Shutterbug Mama

I know that as the parent of a girl, one big temptation is to dress your daughter up as if she's your personal doll 24/7. Just walk into any Baby Gap or Old Navy, and you'll see that the options for girls are so much more enticing than for boys. I've recently become acutely aware of many people paying attention only to Cadence's outward appearance. I guess it's only natural, since most folks think that parents always want to hear how cute their kid is. And of course I enjoy hearing these kinds of compliments; I wouldn't be plastering the internet with her photos if I didn't. At the same time, though, I also don't want Cadence to grow up thinking that the most important thing in life is for her to look "cute" or "pretty" or that her main value as a girl or woman is to look good for other people.

Fact is, Cadence is about as active and playful and rambunctious as any boy her age I've seen. I was raised in a family that believed that girls should be quiet and gentle and that they don't grow up to be certain things, like, say, a photographer for National Geographic. I don't want to place those kinds of limits on Cadence.

I admit that sometimes it's really hard to let Cadence pick her own outfit, when I'd really like to take her out and about in that adorable dress, but she's rather run and jump and climb in a flannel shirt and jeans.

And even when she DOES wear something a bit more on the girly side, I hope she'll always be comfortable enough in her own skin to just be her goofy, lovely self.

Labels: cadence, parenting, photos

It's true, folks. I've broken down and gone the digital SLR route. Although I've gotten some sweet shots with various digital point 'n' shoots over the years, nothing beats the speed and depth of field capabilities of an SLR, and I really missed hearing the click-click-click of a REAL camera.

So what did I end up getting? I stayed true to my Nikon roots and got the D40. It's about the cheapest digital SLR you can get, considering you get the body PLUS the 18-55mm lens for under $550. In addition, I got the new 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR DX Zoom Nikkor lens for $240. The VR stands for Vibration Reduction, and when you're zooming at that rate, it really helps, esp. if you don't use a tripod (which I don't). Add to that the tiny yet functional Nikon SB-400 speedlight for $110, and that's pretty much my kit.

While on first look, there is nothing spectacular about this photo, which was one of the first photos I took with my new camera, the thing to notice is that I captured Cadence in mid-air quite easily because as soon as I press the shutter button, the photo is taken. No more waiting a whole second for the camera to finally take the photo, which is usually a half-second too late. I totally love the instant gratification this provides me.

I am also loving my new speedlight. I am able to tilt the flash head upwards so that the light bounces off the ceiling. This gives a flash photo a more natural light look to it. Now I don't have to wait for the light to be *just right* to take some decent photos, although I do still prefer natural light. Always have, and always will.

I'm still getting used to the new equipment, so it'll be a while before I get the kind of photos I'm aiming for. It's been rainy these past couple days, so I haven't had the chance to get out as much as I'd like.

I can already tell, though, that I'll be wanting to take a LOT more photos and of things other than Cadence in the future with my new set-up.

Labels: i.heart.nikon, new.camera, photos

Last Monday, I took a vacation day so we could hang with Ted's sister Lauren who was visiting from Sweden. Although the temps were still on the chilly side, the sun warmed things up so we ventured out to a playground nearby.

As you can see, Cadence comes from a family who takes their playing seriously. It's no wonder she's such a good jumper.

I have a feeling that recess will be Cadence's favorite subject in school. That's if recess isn't outright abolished in schools by then, in which case we'll keep her at home.

We're sad that a great big ol' pond called the Atlantic separates us from Lauren, but we're glad we had some one-on-one time with her while she was in town. Cadence definitely enjoyed hanging out with her auntie.

Friday was Ted's Dad's birthday, so we met up with the family for dinner at Brass Restaurant and Brewery in Barrington. Cadence was so excited about it being somebody's birthday, and she made us practice singing 'Happy Birthday' in the car ride. I think Grandpa was pretty tickled when she sang for him, although there was no cake, which was what I think Cadence was really looking forward to.

Don't these two look good together? Yeah. Good genes. Hurray for families!

Labels: auntie.lore, family

We've got spring fever here in the Windy City. It's been a cold, wet winter and we as a collective metropolis plan on WILLING spring into reality.

C'mon, Spring. How can you say no to a face like that? Admit it. Resistance is futile.

Go visit Tracey's Picture this for more folks' Best Shots Monday.

Labels: best.shots.monday, photos, spring.fever

(My brain is rather mushy this week, so I turn to my friends for a little support and material for this here blog.)
This photo of Cadence (hot DANG, she looks like a KID!) shows her wearing a Sew Rad creation by our friend Jan Hammer, the lovely wife of Ryan Hammer, who plays bass in the Tim Lowly band with Ted. Jan and Ryan went to the Rosie Thomas/Denison Witmer show with me on Sunday night. When I went to pick them up at their apartment, Jan delievered a bag of goodies, which included this lovely t-shirt. It is totally the type of shirt I'd want to wear if I were a two-and-a-half year old indie rock toddler. Jan and her stitchin' friends inspire me to learn how to sew.

