Foodmomiac

My life as a reality show, or how I almost got trampled at YMCA day camp sign-up

For the past two summers, Dylan attended a really nice JCC (Jewish Community Center) summer camp. Every morning she got picked up on a school bus. Every afternoon she was dropped off. She became a terrific little swimmer, made some great friends, and we loved the Jewish aspect. We don't do a ton of Jewish stuff at home (though we're trying to do more), so it was nice for her to get the exposure to Shabbat, traditional prayers, etc.

That said, this camp wasn't cheap. When it was just Dylie, we could kind of justify it, but now that Max is old enough for camp (OMG, Max is old enough for camp!), it was going to be astronomical. Additionally, we rented a house in Michigan for the summer and are planning on leaving Thursday evening, so we'd be paying for five days/week and only getting four. The final nail in the fancy camp coffin? It's kind of far from the house. The bus ride was close to one hour each way due to traffic and multiple pick-ups, and that just seems crazy. That's where the YMCA camp came into play.

It's not fancy, but it's within walking distance. The swimming program is phenomenal, and the staff has a lot of overlap with Dylan's after-school program, so I know a lot of them (and I love that program). It's also so, so, so much cheaper than the fancy camp. Like, saving us about $3000 a summer cheaper. The only problem with the YMCA camp is that the spots are incredibly limited. And, because it is such a great deal financially, there is a lot of demand. Add in the recession, and you end up with a sign-up scene that rivals a discount store on the day after Thanksgiving.

So, here's the story. Sign up was this past Monday at 7am. My friend Kirsten heard that we had to get there early, so we met at 5:30. There were already about 30 people there. Some parents had arrived as early as 4:30!!! There were parents in camping chairs, parents with laptops, and lots of parents who clearly had not showered prior to showing up. (One mom snuck over to where we were sitting to show a note to her friends. The note read: "The guy next to me smells SO BAD.")

Things were kind of fun from 5:30 to 7am. Granted, it was too early to be out and about, but I was sitting with a great friend, had a latte in my hand, and it was an adventure. Once 7:00 hit, though, the morning went to hell in a handbasket. The layout of the YMCA made it very difficult to determine who arrived first, and no one had thought to hand out numbers, like at a deli.

The program for Max's age group is called Kiddie Camp, and that is by far the most competitive program. There are only 80 slots for Kiddie Camp, and only 40 of those are for the AM program, which most people wanted.

It is impossible for me to completely explain what happened Monday morning at 7am, but there were shrieking women, sweaty and overwhelmed staff members, and just mass, mass chaos.

I'm happy to report that both kids made it into their preferred programs, but it was an incredibly stressful morning. I think that one woman in particular came very close to hitting me, but luckily, her child is a Monday/Wednesday/Friday camper and Max is just doing Tuesday/Thursday.

Why I'm Losing My Mind - And Some Links!

So, here's my dilemma:

I do too much in the morning before work. It's always insane, and I am frequently crabby about it. HOWEVER, I do not like doing these things the night before. At night, I am worn out from my work day, from my children, from getting dinner on the table and from life. I just want to sit and read or watch TV. I don't want to do chores.

But then, we end up with mornings like today:

• 6:00: Wake up
• Shower
• Get Dressed
• Finally unpack suitcase from New Orleans trip
• Get laundry ready for the laundry-doing dog walker
• Take dog out
• Try to get Max to pee. Get told, "Max pee already. Max flush." Oooohkay then. Get undies on him and bring him downstairs.
• Attempt to find the right Dora for Max on the On Demand list. Apparently "Stuck Truck" is no longer his favorite, and the "Explorers" one makes him cry. Seems to want something called "Dora Babies." This is not an option. Spend 5 minutes selling him on "Stuck Truck." Finally convince him and push play.
• Make latte
• Saute onions, green peppers and chopped up chuck roast for tonight's chili, add seasoning, dump in crockpot with bottle of beer, can of crushed tomatoes, can of black beans, can of hominy (veggies and meat were prepped on Sunday, thank God)
• Sign Dylan's daily parent teacher communication sheet, add note that she is going home with a friend
• Clean Sigg water bottle for Dylan's lunch box
• Make lunch for Dylan (genoa salami and yellow mustard on wheat bread with crusts removed, can of fruit cocktail, small box of pringles, small baggie of sugar snap peas)
• Put lunch and homework folder in Dylan's backpack.
• Feed dog
• Give dog medicine: giant chewable probiotic pill and smaller antibacterial pill that must first be dipped in peanut butter
• Load and start dishwasher
• Clean non-dishwasher safe dishes
• Get recycling compiled and on the counter for Michael
• Wash my lunch bag from yesterday since the oil from the hummus leaked all over it
• Brush teeth

On another note, I have two posts up today on sites on the Well Fed Network!!

