last year, after a hard fought US Open loss, I felt like Novak was starting to grow on me. This year, I could not have been more bummed out to see him win. He's playing unbelievable tennis right now, but he is just SUCH a child. I can't get behind him. I am crossing my fingers that either Federer or Nadal will knock him off his pedestal next Jan at the Aussie Open!
Anya: She didn't technically win the last challenge on Project Runway (for some reason, they gave it to Josh M for making a black cocktail dress straight out of Ann Taylor), but she is always in the top 3 and seems to be the designer to beat this season. Her stuff always ends up looking so cool...and she also seems like a really nice person. I was prepared to hate her for being so pretty and not really knowing how to sew, but she manages to pull it together every week and be almost universally liked among the other designers. Go Anya!!
Kyle Chandler (aka, Coach Eric Taylor): I was not expecting him to win the Emmy for Friday Night Lights, but he DID. It just warmed my heart to see him up there looking dapper in a tux and giving a wonderfully short and heartfelt speech. I will miss him.
Molly: She is currently sleeping peacefully in her pack 'n play in my room. For some reason, being put down in her crib this evening was worthy of 2 silent (breath holding) cries. I'm home alone for a few days with Jason at a convention in Vegas, so was not going to try to win the battle of wills. Molly got to cuddle with me in the big bed until she was tired enough to go to sleep in the pack 'n play.

Losers from this week/last week:

Me: Ummm...did you see the previous bullet about the breath holding and the pack 'n play? The good news is, she hasn't done this (the breath holding) for quite a while, so I don't feel quite as upset about it as I would have a few weeks ago. Mondays are always a little rough getting back into the weekly routine. At least that's what I tell myself!
My fantasy football team (The Ginger Midgets): Last year, it was Ryan Grant who went out early. This year, it's poor Jamaal Charles. With 12 people in our league (the OFL), it might be tough to pick up a decent replacement. And unfortunately, I don't really have anyone to trade. Waahhh! My other team (The Duendes) is in a little better shape. I'm 1-1 in that league and at least have Drew Brees to rely on every week. But the Ginger Midgets could be doomed!
The Chicago Bears/Jay Cutler: It seemed like Cutler got taken down on every play. Bummer! The Saints are tough, no doubt, but it doesn't bode well for Green Bay next week :(
The Ohio State Buckeyes: The 24-6 loss to Miami was just sad. And Northwestern lost to Army. Where is Persa???

I can't end the post on a down note, so I will end it with this, a pic of my adorable nephew Will! I was lucky enough to catch Jeremy, Megan, and Will on google chat this evening. Made my night!

Awwwww :)

The D word

2011-09-10T08:11:00.001-07:00

Discipline. The D word. I don't really know how it works and according to the baby book I hadn't cracked open since my maternity leave, I should have started being firm and consistent at 9 months. Ack!

I've seen other kids Molly's age who get what a "no-no" is...mine thinks "no" is a game. She shakes her head from side to side and smiles.

Molly is a pretty good kid already. I just have a few things I need to accomplish. For example, I need her to understand when something is dangerous. Like standing up in the tub.

What else? It would be nice if she didn't throw food on the floor or try to break the computer. Are these realistic goals?

I guess we'll find out soon! I don't want the Molls to be totally spoiled, so I'm going to have to start setting some limits and following through. Wish me luck! She's starting to learn what a tantrum is - yesterday at the park she turned red and kicked her legs like a frog when I took her away from another kid's toy.

Veruca Salt? I hope not!

Molly's stay-cation with Grandma and Grandpa

2011-09-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

While we were dancing and celebrating with Lindsay and Robbie in Michigan, Molly was dancing and celebrating with her grandparents in Chicago. My family kept me updated through email and text. I was SO happy to have the updates and know that she was doing okay. Jason and I thought a few of them were kind of funny, so I thought I would post everything in the order received.

Friday afternoon -- email from Mom:
We took Molly to the park. I forgot my camera & phone. Will take them next time. 5 or 6 kids there. Molly didn't want to leave. She is having lunch now - she was hungry. The grapes are a big hit.

Now it's after lunch and she is wandering around being cute. Dad was sitting on the edge of the sofa, and for a while the game was to stand with him, walk away and the turn around and come running back. She did this 5 or 6 times. She got out all her toys. I realized the the Old MacDonald book was actually a hand puppet. When I took it off, she wanted to stick her hand in. Then she would wave it around and make that Grrrr noise. We are having lots of fun. But the pacifier is in now and I think she is winding down to nap time.

Friday evening -- email from Mom:
Our first day has gone pretty smoothly. Molly has been very cheerful. We have worked out several games. She likes to stick her feet in things. Sitting down, she will grab her foot and place it in a box or bowl. She had me put her shoes on earlier today. When she thinks she is running very fast, she hunches her shoulders way up.

She had a 3 hour nap, so we didn't feel too guilty when we put her to bed late --- 8:45. We went out to dinner at Northside and it went reasonably well, but we made some rookie mistakes. We should have taken some food along for her -- a rusk bar or cereal bar would have been a good idea. She does not like French fries. She did like tearing up a napkin into tiny shreds. That would have been ok if she had not followed it up by throwing it on the floor, piece by piece. And when I picked her up so she could look around, I would have preferred if she had not chosen that time to stick a finger in her nose -- something she had not done all day in the privacy of her home. (Actually, at one point, she used both hands to go bi-nostril.)

We are communicating pretty well. I can understand her when she wants food. This evening she went to the kitchen and let me know that she wanted to finish off a bottle that I had stuck in the refrigerator after she gave up on it 3/4 of the way through.

I haven't taken many pictures, but I will do more tomorrow.

Hope you are having a good time. We are.

Saturday afternoon -- email from Dad:

Things are going well with Molly. We just finished breakfast and she is in good spirits. We made a quick trip to the park before noon yesterday and went down to the restaurant in Bucktown for dinner. I think it was Northside. Molly was good. Probably back to the park today and we'll give Molly a bath too. She needs one.

Will be watching a lot of college football today in between watching Molly. Have fun at the wedding and all of the other activities.

Saturday afternoon -- email from Dad:

I gave Molly the Nebraska Bear and pressed his letter and she listened intently, but when the Buckeyes scored a touchdown seconds later, she threw down the Bear and started singing, "March, march on down that field, men of the Scarlet and Gray...."

