Comment ça va?

Hey! Turns out some of our readers have been leaving comments! We have to apologize for the fact that we have just seen them tonight for the very first time.

You see, we turned off the comment option to avoid the horrendous comment spam we initially got on Baxtergarten (jeepers crowbar, could there be unread comments there, too?). But what we didn't know was that readers could still actually leave comments, they were just in a file waiting for us to "moderate" them. Well, there was nothing to moderate, so they are now posted. Feel free to leave comments, we'll be sure they are read from now on. (A-hem.)

Chicagoland Boys Still Struggle

Chicago, July 31 - Medical officials remain "perplexed" about the sudden downslide of the two Gordon boys now residing in Chicago's Lake View neighborhood. Doctors report that they have been studying these boys "round the clock" for the past two weeks, but have precious little to show for it.

Many questions have been posed by the children's parents, Mr. Gordon and Ms. Sadler.

"Could it be that there are simply too many trees around here? After our last neighborhood, this could be quite shocking for young children" suggests Mr. Gordon. "Or are they just not accustomed to having more living space? I mean, their bedroom is really spacious. I just don't know."

"I wish I could blame the heat index. Of course, it's hotter than hell here this week, but I look around at the other children here and - with a few exceptions here and there - they seem okay," notes Ms. Sadler. "Normally, the boys would perk right up with an ice cream cone from Scooters - but as you can see in this photo of Baxter, even this has no effect anymore. We are worried sick."

Those who are close to the family suggest that perhaps the sick feeling is actually due to the family's proclivity for Scooters, however, and that if the children would just sleep past 6 AM for two days in a row, they'd be a bit "sharper".

Cousin Time

Baxter and his cousin Katie enjoyed their very first Chicago sleepover the other night! They spent most of the afternoon carefully crafting a show. The fun of the show, of course, was in the preparations: the tickets, the hand-painted sign, the yarm that had to be tied between chairs as horse jumps. You see, they were riders, and their horses were brooms or stick horses. For the entirety of the show, they silently (but enthusiastically) rode from one end of our downstairs to the other. No plot (outside of the inner workings of their minds), no lines. This after the exclamation, "Let's go upstairs and practice our lines!" that preceded a one and a half hour stint up in the bedroom. You just have to wonder how intricate the plot was, how well-rehearsed the lines were, that remained in their heads.

Later, after the big show, they ate pizza and then rode their horses to the ice cream store for a treat. A great time was had by all.

Life's a Beach

If you only saw the pictures, you would think we just went to Lake Michigan's North Ave. Beach for the Wrestlemania. However, there was a good deal of wading, splashing, and playing with fellow city kids to be had last Sunday. We had a most excellent time. At times, I thought about how we used to be able to park for free to sit on a beautiful beach and watch sailboats and container ships (my personal favorites) gliding beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, but you know what? I didn't really think about it all that long because we had a pretty fantastic view of Chicago's amazing skyscrapers, and that Lake is really huge. Besides, the warm water allows us to actually get wet, and it's so clear and shallow right by the beach. All parties agreed that it was going to be a favorite destination.

Gordon Boys Lose Ground in Midwest

Officials perplexed; family concerned

Chicago, July 18 - Puzzled officials reported yesterday that two young newcomers to the city of Chicago are rapidly "losing ground". Although Baxter Gordon, 5, and 1-year old brother Lyle Gordon were previously known to family and friends as "bright and happy children", observers would not label them as such after just two weeks in their new home.

"They've simply wilted!" wailed the boys' mother, Jordan Sadler. "I don't know how it happened. One minute they were playing in the backyard sprinkler and the next thing I knew - well, you can just see it on their faces! And they look sort of, well, not so smart!"

