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.