Saturday evening -- text from B:
I'm at your house. Molly is happy as a clam. She's a playing machine.

Sunday morning -- text from Mom:

Does Molly have any socks? She woke up a bit sniffly and it got chilly here overnight. I have her in a sweater, but her feet are bare.

Sunday morning -- text from Mom:

And where are the rubber bands to keep that Simply Red forelock out of her face?

Sunday afternoon -- text from Mom:

Big morning at the playground. I didn't know she could climb stairs. She went to the top of the slide, so I slid her down to Grandpa on her tummy.

Sunday afternoon -- text from Mom:
I just put her down for a nap. A little early, but she was ready. I hope this means that she will be back up by the time you get home.

Molly was up when we got home and the reunion went well. Relief!! Here are a few of my parents' photos from the weekend. As you can see, Molly was fine without us:

Wedding whirlwind

2011-09-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

Such a fun wedding weekend! 3 days in Harbor Springs, Michigan with my best pals from high school, Lindsay & Robbie (obviously), and about 250 other fun and friendly wedding guests from around the country...how could it not be amazing?

I can't believe I forgot to take pictures because this was definitely a wedding worth documenting. Every detail was just perfect. The rehearsal dinner was Southern-style (Robbie's mom is from Mississippi), so we got to enjoy fried chicken and cheesy grits while looking out onto the harbor. And the wedding reception was on the Everest family's farm -- from a distance, it looked like a huge, bright, tent-shaped party spaceship came down and landed in the middle of a forest. The band had everyone dancing and the night just flew by.

The best part was to see Lindsay and Robbie so happy. I stole this pic off Facebook so you can at least see how cool the dancing "wing" of the tent was with all of the trees and twinkling lights.

First dance! Lindsay looked SO pretty in her dress :)

Congrats to the happy couple!

Art party

2011-08-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! We had so much fun at the Bucktown Arts Fest -- Molly too! Jason's booth looked great, the weather couldn't have been more perfect, and we had a steady stream of friends come by to hang out and keep us company. Special thanks to Josh Ford for purchasing 2 pieces and to Brett Mackie for helping build the display frames :) I'm so very proud of Jason and hope this is the first art show of many!

Back of the booth -- color!

The proud artist with his daughter and the popular "black series"

Jason was also lucky to have 2 very talented neighbors who were veterans of the art fest scene and able to provide him with some tips for the future. The artist to our left, Anna Todaro, even won one of the "best in show" awards. Since Molly has recently learned how to say "bird," I bought a print of one of Anna's paintings for Molly's room:

Sweet Talk

We weren't in the market for lamps, but if we were, I would have bought one from our other neighbor, Ronda Ruby.

I was in the market for earrings, which I purchased from Connie Hinkle, who we met at the kick off party. I also got a really cute belted tunic (on sale!) from Megan Lee Designs.

All in all, it was a great weekend. Poor Jason had to jump straight into a business trip, so no rest for the weary. But hopefully he will get some time to relax over Labor Day weekend!

Bucktown Gothic

2011-08-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the kick off for the Bucktown Arts Fest. Jason and I went to a silent auction at the Jackson Junge Gallery and ended up with 2 paintings and a really cool photograph for next to nothing. Woo hoo! We also posed for our own version of American Gothic:

More pics to come from the fest this weekend! And if you're in Chicago...come see us at booth #98. Senior Citizens Park, 2238 N Oakley, Chicago, IL.

A Visit From the Goon Squad

2011-08-23T21:01:00.001-07:00

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved it, loved it, loved it. Each chapter stands alone, like a book of short stories, but the same characters pop up throughout, so it ends up feeling like a novel. I actually read 2 of the chapters in the New Yorker, not knowing they were part of a larger book, and loved them even more once I had the backstory.

One of the main characters is Bennie, a punk bassist turned indie music producer who sells out and later finds redemption through one of his oldest friends. But really, I think the story is Sasha's -- Bennie's assistant who we meet in the first chapter and then see again through the eyes of her best friend (Rob), her boss (Bennie), and then finally, her daughter (Ally -- a fantastic chapter all in PowerPoint).

Love, loss, friendship, music, the things we go through in life and have to overcome, even the impact of technology on our lives, this book explores so many themes, through many different pairs of eyes. A wonderful read!

View all my reviews

SO proud...jazz hands!

2011-08-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

Archie (newest addition to the blog) and B

Susie, Sean, Betsy, and Archie (see picture on right) came over for dinner tonight and Molly decided she was going to entertain. Her newest trick is that she can stack nesting blocks, and oh, she is so proud of herself when she does this. She sticks her hands out -- jazz hands -- and smiles her biggest smile, demanding applause and praise. She's so cute, we can't help but give it to her!

Check it out (twice):

Fun night tonight hanging with the sisters and the boys. Susie and Sean are off work now, and Betsy and Archie are fresh off a vacation, so it kind of felt like a weekend. I'm bummed that I have to go to work tomorrow :(

Molly and the boys

2011-08-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

Pic from today at daycare:

Molly, Brendan, Grant, and Evan

Molly is also covered in paint, but her color is light pink and harder to see. Awwwwwww!

A successful vegetarian entree--burrito casserole

2011-08-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in Family Circle and thought I would share. It's yummy, healthy, easy, and makes enough for daaays of leftovers.

2 packages (8.8 ounces each) brown rice, cooked
1 jar (15 1/2 ounces) salsa
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can (15 ounces) refried beans
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn, thawed
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (we just used regular chili powder)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat taco cheese blend
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, salsa, and oregano. In a second bowl, combine the refried beans, corn, chile powder, and cumin
Coat a 12x8x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread half of the rice mix evenly in the bottom of the dish. Layer the refried bean mix and half the cheese over the rice. Spread the spinach on top of that. Top with the remaining rice and cheese
(Optional) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days
Heat oven to 350, bake uncovered for 35 min or until internal temp is 140. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving

Jason and I also topped with hot sauce for a little extra flavor. Yum!

The recipe makes 6 servings. Each serving has 382 calories, 9 g fat (4 g sat), 19 g protein, 61 g carbs, 10 g fiber, 788 mg sodium, and 26 mg cholesterol. Not so bad, right? Kind of high in carbs and sodium, but nice and low in calories!!

