Well, I told you I would come back to blogging eventually. It took me a while but here I am with a nice, shiny new blog!
We are mostly settled into our new apartment in Chicago. (Can you hear that huge sigh of relief???) Our neighborhood is awesome. It is that tree-lined street full of brick three-flats that one expects when they think about moving to a large city. The sidewalks are packed full of strollers at all times of the day.
Meeting other parents has been hit or miss. I suppose this is to be expected. Today I did meet two moms whom I can respect. They were laid-back with their kids, neither overbearing nor neglectful. They mentioned breastfeeding their toddlers in passing, because it’s just what they do… not to gauge whether or not I breastfeed or to brag. The same with cloth diapering… Seriously, women after me own heart. And they let me in on a place where I can take my compost. No more throwing away my scraps, which has weighed heavily on my conscious since the move, and I don’t have to buy an expensive worm bin.
Although we have moved to a city with millions of people, the neighborhood is really neighborhoody. People recognize me! It’s weird. I go to the park and a complete stranger will say, “Are you new here? I’ve seen you around a lot lately, but don’t know you!”
Will we be here forever? Doubtful. But for now, it’s feeling more like home every day.
PS: Still working on the name thing. Do I want to remain anonymous or not? The whole name abbreviation with the kids was annoying as hell but I don’t know that I want to “out” them, either. Your thought, please…
September 24, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Glad to hear the move is going well! I love Chicago – it has big city attractions but lots of neighborhoods that are about regular people living regular lives.
September 24, 2008 at 7:03 pm
People are my kind of normal! 😉
September 24, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Welcome, welcome back!
On initialing, I think if I had to do it over again, I would go with initials. Especially as my kids got older and found teh google.
September 24, 2008 at 7:15 pm
So glad you’re back!
I super-heart Chicago and really miss visiting there–Lakeview and Boystown. Big Love.
September 24, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I missed you. So happy that you’re settling in!
September 24, 2008 at 7:56 pm
I’ve always found cities to be more neighborly than towns, and definitely more neighborly than the suburbs. I’m so glad you’re settling in.
For the names thing, it’s hard to say. You’re a smart woman with good instincts. I’d go with your impulse.
September 24, 2008 at 8:00 pm
WOOT! It’s YOU!
Use their names. I do with mine. I don’t worry about it that much.
Our neighbourhood isn’t that bad, but it’s not close. The best is my snotty neighbour, who has a kid Vivian’s age, who finds out after moving that Viv and her kid get along like gangbusters.
Gee lady, maybe if you had of taken us up on numerous offers for playdates you would have known this. But hey, we look weird so what do we know. 😛
September 24, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Yay!!! Cute avatar, too…
September 24, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Oh, and the initial thing. I do it b/c of being a public school teacher (although I am resigning officially in December I pretty much think) and there are local people that read my blog.
September 24, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Damn, you people are fast! I feel so loved!
September 24, 2008 at 10:25 pm
You could make up other names for them, the names you wanted to call them but didn’t get past your husband? Or descriptions? I know a blogger who calls her kids Climber and Cherub. Or numbers? I went to school with a girl whose siblings called each other by birth order occasionally (there were eight of them).
I use my own real name, and I like to have my real name attached to my writing. But I don’t like to think that when my kid’s a teenager his classmates will be able to google and find his toddler exploits. His surname is different from mine, which helps.
September 24, 2008 at 10:39 pm
“I went to school with a girl whose siblings called each other by birth order occasionally (there were eight of them).”
But then someone has to be #2… 😉
September 25, 2008 at 12:11 am
Glad you are back, but sorry to hear about the weirdo stalker dude. I use an initial for my kids. I originally didn’t and then decided to. I think it just depends on what you are comfortable with. Chicago is a cool town, with lots of nice people it seems, at least when I’ve visited. Best of luck finding connections, sounds as if you are off to a good start.
September 25, 2008 at 3:02 am
Congratulations on your move! I think I recognize that spot on your banner – I walked past the Lincoln Park Zoo to the Peggy Norb??? Nature Center this past July. It was lovely. So glad for you that you’re starting to make connections/friends!
September 25, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I’m a fan of the pseudonym myself. I can’t keep track of initials and they actually seem impersonal compared to cute monikers that describe the kid/people involved.
Hey can I link to you? I understand the whole anony thing, so if you’d like me to wait on it I will!
September 25, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Link away, mudmama!
Hey, innercitygarden, don’t you have a blog, too?
September 30, 2008 at 4:33 am
Just found a moment to come see the new digs. Glad to see you’re back, and I am in awe of you actually moving yourself and all those kids!
October 1, 2008 at 1:50 am
Hurray! Welcome back to the mother’hood. I only paid $7 bucks for my rubber maid container come worm bin.
October 1, 2008 at 2:17 am
Ohh… how did you make it? Just drill holes in the bottom? Where’d you get the worms?
October 24, 2008 at 2:46 am
And by the way, I should have left this comment quite a while ago, but I was very relieved when I found out you were back. So happy.
October 24, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Thanks. 🙂