Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The Windy City

Libby at the top of the Sears Tower. I will not be referring to it by it's new name...How can you rename an iconic American building after a Brittish firm? Nonsense:)






I had no problem with the concept of stepping out onto this glass box that sticks off the side of the observation floor, but when it actually came down to it, my body was nervous. My foot had to test the surface as if I was stepping onto a wobbly stone on a creek.








Libby at the Navy Pier.










The Bean. One of the advantages of traveling with an early riser (okay, I can't blame it on Libby, we're morning people) is that you hit the tourist sites before the crowds. This place was mobbed later in the day.

























Jer and the Bibber in Millenial Park.








Okay, so you can tell from his expression that Jer is not a fan of the crazy curves in the designs of architect Frank Gehry.










In contrast, here are the clean lines of Renzo Piano's addition to the Chicago Art Institute. Had we had our camera inside the new wing of the art institue, Jer would have taken hundreds of pics of things like fire extinguisher boxes, stairwells, fabric ceiling panels, cable hung light fixtures...and on and on. The attention to detail was amazing.









We took a three hour bus tour that stopped at some famous buildings around the city. As we were boarding the bus someone remarked to another traveler, "Who would bring a baby on a tour like this?" I thought, "Alright, Libby. Game on. Let's show them what you've got." She is an awesome traveler and such a sweet little thing. By about half-way through the tour, people started to comment about what a good baby she was. Then at the end, the same lady that made the first comment came to tell me how "well behaved" Libby was. I don't think you can call it "behavior". That's just the way she is. Easy as pie.











Jer and Libby with the Robie House in the background. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Totally awesome.


















College of Architecture at the Illinois Inst. of Technology-Crown Hall by Mies van der Rohe, with student work on display.
And from the outside.









We loved our trip. It was awesome to take a get-a-way. The boys were home with family, having a blast. We did miss them throughout our trip, although the amount of walking we did would have been impossible for them. When I saw a firetruck or train go by, I had to remind myself not to point it out. Jer and Libby don't get so excited about that kind of thing:) I thought of them often though...especially on the moving sidewalk at the airport. Little boys eat that stuff up!









Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Cake Pops

I threw a bridal shower this past weekend for a dear friend, Susan. We've been close friends since nursery school. This is the cake, before I transported it to Pennsylvania (it survived!). It's supposed to be a flower garden, and looked cute with the other decorations and favors, but I was too busy at the shower to take out my camera and capture it all.
Cake pops were more challenging than I thought they'd be from what I'd read about them. I still had fun making them, and they tasted great, but they kept falling off the sticks! I'm going to keep trying...there must be a secret to getting them to stay on the stick.

This is the quilt I made for Susan. My favorite part is the binding that I actually did handstitch this time. That part always intimidates me, so I'm proud of myself for accomplishing it.









Saturday, May 7, 2011

Mom



Thursday night I fell asleep in my childhood home listening to the sound of my mom's voice reading Charlotte's web to Luca. I was home to attend a funeral. A dear friend just lost her mom, a lovely lady whom I've always admired. As I drifted off to sleep that night I felt so blessed to have my mom. So blessed that my children have her too. And as I laid there thinking about my mom, and all that she's done for the five of us, I realized that her work isn't done. It will never be done. She hasn't finished raising me yet.


My mom still raises me every day.


Sometimes she simply has to lift my spirits when I'm down. Or give me the motivation to be a little more or try a little harder. She still knows how to calm my worries better than anyone. And I still have so much to learn from her about life, and about being a mother. I can always call her for advice about anything. (And with five of us doing that all day long I don't know how she gets any work done on her job. Yet, she manages to keep the NAVY up and running and equipped with supplies.)


Being a mom has raised lots of questions and challenges for me, but it has helped me to understand one thing a little more clearly. Love. Now that I have my own little ones I understand what my mom (and dad) felt for me all those years. I understand what motivation lay behind all her actions and governed all her choices. And even though I may have disagreed with her at times, and scorned at answers like, "It's for your own good," or "you'll understand someday." I know she's right.


I can remember a specific conversation we must have had a hundred times.


Mom: Take your sweatshirt.

Me: I don't need it. It's hot.

Mom: Just take it. It gets cold at night.

Me: Whatever. (Grabbing said sweatshirt with grunt and roll of the eyes.)

Mom: You'll thank me later.


Yes, Mom. You were right. Even if I didn't always need the sweatshirt, and sometimes I refused to put it on even when I was cold. Just out of pride. You were right about one thing. I would thank you later. Maybe 15 or 20 years later, but better late than never.


So, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I love you.