PS. We did our shopping at Trader Joe's and remembered to bring our bags from home :)

An environmentally-friendly August: mid-month progress

2011-08-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

How have I been doing with my list?

Most things have been easy to remember and have already become part of my daily routine:
2. Use a plastic cup for water at work
3. Turn off the lights
5. Unplug my phone charger
6. Turn off the water when brushing my teeth
8. No more printing unnecessary documents at work
9. Turn off my computer screen

A few things have been more difficult, but I've made progress:
4. Air dry my clothes. I've let a few loads air dry, but have still been putting towels and most of Molly's clothes through the dryer.
7. Stop the dishwasher before the dry cycle. Sometimes I catch it in time, but not always.
10. Have a Meatless Monday. I've been good about staying meatless for breakfast and lunch, but haven't really made an effort to cook vegetarian for dinner. Next week, I promise!

And one thing on the list, the top thing, the reason for creating this list in the first place, has been SO hard to remember:
1. Bring canvas bags to the grocery store. I keep forgetting! I think I need to get a bag that fits in my purse. Maybe that will help. Arrrgh!

Playdate in the 'burbs

2011-08-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

My main reason for taking every other Friday off was to have a day where I felt like a straight-up mom, not a working mom. A day to just play with Molly, without having to worry about getting anything done. Of course I've ended up working some of those Fridays anyway, or using the day to travel, so that mom feeling still hasn't really hit me much yet. But yesterday was great. It was just the kind of day I wanted my Friday off to be!

Molly and I drove to the 'burbs and had a real-deal "playdate" with my some of my coworkers' kids. Marnie and Joanne are 2 of my best friends at work and both have Fridays off too. We all sat on the back porch drinking lime-aid and talking while our kiddos splashed around the water table.

Jake and Molly at the water table

Playing away

Perfect summer afternoon on the deck

I also got to meet Marnie's new baby, Matthew, and my friend Soyoon's new baby, Paul. Total cuties! It was a great day and kind of made me want to move to the suburbs a little. Molly was running all over Marnie's house and bouncing from one toy to the next. She just had so much room to MOVE. She loved it. And I loved being able to go outside to play without having to walk 10 minutes to a park.

But then it took over an hour to get home and I remembered why I love living in the city :)

A girl and her horse

2011-08-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

My Grandma and Grandpa O (Molly's Great-Grandparents) sent up a hobby horse for Molly's first birthday. I sent them photos of her enjoying her new toy, but thought I would also post them here.

I've been neglecting the blog and promise to post more this weekend. We've been busy busy busy, but life is still good. Jason started his new job this week and is SO excited about it. And Molly has been doing her Frankenstein walk (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know Frankenstein isn't the name of the monster, but that's what we call it) all over the house.

Now I must turn my attention to the So You Think You Can Dance finale. Ahhh, what a show!

Monticello

2011-08-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

Jason and I left Molly with Grandma and Grandpa O'Grady for a couple of days so we could have some time to ourselves. We decided to drive up to Charlottesville, VA to tour Monticello, take in some history, enjoy a massage, eat a nice dinner, and sleep in :) Heaven.

Monticello was really cool -- a bigger tourist attraction than I would have expected!

Jason and Jefferson

My turn to pose with the man

Walking up to the house. Can you believe Jefferson was a self-taught architect?

One of the many gadgets around the place. Jefferson was obsessed with the weather so he had this gauge hooked up to a weather vane to allow him to check the wind twice a day from inside the porch

Side view -- check out the dome

Wine cellar. Jefferson spent a boatload to have crates of wine shipped in from France; he even tried to grow French grapes in Virginia. We sampled a bottle of Virginia's finest at dinner on Sunday night and enjoyed it quite a bit!

View from the veggie garden. Jason and I both agreed Monticello would be a nice place to live :)

And while we were enjoying our time away, Molly was having the time of her life with Grandma and Grandpa:

Playing

Tasting glass

Chow time

Obviously, Grandpa lets Molly do whatever she wants!

The first trip away from Molly was a success. However, the reunion was a little rockier than I would have liked. She woke up from a nap a few minutes after we got home and cried when I first picked her up, which just about broke my heart. Jason and I aren't sure if she was confused or if she was angry that we abandoned her. She seems to be over it now and I'm glad we have a month at home before the next trip! Time away is wonderful, but time with Molly is better :)

Feeling confident

2011-08-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Molly can now get across the room on her own 2 feet! It helps if we cheer :)

I'm an aunt!!

2011-08-01T09:56:00.001-07:00

Welcome William Gordon O'Grady to the world! He was born sometime last night. Not sure how much he weighs or anything like that, but the important thing is that he's here and Megan and Jeremy are both doing well. I can't wait to meet my little nephew!

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An environmentally-friendly August

2011-07-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

A friend posted this link on facebook yesterday and ... I was horrified. "American shoppers use an estimated 102 billion plastic shopping bags each year — more than 500 per consumer."

I try and recycle the bags when I can, but apparently they aren't all being recycled. "Because most recycling plants can't handle the ultrathin trash, fewer than nine percent of plastic bags in the U.S. are recycled in any form." Yikes!

We usually bring our canvas grocery bags to Trader Joe's (probably because everyone else does! peer pressure to be green!) but never seem to remember them when we go to Jewel (Chicago's version of Kroger or Publix) or Target.

August is a new month, so I'm going to try to incorporate a few more environmentally-friendly habits into my lifestyle... Hopefully after doing these 10 things on a regular basis for a month, they will become routine. And maybe even rub off on a few other people in my circle!

1. Bring canvas bags to the grocery store. Duh - see above.

2. Use a plastic cup for water at work instead of the disposable paper cups by the water cooler. I have already been good about bringing my own coffee mug every day, but it's time to extend that conscientiousness to the water cooler!

3. Turn off the lights! As Jason knows, I'm bad about this. I like the condo to be bright, but really need to make sure the lights are OFF in the bedrooms when we are hanging out in the kitchen or living room.

4. Air dry my clothes. I remember when I visited my friend Natalie in Australia, she and her roommates had racks of clothes all over the place. No one used the dryer. Similarly, she kept about 20 canvas bags in the trunk of her car and never brought home groceries in plastic bags. Nice work Nat!

5. Unplug my phone charger. I try to do this, but am not vigilant about it.

6. Turn off the water when brushing my teeth. Again, I don't do this consistently.

7. Stop the dishwasher before the dry cycle. There's no reason why our dishes can't air dry overnight or while we're at work.

