Friday in Chicago

I used to live in Chicago very many decades ago, when I attended graduate school there. When I moved to Wisconsin, I thought I'd never seen such a vast grand sky before. 

It's a typical reaction when you leave a city, I suppose. Your eyes in an urban neighborhood tend to focus straight ahead. In a more rural landscape, you take in the sky.

In fact, of course, Chicago, too, has a vast and beautiful sky. Here's a secret -- it's the same one that hovers over the state to the north!

You just have to look up...





I check out of my hotel in the morning. I will be traveling home tonight.

But now it is still early in the day. It's brisk, but the sky is a beautiful blue! (That tall tower belongs to my hotel. No wonder I can see so much sky from my top floor room!)






I walk the familiar path to my daughter's house and we settle into our familiar routines, which include, of course, breakfast.






I watch Primrose nap. What dreams do babies have? I hear that toddlers dream simple images. But can we even guess what might be going through this tiny girl's mind? She surely is expressive!






There, problem solved!






She wakes up to bath time. I can almost hear her saying "my face is plenty clean already!"






There. Dressed and ready to go!






And indeed, we do get ready to head out. To lunch!





It's a good walk, all the way to another neighborhood of the city. Primrose is lulled in her warmly covered stroller. She isn't really asleep, just enjoying the ride. And I'm enjoying the push.





Our destination is carefully chosen -- Floriole Cafe -- again a birthday treat, picking up on the elements of a French meal, topped off by exquisite pastries (my choice was from one of those below...).






And eventually, I make my way to the airport, where I catch the bus back to Madison. But I'll leave you with the image I have in my head -- of my girl with her girl, across from me at the lunch table.





My visit may have been billed as one where I could help, given the usual abundance of work around a newborn. But it became something more: I stepped into this brand new family unit and in one fell swoop fell in love with all that they've become.

Finding a way to be a good grandmother in my children's lives is of utmost importance to me. Both daughters make me feel that I'm moving in okay directions in that role. This to me is just so grand!

Thursday in Chicago

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.

Wednesday in Chicago

There are several key points to this day. First of all, it's rather cold. Well who cares! The sun is out. Only the timid shall stay indoors.

(On my walk along the 606  -- an elevated bike path/pedestrian passage that crisscrosses the neighborhood where I'm staying -- offering views to the streets below.)







Secondly, the babe appears to be ready for action!






Just a minute there! First, mommy and I need a good breakfast! if you can remember  anything about your grandma, it's that she enjoys a good breakfast.






Thirdly, today is the day that I have a celebratory birthday lunch with my daughter. Oh, and my granddaughter!






What a lunch! A three course meal at the French Le Bouchon. To make up for the trip to France I gave up because of Primrose.






If it's a birthday, there will be a photo of the 65 year old.






Wait, let's do this better: grandma, daughter, granddaughter.






It has been rumored that I spend lots of time playing with Primrose, cutting back too much on her much needed rest. I offer proof that she does sleep under my watchful eye! Or is it that she is practicing a yoga pose?






You may wonder why after leaving Primrose's home, I don't make use of my time in Chicago to explore. Walk the city streets, take photos of Chicago scenes.

Not this time. This trip is for Primrose.

And when the sun sets, I like to look out my Robey window, appreciate the world there before me, then retreat and think about the day I've just had.

Tuesday in Chicago

Sunrise from my twelfth floor room in Chicago's Robey Hotel. I can just catch the thin ribbon of water that is Lake Michigan...






I don't pause for breakfast here. I'm up and walking the familiar blocks to my daughter's home...






There, Primrose is ready!
"And the plan for today is...???"






Let's start with a bath, little girl. That's plenty exciting!






And now my daughter and I finally do pause to eat.

(Breakfast for mommy and grandma!)







"I'm all fresh and ready! Now what??"
Sleep, little Primrose, sleep.






Rest up for all that we have to do today!

 Like what? Where to?

Well, there's the trip to the grocery store! And to the Home Depot!

She sleeps through both.






Indeed, she is your model calm baby today. I would like to say that I helped through all the tough times, except there were no tough times. So instead, I made a huge pot of red lentil soup for the family to eat in the days ahead.






... and since there is good music in the background, I dance. With Primrose of course.






The girl is unmoved by my clumsy steps. It is her nap time and she isn't going to fight it. From my embrace, to her mommy's...






And in the early evening, I leave. By the time I reach my Robey room, the sky is transitioning from blue to golden gray.






It's a beautiful day to be in Chicago! Or Madison! It's such a shame that I can't keep one foot in each place at all times...

to Chicago

It's time that I got to know my youngest granddaughter. Primrose, who lives with her parents in Chicago, is now nearly four weeks old -- a good age to have me show up and disrupt any patterns that my younger daughter may have established for herself and her baby! I can only hope that the disruptions will be of the helpful kind.

I am heading out to the windy city on a very early morning bus. So early, that my predeparture mini-breakfast is taken alone. I haven't the heart to wake Ed.





It's a rushed little meal -- which is why I can take it outside. Were it more leisurely, I'd have to admit that it's too chilly to eat it on the porch.

And now I am in Chicago.





When I had offered to come down for the week, I had said that I would not stay with the young family. The neighborhood hotel is not expensive and my stay there will give the parents time to be with their newest member alone when the dad comes home from work. In my mind, knowing when not to be there is as important as knowing when to be there for them. I'd like to believe that they're thinking "can't wait for her to come back" rather than "can't wait until she leaves" thoughts.

It's a beautiful (if cool-ish) spring day in Chicago and I check into the Robey Hotel...





... with a great deal of joyous anticipation. I leave my bag and fly to my daughter's home!

Oh, Primrose, how you have grown and prospered!






The littlest one is no longer a newborn, but instead, a babe with curious eyes and a winsome grin. And a real snuggler!






Has it been three years since I spent the day with a girl this young?






I used to think newborns were a challenge -- how do you communicate with someone so young that anything and everything is up for grabs still? But Primrose is developing a voice: a range of gurgles and cries, of memorable actions and reactions. How can you not be thrilled with it all?!





I tear myself away when the little one's dad comes home. My resolve is strong: give them some time alone.

Across the street from my hotel, there is a pub of sorts. It's a great place for a good quick meal. I eat a slab of trout, thinking that it's probably from Wisconsin.





And now evening is setting in rapidly. I should settle into my room with the grand view of the city...





I should read, or perhaps write, but in fact, all I can do is stare at the photos of my grandchildren. I hope they're all well tonight. I hope they're floating into sleepy sweet dreams...