A Dish of a Lifetime in New Orleans

Beyond Farmers' Markets and CSA's

What I'm Enjoying These Days

I don't have much food news to report this week. I have some kind of annoying virus that started as sinus congestion, turned into fever, and is now leaving me with a general feeling of malaise. I'm working from home today with the hopes of feeling all better tomorrow. I hope that's the case, because I think a nap under my desk might be frowned upon.

Dinner last night was leftover Chinese food from Saturday night, and dinner tonight is chili from a few weeks ago that I just pulled out of the freezer. I'm hoping that Max eats something. All he'll do is snack, and when I suggest he eats real food, he throws a fit (and occasionally throws the suggested food, clear across the table).

Anyway, I was thinking this morning about the stuff on TV and the Web that makes me happy lately, and since I have no food news, I figured it would be fun to share. And then maybe you guys can share your happy entertainment things with me? Please?

- The L Word: I have been a huge fan of this show since Season 3. Season 5 is now underway, and I'm loving it. I was VERY nervous after the first episode nearly jumped the shark, but then the show quickly recovered, and it's awesome. Last week's episode was my all-time favorite, with a party scene that is the best I have ever witnessed.
- Project Runway: This is only my second season watching the show, but I just love it, love it, love it. I'm rooting for Sweet P, all the way. Maybe it's our shared love of tattoos. Not sure. I like that she's kind of sloppy. You don't get that much in fashion designers, but I have a huge appreciation for sloppiness.
- Project RunGay: What? You don't read this blog??? Best.blog.ever. The commentary on each week's show makes me laugh out loud, consistently. I've shared the joy of this blog with my boss and some other co-workers, and I'm proud to report that they are now hooked too.
- GoFugYourself: If you haven't had enough snarky commentary after reading Project RunGay, make your way over to this gem of a blog. I'm sure you all know it already, but if not, you're welcome.
- Drake & Josh: This one is a little embarrassing. But, it's kind of like how I was with The Wiggles. Back when Dylan LOVED the Wiggles, I developed a bit of a crush on Greg (the original yellow guy). It's not that he's super handsome or anything, but he was the cutest of the four. He was the most talented. And, honestly? If I have to watch a show 45 times a day, I just need to find one of the characters attractive. Sue me. ANYWAY, meet Drake Bell. My new inappropriate crush. Let me just state for the record. He is 21, so I'm not totally creepy. And he's talented! He's signed by UniversalMotown! According to Wikipedia, the show is no longer being made, which is very sad, because Dylan loves it, and it's very easy to watch. Certainly easier than Spongebob.
- iCarly: This is another Dylan favorite, and though the characters are kind of annoying, I like it. The website is also pretty entertaining, and Dylan has become obsessed with making her own web show now. (Trivia: Fans of School of Rock will recognize Miranda Cosgrove as the band manager, Summer Hathaway.)

Photo courtesy of Showtime.

Sometimes you just need a hot dog and some sweatpants

About a day or two ago, I realized that I was about to enter a funk. Or a rut. Or a funky rut. Something like that. You know when you have a million things to do, and you just can't do any of them? Say, the laundry is all piled up, but you still decide to lay on your butt watching American Idol and eating BBQ potato chips. Or, maybe you really need to finish up a presentation, but you instead find yourself staring at your wall. OK, maybe this is all unique to me, but I noticed it happening, and I was starting to get kind of grumpy about it. I was feeling overwhelmed by work AND home.

So, last night we had hot dogs for dinner. Accompanied by store-bought potato salad and macaroni salad and some baked beans. And today I worked from home. In sweatpants. I absentmindedly opened my giant stack of mail while on a conference call. I folded laundry while participating in a brainstorm. And just a few minutes ago, Max ran into my home office and planted a huge kiss right on my lips. It's been a great day, and I'm feeling much better about everything. And, I'm very happy to be heading back to the office tomorrow. This little hot dog and sweatpants break was just what I needed to get caught up on life.

Anti-Climactic

Well. There is no au pair at my house right now. She is stranded in Connecticut, thanks to global warming. (or maybe just a standard summer storm, but I don't know - things here have been a bit extreme lately)

The poor thing sounded so tiny and tired when she called me from a pay phone at LaGuardia. I think the phone was installed sometime around my birth in the early seventies, so of course we couldn't hear each other. I just heard the tired tone and perhaps a faint hint of weepiness.

I spent about an hour and a half on hold with American Airlines (a total of three times) trying to reschedule her flight. First, they tried to tell me that the only available flight out of NY was tomorrow night and had a transfer in North Carolina. Oh HELL no.

