30 Jan

Category

Our Rhythm

0

Josh is gone to a youth retreat in the suburbs. He won’t be back until 7pm-ish on Sunday. For those of you keeping track, this means that Jude and I will be on our own for a total of 50 hours. FIFTY FREAKING HOURS. *sigh*

I really dislike it when Josh has to go away. I don’t like sleeping without him, and I don’t like waking up to an empty spot on the bed. I also don’t like not getting a break from being mama or not being able to shower or use the bathroom (read: go potty) by myself. Oh, and for some reason, whenever Josh goes away, I get sick. This time is no different… I feel a cold coming on, and if you couldn’t guess, I don’t like that either.

But, people of the internets, I have a secret, and if you promise not to tell my husband, I’ll tell *you.* Okay, you promise? Great!

When Josh goes away, and it’s just Jude and me roughing it, we tend to have really, really good days together. We fall into this rhythm, and life just seems to flow. Nap time is never a hassle, meal times are a joy, play time is fun, and bed time is early! I don’t know why it is. Perhaps it’s because… well, you know how, when struck with the idea that she may lose her child, a mother could lift a car if need be? Well, I think it’s something like that. Or maybe that’s a bad analogy. What I mean is, well… I guess because I *have* to do everything and because I *need* each day to run smoothly or risk poking myself in the eyes with hot pokers, I just *make* the days good. Or maybe Jude makes the days good. I don’t know, really. But the bottom line is, we have good days (*knocks wood*).

Still, despite the good days (and being able to turn the heat way, way up without getting the stink eye from *someone*), I still hate it when he’s gone. I get lonely and I miss him. That being said, if any of you local Chicago readers want to take Jude and me in for the weekend… entertain us and what have you, just drop me a line! We like playdates, and God knows if we don’t get out of the house we’re likely to kill each other (I kid!).

28 Jan

Posted by
Jillian Frank

Category

Daily Life

25 Things

1

There’s this “note” being circulated around Facebook “like pinkeye through a preschool class.” You’re supposed to write 25 random facts about yourself and then pass it on to 25 people. I was “tagged” three or four times, so I finally gave in and decided to participate. So, without further adieu:

25 Things ‘Bout Me:

1. One day, I hope to make money blogging. You can help by going to http://andothertimes.com every day and by telling your friends to go there, too. (Shameless plug. Sorry!)

2. My child won’t go to sleep. That makes me sad.

3. I played softball for 11 years: from the time I was 8 until I turned 19. I played half of the fall season during my first year of college and then quit because the girls on the team were… well, let’s just say they listened to N’Sync, okay?

4. Every spring, without fail, I get the itch to play ball again. I often times make Josh catch for me so I can relive my pitching days.

5. My husband and I met online through a “punk rock dating service” that a band from Connecticut set up on their website. The band has since broken up.

6. I have a 20-month-old son who amazes me/bring me joy/frustrates me on a daily basis. I couldn’t imagine life without him (but if I *really* try, I imagine that life would include sleeping in late).

7. I planned a homebirth for Jude’s birth, but ended up transferring after 26 hours of labor because I thought I wanted drugs.

8. I did not get any drugs at the hospital. What I did get was an ass hole OB who was little better than a rapist. I should have stayed home. I regret transferring every. single. day.

9. Speaking of babies. I keep proclaiming that I’m a proud member of the “One and Done” club, but chances are, I’ll have another baby someday.

10. And! If I do ever have another baby, I will again shoot for a homebirth. Only this time, I’ll make sure the doors to our place are locked from the outside.

11. I LOVE yoga but can’t seem to find the money for classes or the time to practice lately.

12. My child still won’t go to sleep.

13. Though I have a college degree, I think I want to be a homemaker for the rest of my life.

14. Each day I struggle to be the mom/homemaker I feel I should be.

15. I love to cook, but have a hard time doing it with a toddler underfoot.

16. My favorite drinks are water, coffee, Woodchuck, and Jameson…not necessarily in that order.

17. Ever since having Jude, I lose it whenever a tv show highlights a sick/dying child.

18. I like my post-pregnancy body a hell of a lot more than my pre-pregnancy body. (And I think Josh agrees-HELLO BOOBS!)

19. I love to read. My favorite books at the mo’ are Garth Nix’s Abhorsen Trilogy.

20. I have a very real and debilitating phobia of bugs.

21. Because of said phobia, the only camping I do is in hotels.

22. I love our new neighborhood a lot more than I thought I would.

23. Dark is my favorite kind of chocolate.

24. I refused to watch _The Office_ for two years, but now I’m addicted.

25. I have a blog. Have I mentioned that? http://andothertimes.com

28 Jan

Posted by
Jillian Frank

Category

Outside

0

Yesterday Josh mentioned to me that he thought Jude could say “outside.” Today, I heard him say it with my very own ears. This mama is impressed.

Just a quick recap of the day since I hurt my neck again and leaning over this computer is super uncomfortable.

