Happy Father's Day!

Zoe and I are both so lucky to have such awesome dads! Happy Father's Day to Jody and my dad! xoxo

Toga, Toga, Toga!

Zoe just turned 16 months last week, and I'm pretty sure this is my favorite age yet. She's running, sqealing, climbing, dancing, chatting and even understanding a lot of what we're saying. It's pretty awesome. Of course, it can all get pretty exhausting and challenging. But worth it. So worth it.

With all these changes, I think we are supposed to start referring to her as a toddler nowadays, rather than a baby. (At least that what the folks at Babycenter.com tell me in my weekly "what your toddler is doing now" emails.) So after reading a comparison of life with a toddler to going to a frat party, I realized that yes, we officially have a toddler on our hands. We went to plenty of frat parties back in the day, and I gotta say this list rings pretty true. (I don't want to take credit for this list so please note that this has been copied and pasted from http://www.suburbansnapshots.com/2010/06/10-reasons-having-toddler-is-like-being.html)

10. There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub.

9. There's always that one girl, bawling her eyes out in the corner.

8. It's best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.

7. You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone's going to start banging on the door.

6. Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.

5. You've got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.

4. There's definitely going to be a fight.

3. You're not sure whether anything you're doing is right, you just hope it won't get you arrested.

2. There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.

1. You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.

A Hockey City

We've got spirit, yes we do! (And yes, we are in the bathroom mirror)

Taken from my phone as the Hawks headed downtown for the parade!

Even the lions at the Art Institute were decked out in hockey helmets for the Stanley Cup finals

Congrats to the Chicago Blackhawks, winners of the 2010 Stanley Cup! It's not too often that hockey takes over the city in the middle of June. But, last week, Chicago went hockey crazy. After waiting 49 years, the Stanley Cup finally came home to Chicago.

Now, I'm not going to pretend that I am a lifelong Hawks fan. As most of you know, I'm not much of a sports fan, period. But during these playoffs, I watched more hockey than I have in my entire life. And it was fun. The games were exciting and the players had plenty of personality both on and off the ice. Of course, it's pretty doubtful that I would have watched any of the games if Jody hadn't been so into the Hawks this year. He loved it all. So, thanks to Jody for getting me hooked too.

More than anything, I love how Chicagoans come together and celebrate during these kinds of sports victories. I even loved how the city celebrated when the White Sox won the World Series a few years back, even though I've never been a Sox fan. The city actually seemed even more alive this time around with the Hawks victory, and our neighborhood was especially rockin. On Friday, I got a close look at of the players and the Cup when I was coming home from the gym and watched the parade pass through our 'hood as it made its way to Michigan Ave. Very cool.

With news outlets reporting that there were more than 2 million people downtown for the parade and rally, I couldn't help but wonder what the city would be like if/when the Cubs win the World Series. Can you even imagine?

Organic vs. Non-Organic

I know that it's better to buy organic, but I also know that buying all organic produce can really rack up the grocery bill. So I was excited when I saw an article on CNN the other day that detailed which fruits and veggies you should always buy organic and the ones that aren't as affected by pesticides so you don't necessarily need to buy them organic. So, for any of you grocery shoppers out there who struggle with this like I do, here's the list:

Dirty Dozen (these are the foods you should always buy organic)
Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Domestic blueberries
Nectarines
Sweet bell pepperes
Spinach, kale and collard greens
Cherries
Potatoes
Imported grapes
Lettuce

The Clean 15 (these are the foods that are okay to buy non-organic)
Onions
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapple
Mango
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet potatoes

We've Got a Climber

I can't say I'm surprised by Zoe's newfound interest in climbing. I mean, I've seen the pictures of Jody climbing doorframes as a kid and I have heard the tale of him climbing to the top of the refrigerator as a wee tot time and time again. So I suppose it was inevitable. Up is Z's favorite word, and she's quite the proud little girl when she figures out how to get "up"all on her own. Her stroller is a particularly enticing climbing toy. Here is a step-by-step look at her climbing success.