8. No more printing of unnecessary documents at work. This might be a tough one for me because I typically like to do my editing and rewriting/revising in pen. But there's no reason I can't do this onscreen. It may just take me a few days to adjust :) I will probably still continue to doodle my headlines on scratch paper, but scratch paper is ok, yes?

9. Turn off my computer screen! I came across this one when searching online for good tips. Apparently leaving your screen on 24 hours a day costs hundreds of dollars per year and dumps approximately 1,000 pounds of CO2 in the air. By turning off the screen manually, instead of letting it sleep, can really make a difference. Point taken.

10. Have a Meatless Monday (or Meatless MTWTh). Jason and I went through a phase where we were veg during the week and then ate whatever on the weekends. I know I can do it for breakfast and lunch easy. Dinners may take some extra work, but as long as we plan the recipes, and get to the farmers market on Sundays, we should be able to do this.

What else can I do? Send me ideas!! I already use public transportation and the special lightbulbs, and am good about recycling all of our glass, plastic, and paper, so skip those suggestions :)

Molly the destroyer

2011-07-23T13:02:00.001-07:00

We finally finished baby proofing today. Molly has been getting into everything, so Jason installed latches on all the cabinets. We left one open, as you can see, and Molly spent much of the afternoon emptying said cabinet of its contents. She also spent some time rearranging the furniture and practicing standing. Good day today!

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Artist in training

2011-07-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

Every now and then when I pick up Molly at daycare, they hand me a stack of Molly's "artwork" to take home. At this point, most of the items are just paper cut-outs with smears of finger paint across the middle. But I'm sure she had fun doing them :) While Jason prepares for the Bucktown Arts Fest, we'll have to set Molly up with her own creativity station and see what happens.

Here are a couple of Molly's latest creations:

Color exploration

Self portrait. This went on the fridge :)

So You Think You Can Dance Dance Dance Dance

2011-07-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

It works out well that Jason has tennis on Wednesdays because it means I can watch my favorite show in peace -- So You Think You Can Dance (Season 8).

Hopefully this video helps illustrate why I love the show. It's Twitch and Sasha dancing to Misty Blue, choreographed by Christopher Scott:

Twitch was my favorite dancer on Season 4 -- he's a hip hop dancer but can do just about anything. Sasha is a contemporary dancer and may be my favorite contestant on this current season. Go Sasha, go Sasha!

Molly and the truck revisited

2011-07-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I told the story of Molly and the truck, where she got her thumb stuck in the window of a toy truck and we had no idea. Well, the Ciaglias just sent us a few pictures from that afternoon and...we should have known:

Molly and her truck at the water table

Molly and Jason -- you can see the wheels of the truck at the very bottom of the photo

The most incriminating of the photos -- how did we not see it??

12-month details

2011-07-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

Here's the scoop on our rambunctious little toddler:

19 pounds 1.5 ounces (skinny minny)
29 1/2 inches

She's ready to start drinking whole milk out of a sippy cup; has permission to try peanut butter, scrambled eggs, and shellfish; says a handful of useful words, like "dog" and "num num"; plays peek-a-boo, clap your hands say yeah, and so big; loves standing on her parents' feet; is almost walking for real (no video yet -- the steps are few and far between); and sometimes holds her breath if she's really mad. We love her.

Here are some pics of Molly at a friend's birthday party. Adorable outfit courtesy of Jeremy and Megan:

Sitting pretty

Almost there!

Having fun with dad

Giving the toys a taste

She walks!

2011-07-14T05:13:00.001-07:00

Molly took 5 steps yesterday at daycare. They lured her with food :) I have only seen 1 or 2 steps myself, but have all weekend to capture the magic on camera. Stay tuned for pics!

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One year old and not a fan of cupcakes

2011-07-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

Happy first birthday to my darling dear, Molly, also known as Molls, Boo Boo, XoXo, Molly Muffin, Tweety Pie, Woofie, and Miss Hollywood. We made it! Smooth sailing from here on out, right?

Cutest birthday girl ever!

I think she knew it was a special day. Molly was all smiles.

We celebrated a few days early in South Carolina, all excited to see Molly go crazy on a cupcake. Unfortunately, it did not go as planned...

We thought maybe it was because the cupcake looked like a duck and she didn't want to eat her friend; however, we tried again tonight with a regular cupcake and got the same reaction. I think Molly might be a cautious child...she probably needs to see her friends dive into the sweets before she will feel comfortable doing it herself. We're planning to meet up with some pals at the park on Sunday -- maybe we'll bring a few treats and see what happens!

Happy birthday Molls! Love you :)

Happy happy

2011-07-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

Blogging from South Carolina. Unfortunately, it's the last night of our trip :( But here are a few highlights from the weekend:

My favorite beach! Molly was a little unsure about the sand, but she did okay on the towel.

Happy family

Sisters

The Overbey family

The Overbey, O'Grady, Robberson family

Best part of the trip -- Susie and Sean got engaged!! Congratulations to the happy couple. Can't wait for the wedding :)

Molly and the truck

2011-06-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we went to the Ciaglia's to meet their new baby boy, Calum (adorable), and to hang out on their back porch under the pergola. We figured Molly would love the Ciaglia's because they have a ton of toys, a yard, a dog, a water table, and even a mini child-sized playhouse. Heaven for a toddler.

She was pretty into the water table at first and immediately grabbed onto a small yellow truck that she held onto for the rest of the morning. I mean, all morning. She even kept that thing in her hand while she drank her bottle. Things started to go downhill around bottle time, and we were pulling out every trick in the book to keep Molly happy and prolong our time hanging out.

Finally, we admitted defeat and decided to pack Molly up to go home for a nap. She did not want to let go of that little truck, so Jason started gently prying her fingers off the truck one by one. That's when we realized...Molly's thumb was stuck in the window of the truck! Poor kid! We had to bust out the dish soap to slide her red and inflamed thumb out of there, and wouldn't you know it, 30 seconds after being set free, Molly went from a cranky mess to clapping her hands and smiling. Sheesh.

Addendum

2011-06-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

2 other words...I forgot, Molly also says "yeah" and "this."

Rollin rollin rollin

2011-06-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

Molly hasn't taken steps on her own, but she loves roll-walking with the support of her car. Pics and video below!

