The El is definitely a new experience for the kids; and many of the adults too. This year we were riding the Orange line around the Loop to the Art Institute. Even though we’ve ridden the El almost every year I’ve gone on the trip, I’m always worried that someone…
After our pre-dawn bus ride and intense clinic at VanderCook we were all hungry and ready to eat. The sign welcoming us to Chinatown is a welcome sight; we’re almost there! I remember the first time I had Chinese food. It was the summer after my Freshman year of…
I thought I’d awaken groggy and bleary-eyed at 3am Friday morning, but an overabundance of adrenaline and worry that I’d forgotten to pack had me bouncing staggering out of bed more awake than I’d anticipated. At 3:45 am the streets in my town are dark and quiet. My camera…
Jo-Bear was in his school’s 5th-8th grade musical “Don’t Say No to the U.S.O.” this month. He even got a speaking part even though he’s only in 5th grade. I think next year they should have lessons on applying stage makeup. Why do I feel like he should be…
At the time this post is published Teacher are I have already been careening down the highway in a coach bus filled with middle school band students for an hour and a half. It’s our annual middle school band trip to Chicago for the Music in the Parks competition. The…
Every year the Valley AEYC hosts an Annual Award Dinner to vote for new Board members and celebrate the members’ active participation; members who attend five events and help out in some way receive $10 toward their dinner. In addition to elections there’s also a business meeting, but its mainly…
The other day I was editing a bunch of photos as Teacher walked past. He stopped and did a double-take, “Why is that pizza GREEN?!” he asked. I laughed, “Because it was leftover seaweed cheese from earlier that week.” We’d been doing an undersea theme in the daycare and that…
Want a chance to win a free diaper? Hurry over to the Etsy HS Street Team blog! This week I’ve been the featured artisan and in addition to a short blurb about Zany Zebra and a brief interview, I’m giving away a FREE diaper. This diaper to be exact: It’s…
As you probably know by now, I’m a do-it-myself sort of gal, so when reusable snack bags hit my radar I thought “I can do that! But how do I make it better? My biggest challenge was the closure. I wasn’t thrilled with snapping bags because Z-Man has a hard…
Many years ago my cousin Leann, who is about four months younger than I am, and I were spending the day at my grandparents’ house. We were at that awkward “tween” age; no longer children, not quite adults, and beginning to be plagued by hormones. We’d spent the afternoon on…
