The many faces of Max...

Maybe our boy will grow up to be a famous actor one day...this morning I told him I needed him to make some faces so I could take a picture or two for Daddy.

Divino (gelato in Grayslake!)

Divino
821 E. Center Street, Grayslake, IL 60030, 847.223.2500

We tried Divino last night for dinner, as we'd been hearing some buzz about it (and we needed to make a diaper run). It's located in the strip mall next to Piggly Wiggly, but don't hold that against it. ;-)

We'll have to try the pizza sometime, as we've heard it is really good. What we did try was a calzone (me) and a rigatoni pasta dish (Tony) and some gelato (again, pretty much me, but Tony did have a taste...and hey, I only got the piccolo size.). The gelato was great and perfectly authentic (ahhh, I miss Italy!). I had the zuppa inglese. I'll actually have to try and make a concentrated effort to not go too often for the gelato.

The dinners were good, though nothing stunning (they didn't knock our socks off, but they were good). The calzone, however, was huge and stuffed full of stuffings. As we've heard the pizza is the thing, we'll definitely try them again.

Oh, and the people were friendly. That's always a bonus.

Max & the Great Outdoors

This past Sunday was so nice that we wound up spending a lot of time outdoors and taking a long walk (Ilias came to visit too, so it was a nice walk with him). Max, however, slept through almost all of his outdoor time.
He sat in his swing while we ate lunch...

In a fun floppy hat from Persephone.
And look how big the boy is getting! He's starting to fill up the bassinet. He likes to kick when I put the alligator rattle on his ankle.

Update on the Shops at Station Square, Prairie Crossing

Since the weather has turned nice (it might get up to 80 today! Ack!), Max and I have been taking some walks to the shops at Station Square here in Prairie Crossing. Some new shops have opened up and there have been some changes in some of the old ones, so here's a quick overview of what's old & new...

Under the Sycamore Tree, the cool bookshop, is still going strong and is as awesome as ever. I'll hopefully be doing a book signing with them once my book is out. They do also carry a small selection of books for adults...Max and I recently bought Daddy a copy of In Defense of Food, which he really likes.

Little Skye has re-focused a bit and is now caring more maternity / nursing mom stuff, including some really nice nursing tops; I've gotten two...I especially like the "boob wear" (I swear, that's what it is really called). As always, they've got really cool stuff for babies and kids. Once Max gets a bit older, we'll have to check out their alternative diaper stuff (cloth, the G diapers, etc.)

The Prairie Croissant Cafe has made some changes for the better and just one for the worse. They've added new menu items (though, man, they only do the crepes on weekends...I'm bummed...I was so going to get one today), some little artsy stuff for sale, organic creamery products (good yogurt), re-organized so that the kid stuff is one one side, and seem much better organized (like getting the food and drinks out faster). All that's great. And I've lately seen at least one person working on a laptop whenever I'm there, as it has also quieted down a bit (or I'm going at non-mom-group times). The only bad change is that they've cut their hours quite a bit and I've gone by a bunch of times and they've been closed. Hopefully that was just a winter issue and now that Spring has sprung they'll expand their hours again.

The Affinity Boutique is also just as cool as ever. Every time I go in I want to get a ton of stuff. I need to be somewhat cautious with clothes still though...I've lost the baby-weight (so I can't blame Max anymore), but I've still got some pounds to go before I'm happy (like that post-cruise weight). So anything I get now needs to work later when I (hopefully) lose more weight. I did find a really cool dress today that I'll have to give Tony a hint about for Mother's Day...

Ten Thousand Villages is also the same, with a nice selection of crafts from all over the world and friendly staff. They are always getting new things in.

Prairie Arts & Fibers (960 Harris RoadGrayslake, IL 60030, 847-543-5255 ) is brand new and owned by Linda Keating, who lives in the neighborhood. I could easily get into lots of trouble at this shop, since she carries bunches of great yarn, as well as the work of local artists (the photos from the storm chaser lady are really cool) and even some really nice handmade furniture. I'm also going to be making some soap for her to carry. Oh, and they do open knitting sessions and knitting classes too.

Prairie Sunshine Yoga Studio (960 Harris Rd. Grayslake, IL, (847) 223-0601) is also new. I haven't actually been in there yet, though I hope to make use of their services soon (they just added a masseuse and are having a May special on massages). They also have Mommy & Baby classes that I'd like to try, though I might need to wait until Max is just a wee bit older.

That's about it, though the annual Earthwild Gardens plant sale will be this coming weekend. They don't have a permanent store, just a tent that they set up for special events. Nice plants and nice people.

And now, for a zen binky moment...

This one needs a thought bubble going "Hey!" or, maybe a Keanu-moment: "Whoa..." Or more likely..."Bright light! Bright light!"

Here's Max having a zen binky moment. Notice the intense concentration. Om mani padme hum...

Random Updates

• Grace has actually gotten down to 16 lbs. 4 oz. Which is a heckuva lot better than the 22 lbs. she used to be (fat kitty!). Of course, this may be partly due to the fact that she's been throwing up (sometimes in our bed) just about every day lately.
• We've been transitioning Max to his crib vs. the bassinet and it seems to be working just fine. Read: he's oblivious to the difference so long as I feed him quickly enough.
• I think his growth spurt may finally be slowing down. He still seems to want to eat as often as he did before, but now he's often not eating for as long. And when he's done -- he's done. I guess he's like his daddy -- he knows what he wants, when he wants it, and that's that.
• My book got nominated for the YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers List (very cool!) -- though I won't find out if I actually make the list until later in the year (sometime after the ALA convention, I think, which I'm going to (I'll be doing a signing and even reading on stage ---oooooh!)
• There is no such thing as too many spit rags.
• Seriously, there's not.
• The weather seems to have turned the corner again (after it actually snowed in Deerfield this past week -- geez). It's nice to see the sun.