My friend Michele has been working on the 5 questions I gave her to answer on her blog. She's gotten throught the first 2, and her posts are definitely worth a read. Post #1 is the answer to the question "What traditions from your family of origin do you plan on continuing in your *new* family?" And Post #2 is the answer to the question "What are a few of your favorite Montessori-based activities that anyone can do in their home with their toddler/preschooler?" I took a lot away from both posts. This will be required reading material for Ted.

One of the reasons my mind is so blank this week is because I'm grieving over the Virgian Tech shootings. Carol of Bokumbop wrote a post on Kimchi Mamas that pretty much articulates why this tragedy has had such a deep impact on many Koreans here in the U.S. (I was born in Seoul, if you don't know) and back home in the motherland (and I'm sure, around the world). Besides the killer sharing my ethnic and immigrant background, as a mom, I can't help feeling for all the mothers and fathers affected personally by this tragedy. The always-inspiring Jen Lemen cross-posted what her sister Patience wrote which was something really beautiful for one of those moms.

That's it for this week. Next week, I will unveil the New and Improved Photography of Sarah-Ji made possible by a generous grant from my mother.

Labels: friends, friends.rock, friends.who.rock, kimchi.mamas, virginia.tech

Labels: prayer.for.the.paranoid, virginia.tech

We're not much about fashion in our household, but we did have some fun this weekend with some funky sunglasses and an outfit I absolutely adore. I don't have much time to elaborate, as I'm on a vacation day and we've got stuff to do, so I'll just post my favorite photos from this weekend.

My favorite smile of the weekend. I like how she's looking off to the side and not directly into the camera.

And here is my favorite outfit ever. The t-shirt was a thrift store find that I absolutely adore. I wish I could get away with wearing Baby Legs and a pleated denim mini-skirt.

Labels: best.shots.monday, cadence, family, photos

This is what my kitchen looked like Saturday afternoon. I was cooking unsupervised, and this is what happens when Sarah cooks.

Labels: around.the.house, me.so.not.crafty

Actually, I have no idea when Cadence will decide to wean. But I got the idea of having a weaning party when she DOES decide to do so by reading this totally awesome article in the Boston Globe* about how more mothers are choosing extended breastfeeding with their children, and how a lot of these moms are not "earthy mama" granola types like some might expect. Cuz who else would be crazy enough to nurse a toddler/preschool/kindergartener/etc? (*gasp*! Did she just say KINDERGARTENER?!) Well, as it turns out,

"Those who stay with it [breastfeeding], particularly beyond 18 months, tend to be highly educated."

Now, I love my crunchy mama friends, don't get me wrong (I think I have at least a bit of a granola streak in me), but I also don't want women to think that they can't keep nursing their babies because they're NOT so granola. Extended breastfeeding is for hippie and non-hippie alike. I especially think any mom who works full-time outside the home can benefit greatly from extended nursing because it is a great way to reconnect to your child after being away all day long.

Anyhoo, if you're curious about or disgusted by the idea of nursing a child over 12 months old, please read the article. It's very informative. I bet even Jesus wasn't weaned until he was at least of preschool age.

*In case the Boston Globe pitches this article, I'm saving a copy here.

Labels: extended.breastfeeding, lactivism

My cousin Jeannie was in town last week. Her boyfriend Erik recently started his first term at the School of the Art Institute (a.k.a. The 'Tute). She was also visiting her baby niece, who was just born the end of March. Some of the cousins got together on Saturday to go to the Hopleaf Bar. My aunt (Jeannie's mom) was nice enough to babysit, as the Hopleaf is a strictly 21+ establishment. I'm glad, because I totally had my heart set on getting me a goblet of some of that Belgian goodness otherwise known as Tripel Karmeliet, and you can't get it on tap at just any old watering hole in Chicago.

You may remember me raving about this beer last week after our visit to Gruppo Di Amici. I have seriously thought about fantasized about this beer every day since then. It was THAT good. I regretted not having taken my camera last week so I could record for posterity the beautiful creamy, thick head our awesome waiter poured into my beautiful goblet. This week, however, I managed to remember my camera so I can offer you this visual to go along with my continued rave:

Unfortunately, we were seated in the 2nd level dining room, so the head wasn't as creamy and foamy by the time the waiter finally brought over our drink orders. Nevertheless, everyone at the table agreed that it was indeed a yummy beer.

Belgian ales were the drink of choice for the evening. My cousin Casey had the St. Bernardus, Ted had the Maredsous, and I don't remember the rest cuz I was tipsy after one beer (I'm a cheap date).