Family and friends shared their alarm. "Is this what happens to Grandma's little sweethearts on a hot day in Chicago???", asks the boys' grandmother, Sharon Sadler, hoping that the change in the children could be attributed to heat alone. "Aw, shucks, all dem boys need is some straw between dem teeth," quipped Dara Dubosky, long-time friend and doula for the family. Others suggest that you can actually see IQ points slipping away when you look at the boys.

Officials agree that the case is atypical. "Of course, we see this all the time when children arrive in the midwest after a stint on one of the coasts," noted Dr. Herbert Smart, Chief of Pediatrics at Chicago's renowned Hospital for Declining Children. "However, we are more accustomed to seeing these changes occur over a number of years. Frankly, we are alarmed and puzzled by the excessively rapid change in the Gordon boys." Dr. Smart and his colleagues are continuing to study test results, but early evidence suggests that the cause is a combination of sudden high temperatures, too many lemonade popsicles, and shock from the unfamiliarity of a neighborhood full of children.

Sources close to the family also raised the possibility that the boys would be "better off" if Ms. Sadler resumed work part-time. "Clearly," said one anonymous friend, "she has too much time on her hands."

5 signs you lived in San Francisco for a good, long while

1. You curb your wheels when parking in one of the world's flattest cities. Honestly, the closest real hill is a three-hour drive.
2. You can't believe that one flimsy little nail is all it takes to properly secure a picture to the wall.
3. You feel a rush of hometown pride when you see someone carrying a Timbuk2 bag.
4. You've gone a full month without hearing a Shane & Company radio ad. I used to have a friend in the diamond business...
5. When you think of your favorite burrito, you fight back tears. Help me, L'Avenida, you're my only hope.

Millennium Park

Wow, I could tell from the pictures that Millennium Park was cool, but I didn't realize just how cool until we went down there this morning on the el. We had a great time playing in the fountains (it was a very hot morning!), and I was pretty mesmerized by the faces on those screens, especially when one smiled or blinked. Awesome. We also appreciated "the bean" - the wacky, distorted photo of Baxter and me is our reflection in the bean. The reflection of Chicago's skyline in it is really amazing! (Note: you can click on these photos to see them enlarged!)

Our first el ride was also a blast, the kids loved it. I wish it was something I could do alone with them during the week, but there's no way to get big ole Lyle and his stroller up all those stairs on my own. (Our stop isn't handicapped accessible, so there's no elevator.) Rats.

Things that are Good

1. Today's weather. In the middle of a mostly sunny day, the sky suddenly darkened, the wind picked up, and the kids and I plastered ourselves to the front window. I tried to convince Baxter that it was about to rain and he didn't quite believe me until the downpour began. He started to get gloomy, worried that we wouldn't be able to outside like I'd promised, but I assured him that it would clear up soon. How did I know? I guess it's ingrained in me from my younger days, but I knew without a doubt that shortly the sun would be back out and I was right.

2. Cute little boys in matching dinosaur boots and jackets. This put a smile on many a stranger's face today.

3. The child care program at the YMCA. Called 'Mazing Kids, it's a great play area with a big tunnel maze, a play kitchen, a big train table, and loads of nice kids. The boys were begging to play there so I brought them over and they had a blast. Now they're begging to go back, which means I can drop them off there on occasion and go upstairs to work out!

4. The fact that I was able to sneak in errands at Walgreen's, the library, and Whole Foods on the walks to/from the Y. This neighborhood rules, and if we have to move out of it in only a year I'll just cry.

5. Matt working from home. We gain two hours of time with him every day on the days when he doesn't have to commute. This means more dinners together, calmer mornings, and just plain more fun.

6. The hours between approximately 12 and 2 every day. Lyle is napping and Baxter's having quiet time. With me not working, this means I can plan for dinner, keep up with household chores, and then lie on the couch, drink some coffee, and read the Tribune. That last part makes me feel like I've died and gone to heaven.

