London Calling

Museum Saturday

Yesterday, London and I had an adventure.  We took the train and the bus and went to the Chicago Children's Museum.  I didn't realize how many wonderful programs they had for little kids -- babies and toddlers.  We had such a great time exploring and we'll be sure to go back again and again.

London loved the campsite and dinosaurs and grocery store and art and water and building.  Living just a few miles away, we could really visit once a month at the very least.  Our only challenge was potty training.  London didn't want to pee at the museum and he really had to go - he was doing the dance.  No matter, he held it until we got home.  Then he had a temper tantrum and peed himself.  An hour later, we had a successful public bathroom pee.  So, a big day for all kinds of things.

Oh -- and I have to mention our public transportation.  London loves everyone and that is one reason I love the city.  He flirted with the old, young, black, white, Asian, rich, poor -- everyone.  When a gangster guy sat across the aisle from him on the train, the man held out his hand to London and London gave him "five" with a smile.  I hope that London grows up -- no matter where that is -- to be color blind and socio-economic blinc.  I guess that's our job as parents.

Mamalamagram

I went for my baseline mammogram on Friday and it was a lot less eventful than I had expected.  It was:

1. Quick
2. Not painful -- way less "pressure" than a regular dentist appointment
3. Less embarrassing than I expected

I was fortunate enough to go to Prentice Women's Hospital, which is brand new and beautiful -- an entire hospital dedicated to women's health.  Only four pictures and frankly less uncomfortable than dental x-rays.  Maybe it was less embarrassing because I had experienced childbirth and had all kinds of people messing around in places that used to be private.  But overall, it wasn't bad.  It was a breeze.

So, to my girlfriends who are in your mid to late thirties:  Do It!  Save your life.  It's not a big deal.  And celebrate your good health with a pedicure or martini or a date night after wards.  Breast cancer is best beaten with early detection.  Own your destiny.

Getting back to being me

I went to a playgroup on Sunday with a bunch of moms from Wicker Park/Bucktown.  It was nice to hang out with other moms who have kids London's age and talk about mom stuff.  I'm sure that London's massive breakdown when we had to take Thomas the train away made them all feel like their little boys were angels. 

Of the five or so moms, I was by far the fattest.  One mom had a new baby that was only two months old and she looked fantastic.  One of the women looked really familiar and after we left I realized that she was in marathon training with me.  She probably didn't recognize me because of my extra 15 pounds -- and I actually had make-up on.

I realize that I have a big excuse not to exercise as much.  The commute is awful.  But I need to find a way to get back to me.  Maybe not marathon me, but in-shape me. 

I kicked off my new goal of getting back to me with a five-mile run on Saturday.  If I can get through a week without a snow storm, it might actually work.  Please work!

Potty Training Update: Cloth underpants work!

I thought they were a little over the top and I was cautiously optimistic about cloth underpants.  Our Montessori School requires that all toddlers start potty training when they turn two which seems awfully young to me.  The kids start wearing cotton underpants all of the time and you show them to the potty once an hour. 

The first week was a mess -- literally.  I sent him to school with five shirts, five pairs of pants, five sets of socks and a dozen pairs of underpants.  Each night, the school sent me home with lots of dirty laundry.  At home, he had so many accidents that first week that we thought the training was a joke.  But, suddenly in week two, the school sent home fewer dirty clothes and we had more and more successes at home.

So just a few weeks later, London has been in underpants all weekend and hasn't had an accident.  He even made it through a three-hour nap without wet pants.  I think that peer pressure at school actually helped quite a bit.  He is the only one in his class that wasn't potty trained.  When he would have a successful "pee pee in the potty," the other boys would high-five him and cheer him.  So really, it was a positive experience for him.

Now "poo poo on the potty" is another story.  I'll have to get back to you on that one.

Sunday mornings

I love lazy Sunday mornings.  The definition of "lazy" has changed over the past two years, but they are still much lazier than other mornings.  Today we slept in until 7 -- which is at least two hours of extra sleep for me.  London got dressed and we brushed our teeth and headed downstairs to make breakfast.  Today we had heart-shaped French toast and sausage.  (London ate all of the bread leftovers and skipped the French toast so I guess we'll save those for week-day breakfast on the run.)

London is a great help in the kitchen and he loves doing big boy things.  He measures and pours the coffee beans into the grinder, presses the button and then pours the grounds into the French press.  He stirs the eggs and helped cut the bread into heart shapes.  Then he fed the dog way to much of the leftover bread.  I guess they'll both be a little boated this afternoon.

Now he's playing cars, I'm writing this while I drink my coffee, and we're letting daddy sleep in a little longer before we make our big trip to Target for more Elmo underpants and other less important items.  I'll sneak in a run during his nap and we'll take a walk around the neighborhood if it isn't raining.  It's supposed to be 48 degrees today.  I can't wait!