More soon -- and a picture, I promise.

The Max Attack of the Day

Here are the obligatory Max photos of the day. In this one you see the little guy passed out in his new swing (it vibrates! it swings! it plays music!) and wearing a new onesie from his Auntie Lisa (she's obviously trying to prep him up) ;-)
And a pensive Max considering his options....Hmmmm, am I hungry or do I just need to pee again?
And here's the little guy from this morning when we were playing around. I'd post the other pictures, but he was naked except for some striped socks and I'll save him the embarassment. Right after this he peed on me (and the blanket and the carpet). He's a regular water sprinkler. And here I thought I was safe since he'd just peed like 5 minutes before.

The little bugger is keeping me busy today (as per usual). He's finally napping now, but this has been his feeding schedule today (don't even ask about the diapers!):

• 4:50 AM
• 8:20 AM
• 9:40 AM
• 10:30 AM
• 12:10 PM
• 2:10 PM

And somehow, I'm expecting him to wake up any minute demanding more!

Looking for a dog?

Got this message forwarded on about a bunch of dogs that will likely be euthanized by July if they aren't adopted because of a shelter closing...lots of great dogs, including one that already knows sign language! We do want to get a dog someday, probably when Max is about 3 or 4. Now would be kind of a crazy time, though their stories make you want to go and adopt one. Not to mention the pictures...such sweeties.

To check the doggies out:
http://picsbycindy.com/marion_grant_dogs.htm

Recent Places...Catching Up

There's a whole bunch of places we've been to recently that we haven't had time to write up because, well, about 8 lbs. of ever-hungry boy. I'm probably missing some of them, but here's what I can remember...

Elly's Pancake House
435 Townline RdMundelein, IL 60060 (847) 837-8100

This is another one of the ubiquitous pancake houses that dot the landscape around here, albeit a really good one. Everything was perfect -- the eggs (scrambled, with cheese all nicely melted), bacon (crisp), pancakes (fluffy), syrup (warmed), juice (fresh). Nice fast service too. Definitely a good diner / breakfast location. There's a lot of these types of places but this one I would definitely go back to.

Hillside Restaurant
804 Barron Blvd Grayslake, IL 60030

This is another diner-style restaurant. Tony actually wound up stopping here the day Max was born, to catch dinner on the way home (GIANT pork chops). We've also gone there once for breakfast/brunch. The portions are large and the service is pretty decent. The food is good, standard diner fare.

Firkin
http://firkinoflibertyville.com/
515 N. Milwaukee, Libertyville, IL 60048, (847) 367-6168

This is the first place we've found out this way that feels like it is in the city. It's trendy. It's hip. It's got good food and a casual, fun (reggae-inspired) atmosphere. And "big city" type dishes like lobster tacos.

We've been twice (both times with Max and he behaved very well) so far and we'll surely go again. Firkin also has an extensive beer menu (including a really good root beer) and homemade pretzels. What's not to like?

Incidentally, it shares a kitchen with The Tavern, another good place in downtown Libertyville. Kitschy, but good.

Cafe Pyrenees
http://www.cafepyrenees.com/
1762 N. Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, Illinois 60048.
Reservations/Info 847-362-cafe

This is probably Tony's favorite new local place. It's a restaurant /bar / retail wine shop in nearby Libertyville. I'd been wanting to try it for a while, but every time I mentioned it Tony didn't get where I was talking about and/or thought it was something different. So we finally went the other night (mentioned in a previous post...Max's first night wearing shoes).

Really nice place with great food (and foie gras for Tony -- the ban is only in the city of Chicago). The seafood risotto I had as an appetizer was particularly good. The dinners were great too -- we both had a "game" plate with venison and duck and pheasant sausage.

The staff was great as well, including being welcoming to little Max (who behaved quite well, thank you very much, though I'm sure he made some other diners nervous). We'll definitely be back (probably again and again).

The Perfect Brew & A Rare Find
619 Park St. in Libertyville, 847-305-4459

We found a local home brew shop. Small, but pretty well equipped (nice glass carboys). Strangely enough, it is combined with a small furniture / hot sauce shop.

Jamaican Gardens North
14595 W Rockland Rd, Libertyville, IL 60048 (847) 367-5570

From the "North" designation, I'm assuming there's a "South" somewhere closer to the city. This is a gardening shop...actually it's a huge gardening shop with not only plants, but also all kinds of pots and other paraphenalia. Prices were about on par with other local shops (though Pasquesi's is still my favorite...you can't beat them for atmosphere). One good thing about the Jamaican Gardens is that they have 40 varieties of tomatoes, including heirloom ones.

Spice Bazaar
139 E Townline Rd, Vernon Hills, IL 60061, (847) 549-0065

We're always looking for good ethnic markets. The Spice Bazaar is a pretty decent Indian market. They even have a small selection of fresh stuff (samosas, etc.) and lots of frozen things. Best of all, they are opening up a small Indian cafe next door that's going to have dosas! Yay! I love LOVE LOVE dosas. So we'll have to check it out in June or so when it opens up.

Wearing out Daddy's Arms

Tony likes to swing kids around, including little Max. Of course, he wears out his arms doing it...but at least not too badly right now. A few more months, though...

Sleepy Max

When Max is really sleepy, it is just about impossible to wake him up, no matter what daddy does (like blowing in his face, which just produces the look you see below instead).
Notice the chubby cheeks the boy is developing. And the double chin.
Falling asleep on daddy is a favorite past time of both Max and Harley, both our boys (Harley being the furry one).