Night Out

Last night we left our renters' troubles behind and went out on the town. A former co-worker of Matt's has written the ultimate chick-lit novel, Singletini, and she held the book launch here in
Chicago. Although she lives in San Francisco, she is from Illinois and the book takes place in Chicago, so - lucky us! - the party was here and we arrived in this fair city just in time. So there we were at the ultra hip (yes, dorky us) Fulton Lounge, surrounded by a whole lotta chicks that looked like they were trying out for the movie version of the book (think bleached blondes with straightened hair and many hours in the tanning booth), but thankfully some friends showed up and we laughed the night away. I should note that Skyy Vodka has sponsored this book in some way and actually created a drink called the Singletini, which was available gratis to all guests; should you ever have a craving for sparkling Kool-Aid, this is your drink. Had a yummy Mexican dinner at De Cero, thanks to a knowledgeable local, where the taco selection is to die for. Not to mention the guacamole. Mmmm, mmmm.

But although we were inundated with hipsters last night, I have been wanting to make the following observation: as far as I can see, this city in general is not nearly as status-conscious as San Francisco. For example, the cars. We're all just regular people, driving our regular cars here. Sure the SUV fad is strong here, too, but you don't see all the Jags, BMWs and Mercedes sedans roaming the streets like we did in SF. I do not miss the prototypical 44-year old ass from Marin driving his BMW convertible like a bat outta hell on a rainy day with the top down and his stupid baseball cap on, like Matt and I saw on our last day in the city (when my parents had the kids and we snuck up to Mill Valley for one last Dipsea breakfast) - we simultaneously yelled out, "F*&%ing Marin!!!" It was one of those cosmic moments that can only come after 10 years of marriage.

The other cool thing is the relative shortage of iPods. Now, don't get me wrong, I do love my iPod mini. But I always found it odd that every single dingle person had one going at all times. Even at the YMCA, a place where it actually makes sense to be wearing one, I'm in the minority. And I truly feel self-conscious about the fact that I have it clipped on an armband here - yeesh. And we won't even get into how I feel when I wear my Bluetooth in the car. But at least I'm just driving my regular, beat-up old station wagon.

This is Us...

This is us, Matt and me, waiting for the moving van to arrive last week. When Matt's Dad sent it last night, my first thought was that it was a sweet photo of us on the first day at our new house. My second thought was more smug, noting to myself how much better the front stairs look now, after only a week...the landlords have recemented the front steps and put beautiful big planters full of flowers on them. "Gosh," I thought to myself, "they really are working hard on this place! They are so invested in making this place into a nice home!" They've only owned it a year and a half, and with a newborn baby last summer I'm guessing they didn't get much done.

Then along comes today. A crappy day to begin with, I have to say. Usually a good work-out early in the morning leaves me invigorated and full of crazy energy to be with the kids, but for some reason today all I could do was flop onto the floor with them and sort of pretend to play trains. It was raining pretty hard all day, and so humid that my hair had a super-attractive halo of friz around it. The kids were crabby, to say the least. Baxter was like a sullen teenaged girl with PMS. I finally managed to get them outside for a rainy day walk, and Baxter was so cranky that I gave up on the outing and just walked them back home. Lyle is in a stage where he will ride in the stroller for about 2 minutes before screaming "Down!Down!Down!Down!" until his voice is hoarse. I don't object to a slow walk around the block with a toddler if he actually would go somewhere. But no, he chooses a random space (such as squished up against a newspaper box, knee-deep in mud) and does not budge. And if he gets the faintest notion that I want him to budge, that's the end of it, he'll be there all day, laughing at my attempts to move him along. It's ugly. In desperation, I searched for my cell phone so that I could at least send an SOS text message to one of my friends in San Francisco, knowing that I'd get a hilariously sarcastic response, only to discover that I'd left my cell phone in the car overnight and didn't have it. It was that kind of a day.

