Chicago Moms Blog

Not Nine to Five

I try not to blog in a huff, but I'm in a bit of a huff:/

Here is my question, just because my Husband works, and I am a stay at home mom, does that absolve him from all weekly parenting duties? I think NOT.

This morning, I was in the insane toddler battle to get both kiddos dressed so we can head out into the cold Chicago tundra to get my little girl off to preschool. It would be so nice to have just a little bit of help. What was my husband doing while I was losing my mind? He was sitting in his running clothes (he runs in the mornings) eating a bowl of cereal and reading the paper.

The Yelling House

I grew up in a yelling house. This isn't a pity party for me. My mother is/was a good mother. She is a tall woman, with a loud voice. Her job is teaching college students in large lecture halls. When she talks she does it loudly. When she yells...it's off the charts.

When you grow up in a yelling house (in my experience) you become desensitized to it. I used to switch off when I was being yelled at. My sister is a yeller as well. I see her children turning off the very same way I used to.

I remember the last time my mother yelled at me. As an adult, we took a trip to England. We were lost and driving around the countryside trying to find our way. While I drove on the wrong side of the road and shifted with my left hand, she poured over the map, and yelled directions at me (note to self, never rent a stick shift in England).

Blame the Press?

What in the world is going on in Da' Mayors head, when he blames the press for Oprah's departure from television in 2011?

Did you all see the press conference? Daley actually blamed the media criticism of Oprah, shutting down Michigan Ave. for a few days to open her season this year. "That became a big rhubarb in the Chicago press—-beat up Oprah...So you keep kicking people, people will leave, simple as that.” He even went so far as to say that "he's going to call Oprah to get the real story". OK...

First off, I didn't think the press was all that hard on Oprah. If anyone comes along and closes a premier street, isn't it the presses duty to ask questions? Yeah, it cost $54,832, and the tab was picked up by Oprah. Case closed. They were tougher on President Obama. Didn't his party after winning the Presidency cost $1,74 million? (has that bill been paid yet?) These are questions I want asked. I want celebrities paying the tab when they use the city for their own purpose.

Local Option

Preferential seating at Millennium Park for Chicago residents? Really? That's what Alderman Eugene Schulter pitched at City Council budget hearings. He claims "You have people from the suburbs who get there earlier and glom on to all the seats..."

I get the argument that Chicago taxpayers footed the bill, why don't they get first dibs on seats. I do. The reality is...Chicago taxpayers made up about 57%, while private donors picked up the other 43%. That aside, if folks from the suburbs want to drive in and plunk down their hard earned money to park and enjoy a free show, what kind of a message does it send to them (or any other tourist) if they have to wait for locals to get preferential treatment?

Race Day (Chicago Marathon)

It was a cold one for the runners this morning. All I could think was "Perfect day for a marathon...it's gonna be a quick one!" Current Olympic Champion, Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya took it for the men with the time of 2:05:41. He didn't set a world record, but he did break the ten year course record held by Khalid Khannouchi (by 1 second!). The women were not on a record setting pace. Liliya Shobukhova of Russia finished in 2:25:56 to win.

As I went out into that cold morning to cheer on all the runners, I found myself thinking about all the good things in Chicago. We have had a pretty tough couple of weeks here. (losing the Olympics in the first round, unbearable violence on the south side, 500 million dollar budget deficit...) I can feel this weighing down on we Chicagoans. You can say what you want about our Mayor, and our city, but you can't argue the fact that every year, we put on a top notch, world class Marathon.

Denial Tour '09

I have been watching our former Governor all over the talk shows on the Denial Tour '09. When he first started spilling his guts everywhere, I thought he was nuts. Against his lawyers wishes, he went on the airwaves and talked, and talked, and talked.

I gotta tell you, he's kinda gotten to me (perhaps it's working)...

From the get go, it seemed kind of wrong to me that the day he was lead away from his house in handcuffs, prosecutor Fitzgerald was holding a press conference, where he played parts of the tape and said "this is behavior that would have Lincoln rolling over in his grave". What happened to his presumption of innocence? You don't see Jack McCoy doing this on Law & Order.

Scared In My City

I will tell you right off the bat...I have no answers. For the first time in my life, I am scared in my city. This makes me so sad.

Every time I turn on the news...it's nothing but crime, crime, crime. It used to be in other neighborhoods (no that doesn't make it better) Now, the crime is at my door. Every single day, I hear about another "strong arm attack" in my 'hood. The worst part of it all. There seems to be many different perpetrators. No one has been arrested for any of these attacks. NO ONE!

Is this the new reality for Chicago? I sure hope not. I really don't know how to rationalize it...

I asked my Husband. All he can say is "What are our options?"

Me Time

Right now, my lovely Husband took the kiddos to visit his parents. It's only a day trip. That said...having a day off is BLISS...or at least...it should be.

Why is is so hard for me to just veg. out? I spend all of my time chasing after two toddlers. It. Is. Exhausting! Now, I finally have a moment to myself, all I want to do is absolutely nothing. Why do I feel guilty about it?

I caught up on some illustration work, I did some laundry, did the dishes, caught up on emails...you get the picture. It's a beautiful sunny day, so there's a piece of me that thinks I should get a run in (for Chicago beautiful days are scarce). No gosh darn it! I want to just sit and relax. We as Moms are allowed to do that every once in a while...right?

What Does Chicago Think?

Sometimes I feel like I am being a bitter cat. Other times I think everyone must feel the same way...

Is Chicago on board with having the 2016 Olympics here? I'm not. I 'bout died when Mayor Daley was in Switzerland possibly signing the contract that puts the city on the hook for the Olympics! I understand that in order to stay in the running, they have to sign it...I don't think that means they should.

Am I the only one who feels like the city is kinda falling apart? The Mayor is, on the one hand laying off a thousand'ish workers, and asking for furlough days to be taken...and on the other hand, signing a blank check possibly putting the taxpayers on the hook for the Olympics!

You Running?

I have run five Chicago Marathons. There was a time when I loved this race. I gotta say, the last couple CM's were not, for me, as great an experience as my earlier ones:(

It saddens me the changes that have been made to this race...

First- I don't care what any one says, 45,000 runners is just. too. big. There I said it. You never get out of the pack...never. Would it kill the race coordinators to cap this at 30,000? Really...anyone?

Second- The way the weather has been the last couple years, it really surprises me that they don't push this thing to later in the month of October (which it was in the past). The beginning of the month you are looking at some potential for HOT weather. Why did they start running the first week of Oct?