Dear Chicago

Dear Chicago,

I miss you. I love you. You'll always have a special place in my heart.

I miss your free zoo
your great museums
your Thai food
your beautiful skyline
your beach
your summer weather
your good public transit
your Greek food
your diversity

I miss your beauty
your concrete
your old buildings
your story
your parks

Someday, I'll come back to visit. I want to show Calder what a cool city you are. His birth city even. I want him to understand what a special time Jason and I had while we lived there. Don't worry dear Chicago, we'll be back to visit someday.

Love,
Cami

Calder Style

Calder is far more stylish than his parents. Actually he's probably more stylish than both of us combined. This is what he wore to church today.

He insisted on the jacket and the tie. He has insisted on wearing ties to church for the last six months or so. I think it's mostly because Jason always does. The shoes were my choice since his other (more appropriate) ones are a little tight and very worn. Believe it or not he got a lot of comments about his awesome outfit. I think this second picture looks like a band album cover. You know, something like Weezer or OK GO.

Not only does Calder have awesome fashion sense, he takes good care of his stuff. We had been outside and his shoes got a bit of mud on them. I told him he couldn't wear his shoes because they were dirty and would get dirt all over the house. He immediately grabbed the diaper bag, found a wipe, and proceeded to clean his shoes so he could wear them.

He also makes sure Jason hangs up his jacket instead of draping it over a chair. He just says "UH-OH Daddy!" over and over again until Jason takes care of it.

18 Month Stats

Height: 32 3/4 inches (50th percentile)
Weight: 24lbs 4 oz (25th percentile)
Head: 75th percentile

2 shots, no tears. Definitely a successful appointment.

Columbus Zoo

We had a great time at the zoo earlier this week. I hadn't ever been and since the weather was so nice it seemed like it was about time. Calder loved it. His favorites things were the train, the tiger, the kangaroos and the carousel.

This is Calder's good friend Archer.

I love that Calder is just chillin' with the tiger. He loved waving at it as it paced back and forth. It's crazy to think they are less than a foot apart and so unaffected by each other. All in all Calder thought it was the best day ever. Since he is now pretty much obsessed with trains the train ride around the park just made his day. He threw a big fit when I made him get off at the end. I was that mom dragging her kicking and screaming child off the ride. Good times. It was especially sad because for a little while he kept saying "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo" while he cried.

Bike Riding

Jason teaching Calder to ride a bike. (Just kidding)

Calder at 18 Months

18 Months. Wow. My baby is now a little boy. He's such a good kid. I feel so blessed to have such a smart, creative and clean child.

His personality is really starting to show. Calder is very cautious. He's never been the kid to climb all over things and jump from high places. He calls out for me to help him step down a few stairs or if he wants to go down the slide. Even with help he tries to use his shoes to slow him down. I think he gets his cautious nature from his dad.

He is clean. If he falls he wants a wipe for his hands. He eats with a fork and likes it when I wipe his mouth. Thankfully I planted flowers a few weeks ago and he saw it was okay to dig in the dirt. He's started picking up rocks and playing in the dirt a little more. I think this trait is more me.

He likes things a certain way. When he naps his room has to be picked up. If his room is a mess he just sits in his crib saying 'uh-oh' over and over again until we clean it up. He readily picks up his toys when he's done bathing and just about any other time I ask. He likes the tupperware to have a matching lid and will go through the cupboard looking for the right one. I think this one is definitely my fault.

Here's a few tidbits about him this month:

• He is obsessed with trains
• He LOVES pears and peas
• If we count to 10 he will say 2, 6 and 9 in the correct spots.
• He has started combining words to make small sentences.
• If you ask him what color something is, he will always say "blue".
• He calls Jason "Nana". It started a long time ago and we figured out that he was actually trying to say "Honey" which is what I tend to call Jason. Now Calder can say "Honey" perfectly but still prefers to call Jason "Nana".
• He loves to tease and be tickled.

Calder took these pictures all by himself. I'd say he takes a pretty good self portrait.

