Call it the lazy person's exploration of Chicago: looking out the hotel window to take in the city's landscape. Except perhaps it's not lazy at all. In the last days of April, you have to be up and watching pretty early to catch those ribbons of predawn color! (Sunrise in Chicago today was at 5:54.)
Of course, you can crawl back to bed then and wait for the moment the sun first shines at the sprawling city before you.
Perhaps you can tell -- it's a beautiful spring day in Chicago today!
At an appropriately polite hour, I set out for my daughter's house.
We eat breakfast together, my girl and I. There is a routine now: I arrive, we work around the schedule of Primrose, eventually we sit down to our oatmeal and fruit.
Primrose sleeps.
Eating, sleeping -- such important steps in a young child's life! Okay, in all our lives!
And now she is awake!
We play. She likes the mirror!
Some elements of play require reassurance. I'm on it!
Sure, I am here to help. But at this stage of Primrose's life, my help is limited. And so I turn to other small things I may do for the young family. Today, I cook up a bunch of comfort foods: crunchy chicken and tomato risotto have been childhood favorites for my girls. Out come the pans!
And in the evening, my daughter and I set out for a walk with Primrose. The goal is to pause for a glass of wine together.
We're at the Robey's lounge. We settle down for a glass of rose cava.
Primrose has other ideas. She does not think she should be left out of this eating/drinking business.
You have to laugh at her insistence! We go up to my room, where she settles in contentedly, enjoying, I'm sure, the view onto the city.
Afterwards, I walk with my girl and Primrose for a bit, pausing by a store while my girl buys some foods and I insist that Primrose admire the spring flowers that are (finally!) blooming...
And then we part ways. They return home, I stop by Bonci -- an immensely popular pizza place where you buy slices -- cut to your preferred size! -- of very original, very delicious pizza. I choose the smoked salmon cheese and zucchini one and an incredible slice with spicy eggplant and octopus.
... and of course, I look out my 12th floor window -- at the golden light of the setting sun.
If ever there was a time for me to love this view onto the city of Chicago it's now. Home to half my family, home to Primrose. You look at things differently when there's a child in the picture. Very differently.
Of course, you can crawl back to bed then and wait for the moment the sun first shines at the sprawling city before you.
Perhaps you can tell -- it's a beautiful spring day in Chicago today!
At an appropriately polite hour, I set out for my daughter's house.
We eat breakfast together, my girl and I. There is a routine now: I arrive, we work around the schedule of Primrose, eventually we sit down to our oatmeal and fruit.
Primrose sleeps.
Eating, sleeping -- such important steps in a young child's life! Okay, in all our lives!
And now she is awake!
We play. She likes the mirror!
Some elements of play require reassurance. I'm on it!
Sure, I am here to help. But at this stage of Primrose's life, my help is limited. And so I turn to other small things I may do for the young family. Today, I cook up a bunch of comfort foods: crunchy chicken and tomato risotto have been childhood favorites for my girls. Out come the pans!
And in the evening, my daughter and I set out for a walk with Primrose. The goal is to pause for a glass of wine together.
We're at the Robey's lounge. We settle down for a glass of rose cava.
Primrose has other ideas. She does not think she should be left out of this eating/drinking business.
You have to laugh at her insistence! We go up to my room, where she settles in contentedly, enjoying, I'm sure, the view onto the city.
Afterwards, I walk with my girl and Primrose for a bit, pausing by a store while my girl buys some foods and I insist that Primrose admire the spring flowers that are (finally!) blooming...
And then we part ways. They return home, I stop by Bonci -- an immensely popular pizza place where you buy slices -- cut to your preferred size! -- of very original, very delicious pizza. I choose the smoked salmon cheese and zucchini one and an incredible slice with spicy eggplant and octopus.
... and of course, I look out my 12th floor window -- at the golden light of the setting sun.
If ever there was a time for me to love this view onto the city of Chicago it's now. Home to half my family, home to Primrose. You look at things differently when there's a child in the picture. Very differently.
