Spring

The first spring flowers have bravely poked out of the ground and sandbox season is in full swing. Elijah and I spent a good bit of the weekend excavating at our favorite sandy spot. We always bring three buckets, a green shovel, a pink rake and big dump truck. The truck is part of a $5 set of plastic sand toys purchased two summers back. The green wheels are well worn and the cargo bay requires frequent repairs, but it is always a hit with the five and under crowd. I like to bring alot of toys because it affords Elijah the opportunity to practice sharing with other kids. We've also been working on the concept of trading, "Can I have the green shovel please? I'll give you the pink one!" Elijah still love the swings, and he even went down the slide today!! It's been about a year since he's shown any interest in sliding, and I was quite proud to see him fly down into a pile of woodchips.

I am so happy that spring is here!! Elijah's third year has brought about some unique challenges, and we are all happier when he has plenty of time to run wild in the park. His constant need for movement has caused a few injuries to Mommy and Daddy. That said, he is exceedingly affectionate. He loves to kiss us, and "hold me" is one of his most frequent requests.
Just two more months until I begin residency and I am savoring every day with my little pal.

Sunshine Playlot

Before Elijah was born, I used wonder about the merits

of raising a child in the city. Kid-friendly urban adventures abound, but how could I deprive a curious toddler of his own backyard? I stopped worrying about that. Chicago is teaming with amazing parks. There are the green sprawling types, perfect for watching dogs play fetch. There are the tiny playlots, often tucked away in the neighborhoods and convenient for quick rides down the slide. And then, there everything in between. We are lucky enough to be walking distance from 9 or 10 different playgrounds. Of them all, my favorite is the Sunshine Playlot. The playground equipment is the wood kind I grew up with, and Elijah finds the woodchips endlessly entertaining. There is a sand box too, but I am embarassed to admit that I've yet to introduce Elijah to it. In addition to the regular picnic tables, there is even one of those tables with a checkboard painted on top.

Upon entering the park, one is welcomed by a twirling, yellow brick road painted on the pavement. The big, old trees provide just the right amount of shade, and there are always plenty of leaves to pile up in the fall.

The playlot sits at the far north end of the Lincoln Park. There is a big field on one side and the beautiful North Pond at the other. The park district has been restoring the prairie around the pond, and it is an excellent place to bird watch. Just the other day, we saw 3 kinds of ducks, geese and the first red-winged blackbird of the year. Nestled in tree trunk, we saw some goose eggs too. Apparently they'd been abandoned or brushed over with oil by the park service. The goose population has swelled in the past years and this is one way the park service has been trying to keep the gosling numbers down.

Some kids like to climb and run at the park. Elijah's prefers the sticks and leaves.

Elijah and Auntie (check out the skyline)

Together at the park

Rainy day

Elijah and I have had an icky virus all week and after much indecision, I finally recognized that flying down to Texas this morning wasn't such a good idea. Thankfully, we booked with Southwest and were able to reschedule our trip at no cost. We were so excited to see Anna, Dell and Henry, but we will just have wait another few weeks. I thought today would be a major disappointment, but in the end it was just perfect. It was very grey and drizzly outside, but that didn't keep us in. We took a long, wet walk to the park where we saw baby wood ducks and Canadian geese waddling about in the mud. Elijah learned about puddles and saw fog for the first time. Hardly anyone was out, and the park felt like our own.

In the afternoon, Elijah took a nice long nap while I snuggled on the couch with Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, a fabulous memoir by former New York Times food critic Ruth Reichl. After naptime, my sister came by for a visit. Elijah toddled down the hall to give her a big hug. We lazed around and played the little one until dinnertime. It would have been a great day, but then Amiel came home with a big smile and it became a perfect day.