Chicago Moms Blog

Mom vs. World

Today's Red Eye had a fun little feature they called "Stroller Wars: Kids in public stir grand debate." The cartoon mom and non-mom duking it out on the front cover were cute enough. (Notice the mom in plain-jane proletariat clothing and the non-mom decked out in pearls and rosy lip gloss to match her blouse. And shoes!)

Because you, dear reader, are too busy enjoying Housewives of Orange County on Hulu or browsing online to upgrade your Bugaboo, I'll summarize the article for you: Kid-less Chicagoans are fed up with whiny, bratty children taking over their precious cafes and restaurants. Moms (including fellow bloggers) protest saying that taking kids out in public teaches them social skills and that even the most angelic can act out without warning (this I can attest to).

Protecting our children in the blogosphere

Readers of my personal blog ask why I don't post more pictures of my kids. There was a time when I did, until hubbie not-so-casually asked whether it was prudent to post pictures of, say, bathtime. As a long-time member of countless mommy boards where parents posted "IRL" (in real life) photos of kids testing out the latest stroller or sporting the cute sandals that just went on sale, I hadn't even thought twice about it.

Then there was the story this past fall about a Massachusetts mom whose blog pictures of her 9-month-old ended up in a Craigslist ad, selling the baby for adoption. The whole situation shook me to the core. The fact that nothing came of it, thank goodness, didn't change the fact that I, as a fellow mommyblogger, felt violated, outraged, and small in the face of the digital age's dark side.

Toeing the Line

We're renters. We just signed a lease for a new apartment on Friday. And I feel like a city sell-out.

The place is still Chicago proper -- but just barely. It's a Jay Cutler-throw away from the burbs. We preferred a neighborhood full of hipster families where we could walk our pneumatic-tired stroller to the nearest park, boutique store, or cafe. But the prices in these areas? Obscene.

So we expanded our search, sacrificing certain options for the sake of others: location for space, restaurant options for a garage spot, a playground across the street for a playroom in the basement. We found a place boasting an amenities-to-price ratio that would've been criminal to pass up. Not to mention that the commute to Mister's kindergarten would be all of 9 minutes. It really was a no-brainer.

Different

"It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else."

- Henri Matisse

I read this getting onto the Adams and Wabash el stop the other day. (The Art Institute is having a special Matisse exhibit. ) As a painter in my former life, my first thought should've been "Oh, gotta catch that. Wonder what pieces are part of the installation."

Nope.

It was, "That reminds me of Mister."

symptoms of public school neurosis

If you look up "mild forms of sadomasochism", I'm sure you'd find "sending your kids to public school in Chicago".

Don't get me wrong; I grew up in the public system and loved it, which is why I want the same for my kids. I attribute who I am, how I think, and how I regard others to my elementary and high school experiences more so than my college years.

Being on the other side as a parent, though, is a whole other story.