So it should have been no surprise when I finally got the boys back to the house and discovered the note from the landlords in the mailbox. "Just a heads up. We are thinking about putting the house on the market. There will be a walk-through with a realtor tomorrow at 2pm." I looked around at the newly-cemented steps and the patio resplendant with new flowers. I thought about the power wash they did on the house on Saturday and the touch-up painting they did on Sunday. Thinking about it? Looks like they're doing more than thinking about it.

As many of you know, we just left this situation. Our San Francisco landlords just sold our building when we left, and we would've been evicted with 60 days notice if we hadn't elected to move first, which is what we had predicted. So now here we are again. If they do indeed put this house on the market, chances are very good that we will have to move next year on June 30 when our lease is up. House showings. Again. Oh. My. God.

I find this incredibly depressing. After spending a ludicrous amount of money to move across the country, and then putting money into new things we needed for this house, it is unfathomable that we would have to go through this again next year. Not that the move would be so big, but it's still exhausting, stressful, and expensive.

As Matt pointed out, though, our main objective was to get the kids into a good public school, which we have done. At least if we have to move in a year, we can make the move to a cheaper place, since we'd no longer be bound by the school zone. I know this is true. And I'm trying to think positively: maybe the new owners will keep us.

Here There Be Bugs

I know that this will sound very odd to people other than those in the Bay Area but, guys: guess what?! There are BUGS here! All over the place! I don't mean the occasional brief influx of ants at a certain time of year in one's kitchen...marching in a long processional to look around your kitchen only to discover that you've double-wrapped all the food and laid ant traps in anticipation of their visit, at which point they calmly march back out. No, no no, it's not like that here.

Here, sometimes a FLY will come into your home! We had to buy an actual flyswatter! The big thrill at breakfast was how we were going to rid ourselves of this slow, dumb fly that was circling the breakfast table. Baxter was extremely impressed that I got the job done...little did he know that there is really no challenge involved in smacking a large, dumb fly that is just sitting in the middle of the floor. Of course, I accepted his praise as if I had truly done something remarkable, knowing full well that there are years ahead when praise from my children might be, um, well, scarce.

And spiders! Anytime you turn around, inside or out, there could be a spider there. How cool is that? Ants, too. Not the little San Francisco ants, tiny little underfed things - no, these are the really big deep-dish sausage pizza eating ants. I should note that of course there are mosquitoes here, but for some reason none of us has been bitten yet, so I have nothing more to say on that matter. Yet, anyway. Give me time.

I. Love. This. City.

I grew up in a beautiful small college town in Connecticut. Over the next 17 years, I lived in St. Paul, Boston, Sausalito, and San Francisco. I have never - never! - felt so at home in a new place as quickly and easily as I have here. Although I left San Francisco in tears, knowing it was the most beautiful place I've ever lived, and so sad to see the ocean and hills disappear as we headed east, it took me a full six months to see its charms when I arrived there in 1997. In one week, I have fallen head over heels for Chicago.

Now maybe in part this can be attributed to changes in me as much as the city itself. I've got a lot figured out now; I know what I want in life, what's important to me, and how to work things out so that I'm happy. I think it is safe for me to speak for Matt and say the same is true for him. So chances are, we chose our life here with more thoughtfulness and care than we have before, and therefore managed to land in just the right place. I mean, as many of you know, it is no random accident that we are living in this particular house on this street and in this neighborhood; it took months of planning and research to find a great public school in a nice, safe neighborhood, and in the end I had a 6-block by 6-block area in which to search for a home. We were not about to uproot ourselves to a place that wasn't going to be right.

So, okay, perhaps any of those other moves would've been equally satisfying if we'd done them this summer. I'm going to give us credit for having a lot more figured out.

However. This city is still amazing! I love the weather. Yes, I do. Sure, humidity sucks, we all know that. But it can lead to thunderstorms. And, here's what I love: the next day? It might be totally different. You actually don't know what the weather will be the next day, and I love this unpredictability. I love that it's summer, real summer, and that we slather on sunscreen many times a day and loll around in our backyard for hours on a warm afternoon. The kids play in the kiddie pool and then ding-dong-ditch each other in the play house. They head up the stairs to the deck, dripping wet, and I bring out snacks to eat at the table there, and then back down we go to play.

