Girl Gang

We live in an extremely safe suburb. Reading the local newspaper's blotter is hilarious, because the worst crimes reported involve someone's North Face fleece jacket getting stolen from their car (and at the end of the report it's revealed that the "victim" had left the car doors unlocked and the jacket on the front seat). Even the adjacent Chicago neighborhood has the lowest crime rate of any 'hood in the city. There is the occasional report of gang tagging on public property, but it's very rare.

Today Eamon and I were on our way home from a walk uptown when I spotted a group of teenaged girls walking towards us. I chuckled to myself at the memory of a friend who'd moved here after us and was slightly alarmed by the large numbers of high school kids hanging out in the coffee shops and movie theaters. Apparently large groups of clean cut teens make him nervous. I joked to Eamon, "There's a gang of teenagers, Eamon, think we can take 'em?"

As we got closer, however, I noticed something about these girls. They were all wearing bandanas on their heads. Some red, some blue. Were they the Park Ridge crips and bloods? What's next, "age" riots between the wealthy baby boomers and active senior citizens in town? It was both comical and confusing.

Stop stealing my playlist

A few years back, I got an iPod shuffle to give myself a little music during my daily (ahem) runs. As a teenager, I was a huge mix tape maker, always trying to come up with that perfect list of songs that would begin and end on the perfect notes. I still make mix CDs now and then, and I take pride in the playlists I create. Sometimes I think it's almost too easy now with iTunes to track down a single and purchase it with the click of the mouse. But I digress...

I thought I was so clever in creating my first running playlist, putting "Goodbye Girl" by Squeeze on it. A month later, an Under Armour commercial (featuring a girl going out for a run with headphones on) appeared on TV. Then I discovered the Kanye West song "Touch the Sky," whose lyrics always help me go a little faster. Soon I heard that played on some commercial for the NCAA or some other athletic organization. Recently I saw a cute little song I'd added to the list, "She Moves in Her Own Way" by The Kooks, now serves as the background for a Crystal Light workout drink. Come on now...It was bad enough when the Who sold every one of their songs to promote anything anyone would pay them for, then Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" became associated with cruise ships. All my favorite songs become commercials.

Write a jingle, people.

Big Day Out

Yesterday was Eamon's first trip to Chicago's museum campus and lakefront and fortunately it was 75ish with blue skies all around. We met cousins Erin, Megan and Sean and Aunt Becky for a stroll by the water, with a stop for the big kids (and me) for ice cream. Nothing beats an ice cream sandwich on a warm, sunny day, by the way.

Regrettably, I forgot my camera at home, but when we pulled in the driveway and I got out to bring him inside, I decided this image pretty much sums up the effects of a day of fresh air. He was totally conked out. I can't wait for summer.

Getting Out of the House

Now that Eamon is able to fully see the world around him, I am making more of an effort to get out for longer periods of time and let him see and interact with different people. Last week we took him to the park for a turn on the baby swings (see picture). It was late in the day for him, so he was only semi-impressed with the experience. Today, however, we stopped at a different park in the neighborhood adjacent to our suburb, and he was so excited about that swing and everything around it (a train stop and the trains that came through, for one) that his mouth was wide open the entire fifteen minutes we were there.

Yesterday we finally made it to the "mom and baby" yoga class at the studio in Lincoln Square where I took prenatal yoga last summer. It really should be called, "Yoga for New Moms: It's Okay If You Bring Your Baby and S/He is Really Loud and Fussy." Most of the class involved Eamon lying on the blanket at the top of my mat while I did the poses. In fact, at the start of the class, we moms were instructed to lie on our backs with our arms out as she talked us through some relaxation techniques. I peeked down at Eamon and he was in the exact same pose as the adults. Soon, though he got a little antsy and I had to stop a couple of times to console him. Toward the end of class, we put the babies on our bellies and did some good abdominal exercises, which made him giggle and subsequently drool all over my shirt. Soon he was distracted by the cute 7-month-old girl on the mat next to us. He gazed at her for at least two minutes. She was cute, I have to say.

It's fun to watch him notice new people; he studies their faces awhile and decides whether or not he should smile cutely or frown and then burst into tears. Most often he smiles, especially at the ladies. Either way, it's nice to see him take in the big world outside.