What else is Molly up to? She eats "people food" now -- small bites of things like pasta, pizza, lunch meat, enchiladas, rice, etc. Her favorite foods are still the kid-friendly favorites though. Bananas, peas, cheddar cheese, yogurt, and of course puffs. She's also added a few new sounds to the list. In addition to "mama" and "dada," we also have "da" (which means "dog" and a variety of other things), "rara" and "ba." Our girl is well versed.

Naps at daycare are getting shorter and less frequent, though I am trying to correct this problem by letting her take her favorite duck lovey to school every day. We'll see if this works. She has been "crib surfing" with Brendan, meaning they stand up in their cribs and bounce until the cribs move into the center aisle. Apparently daycare is so much fun, she doesn't want to miss out. Thankfully, this hasn't impacted her nighttime sleeping abilities and we still get a good 12 hours out of her from 7 to 7. She also catches up on lost sleep over the weekend by taking 2 two-hour naps every day.

I think that's about it. Life is good and we're having plenty of fun, especially now that the summer weather is finally here. We spent some time this weekend splashing around water tables in friends' back yards, so our little city girl is being exposed to nature and all of its glory. It took her a while to get used to grass, but she seems to be okay with it now. If we can just stop her from trying to eat everything she picks up off the ground...

I have a short week this week -- 4 days in the office -- and then we're off to Pawleys Island, SC for a family vacation with my parents and sisters. I can't wait! Litchfield Beach, where my parents have had a condo for the past 15 or so years, is my all-time favorite beach. Now that they're living in Florida full-time, they've decided to sell the place, so this will be our last hurrah! I will miss it, but am glad we get to take Molly and have a final opportunity to go to our favorite restaurants: Franks, Russell's Seafood Grill, the Litchfield Fish House, Pastaria 811, and the Eggs Up Grill to name a few. Mmmm.

Dad's day at the zoo

2011-06-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

We felt like we should do something special for Father's Day, so we took Molly to the Lincoln Park Zoo. We're so lucky to have a free zoo just 15 min away! No pressure to stay all day to get our money's worth. We were able to just pop in, check out the monkeys and a few other animals, and then head home in time for Molly's afternoon nap.

I must say, the outing was a little anticlimactic...Molly was more interested in staring at the other people than she was the animals on display. We thought she'd go nuts since she usually shrieks with glee whenever she spots a dog, but I think the crowd kind of overwhelmed her. It was still a great day though and I think Jason enjoyed his first Father's Day.

Molly reaches for a chimp

Father and daughter

Of course, we couldn't resist the photo booth:

I also want to take this opportunity to shout "Happy Father's Day out to MY dad. Thanks for everything, Dad. I'm looking forward to seeing you soon in SC!!

Lindsay's last fling before the ring

2011-06-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

Of course Lindsay's bachelorette weekend was a blast. How could it not be? Dana and Natalie came in town and we spent the weekend laughing, dancing, wearing short skirts, and drinking way too much champagne. I can't hang like I used to, but the hours from 7 to midnight were way fun.

Dina, Linds, and Emily at Japonais

The B and me

Hula hoop dance party on the trolley

Nat and Linds - so pretty!

Weekend out west

2011-06-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a little guilty, like I cheated on my city or something, because I definitely had a love affair with Denver this weekend. It's just such a friendly, sunny, clean, approachable city...I kind of want to move there.

The official reason for the visit was to see Jeremy and Megan and to celebrate the upcoming birth of their new baby. But we also got to see my Aunt Sue, Uncle Roger, cousin Scott, my friends Craig and Kristen, and their new baby Cora.

It was a lovely weekend all around. Molly had fun too, though I think the travel is starting to wear her down. She did okay on both flights, but really struggled with naps and falling asleep at night. Poor kid.

I posted a full album of pics on Facebook, but here are a few of my favorites, and also a video of Molly in action. She's so big now, crawling and cruising and babbling and waving...I can't believe my baby is almost 1!!

An attractive couple, eh?

Jason's cousin Madison helping Megan and Jeremy open gifts

Molls enjoying some nature

Molls on the move

My friend Kristen and her adorable baby, Cora

And now for Molly's close up:

Hot Springs!

2011-06-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are the pics from our family weekend in Hot Springs, Arkansas:

I golfed! Here we are shoving plastic bags into the 18th hole to screw the next team. Hee :)

I look like a real golfer, yes?

Molly didn't miss us while we played. She was with her best friend Grandpa Steve and her Great Great Grandpa Joe

Back and forth, back and forth

Awwww!

Molly meets her cousin Cade

Footsie!

Checking out Cade again

Five generations part II. Check out that view!

The Good, The Bad, and The Pathetic

2011-05-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed I added a new blog to my list of favorites. That's because Jason has recently joined the blogosphere with his new song-a-day music blog: The Good, The Bad, and The Pathetic. Check it out! He's a few days behind because of our family trip to Arkansas, but keep checking in for what he calls, "A daily taste of music to wet your lips and get you to shake your ass." So far so good. I'm loving the Black Angels Boat Song he posted Fri before we left.

In honor of Jason's new blog, I'll leave you with this--a song that never fails to make me happy--California Stars (lyrics by Woody Guthrie, music by Wilco):

Molly is a trooper

2011-05-29T19:11:00.001-07:00

Well, we've been sitting on the tarmac at O'Hare for 2 and a half hours now, waiting for a gate to open up. That's on top of an hour and forty five minute flight, a 2 hour delay, and an hour and a half drive from Hot Springs to Little Rock. Not the best way to end a wonderful weekend with family, but we'll survive.

Molly is pretty exhausted. It's 9 pm and she is usually fast asleep by 7:30. But there's plenty to look at and she's made friends all over the plane. Jason is attempting to rock her to sleep now. I hope he succeeds. Who knows how much longer we'll be stuck on this plane!

As I mentioned, we did have a wonderful weekend in Arkansas with the O'Grady clan. Jason and I both golfed in the family scramble ...my team came in last and Jason's was right behind. I also came home with the prize for the shortest drive. Kind of embarrassing :) It was fun though. And I'll never get better if I don't practice, right? Pics to come!

Anyway, the rocking didn't work, so I should take my turn. Wish us luck getting home!

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A weekend of bday fun

2011-05-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

I love having a birthday on a Friday because it means I get to stretch out the fun.