I'm pretty sure Jeannie and Erik had Belgians too. I love how they all come in their own special glass or goblet. I'm sure it makes it easier for the waitstaff, especially at an establishment like the Hopleaf with a gazillion beers on tap.

Anyhoo, if anyone wants to go to the Hopleaf any time soon, let me know. Or if you choose to go without me, do yourself a favor and have the Tripel Karmeliet. But make sure you've got enough money to pay for a $7 beer.

Labels: beer, beer.snob.bars, family, i.heart.belgium, the.hopleaf, tripel.karmeliet

Every Easter since Cadence was born (actually, since Ted and I have been together), we go to Ted's parents' house for Easter dinner. Cadence seems to have developed a little tradition of her own.

Here she is playing Grandma & Grandpa's piano on her very first Easter. Does she not look like a natural?

Here she is at last year's Easter dinner tickling the ivories again. A little more hair this year--enough to warrant a barrette (barely).

And here she is at this year's Easter dinner, getting ready to carry on her yearly Easter performance. This year, she has enough hair for PIGTAILS, not juste a barrette.

She's also able to climb onto the piano bench all by herself now. Not to mention, she looks HUGE compared to the previous two years.

Just take a look at those dangling legs! She looks like she's big enough for piano lessons (not gonna happen). Well, if she keeps practicing her little Schoenhut, maybe she'll have a big piano someday. But probably not one as big as the one at Grandma & Grandpas. Unless she plans on sleeping underneath it every night. Excuse the fragments please.

Well, being big enough to get on the piano bench by herself also means she doesn't have to stay on there helpless while her mama takes endless photos of her. Oh well.

Go see other folks' Best Shot Monday here.

Labels: best.shots.monday, cadence, family.tradition, photos

And apparently, just one of 2,000 fans willing to pay $100-200 to see Jeff Tweedy. I guess the show was open to the general public, so it wasn't the intimate show I was expecting. It was fun, though, with a raucous crowd. Jeff kept it low-key and casual, and his entire set was made up of songs requested by the first 30 people in line at the door. Damn. I should have shown up earlier. Then he would've played Via Chicago.

The setlist was quite varied, actually, from Uncle Tupelo (including one of my faves--New Madrid) to the Mermaid Ave Project to Wilco to some favorite covers (including Love and Mercy by Brian Wilson, another one of my faves) to songs I've never heard of from his Golden Smog and Loose Fur projects. Oh, he even did a song from the Chelsea Walls soundtrack. He only played one song off each of the first 3 Wilco albums (Passenger Side from A.M., The Lonely 1 from Being There, and A Shot in the Arm from Summerteeth). Yankee Hotel Foxtrot dominated the setlist, and Jeff played a handful of songs off the upcoming Sky Blue Sky album. My favorite that he played from the new one is called What Light, and you can download a copy from their website here. It's a lovely, lovely song, and I thought quite appropriate for a fundraiser for a school.

Jeff spent almost as much time talking as he did playing music, something he'd never do with a full band, so it was cool hearing all his funny stories. My friend Alana and I had a great time together, and we are so totally thankful to our friend Alex who made it all possible!

Labels: i.heart.wilco, live.music

What you are looking at, dear readers, is two tickets to An Evening With Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco). Two $150.00 tickets. To an EXCLUSIVE, INTIMATE performance by Jeff Tweedy for 200 or so lucky patrons. And how did I score me these tickets? Because my lovely friend Alex read my Three Questions blog post (in response to Leah of Lakeline's questions) and saw Wilco at the top of my cool band list. She happened to receive two tickets as a gift, but isn't a Wilco fan, so guess who's the luckiest girl on the upper North Side? Me! That's who! And my friend Alana, who also happens to be friends with Alex. See, folks, it sometimes pays to have friends who don't share your musical interests.

Labels: blogs.with.benefits, friends.rock, friends.who.rock, i.heart.wilco

Does this gray make me look blue?

Be honest now.

Yeah. We went for gray. It looks blue. Honestly, though, I'm a blue kind of girl so I love it. Ted's grudgingly accepting it, I think.

Labels: around.the.house

i come home from work just an hour later than usual, and this is the state i find my daughter in...

Labels: cadence, ha.ha.ha., photos

I'm emerging from a very busy weekend, and I can't get my brain to produce a coherent post because I'm still somewhat discombobulated. I think I'll have to resort to bullet points.

Saturday

* Cadence and I took the Metra to our church for the Fair Trade Market. Berry (our church) is a member of the Chicago Committee on Fair Trade, and we host one of these markets at least a couple times a year. Most of the folks volunteering at the booths were folks we know from church, so I felt comfortable letting Cadence just roam around while I shopped and visited with folks. To me, that's a clear sign that I'm feeling more at home at Berry.