7:20am-I wake up and start baking a batch of muffins. Yum!
8:30am-Friends Aimee and Miles show up for an early morning play date.
10:30am-Aimee and Miles head home. I clean.
11:00am-Nap time.
11:20am-I lie Jude down and head to the kitchen to prep for dinner.
12:20pm-Jude wakes up. Play time begins.
1:30pm-Lunch.
2:30pm-Get ready for afternoon outing.
3:00pm-Out the door. Head south to meet up with Aimee and Miles then continue on to the grocery store and eventually, the Common Cup.
5:00pm-Home. Make minestrone soup and have dinner.
7:10pm-sit down to nurse Jude.
7:27pm-Sleeping baby!

26 Jan

Posted by
Jillian Frank

Category

I Wish I Had a Medal to Give Him

2

Today was a long, long day for the Frank family. Jude was up before 7am, we had to travel to the heart of downtown Chicago for our chiropractor’s appointment, and as if that wasn’t enough to qualify today as being a “long” day, we extended our downtown trip by about three hours by heading over to the Chicago Children’s Museum for an afternoon of fun. Jude, despite having woken up early and only napping for about 40 minutes, was in fantastic spirits, so we even had time to have a yummy lunch at a brew pub at Navy Pier. He had an awesome time playing at the museum… I think he liked the Snow Much Fun exhibit best.

So, although it was a (very) tiring day, it was also a pretty fantastic day for my family.

The highlight of the trip (for me at least), came during lunch. Jude was sitting in his highchair, eating and talking to everyone around him, when the manager of the place came over, smiled and said, “How old is he?”

Did you catch that, people of the internets? The manager said, “How old is he?

Finally! Someone in this godforsaken city recognized my son as being male!

It’s not that I’m offended when people tell me my little girl is beautiful. I get it. His hair is on the long side and it’s a bit curly. He’s really adorable…really beautiful. I just find it funny that person after person after person can somehow ignore the stereotypical “boy” colors he wears and the little boy shoes he has on. God forbid I put the little guy in red! That confuses them to the point of arguing with me over his sex. That being said, having to continually correct people (“He. He’s a little boy.” *insert smile*) has worn me down a bit. And, to be completely honest, when Mr. Manager Guy recognized that the child sitting next to me in the highchair was indeed a boy, I could have kissed him…or at least given him a medal.

24 Jan

Posted by
Jillian Frank

Category

What's for Dinner?

Menu for January 25-31, 2009

0

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I’m not trying any new dishes this week. Instead, I’m opting for some of our favorite dishes:

Breakfast
Oatmeal with ground flaxseed, raw honey, raisins, and cinnamon

Lunch/Dinner
ALTs and Roasted Tomato Soup
Penne Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Pumpkin Seed Pesto and a Side of Asparagus
Minestrone Soup and Whole Wheat Rolls
Rice and Bean Burritos and Chips and Salsa
Scrambled Eggs and Bagels
Lentil Stir-fry
Veggie Burgers with Loaded Baked Potatoes

Want more? Check out the Weekly Menus archive.

24 Jan

Posted by
Jillian Frank

Category

Asides

Selling Our Home

0

I’m thinking that selling our home from 900 miles away is going to a big ol’ pain in the ass.

24 Jan

Posted by
Jillian Frank

Category

Library Card

3

It’s sad, really. I’ve lived in this city for more than five months now, and I *just* got a library card yesterday. I wasn’t sure I would be able to get one at all since I haven’t yet switched my license over and therefore don’t have an in-state picture ID. Luckily, a cell phone bill with my name on it and a local address along with my old PA driver’s license was enough.

I spend a lot of my online time over at the Mothering forums. I especially like reading the SAHP section, the Gentle Discipline section, and the Vaccinations section. From my daily perusal, I’ve compiled a fairly long a list of books I want to read-hence the need for a library card.

As soon as we returned home from our outing yesterday, I hopped on line to reserve a few (greatly coveted) books. The first is Sarah Napthali’s book Buddhism for Mothers: A Calm Approach to Caring for Yourself and Your Children. The second book I placed on hold is Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason by Alfie Kohn. The last book I’m (not so) patiently awaiting is Aviva Jill Romm’s book Naturally Healthy Babies and Children…

I’m excited about these books. I’m excited to read and to learn. I’m hopeful that these books will help me become a better parent and homemaker. I’m not sure how quickly the books will become available to me, but I’m really looking forward to sharing their insights with you, the people of the internets.

Hey moms (and dads!)! Do you have a favorite parenting book you’d like to recommend?

23 Jan

Posted by
Jillian Frank

Category

Daily Life

Makeover

0

Things have changed a lot around these parts in the past 24 hours.

Josh, my uber-creative husband, customized this WordPress theme (The Morning After) for me while we were relaxing in bed last night. He still has some tweaking to do, and I have a bit of code to learn, but overall, we’re up and running.

If you enjoy my musings, why not subscribe to my blog? You can subscribe via RSS or e-mail. Click on the word “subscribe” at the top of the page to learn more about each option.

Over the next day or so, I should have a dedicated e-mail set up for all things blog related. You’ll be able to find that address on my contact page.

Also, I’m hoping to update my about page over the next few days. Maybe I’ll even post my own photo.

So…what do you (yes, YOU!) think of the new layout?

23 Jan