I managed to find an early afternoon flight out of Stewart Airport in Newburgh, NY, near my old stomping grounds in Poughkeepsie.  The flight details have been faxed to Paty's hotel, Dylan and I re-created our welcome sign in brighter colors, and I now have another evening and morning to procrastinate the organization of the house. I DID manage to clean out my car, but due to the storm, I had to do it next to a garbage can in my parking garage at work. And while I was doing it, some nasty garage pigeon crapped on my car. BUT, the inside is clean. What's a little bird crap when you're Cheerio free??

What I Should Be Doing...

Paty, our au pair, is arriving tomorrow, and I'm sitting in my giant arm chair just screwing around. I'm playing Scrabble on Facebook, reading blogs, hitting refresh on Flickr and Twitter over and over.

I should probably deal with all of my clutter so we don't scare her away. I could put away some laundry. I could DO some laundry. I could get the coffee pot ready for the morning so I'm not doing it at 6am when I'm groggy and grumpy.

I could finally organize my damn home office that has been sitting in a state of disarray for two months. I could organize my clothing like Susan has been doing all week.

I could drink some water to offset the prosecco I drank tonight at our local wine bar. I could catch up on my work email. I could work on one of the zillion PowerPoints I have on my to do list.

I totally don't feel like doing any of those things, and tomorrow morning is going to be INSANE as a result. I do this every night, by the way. Sigh.

Let's Make June a Little Crazier

Last night, as I was putting Dylan to bed, I told her that today was June 1, and that she could flip her calendar page (she LOVES flipping to the next month). I lay down next to her in her bed, and told her that June was going to be a very exciting month for the Wiley's. Here's what's going on:
- Dylan's last day of preschool
- Our move
- Dylan's dance recital
- Father's Day
- Dylan's first day of day camp (and she gets there and back on a real live school bus!)
- Uncle David's birthday
- Our annual trip to family camp

Really, I don't have enough on my plate. (ha!) In an effort to put myself completely over the edge (why not, right?), I have decided to blog everyday. My blogging has gone decidedly downhill since I started my job in January, and that pisses me off. I miss the writing. I miss my readers. I miss being a blogger who blogs all of the time. And, as my husband is fond of saying, "A writer writes."

See you tomorrow!

Big News, Random Thoughts

So much is going on these days that I think doing anything other than a bulleted list will be overwhelming. In no particular order:

American Idol: Dylan is absolutely obsessed with AI. She and her friend Emilia talk about nothing else. (She is a Jordin fan, if you are wondering.) Last week, during the American Idol Gives Back episodes, she was a total wreck, though. The kid was crying for over an hour, watching the footage of poor children in Africa and the U.S. We donated money online (she clicked the mouse button), and decided that we'd find some volunteer opportunities for our family this summer.

Twitter: Have you guys noticed the Twitter badge on the right side of the page? I frequently Twitter from my BlackBerry, so even when I'm not posting often here, you can see little snippets of my life (and meals) on my Twitter badge. If you are REALLY interested, join Twitter yourself and follow (subscribe to) my Twitters. You can get them online or on your phone.

San Diego: We go this Saturday! My brother lives there, and is letting us all stay at his house. I can't wait to sit on the beach all day long with a trashy novel. CAN'T WAIT.

Frozen Dinners for Max: I think I want to make some single serving dinners for Max to keep in the freezer. He goes to sleep at 7, so it is sometimes difficult to feed him the same dinner that we are eating, because it's not ready until close to 7. Tonight he had canned soup, which I really don't love doing. I want to freeze portions of chili, homemade soup, meatballs, etc.

House: Hey, did I mention we're buying a house? I'm very excited! Here is a picture:

I think we will be closing on June 15th, which means I need to start packing! I am also freaking out over paint colors, because I will have maybe two days to get a painter in there before we need to move. I want to make the bedroom white, soft blue and brown. I am inspired by this gorgeous wall that my friend Arno just designed for our office brainstorming space:

How amazing is that? The wall you can't see, on the left side, is all dark brown suede (suede paint, not real leather). In the family room and eat-in kitchen, I'd like to do this color with white to make it pop. And I found this really cool indoor picnic table from Pottery Barn that I love. So, any ideas on how to make all of that happen in two days? :-)

Why we can't move...

Pretty, pretty Mir asked me some questions about magnet schools, so I thought I'd just address them in a full-out post. When I look back at what I went through this year in terms of research, school visits, sweat, and tears, it definitely seems post-worthy. Also, it might help other parents in Chicago, because it is frickin' CONFUSING!!