I love that we can walk to everything. In ten minutes, we can walk over to the YMCA for our tumbling class on a Friday morning (which is fabulous, by the way), stop in at the grocery store for a few things afterward, and then pop into the library to read and play and pick up some new books to bring home. Baxter was in the car once all week and Lyle hasn't been in it in over a week.

I love that we already have a happy social life. On Friday night I went to my new book club for the first time, having been invited by a pair of sisters I've known for some years now, and it was a blast. Funny, smart, nice women, many of whom have kids, talking about everything from the book to where you can get a less painful Brazilian (and yet, still, I have to say: no thank you!). Last night my friend and former colleague Stuart (from SF) came for dinner, which was great fun. Today we were invited to a party at the home of one of the book club members who lives just 4 blocks away. Her family invited a whole bunch of families to watch the World Cup, and we found ourselves amid a lively and welcoming group of parents and kids. Baxter and Lyle were in heaven - new kids, new toys! - and we were glad to get to know more people. Tomorrow I will take the kids out to Matt's sister's house for a play date with their cousins Billy and Molly. The kids are very excited, and so am I.

As Matt put it to Stuart last night, it sort of feels like this life has been here, full and complete, just waiting for us to drop ourselves into it and get going already.

July Fourth Greetings from Chicago

Dark has fallen here in Chicago on the Fourth of July at the end of a gorgeously sunny and mild summer day. Our twenty-something landlords - I have such a hard time calling them that when they are so young - are in the backyard sending very loud firecrackers into the sky (bottle rockets? i don't know...there is very little i know less about than fireworks). It seems odd not to have expected so much noise tonight, I know. However, the city of Chicago traditionally does its big waterfront display on the night of July 3rd, so I foolishly assumed it was over.

The cranky mom in me is dismayed by this - why did we not get any warning that this would be going on in the backyard tonight? How could they keep their 15-month old up so late when through my bedroom window I could hear that she wanted to be in bed an hour and a half before they brought her in? At the same time, I am amazed by how hard these people have been working during the holiday weekend. The back yard has been transformed into a little paradise full of flowers, with a stone border and small solar lanterns. There are festive colored lights strung along the roof of our deck. It has also suddenly become a child's paradise; today a play house, kiddie pool, and sand table have all been assembled for their child and our boys to enjoy. So who cares if they are out there enjoying it and making a little noise? Besides, I seem to be the only one in the family unable to sleep through the melee.

It was a wonderful day. This morning we put the kids in their swimsuits and walked to an amazing playground just a few blocks away, where there are not only two big new play structures but an excellent water fountain to play in with a soft surface below. They had the time of their lives. This afternoon we enjoyed some time with our good friends Kevin and Jess, here to visit us from St. Paul, MN, and we took the kids on their bikes over to the neighborhood ice cream shop. Actually, it's a frozen custard shop, and it was delicious. They give out a free toddler cone, which was the smallest ice cream cone I've ever seen, and the perfect size for Lyle.

Chicago is beautiful, friendly, and full of life in the summer. We have enjoyed the warmest welcome imaginable. Even the clerk at Trader Joe's gave me a free bouquet of flowers the other day as a welcome gift when she learned that we were new in town. I keep looking around in happy wonder and asking myself, "What is this place?" I can't quite believe that we've found a big, vibrant city that is made up of these small family-friendly neighborhoods where we can enjoy the life I always thought required a move to the suburbs.

By now the neighbors have ended their backyard fireworks display, and all that's left is the quiet hum of the kitchen light and the occasional boom one comes to expect on the Fourth. If I knew any of the people out there setting them off, I'd probably go out to join in the fun. That seems more like the spirit of this new city.