Easter

We had a marvelous Easter! On Saturday we went to the park down the street for an egg hunt. There were tons of kids there. Thankfully Calder found one piece of candy. Yes, that's right, he got one piece. A little boy saw that Calder didn't have much and picked up a piece for him. So at the end of the hunt he had two pieces. He was THRILLED! I love how happy it made him. After the hunt was over one of the volunteers of the hunt saw Calder's bucket and gave him a handful of candy. You should have seen his excitement.

On Sunday we had some friends over for the a great Easter dinner. We invited them to stay to listen to the last conference session. It was so nice to let the kids play in the yard while we sat on the deck listening to the prophet.

Spending Fast Recap

March was a good month. Actually I think I will always look back on my Spending Fast of 2010 as a great growing experience. I'm thrilled to report that I succeeded in my goal and am really happy with the results. Here's a few of the things I've learned.

I don't need to go to the store nearly as often as I was. I assumed this but until I tried it I couldn't be sure. My days were FULL. They just weren't full of going to the store. Calder and I actually did so much more. We spent long afternoons at the park, hours at the science museum and had playdates with friends. I think he was happier doing less shopping and more playing.

I am happier not going to the store as frequently. That doesn't really make sense since I love to shop. But here's the thing, I have always had some serious buyers remorse. If I impulse buy, I'll feel remorse. It doesn't matter if that impulse buy becomes the bag I use every day for 3 years and was a totally good investment. I need to plan my purchases in order to feel good about spending money. If I buy something after drooling over it for a month, I am much happier and don't feel remorse at all. After this month I've become more committed to sticking to my list and writing my wants down.

I checked out a lot of books from the library about personal style and clothes. I appreciate the list of wardrobe recommendations and spent a lot of time assessing what clothes I have and what would enhance my current wardrobe. It has been said that we wear 20% of the clothes we own. We have another 10% for special occasions and the the other 70% just sits in the closet. I don't want to have the other 70% wasting space. Around the middle of the month I tried on most of my clothes. It was like I went shopping, and that made me happy. I found a few outfits for each item I own and although I got rid of a couple garbage bag full of clothes I feel like my wardrobe has expanded. I had been holding on to a few items that I liked but never wore. I forced myself to wear each item for a day and find an outfit to wear it with. If I didn't like it at the end of the day it went in the donation bag.

I can and should live with less. I seem to buy a lot of different cleaning supplies when I could buy one multitasking spray. (I know I could make my own but scent is a huge thing for me) Having fewer cleaning supplies is much cheaper and takes up less space in my house which makes me happier. Also, I ran out of paper towels around the 5th of March. I could have replaced it but didn't want to fit them into the budget. I still haven't bought more. I have just been using regular wash cloths for most of the stuff I used paper towels for. Better on the budget and better on the environment.

I don't really need to eat out much. Going out to lunch seems a bit wasteful and going out just because I don't want to cook is silly. I want to eat out to celebrate. Along with that, I want to eat really good food when I go out, not just mediocre chain restaurant food. (Please don't take offense if Chili's is your all time favorite place to eat. I'm not trying to offend I promise)

I've picked up the habit of obsessively checking craigslist's free section. I didn't actually go pick anything up but it was nice to know I could if I wanted to. I mean, I could afford it. I drooled over this one midcentury modern hutch that someone took out to the curb for about a week. I wanted it so bad. I even asked Jason if he thought it would fit in our car. There's no way. Plus he didn't want to have to move it in a few months. He did promise that once we have a long term (longer than 1 year) house I can find the perfect hutch or sideboard. That made it all worth it.

In the last two days I've bought the following things:

• A new front wheel for Calder's stroller (it broke a few months ago and has been held together with duct tape for a while. It still works but the new one will be great. Plus it was only $25)
• A battery for the doorbell (that still doesn't work. Grrr)
• Pansies. About 12 pots of them. My garden and window baskets looks amazing. I'll post pictures soon.
• Carpet cleaner
• A window. It is a huge 8 pane beauty. I love it and have big plans for it. I'll post pictures when I'm done. This particular window is from 1910. I can't wait for you to see what I do to it. I emailed the previous owner of this window on March 13th begging him to save one for me. I'm sure he thought I was a nut. Thankfully he still had one and I could go pick it up today.
  