The whole process starts the year before your child starts kindergarten (some parents start their research earlier, but, we weren't here, and in retrospect, I just don't see the point). During the fall, you'll need to start making a list of schools that you are potentially interested in, and then you'll need to try to visit as many of these as you can. The visits generally take place during open houses, which last about two hours. This is a big hassle for both working and non-working parents. If you are working, this is a lot of time away from your job. If you are not working, this is a huge babysitting expense. I didn't visit all of the schools we applied to - there just wasn't enough time, and we applied to almost 20 schools.

Yes, you read that correctly. We applied to 20 public schools. In Chicago, any child can automatically go to his or her neighborhood school, and if your neighborhood school is a good one, then you can just ignore the rest of this post. We don't care for our neighborhood school. (At the open house, the principal ignored us - bad sign.) You can also apply to other neighborhood schools, because if they don't have enough kids in the neighborhood, they accept other children via lottery.

Some of these neighborhood schools have specialties (they are called magnet clusters, but that's really confusing). So, our neighborhood school is actually a fine arts magnet cluster school. Others are math and science, or literature and writing, etc.

There are also gifted and classical schools. Gifted schools are for the kids who are truly gifted - they learn differently. Classical schools are for children who are advanced in their learning - they are reading and writing at a level above their age group. For these, your children need to be tested. We tested Dylan for both, and although she did very well, she didn't get into either, primarily because we are white. In Chicago, they still operate many of their schools on a racial quota system. They accept 1/3 majority (white kids), and 2/3 minorities. I have a big problem with this system (I'd prefer they do outreach to people who don't have the time, money or wherewithal to navigate this insane system), but it's still here, at least for now, so it doesn't matter what I think.

Finally, there are magnet schools. These schools all have a focus (arts, language, Montessori, math/science, etc.), and they take children from all over the city. They also operate on the quota system.

We applied to a slew of different types of schools, and Dylan only got into a few. We didn't apply to any private schools. First, I don't want to pay for it. Second, I knew that if we didn't get into any of the schools we wanted, we could just move into one of the neighborhoods with a great school (we are renting). One of the schools she DID get into was a Fine Arts Magnet.

Mir asked, "You're supposed to pick an area of interest for your 5-year-old that's going to work for them until their teens? What happens if her interests change?"

My answer is, it doesn't really matter. I happen to be pretty sure that Dylan will always enjoy some aspect of the arts (it's really broad. they have art, drama, music and dance). Also, it's all based in academics. So, yes, they learn how to dance, but they also do reports on famous dancers, and learn about dance styles, etc. It's very cool. But, irrespective of all this, I had no way of guaranteeing that she'd get into an arts school. It was complete and utter luck. 700 students applied for this school's kindergarten slots. They had 43 available. And only 1/3 of those slots were for white kids. TOTAL LUCK.

So, that is the story of Chicago Public Schools. If you live here and want more information, feel free to email. My friend and I have an Excel spreadsheet, a Word document, and a whole bunch of anecdotal stories to share. It's been quite a journey. And, as alluded to in my title, it has made me not want to ever leave Chicago. I can NOT let all of that time go to waste.

The unbloggable

I have no food to blog about. I was totally felled yesterday by a killer stomach thing that was either food poisoning from a crappy new restaurant in our neighborhood or some rogue stomach virus that attacked only me and no one else I know.

But anyway, I read this today, commented, and then realized that it was kind of crazy for me not to have blogged about what has gone on with us lately. So, even though Michael has advised me against it, here goes.

Three Saturdays ago, we came home from an evening out to find our babysitter sleeping in the living room. This is our nanny - the one who has watched Max every day for the past six months. We woke her up, and said, "Wow, sorry we are so late. You must be tired."

Her response? "Oh, no! I had three vodka tonics and then fell asleep."

I guess my shock and dismay registered on my face, but she thought it was because I was possessive of my precious Ketel One (which I am). So, what did she say next?

"Oh, I brought my own Skye Vodka."

I was too shocked to do anything at that point, so I walked her out and then slowly came inside. I threw out the empty liter bottle of tonic that she left on my kitchen table. And then I started to figure out what the hell I would do.

On Sunday, I called our substitute nanny (who channels Mary Poppins, I swear), and confirmed that she was available for the remainder of March. Monday morning, I fired the drunk nanny. She was shocked. SHOCKED!

The new nanny has been great, but, alas, she starts a new job on Monday. Once she leaves, though, Max will start toddler school! I am very excited. The ratio is 2 to 1, so it will be very close to being at home. In fact, it is at a home - the bottom floor of a triplex. Dylan will still be at her school, but she will be sharing an afternoon babysitter with her friend Ruby. They are both thrilled.

What else... Today was a huge day. I registered my baby girl for kindergarten! She is going to a Chicago public school. It's a fine arts magnet, which is just perfect for my little drama queen. I couldn't stop tearing up as I took the tour today and then submitted all of her registration forms. The school goes through 8th grade, so this is a big deal.