On Thursday, I went to Korean BBQ at San Soo Gab San with my coworkers, 3 of whom are Korean, so it was an authentic experience with plenty of Soju and a ridiculous amount of food. Dinner wasn't for my bday, but it was an excellent way to kick things off:

Ji flips the meat

Damage done

On Friday, Jason and I went to Leopold, a new Belgian restaurant on Chicago Ave. One of my former coworkers is the owner, so it was nice to see her and also taste all of the yummy food and craft beers. Mmmm.

Then Jason totally surprised me with a Nook, the Barnes and Noble eReader! I am SO excited about it. I think Bossypants by Tina Fey is going to be my first download. I'm also on the waiting list for a couple of eBooks from the Chicago Public Library. I am a total library junkie, so I'm very happy that the Nook allows me to download library books for free.

The birthday fun officially ends tonight. My sisters and Sean are coming over for dinner, gifts, and the Bulls/Heat game. Go Bulls!!

Guest post--A Night with Oprah

2011-05-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

I asked Janet to write a little bit about her experience at Oprah for the blog. Enjoy!

It started with a call from Jason, "Grandma, are you busy May 17th?"

"No."

"Can you come to Chicago?"

"Yes..."

"I have tickets to the Oprah Show."

ME? I GET TO GO TO THE OPRAH SHOW ( The Oprah Spectacular Surprise Show)?! I've been trying for years to obtain tickets to one of her shows, fantasizing with crazy formats that would somehow get attention and maybe be a method to secure a ticket to one of HER shows. Success, because of Jason and Maggie. Kathy and I just recently thought up this wild premise--lesbian sisters who wanted to be married on her show. We were desperate and seemingly too late, as her show ends this week, May 25th.

My odyssey began last Sunday, in Chicago, before the Tuesday show. Being with Maggie, Molly, and Jason for a couple of days was frosting on the cake. Molly, so much fun!!!

Tuesday arrived and Jason and I were off for the adventure of my dreams. The United Center, 13,000 lucky people in blocks of long lines, all happy to have a ticket in hand to see Oprah. And I was one of the lucky people, not a VIP, just a regular person.

Our seats were in section 310---FRONT ROW. How great was that?!!! We were in our seats from 6:30-11:15 and as all wonderful experiences, the time flew by. One mega superstar after another until it took my breath away!! And the performances, WOW!!!

Oprah was astounding and she was astounded by all the tributes given to her. The love from the 13,000 was palpable and I felt a few tears running down my cheeks. Aretha's "Amazing Grace" was the ultimate. No, the ultimate was being there with Jason.

I love you, Jason, Maggie, and Molly. Thank you for giving me another wonderful adventure.

PS. I can now cross off another line on my bucket list.

The stage

So happy to be there

Tom Hanks, Oprah (in purple), and Madonna (the blonde)

Same crew, with Madonna trying to give Tom Hanks a smooch

The crowd

Enjoying every second

A symbol for the 25,000 oak trees Oprah donated (1,000 for each year)

Living vicariously

2011-05-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

Jason has been sending me texts from the Oprah Farewell Spectacular show at the United Center:

7:28 Hanks and Cruise
7:35 Patti LaBelle and Josh Groban
7:39 Madonna
7:55 Dakota Fanning...not kidding
7:56 Beyonce (to da left)
8:30 Diane Sawyer
8:42 Queen Latifah, Halle Berry
8:43 Katie Holmes and her weird smile
8:57 Rascal Flatts
9:32 Will and Jada...and oh yeah...Michael Jordan
9:33 Jamie Foxx
9:35 Stevie Wonder
9:46 Seinfeld
9:58 Simon from Idol
10:00 Rosie O
10:01 Dr Phil and Nate? (I'm guessing he means Nate Berkus) and Dr Oz
10:09 Maria Shriver
10:36 Alicia Keys, Maya Angelou
10:50 Stedman
10:54 Aretha...wow
11:06 Usher, and the crowd goes bananas

I haven't received one in a while, so maybe that means the show is over. Can't wait to find out more! Maybe I'll even be able to convince Jason or his grandma to do a guest post? Stay tuned :)

Breathing a little more life into the work-life balance

2011-05-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

The word is out at work, so now I can blog about it... I'm switching to a 90% schedule starting in June. Woo woo! What does that mean, you ask? Well, for a 10% reduction in pay, I get to stay home every other Friday and play with my adorable little girl. No work, no plans, no appointments, just me and the Molls. Heaven.

Clean and cute

2011-05-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Molly was looking adorable in her bathrobe this evening, so I thought I would share :)

Longman and Eagle

2011-05-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm definitely not a food blogger. For restaurant reviews written by someone who knows her stuff, visit my friend Jennifer's blog: Chicago Culinary Docent. But when I try a new restaurant that I think is worth checking out, I do like to spread the word!

Last night, Jason and I met Lindsay, Robbie, and Carrie at Longman and Eagle right on Kedzie next to the Logan Square blue line stop. It's a little off the beaten path (no offense to my Logan Square friends!), but well worth the journey west.

By 6:15, the restaurant was already packed, so we had about a 30-minute wait to get a table for 5. No big deal. Longman and Eagle has an enormous beer and whiskey menu, so we grabbed a few barstools and enjoyed a couple of drinks before sitting down. So far so good.

A little before 7, we sat down at a charming table set with vintage silver and mismatched chairs and began perusing the menu. Everything looked good, so we ordered a random assortment of appetizers and small plates to start. The first course was fantastic. Pear salad with Stilton cheese, shrimp and grits, meatballs, roast lamb. Every bite seemed better than the last.

Our entrees were a bit hit or miss. The soft shell crab was deep fried in a sweet batter and it tasted a little too much like funnel cake for my liking. Don't get me wrong, I love funnel cake...just not for dinner! But the roasted chicken, pork shoulder, and wild boar sloppy joe were all well prepared, thoughtful dishes.

Clockwise from the top: soft shell crap, wild boar sloppy joe, pork shoulder, roasted chicken. Yum. The chicken and the sloppy joe were the winners in my opinion!

The meal was very rich, so I'm glad we split 4 dishes for 5 people. And of course we had to order dessert. The cheese donuts with maple syrup were a big hit with the guys; the girls were all obsessed with the pineapple upside down cake. Yum.

