The camera commands consciousness. Helping me capture details I hope never to forget.

18 Month Stats

So 93% of 18 month olds weigh more than you and 85% are taller. But very few could be so cute in their Chuck Taylors.

Serving Up Ham and Cheese

Shi*s and Giggles

Who knew someone (i.e. Jerry and Sarah) could get so amped about excrement? Ella has been pointing to her bum these last few days and saying "poo poo"...and she's been right. Woo hoo for the poo poo!

Grill Masters

For father's day this year, Jerry hit the jackpot...in so many words I told him he can't grill. Utter failure (sorry love). In thanks for all he does as a father and husband, I decided to send him to grill school at the Chopping Block. As a bonus prize I went with. That class was tonight.
In preparation for the evening we hired our first babysitter. This tells you one of two things: 1. We have very supportive parents who enjoy caring for our daughter.
2. We have no life.
The class was a success. We learned words like macerate and indirect heat. We left with great recipes and some motivation to not repeat past grilling wrongs. What we spent on the class will be saved ten-fold as innocent meat will no longer be treated with such disrespect (see picture). There is still at least two months we can squeeze out of this summer. Two months of glorious grilling.

Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife

Oak Park ain't Mayberry. It has it's fair share of crime. Enough to give this granola village a little street cred. Last night around 1:45 a.m. I heard glass crashing...and then again. Seconds later Jerry and I were standing in our alley to further assess the situation with the police on the phone. Now I watch Forensic Files and consider myself a bit of an expert on police work.
Officer Oak Park: So did you witness anyone out in the alley?
Barney Fife: Yes.
Officer Oak Park: Height and weight?
Barney Fife: I don't know, he was riding a bike.
Officer Oak Park: What age?
Barney Fife: Somewhere under 65.
Officer Oak Park: What color top was he wearing?
Barney Fife: I don't know, dark? (Don't criminals always wear dark colors?)
Officer Oak Park: What about pants?
Barney Fife: Geez, I have no clue! Aren't you supposed to be calling Grissom and taking finger prints by now? We're losing precious time!
The assailants ended up vandalizing three cars in total. Some may blame misguided youth, others may point the finger at summer-time boredom. In this town though, it could very likely be a frustrated response to critics of the Obama health plan. Kids.

In Hiding

It's quarter to eight and I'm not home. At least that is what I told the neighbors. No, I would not like to get together with the other mothers of 800 Home Avenue and plan our next block party. No I would not like to bear witness to the passive aggressive scuffles over paper-making and bicycle decorating. No, I would not like to outline the details of the pinata. And, no, I would not like to volunteer (once again) to oversee the inflatable bouncy death trap for hours on end.
I chalk last year's participation up to sleep deprivation and trying on this new role called mommydom. The 2009 version of this mamma sits on her couch in the dark, curtains drawn, glass of wine in hand feeling quite comfortable with my lies and deceit. Maybe next year suckers!

"Free Range Parenting"

I find myself checking in with veteran mothers more frequently than I would like to admit.
Is it o.k. that Ella is running amok in a crowded park?
Is it acceptable that Ella has added a butter knife to her list of favorite toys? How much dirt ingested is within normal limits?
I'm still having trouble deciphering that fine line between laid back mom and DCFS filing flirt. I'm a social worker, a children's social worker specializing in behavior and development for goodness sake, don't I have these answers?
Nope. Big, fat, no way...at least not for my child.
Don't tell my clients though.

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Can't get enough Ella von Deutchland? Click here for even more.

A visit from a distant German cousin this week inspired these shots. My drindle, over thirty years old, has been hanging in your closet for just the right time. Thank goodness the inspiration hit us when it did because the dress could barely zip over your tummy. Where was the control top lederhosen when we needed it? Signs of our German heritage may be a lot less evident as our family has been in the States for four generations. Accents are long gone, German sauerbraten und schnitzel have not been on the dinner menu for years. What lingers from our German ancestors is less obvious but none-the-less present. A love for outdoors, an appreciation for detail and beauty, orderliness (to a fault) and independence. As a 50% Deutcher, 50% Pinoy, it is my hope that you can capture the best of both worlds. Bayanihan (meaning: I'm ready to help you when you need me) meets wanderlust (yearning for travel), hefeweizen and lechon, all wrapped in one fantastic, well-rounded package...you.

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Happy Birthdays!

Happy Birthdays to Alec and Aliza Maletich! Ella thoroughly enjoyed wading in a sea of wrapping paper and ribbon this afternoon. Aliza amassed quite a few Barbie dolls. I overheard Ella calling her "Barbra" as her greedy fingers busily tried to free her new friend from the plastic wrapping. "Barbra" sounds so much more sophisticated, doesn't it?
p.s. Auntie Sarah was tickled (I sound like a grandmother) to see that Aliza had her sock monkey "Bobby" with her as she blew out her candles. "Bobby" and Aliza met on her first birthday. Introduced by yours truly.

Two "Bs" in a Pod

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Ella and Allyn, yin and yang, a perfect complement to each other. So different in many ways. Allyn, beautiful, soulful eyes, an observer, perfectly content to fall asleep in your arms, to be held and loved. Her smiles and laughter are more thoughtfully distributed, making the recipient feel so special. Ella's eyes twinkle, in constant search for adventure, movement and activity, generous with her humor, she prefers her independence but finds comfort in knowing her parents are near by. Despite our distance and the months that pass between visits, an intuitive comfort surrounds their friendship. I know over the course of their lifetimes they will have lots to teach each other. Both will have gifts they I hope they will share. Both will have crazy parents that they will need to endure.

Lincoln Park

Today I had the opportunity to bring Ella to the place where my adulthood was born; where I started formulating my ideals, developed greater compassion and took a crash course in payin the bills and drinking proper wine (read not Bartles and James). Lincoln Park was where I ditched the over-sized, resale garb along with some of the Hackberry Drive innocence. Today as we walked along the tree-lined streets of row-houses, introduced ourselves to pearl wearing purse dogs (no joke), I realized how good it was to be in my early twenties in arguably one of the best neighborhoods in the city. I also realized how far we've come, trading in my late night/early morning cab rides home for my wake-up calls at dawn. But as I walked along with my Maclaren I took comfort in knowing that no matter how much things change, some things will always stay the same. Like hell I'd give up my wedges.

Happy Birthday America!

A suite that befits Paris at the Hilton on Michigan Avenue, front row seats to a fantastic fireworks show AND a daughter that was Miss Congenialty into the wee hours without a lick of sleep all day long? Seems like Jerry and I were the ones having our wishes granted while the Land of the Free was blowing out the birthday candles.