Month: March 2009

I Enjoy Being A Girl

Our long-haired cat, Siena, has been needing some major grooming action. She and Allie both were abandoned when they were babies and we think Siena was never taught how to clean herself properly. Vann thought that maybe we could give her a bath ourselves, but after a failed attempt at that in our old condo when she was a kitten, we came to the conclusion that this was a job for professionals.

After some research I found a place nearby, with great reviews: Animal Lovers Salon. It’s located on Clybourn, right across from The Salvation Army (I only know this from the vast amount of clothes I’ve dropped off recently) and even has a 15 minute “loading” spot right in front. I took her there on Saturday, left her for 4 hours, and returned to the fluffiest and shiniest 7 pound peanut you’ve ever seen. I swear, I really didn’t think it was possible for Siena to look any tinier than she already does, but with the amount of underbelly hair the groomer “de-shedd”, I think the girl lost a couple pounds!

The bad news is that Allie seems to be having a difficult time adjusting to her clean sister. She’s been lurking in the shadows, hissing and growling anytime Siena walks past her. We’ve been told that it’s normal–Allie just doesn’t recognize Siena’s scent–and it will pass in a few days. Poor thing…I told Vann she must be jealous…Siena came home with a new collar as well.

If you need a groomer for your cat or dog, check it out:
http://www.animalloverspetsalon.com/

Managing Toddler Angst

Charlie has been having some sleep issues lately. I don’t know if she’s having nightmares or what, but she’s been waking up throughout the night screaming. We’ll rush into her room, bleary-eyed at 3 am, and she’s in a dream state, still asleep, sobbing. Poor little girl. I haven’t yet called her Doc because I keep thinking it’s just a phase…but last night she had us up and down from 2 am to 6 am, hence the reason we didn’t make it to church this morning. Our attendance hasn’t been great this month, and we were looking forward to getting back into the swing of things…but Charlie really brought us back to those first few months she was first home.

I’m also not sure if she is also teething, which might explain her uber-crankiness and constant runny nose. She just hasn’t really been herself lately. She used to LOVE brushing her teeth but will now fight us tooth and nail (no pun intended) and we have to practically strap her down, which makes me wonder if we are scaring her off of good dental health forever. She also is in a “I hate my highchair” phase, and arches her back anytime we go to put her in one.

*Sigh* I’m sure these are all “normal” things that happen when you have an active toddler. I’m wondering when she will just cooperate when it’s time to change clothes or put on her coat. Will this ever get any easier??

The bright spot to our day was brunch with our very good friends and new neighbors, the Peterson’s. Charlie and little Lindsay always have a good time, and the adults got to catch up a bit and enjoy some yummy comfort food at a neighborhood joint, Glenn’s Diner.

The Perfect Day


Once we settled into our room at the Herrington, we drove over to Niche, the restaurant we had reservations at that evening. It’s a Contemporary American restaurant, very similar to MK, in the city (a personal fave!) and the food was phenomenal. Check it out at http://www.nichegeneva.com/.
The next day, after we checked out of our room (after way too short a stay!!), we went back to the main street area to do a little “window shopping”. We found this great resale shop, mostly children’s clothes and toys called Good Cents Children. The store is 4500 square feet, and we came away with some great bargains, including a gently used Little People castle with a singing drawbridge for $12 (you know who’s gonna love that) and a Mulberry St. reversible jumper and pants set for $10 (you know I’M gonna love that)! There were also quite a bit of smocked dresses, for any of you gals who can’t find more traditional styles in the city. It’s not any further than Wheaton to drive to this store. Definitely would be worth the gas!!After a very relaxing morning, we took in a movie and had an early dinner at Uncle Julio’s before we headed back into the city. Charlie had an amazing time sleeping over at her friend Emilyn’s house, and the report is that she was on her best behavior. They giggled and played together beautifully! I will post pics of her visit when Ms. Kim emails those over to me!

The Herrington Inn

Once Charlie’s car seat was successfully transferred into Ms. Kim and Mr. Ben’s car, we waited for a moment when Charlie was distracted to sneak out of Olivia’s party. It was a lot more seamless than we thought it would be! At 5 pm on the dot, we headed out to Geneva for our pre-anniversary getaway.

To say we had a lovely time would be a huge understatement. We stayed at The Herrington Inn, which we HIGHLY recommend. A quaint and cozy inn that used to be a creamery, it boasts 60 rooms, some of which have balconies that face the river. Our room had a gorgeous fireplace (my favorite!) and the biggest tub I’ve ever seen….

Some other cool amenities included a turn-down service complete with Oberweiss milk and giant chocolate chip cookies, a bath basket with some fun bath salts and bubble bath (they also have someone who will “draw” your bath for you, which we didn’t do, but sounds really cool!), a European-style continental breakfast (hard boiled eggs, meat, cheese, pastries, coffee), and a humongous bed with the softest sheets ever.

It is truly a special place, and we plan on going back sometime this year. Check it out at http://www.herringtoninn.com/. You have to go!!!!!

Happy Bday, Olivia!!

Saturday afternoon we helped celebrate Baby Olivia’s 1st birthday party at this darling little coffee/dessert shop called Let Them Eat Chocolate! in our neighborhood. Here she is, bright and cheery in her sweet hot pink dress! It was so fun, and the kids loved running around in circles and screaming. Must have been all that delicious gelato!! Happy Birthday, Olivia!!

Sissy!

Right around the time we ALL needed a nap during the drive home, these two decided to stop poking/grabbing at each other and held hands. It was one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen them do. Lauren said very proudly, “You’re my friend!” and Charlie proclaimed, “Sissy!” which you know is our pet name for her kitty sisters. Apparently, she considers Lauren her sissy. Isn’t that so nice??