* We took the Lawrence bus and Clark bus back home. Luckily, I had brought a sling, and Cadence fell asleep snuggled against my chest while we were waiting for the bus. This is the 3rd weekend in a row that Cadence and I have taken public transportation, and while I was standing on the corner of Lawrence and Clark, holding Cadence close to me, I thought about how meditative the act of waiting for a bus or train can be. You get to see the world around you, standing in one spot, letting it soak in, as opposed to zooming by a blur at XX mph. It's been liberating to not feel confined to our home just because I don't have the car on Saturdays. There are so many places we can go, and it all starts with a 2 minute walk to our bus stop.

* Saturday evening, Ted, his brother Dave, Cadence and I attended a potluck/presentation at church with our Community Supported Agriculture provider. CSA links local farmers with consumers who can buy subscriptions for a delivery of fresh, in-season produce on a weekly basis. This provides the farmers with a somewhat reliable source of income, and it gives the people in the communities a chance to develop a relationship with the people who grow their food. Tony Ends, the owner of Scotch Hill Farm and Executive Director for the organization Churches' Center for Land and People (CCLP), talked to us about the philosophy and practices behind CSA. He is an articulate, passionate speaker, and we were all moved by what he had to say. Ted, Dave, Dave's fiancé Becki and I are going to share a CSA subscription this summer. We hope the weekly delivery of fresh produce, grown with so much respect for the earth and for humanity, will encourage us to cook meals together with that food and increase the community amongst ourselves.

Sunday

* My new friend Holly visited our church with her breathtakingly beautiful almost-2-year-old daughter Helena. If I told you all the coinkidinks that tie Holly and me together, you would freak out. Go read her blog. She is awesome.

* Ted and Dave painted our living room all day Sunday. I rewarded them by taking them out to Gruppo di Amici, a relatively new Italian restaurant that specializes in Roman-style pizzas cooked in a woodburning oven. As soon as I told Ted about their $3 draft beer Sunday special, he was sold. The restaurant is in the newly revitalizing Jarvis district, right off the Jarvis stop of the Red line in Rogers Park. It ain't no hole in the wall, either. The owners definitely spent money on decorating this joint. Still, the waitstaff were friendly, and we got no dirty looks when we walked in with Cadence in tow.

They only have two beers on tap, but we discovered that they only stock fine quality craft beers. When Ted found that out, I knew we'd be back on many a future Sunday. Anyhoo, on this particular evening, they had the Tripel Karmeliet and Veltins Pilsner on tap. Ted ordered the first one, and when I saw the beautiful creamy head in the gorgeous goblet they served it in, I had to have a taste. One little mouthful, and I was totally hooked. This was the yummiest beer I had ever laid my lips on! It was so smooth, more like a dreamsicle. I immediately called over the waiter and ordered my own goblet. Unfortunately, they'll be replacing this beer before next Sunday, so next time I'll have to pay full price ($7)at the Hopleaf to get it on tap. If you like Two Brother's Cane and Ebel, that's the next beer that will replace the Tripel Karmeliet on tap @ Gruppo di Amici. I highly recommend going there on Sundays for their $3 draft beer special. Plus the food was yummy! A little on the expensive side, but overall a lovely experience. It also really helped that Cadence was happy as a clam eating ice cubes the whole time.

Monday

* I took a vacation day Monday because I happen to follow the weather, and I found out it would be the only warm and sunny day of the week. We took Cadence and her little buddy Rudden to Brookfield Zoo, where we have a membership. Rudden's parents Brendan and Amy are friends of ours from church.

I remembered from our previous visit that you could rent those plastic wagons at the zoo, and so rather than lug two toddlers in and out of strollers, we opted for the wagon. It turned out to be one of my smarter decisions in life. The kids loved riding in the wagon, which meant a) we only had to pull one vehicle at a time; b) we didn't have to constantly chase down two toddlers to put them back in strollers; c) we had a place to put our stuff; d)it was easy to take the kids in and out of the wagon without fussing w/ buckles.

Cadence also enjoyed pulling the wagon. Yeah, she may look scrawny, but don't let her size fool you. It's all pure muscle.

Don't get me wrong--we didn't keep them totally confined to the wagon. They got plenty of chances to run and hop and jump and climb and basically be two-and-a-half year olds.

It was so cute when they both fell asleep in their car seats on the way back home. All in all, it was a lovely outing. Seeing Cadence interact with Rudden gives us a peek at what it would be like if she had a sibling. They are good enough friends that they can fight and then laugh within the same minute. It's actually quite fascinating.

Labels: beer, cadence, family, friends, photos, this.busy.life