Focusing on happier times, lets take a look at last weekend.
As Chicago geared up for an arctic plunge (refuse to use the p-v-phrase, the one that rhymes with molar cortex) we spent the past weekend out and about without wearing hats, as one should do before the temperatures plunge and everything becomes frozen. Friday evening was spent just enjoying doing nothing other than recalculating our grocery budget after Gracie ate three breakfasts, two lunches, a hearty snack and two dinners, but otherwise uneventful. I made these beef/blue cheese/au jous/crispy shallot sandwiches in the crockpot and both adults in the house declared them a huge success (we paired them with roasted brussels sprouts/Gracie had her own separate dinner before the sandwiches were done, opting for two huge portions of smoked salmon + sides) for a chilly night, and we sat around in the living room watching television and being lazy sloths. Saturday morning, after a delightful breakfast (two full size waffles and a piece of bacon for Gracie, which she paired with a large cup of milk and another of water) we bundled up in our finest maize and blue and drove up to Evanston for some football.
A photo posted by D (@d.chicago) on Nov 11, 2014 at 4:16pm PST
This was Gracie’s first college football game, and while we had a great time, general consensus is: not again, until she is old enough to sit in her seat for more than 32 seconds. We picked up my cousin (attending Northwestern), parked, and hit up a tailgate where Gracie ate her weight in pretzels and tried her very first Doritos (big fan). Then we loaded her up in the Tula and went into the stadium where she was happy and content to do anything except sit in our seats. We gave up only 7 minutes into the game and instead spent the half wandering the concourse, yelling “Go Blue”, trying out some of the stadium fare (pretty delicious/upscale) and watching Michigan return to the locker room for half time. Although we didn’t watch much of the game, we did have a lot of fun and even got Gracie a certificate commemorating her first college football game (thanks Northwestern)! At this point we had a no-napper on our hands and we decided to beat the crowds and cold, pick up barbecue from Hecky’s and head on home. Gracie had a stick that she carried around all day (found while tailgating), jumped in leaves, watched the crowds and was pretty enthralled by it all. B wore his Michigan “themed” Loudmouth golf pants (his very favorite pants ever) and I got to tailgate, which is one of my very favorite hobbies (if one can call it that). All in all: November Saturday success, especially after we came home to see Tulane win and Notre Dame lose (not, uh, in the same game obviously). We even found time to watch Good Morning Vietnam, a Robin Williams movie I hadn’t seen but wanted to. It was worth staying up for!
A photo posted by D (@d.chicago) on Nov 11, 2014 at 12:40pm PST
On Sunday morning we got our grocery shopping out of the way so we could hit up the “Fall French Market” at the French International school in Chicago. I wasn’t sure what to expect but they promised kid activities and crepes, so we decided to check it out. Unfortunately the kid area was for those who were potty trained, so we meandered as much as Gracie could stand (a lot of no-touching booths), sampled some crepes and cookies, and bought some raffle tickets (the school is fundraising as they move to their new campus/oh wait schools are always fundraising, ha ha ha), and prevented Gracie from stealing decorations from the walls/lockers. Sometimes in a big city (with no family roots) it can be hard to find a sense of community, and attending something like a school market makes you feel like the city is just a little bit smaller. Despite not meeting pre-conceived expectations we had a good time and made it home in time for Gracie to eat a huge bowl of yogurt, with a side of salmon, before she took a (much needed) afternoon nap. I made a practice pie for Thanksgiving (man, pie skills….not my thing…) and B and I read with football on in the background. After a family supper (grilled flank steak, asparagus, mashed potatoes) we put Gracie down and spent the evening reading while keeping one eye on the shellacking of the Chicago Bears. It was one of those nice weekends with lots to do but plenty of downtime. Here is hoping for another one this weekend (and maybe Gracie’s eye will open up a little?)
