Sweet faces

Our dear neighbors just moved to Pennsylvania. We will miss Catherine, Kevin, Jacob and Sam!

Elijah and Amiel at Chili Mac. We went there to celebrate the match, yum!Elijah enjoying his new paints for the first time!! We have since finished the paints and purchased more. This is one Elijah's favorite new activities!

The dirty dozen

A number of people have asked me for copies of the "dirty dozen" list, so I thought I'd post it. According to the Environmental Working Group, the most pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables (when grown conventionally) are :

1. Peaches - 2. Apples - 3. Bell peppers - 4. Celery - 5. Nectarines - 6. Strawberries - 7. Cherries - 8. Kale - 9. Lettuce - 10. Imported grapes - 11. Carrots - 12. Pears

Whenever possible, it is best to go organic when eating/buying foods on the dozen. Thankfully, the list has changed in the past few years, and one of my favorites (sweet potatoes!) are now on the list of least contaminated produce items. The least "Clean 15" are:

1. Onions - 2. Avocados - 3. Sweet corn - 4. Mangos - 5. Pineapples - 6. Asparagus - 7. Sweet peas - 8. Kiwis - 9. Cabbage - 10. Eggplants - 11. Papayas - 12. Watermelons - 13. Broccoli - 14. Tomatoes - 15. Sweet Potatoes

Speaking of plants, happy spring!! I have been waiting for the first asparagus of the year and would love to hear any recipe ideas.

UIC

Am thrilled to announce that I matched at University of Illinois at Chicago!! It was my first choice program and I'm super excited! They have a nationally recognized women's mental health program as well as amazing child/adolescent training. The location is about 15 minutes west of Amiel's office, so I (thankfully!!) won't need to be commuting far. Hooray!

Matched

Giddy-happy-scary-finally!! Starting this July, I will be (gulp) starting work as a psychiatry resident. I feared the news might send me into a panic, but I am actually quite excited. My mind is buzzing with all the arrangements I'll be needing to make in the upcoming months. I told Elijah Mommy is going to work like Daddy, and he gets to go to school like a big boy. He said ok, and while I anticipate some initial challenges, I know he will be more than ok.
Now that I know I've been accepted, I still need to find out where I'll be working. Of course I have a certain place in mind, so don't uncross those fingers just yet! Will find out Thursday and post an update then!

Newsflash - CORRECTION!!

Results of the match will be in next MONDAY, March 16th! In case you aren't aware, I applied for a position as a psychiatry resident at various Chicago hospitals. The match will determine whether or not I get a spot. Results will be emailed to me on Monday and I will be sure to immediately post them on the blog. My dear readers should be the first to know!!
As for other news, my camera is having some issues and we thus have no new pictures, sorry!! My potty-training romance was short-lived. After suffering an ear infection, Elijah received antibiotics and subsequently endured the type of GI distress which makes mere diapering a chore. I am pleased to report that everyone is now healthy.

Be sure to check back for the big news!