Swedes in the City

Not much time to post right now. Little bear sleeps and I must grab a shower so we can head out for a day of adventures..........one potluck grad school party in the burbs comin' up!
What a nice week we had! Momala the super grandmother (well, one of two!!) swooped into town to take care of the three of us, have some Charlie love time, and help me get through a stressful week. Well, my star tiny dancers at John J. Wonderful Elementary School put on a lively show and I got through the rehearsals and prop making and sound checking with my kitchen intact and my closet filled with all 3 of my current outfits, clean! Thanks Momala.
Another nice thing about Momala's visit is that she was here on mother's day. We had a great day. Rob made a yummy brunch that included Pilsbury Cinnamon Rolls, and then we went to church. we had an easy day followed by dinner at one of our favorite places, Andies in Andersonville. It was fun to walk through my old hood and soak up all the Scando-mania. Of course we took a picture with the giant Dala horse! I'm dying to find out if it's okay to actually put baby ON the horse. I did not take any chances on Mother's Day however.
So my first Mother's Day was sweet and relaxing and full of goodness. On top of being surrounded by the people I love, I also got a very nice gift that I think is worth mentioning. Rob placed a beautiful, Kay Jeweler's-sized box in front of me, covered with a picture of Charlie in my favorite p.j.s. I was so sure he had gone to Jared, but he surprised me with an Ipod shuffle. Wow! I don't think I have received a "toy" from the electronics/wireless department since the days when they were called Walkmans and featured a radio AND cassette player. It is very cool, was a huge surprise, and will be lots of fun given my hobby of downloading music. Here's a sample playlist:

Kickstart My Heart
Bicycle Race
Turn it On
I Don't Feel Like Dancin'
Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys (rob put this one on--it's Charlie's favorite lullaby)

Back on the Boards

What a big weekend!!! Mommy returned to the stage as the nurse in friend Tekki's show, Blurred Vision. This is such a fun show to do--it is really Tekki's monologue piece about her life in and out of hospitals and her search for answers to health care questions. Or you can just read a much better description at: www.tellintales.org
I think that's the site. I'll check it for my next post.

Anyway, Tekki is a comic genius and I get to play her crazy nurse in many incarnations: mean nurse, nice nurse, nurse chewing gum. I have no lines--I simply dance and prance and make faces and try to remember my blocking. Oh, and I lift Tekki and carry her around the stage a few times. Because I am a post-natal warrior princess. And Tekki is very light anyway.

I have done this show so many times--we take it to hospitals, conventions, anyplace that will have us. It is the most fun and I never tire of it. I last performed it in October when Charlie was about 6 weeks old. I pretty much stuffed the old bra with sweaters to keep the nursing whites dry.

Prior to that show we performed at Second City when I was 5 months preggers. Ironically, the costume never fit better than that time. It just stayed in place, held still by my belly.

This week we did it at the Acorn Theatre in 3 Oaks MI. What a beautiful little town with cute cafes and shops and galleries. It is all quiet escape from Chicago vibe and very cozy. We stayed in the theatre! David and Kim, the owners, operate the theatre and keep 3 or 4 very nice guest rooms for visiting friends and actors.

ROb and I thought about taking Charlie to the matinee but rethought that when he had one of those "I'm too tired to take a nap in that pack n play" cries. Instead, mommy went onstage while Daddy found the local historic artifacts park and the boys had a good stroll.

I look forward to that day when I'll be onstage and I'll hear that tiny voice in the front row---"Mommy! Mommy!" Ahh--some other day.

I Spy........

the Charlinator and I had an excellent day. We went to the bank with Daddy and then drove him downtown to work. We took a long walk in beautiful Horner Park and then went to lunch in Lincoln Square.

Since he passed out in the car between Lincoln Square and home ( a tedious 5 minute drive), I thought we were golden for a long winter's nap. Not so. I put Charlie in the crib and listened on the monitor as he babbled for a good 30 minutes. Okay, I thought. So you're not tired. We'll do a nebulizer treatment and you'll get exasperated and pass out while I'm holding you and then I'll dump you into the crib and you'll sleep for hours and I can get my Winsor Pilates on.

Well.....the treatment did not tire him out. He seemed giddy and goofy. So we played around on the floor, rolling, tickling, giggling, babbling. And I took my daily "do you have teeth yet" look into his mouth and spied a small white sliver of bone just barely jutting from that lower gum. Oh yeah! It was so exciting. I can't wait until the real thing comes all the way in. Or can I? more to come on that. Oh my little guy is growing up too fast.

And after all that, the boy DID nap! What a guy.