The restaurant has a comfortable, laid back vibe, with nice little touches, like warm plates and expensive soap in the bathrooms. Our server was great -- friendly and knowledgeable, but totally unobtrusive. Overall, it was a really nice night out with friends. I would definitely go back. Anyone want to join me? :)

My first official Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day :)
I played with Molly; worked out, showered, and curled up with my book while Molly napped and Jason played tennis; played with Molly; went to lunch with Jason at Bin 36; got a pedicure with the B; played with Molly; put Molly to bed; tried a new Thai place for dinner; read the paper; and now I'm watching the Bulls and blogging.
Yeah, I gotta say it was a good day.

Molly's new look. Just call her "Pebbles"

The sly dog! Those who know me well have seen this face before.

Mom and daughter. The bib is covering up Molly's special onesie that says, "I love mommy."

I tried to get a good Mother's Day photo... shouldn't have let Molly have her bear. No way she was going to look at the camera with that thing in her hands.

Ha, I just noticed that I started yesterday's post with the same line. I must have Ice Cube on the brain!

Couch potatoes

2011-05-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. I got to sleep in until 8:30 (thanks to Jason) and our new couch was delivered. Woo hoo! I am extremely excited about this couch because it has a chaise lounge extension -- perfect for cuddling up with a good book -- and a huuuuge storage ottoman. As you can see, Molly has already discovered the joys of cruising, and drooling, around the edge.

4 months after placing the order, our couch is finally here!

I haven't been very good about blogging lately. Molly had the flu last week and it took a lot out of us. But life is back to normal now, so here's a quick update on all things O'Grady:

Jason started tennis lessons at Midtown Tennis Club and is loving it. I was his guest last night at a cardio tennis party and was very impressed with how quickly he seems to be picking up the sport. I have a feeling it won't be long before Jason is kicking my butt around the court.
Molly is in a big climbing phase. Forget about crawling, she just wants to pull up on whatever she can find so she can stand and bounce, or creep around the room on 2 feet.
Molly has also been very vocal lately. If you sing to her, she will try to copy what you say, which is kind of fun. Of course, nothing is better than when she looks at me and says "mama." But I really only seem to get that when she's in distress.

Speaking of being a "mama," tomorrow is my first official Mother's Day. We don't have much on the docket. Aunt B is coming over so Jason and I can go out to lunch. If I just hang with Molly for the rest of the day and get a chance to curl up on my new couch and read a few chapters of my new obsession, A Clash of Kings, I will be happy.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Molly in her "just hatched" onesie -- perfect for Easter Sunday, don't you think?

We're back in Chicago now -- flew back Friday night and then jumped straight into a busy weekend. We had an NU brunch at Jon and Sarah's on Saturday, dinner with my sisters and Sean that night at The Girl and the Goat (yum!), after dinner drinks with Lindsay for her birthday, and then tonight we're having an early Easter dinner with my sisters and going to see Arcade Fire/National at the UIC Pavilion. Whew!

I wish I could say we were getting back into our normal routine next week, but Molly has a Dr appt on Monday, I've got a trip to Indianapolis on Tuesday, Jason is starting tennis lessons on Wednesday, we have a daycare party on Friday, and then 2 birthday parties next weekend.

Except for the appointment and business trip, it's all fun stuff, so I can't/shouldn't complain. And, because Molly still takes 2 naps a day, we have plenty of down time between activities. Molly and Jason are both taking a midmorning nap right now, so I'm enjoying my computer time. Hopefully I will even have a few minutes to start reading the paper before I hear Molly singing (or crying) from her crib!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Family photos

2011-04-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for digital cameras. With a squirmy, curious 9-month-old baby, getting a good posed photo can be difficult. Molly will look at the camera and smile, but then by the time you snap the picture, you get the side of her face as she tries to wriggle out of your grasp. We've learned that the best approach is just to keep taking pictures one after the other and hope that you get a few decent shots out of the bunch. Here are some of my favorite family photos from our Florida trip:

So happy to be with her daddy

Looking cute with Grandma

Trying to grab her mama's earring

The best we could do

Molly and her grandparents

Independent woman

2011-04-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

If Molly could talk, here's what I think she might say:

"Gimme that spoon."

"I can do it myself."

"Mine."

"How dare you take that from me."

"Dad, you're so funny."

And finally, if she's really really tired:

"Hold me, Mom."

Fun in the sun

2011-04-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

Greetings from sunny Florida! We're visiting my parents in Palm Coast this week and Molly is absolutely loving the beach, pool, and attention from Grandma and Grandpa. Jason and I are also enjoying the free babysitting so we can play tennis and go out to dinner :)

Here's a little video clip of Molly's first taste of sand:

And also a photo montage of the trip so far.

Easy flight! Molly was such a trooper -- we woke her up at 4am, dragged her through security, and made her sit on our laps for 2 hours and she never once complained!

On our way to the beach. Yes, we put SPF 100 on this kid.

Check out those eyelashes

Going to put our toes in the water

Sandy legs

Molly doesn't know she's about to get hosed off

Chillaxin in her new inner tube

Prune feet

Hanging at a beach bar with Grandpa

New shades

So Hollywood!

Back to the beach

Still getting used to the sand

Swim time with Dad!

I can't believe we only have 2 days left. Time sure does fly when you're having fun :)

We don't need no stinking napkins

2011-04-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight's menu: avocado slices and cheese.

Making friends

2011-04-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

Molly is a lucky girl -- so many of our friends have kids around her age, she's got a nice little crowd to pal around with:

Parallel playtime with McCall

Justin and Molly watch as Chloe moves by in a flash

Whistler and Molly share a moment

Olivia and Molly share a book

Mia and Molly take a break from the toy explosion

Molly seems to be getting over some of her sensitivity issues at daycare too. She's starting to play with some of the more aggressive kids...and is even starting to steal a few pacifiers herself!! Go Molly! Not that I'm encouraging that kind of behavior. I do want Molly to play nice and share, but I think it's a sign that she's getting more confident :)

Anyway, I promised 9-month stats. Molls is now 17 lbs and 27 and a half inches. 25th percentile for weight and 50th for height. About where she was last time. Her head is now in the 50th to 75th percentile -- a nice round melon. No flat spot!

Hey hey mama said the way you move

2011-04-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy--as you can see from this photo, we had very good seats!!

