Laowai

Our big old elm tree was removed today. What a big job and what skill those tree guys have – I was amazed. Here are a couple bad photos from my phone:

They worked a long day yesterday just removing branches. Today they started by taking down chunks of the trunk. They used a pulley system to guide the huge pieces down to the ground but they would still bang into the trunk and make an awfully loud and low boom. I wonder what that would feel like if you were the guy on top of the tree? The trunk was probably the height of our house when they made a big wedge at the base of the tree and got it ready to fall in a precise spot in our yard. Missing the other trees and the garden and of course the house. And then it was time for it to come down, but it didn’t come easily. They made their cuts oposite the wedge and they had a rope attached to the top. They had to hook the rope to a ratcheting thing on their truck and it took forever before it fell. I was sitting on the edge of my seat looking down from the bathroom window. What a huge mass of wood! I think it shook the house when it came down. I could see it was a difficult job and the guys gave each other fist bumps after it fell.

Here’s Bea on the massive stump – which will be removed soon:

When it came down it made a big hole in the yard. It’s bigger than it looks in this photo:

Here’s the before photo that I took the other day:

And here’s our yard without its biggest tree:

Now the big pieces of the tree are all piled up by the road waiting to be picked up. It looks like such a huge amount of wood!

I’m sad to see that big grandfather of a tree go.

Luckily these little gems just came out to cheer me up:

This week went quickly for me. It finally warmed up and we saw the sun. I think the girls have been sleeping well after getting lots of fresh air during the day.

I hosted a little birthday party for Claire this week. I wanted to keep it low key so we just invited her friends to a nearby playground right after preschool. It went well – it was hot. We had a picnic and cupcakes. I only took one picture.

Bea had her best friend Mabel’s birthday party to go to this week. She got a big penguin for her. I think it was hard to give that penguin away. She said it would be OK because she could see the penguin when she goes to play at Mabel’s house.

We found out this week that this big old Elm in our back yard has to be taken down. It’s dying from Dutch Elm disease. It’s such a big beautiful tree and it will look so different without it. They’re coming to take it down on Monday if the weather is good.

Brian and the girls took me out for a very nice brunch for Mother’s Day. Then we went for a walk along the beach. Sweethearts.

Here are some funny and some sweet thoughts about motherhood that I found (click if you want to see them bigger). Happy Mother’s Day!

For Claire E.’s fourth birthday we went to the Kohl Children’s Museum. We hadn’t been there since Bea was little. It was good fun for the birthday girl and for the rest of us too.

They have a mini grocery store – it was a hit:

Here are Claire and Brian in the water play area – she stood there a long time hitting the buttons that made little sprouts of water shoot up.

Here she is in the music area:

They have a nice garden and playground – and look at that – we hadn’t seen the sun all week:

After Claire’s requested dinner of pizza we had cake and opened presents. She asked for a ballerina, pink, sparkle, princess, fairy cake. Then at the last minute she wanted me to put a penguin on the cake too – just so Bea would like it. I used my Amanda Jane doll for the cake. I think they sold these sweet little dolls at Jacobson’s. Mom got them for Jennifer and I when we were little. I always see pictures of these doll cakes and think they are so cute. I thought now is the time to make one – she’ll probably roll her eyes if I try to make one when she is fifteen.

Happy Birthday sweet, sweet girl!

Claire turned four this weekend. Four! Just yesterday she was looking like this:

And now she is this big:

Here is something I wrote about Claire a few weeks ago and never posted. I’ll put some birthday pictures up soon.

Claire and I have been in a sort of sweet spot when it comes to grocery shopping (knock on wood). She is so good and happy to be my little helper whenever we have to get groceries. She sometimes sits in the cart and organizes the groceries for me. Sometime she just tags along – skipping and singing up and down the aisles. It seems every time we go at least one person has to say hi to her – usually an older person who is not in a hurry. They notice how cute she is. I once had a lady say to me “I’ve never seen anyone so happy in a grocery store”. I think her favorite grocery store is Trader Joe’s because they have little carts and free samples. The employees are really friendly and she often gets stickers when we check out.

I’ve been thinking about how it is being a parent. It really is a two sided thing. When I reflect on my life with my kids I feel so lucky to be able to watch them grow up. Seeing them learning and discovering. And just being around little people who smile and laugh so easily – it’s wonderful isn’t it. But then there is also the part where you have to be able to withstand annoying behavior and you have to have incredible patience. Waiting for a three year old to buckle their seatbelt when you really just want to get out of the cold and get going. Listening to endless questions like how many yesterdays are there mommy? Feeling like there is always someone who wants something from mommy – every moment of the day.

So I feel torn. And then I see a lady coming toward us in the grocery store and she looks at Claire in all her cuteness and the lady gets a twinkle eyed smile on her face. She know. She knows how sweet this time is and how fleeting it is. And I feel a little choked up as I try to choose some applesauce. Someday I’ll have to grocery shop without my little deputy of sweetness. 

Claire and I took a walk at the Chicago Botanic Garden on the last day of April. It was a rainy walk with lots of flowers. I so enjoy seeing the vegetable gardens – their peas and lettuce were way ahead of our little sprouts – but I guess they probably brought them out of their greenhouses and planted them recently. The beds all looked so good with their dark wet soil and the little plants lined up neatly. It all felt very hopeful.

Our first outside painting session of the year. Yeah!

Bea painted our back yard – you can see our garden with its green fence and the nice brown soil. Not sure why she made the other side of the yard GOLD???

The garden soil is a lot duller looking in real life. But we do have some healthy little pea plants coming up.

And this very colorful flower is also planted in the garden:

This is the first time I’ve sewn this Oliver + S pattern – the Birthday Party Dress. I’ve always loved the little button tab and the box pleats. The fabric is an old curtain that I got at a rummage sale. It looks like summer doesn’t it.

We finished off our great weekend with a warm walk down a ravine trail to Lake Michigan. 

This trail is at one of our favorite walking spots, Fort Sheridan. I think they finished this particular part just after we moved away. There were three of these colorful sculptures: one in greens, one in browns and one in blues – quite nice in their settings – reflecting the colors of the landscape.

I made a dress for Claire – the Playtime Tunic pattern from Oliver + S. I added some hand stitching around the colar and the hem. My silly girl is so used to wearing sleeveless dresses (all winter) she said “is it a nightie?”  
The problem with the clothes I tend to sew for Claire is that they are just not girly and ruffley and adorned enough for her taste. I’m going to try to remedy that soon – I’ve got another dress cut out from some very flowerey fabric. I also have some sweet flocked cotton that Grandma Dice gave me ages ago. Now is the time to use it – for my girly girl – I’ll make a skirt soon.

We had a very happy Easter with Grandma and Grandpa J and I have lots of pictures to prove it.

I hope you had a lovely spring weekend too.