I know I had a very low point around week two. I'm so thankful the month improved and it got easier. I think that was the point where I experienced a lifestyle change. I haven't felt like I need to run to the store for every little thing or that Calder and I should go to Target as an outing just to get out of the house. If you're considering doing this or any other seemingly hard thing. Do it. It just might change your lifestyle and make you happier. Oh and if you do, please tell me. I'd love to cheer you on!

In The Garden

We have been enjoying some nicer weather lately. Calder LOVES being outside and so we've been spending as much time as possible in the yard and at the park. It's a bummer when it rains because he doesn't understand why we're not outside. It was a really big bummer when it snowed last week. I really dislike snow. A lot. Here's some pictures of Calder out in the yard last week. It's fun to just watch him play and run around.

The look on his face in these last two pictures is awesome. This is the look he gives when he touches dirt or is confused. I love it.

Spending Fast Week 4

I had a great week! I spend $45.93 at the grocery store. The temptation to spend has definitely waned and I've learned to live without a few things. It feels good. I am excited to finish my spending fast but have learned quite a few things. I'll do a final recap on Thursday.

So Lauren & Lorraine how did you do? And Jeannie, how has your first week of writing it down gone?

Travel Bed

Okay, I need advice. Jason and I are going to buy a travel bed for Calder. We've never had a pack and play and didn't really see a need. Since we'll be living in various places this Summer it will be handy for Calder to have a consistent place to sleep.

We've narrowed our choices down to two. We're kind of at a standstill. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Tell me what you think.

This is the KidCo Peapod. It costs about $85.00 at Amazon.

Here's what KidCo would like you to know about it:

"Whether you have an infant or ‘big kid’ the PeaPod Plus is the perfect travel bed. For short trips across town when naptime nears, or long cross country vacations, the PeaPod Plus becomes your child’s own portable bedroom. And it’s so lightweight even your child can carry it. The inflatable air mattress helps protect from cold, hard surfaces (inside or out) and provides a comfortable place to sleep or play. Great for outdoors because of its UV protection and adjustable wind screens. Sleeping bag unzips completely to form a one piece sleeping pad. A large front zipper panel allows parents quick access to infants or easy in/out for older kids. The slick, easy to fold design makes it ideal for storage and use at a moment’s notice. Weighs 6.9 lbs.

Here are the advantages we see over the other one:

• Calder would probably think it was really cool. I mean, it looks like a tent, what little boy doesn't want that.
  
• It can be used to age 6.
• It comes with a sleeping bag.

Here are the disadvantages:

• It might be too much of a toy and hard for Calder to settle down in.
• It isn't as compact when folded and therefore would be harder to get into our luggage.
• I've never really heard of KidCo.
  

Here's the second one. The Phil & Ted Traveller. It costs about $80.00 at Costco. (but up to $199 at other stores)

The phil&teds® Traveller is a full size cot/crib that’s lighter than the baby! Perfect for both outdoor and indoor use. Lightweight, washable, and waterproof.

• Age: Newborn up to 3 years
• Use: Indoor & outdoor
• Frame: Lightweight aluminum
• Fabric: Washable & waterproof
• Incredibly lightweight
• Playpen & sleep solution in one
• Ideal for home & away, sleep & play, beach & bedroom
• Compact so there’s less bulk to carry
• Zip-off UV shade cover
• Self inflating mattress (cushion & insulation)
• Simple, rapid assembly
• Dimensions: 51x25x31 in. erected, 25x9x9 in. packed
• Weight: 5.6 lbs. (without mattress)

Okay, the advantages here:

• Size when broken down
• It looks like a bed and seems very sturdy.
• It comes from a company I know a lot about and trust.
• It doesn't seem like it would blow away in the wind if we take it to the beach or the park.
• It seems like it would be better to use from infancy for our next kid.
  

And the disadvantages:

• It's less 'cool' for Calder.
• It doesn't come with a sleeping bag (but I could totally make one, so that is fairly minor)
• It only goes to age 3.

So, what are you thoughts? Do you have one? Do you love it/hate it? Is there an obvious advantage/disadvantage that we missed?