Susie and Sean were kind enough to watch Molly on Saturday night so Jason and I could see Robert Plant and the very talented Band of Joy at the Auditorium Theater. Awesome show! I've always wanted to see Plant in concert and am SO glad I did. He did a few Zeppelin songs (with a twist), the latest from the Band of Joy, a few from his solo albums, one from his record with Alison Krauss, and even threw in a Bob Dylan cover to close it out. Not bad. Not bad at all.

As great as it was to hear "Angel Dance" and "Please Read the Letter," I must admit, the highlight of the night was when he did "Houses of the Holy" and then "Ramble On." If you get a chance to see Plant with the Band of Joy, I would highly recommend it! Here's the set list (courtesy of Greg Kot, who also gives the show a fantastic review).

Robert Plant’s set Saturday at the Auditorium Theatre:

1. Black Dog
2. Down to the Sea
3. Angel Dance
4. Black Country Woman
5. House of Cards
6. Monkey
7. Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go (Buddy Miller vocal)
8. Silver Rider
9. A Satisfied Mind (Darrell Scott vocal)
10. Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down
11. Twelve Gates to the City/Wade in the Water/In My Time of Dying
12. Ocean of Tears (Patty Griffin vocal)
13. Please Read the Letter
14. Houses of the Holy
15. Ramble On

Encore:
16. Tangerine
17. Harm’s Swift Way
18. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

9 months...and she's off!

2011-04-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

Someone started cruising today:

She also started climbing and pulling herself up:

This week has been a BIG one. We spent all of last weekend trying to encourage Molly to crawl. We knew she had the skills, but after making a few moves, she always wanted to settle back into her sitting position. Of course when I dropped her off at daycare Monday morning, the first thing she did was crawl across the carpet to grab a toy. Hurrah! She spent the next few days practicing and then today, she was just all over the place. Go Molly go!

With this new mobility has also come new independence. Molly seems to be having so much more FUN at daycare. She's "talking" to the other kids, laughing, bouncing, resisting naps, standing up in her crib...it's just so amazing to watch.

Her 9-month appointment is tomorrow, so I will post stats soon. Until then, enjoy the videos!

Who will pack their knives?

2011-03-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

Molly can't wait for the Top Chef finale:

If Mike Isabella wins, Molly will be dumbfounded.

If Blais wins, she'll cheer!

Garlic and Sapphires -- by Ruth Reichl

2011-03-26T18:26:00.001-07:00

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A delectable read! Go behind the scenes with Ruth Reichl, the former restaurant critic for The New York Times, as she dines in disguise at New York's finest (and most famous!) restaurants. Daniel, 21, Lespinasse. Reichl describes every bite in such glorious detail, you almost, almost, feel like you're there. She even includes some of her reviews, which are so interesting to read knowing the back story. Anyone who loves food, or reading about food, or watching shows about food will probably love this book. Bon appetit!

View all my reviews

Dadadadadada

2011-03-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

I was starting to think that Molly's first word might be 'Mama.' She's been making the 'mmmmmmm' sound for a while, especially when she's hungry or tired. But now that she's learned how to babble, 'dada,' it's all she wants to do. Jason posted this on our Shutterfly site. She really only says it at the beginning of the video, but you get the idea:

Paying the price

2011-03-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

The B is back and Dana was in town, so of course I had to go out Sat night. We had an awesome dinner at Paris Club (French small plates), and then hit up a few bars in Old Town to watch basketball and hang with some of our friends from high school. Fun times, but I feel like I'm starting all over again when it comes to going out. I was SO tired on Sunday morning when Molly woke up. It's now Wednesday, and I still feel like I'm paying the price! Totally worth it to be out and about with my girls :)

Me and D!

B and Me!

Mommy's lady luck

2011-03-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

Not the best pic, but at least you can see my Irish princess in her St. Patty's T-shirt!

I'm home watching basketball (go UC!!), but hope everyone else has fun drinking green beer and celebrating!

Reach for it...reach for it...

2011-03-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

Molly is trying SO hard to figure out how to move.

She goes from sitting...

...to kneeling...

...to leaning...

...to reaching...

...to thinking...

...to crying...

...to pushing...

...to sliding...

...then slithering...

...more crying...

...and finally, to flying!

We had such a fun weekend with Marsha and Steve. Molly was a little under the weather with a cough and runny nose, but she still managed to play, laugh, and show off all the new tricks she's learned since Christmas.

She'll have a captive audience this evening, too. The B is back from India today and very eager to see her little niece. And I'm very eager to see the B. It's been 2 months -- I miss my sister!

8-month update

2011-03-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

So what has Molly been up to? Well, she's not crawling yet, but I think she'd like to. She squirms and scoots and bounces and walks her little hands forward, but just can't quite figure out how to get where she wants to go. That's okay. I'm sure she'll be moving soon enough!

She still loves bouncing and singing and now we've added "pat-a-cake" and "peek-a-boo" to the repertoire. She also has an obsession with tags. I'm not sure why, but no matter what toy you put in front of her, she will find the tag and stick it in her mouth.

Eating is still going well. Molly loves her veggies and is getting pretty good at popping sweet potato puffs in her mouth now too. She still treats the sippy cup like a teething toy, but now that they've started working on it with her at daycare, she'll probably pick it up pretty soon.

What else? Molly likes getting up in my face and grabbing my nose, chin, lip, or ear. Sometimes I'm even lucky enough to get a big, wet, open-mouthed "kiss." In general, she seems like a pretty happy kid. At least, she is when she's with us!

Fugazi is one of Jason's favorite bands. Molly is SO Wicker Park cool!

Nice posture, Molls!

Who's that lady?

New look

2011-03-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

Out with the old and in with the new! I've applied a new template to my blog. Like? It might take a little getting used to, but I think it looks pretty good. The hummingbirds are cute at least :)

Molly's first crush

2011-02-25T17:48:00.000-08:00

Molly's teacher, Miss Ling, sent us this email and photo today. It made me laugh, so I thought I would share:

Hi Maggie & Jason, A photo and short description of Molly sitting and playing near another child on Tuesday. She prefers the quiet ones, but I think she might have a crush on another boy that she sometimes likes and sometimes dislikes depending on what they are both doing. As long as the other boy doesn't treat her like a piece of furniture, she likes him (she often looks at him and watches to see what he is doing and he in turn might be attracted to her red hair).

Molly plays near Matt, her one true love