Time Out!

Whenever Zoë breaks a house rule and/or refuses to listen we give her 2 minutes in the corner for time out. Most of the time it works, but we think sometimes she knows there is a 2 minute limit to the time out, and it's really not a big deal. I snapped these photos of her during one of the time out moments where she has to sit on her stool in the corner. As you can see, she really doesn't care that much. An hour later, after her bath, she was acting as if nothing ever happened.

From Time Out!

From Time Out!

From Time Out!

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving

I had to work Thanksgiving this year so we postponed celebrations until saturday. We went to the Preston house for a night. Zoë had a fun time playing with her cousins, Avery and Rowan.

Fastforward

There were some recent photos snapped of Zoë that some (including Lisa and I) have commented they hint of what she will look like as an adult. Furthermore, depending on the picture, she either looks more like Mom or Dad (that's a mixed racial kid for ya). I've posted a few of these photos. See what you think.

From Fastforward

From Fastforward

From Fastforward

From Fastforward

A belated birthday

Zoë celebrated her birthday about 3 weeks later with the Hsu grandparents, Aunt Becky and the Preston grandparents. Besides being spoiled with presents she got to enjoy some good food and also had some milestones such as sitting (though not necessarily using) on the potty and using some trainer chopsticks (not really a milestone but maybe one in our household).

Zoë's first trick-or-treating!

Lisa's brother and his wife were in town last weekend so we were excited to meet up with them for brunch at their old home. All this happened on Lisa's mom's last day with us before her return back to Normal, IL. Here are some photos of the brunch/lunch at their home.

From Halloween 2009

From Halloween 2009

This was an exciting Halloween this year since it was Zoë's first. She went as a fairy princess (Lisa wanted her to be a princess, I wanted her to be an angel - so we compromised). Her daycare let the kids come in costume the day before. On Halloween we went to Hyde Park's 57th and Harper which was lined with beautiful, old Victorian homes. The neighborhood closed the street for the kids which was great, and many of the homes went all out in the decorations. Our friends Geoff and Ali came. I think everyone, especially Zoë, had a great time.

Mom's gone to Austin

Lisa was in Austin, Texas last week for a medical conference so her mom came to help with the Zoë care. Because I was on night float, we needed someone to watch her in the evenings. Zoë also had a brief viral infection last week. When she got better we found time to go to go to our regular saturday music class, Music Together, and our local nature museum, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Photos are from Mom Preston's camera so you don't get to see her in the photos since she was the one taking them.

Counting

Zoë learned to count to 10 just before her second birthday.

Zoë turns two

The day before Zoë's actual birthday, we went outside to cheer the runners of the Chicago marathon which goes by literally steps from our home. Notice the firetruck and ambulance that had to cut through in the middle of the race.



We then had dinner with our friends, Ali and Geoff, at our home. Zoë got a t-shirt from them as well as cupcakes from Molly's Cupcakes. As expected, she ate the frosting and left most of the cake.



Then on Zoë's actual birthday, I took her to The Field Museum. We saw Sue, the world's most complete T Rex, and a lot of stuffed dead animals.



For dinner we went to The Bristol with, again, Ali and Geoff. Excellent food and Zoë seemed to enjoy herself there.



Her birthday presents came a day late, but she got an Elmo extravaganza - Elmo balloon, Elmo doll/puppet and Elmo house playset.

End of Summer

We ended our Chicago summer with a stroll at our annual neighborhood arts festival, the Lakeview Arts Festival. Besides the many paintings, photos, crafts and food, there were also some "live" statues that enthralled Zoë.

From End of Summer

We also have been frequenting our local gelato store, Paciugo, which serves delicious and strange flavors of gelato including corn and violet.

From End of Summer

From End of Summer

From End of Summer

Chu/Marecek Wedding

Zoë was in our friends' wonderful wedding this weekend as their flower girl. Ali and Geoff had an amazing wedding weekend and the Chicago weather was perfect. Here are photos from the rehearsal dinner, ceremony and the brunch that followed the next day.

Rehearsal dinner at Enoteca Piattini:

From Ali and Geoff rehearsal dinner.

From Ali and Geoff rehearsal dinner.

From Ali and Geoff rehearsal dinner.

From Ali and Geoff rehearsal dinner.

From Ali and Geoff rehearsal dinner.

From Ali and Geoff rehearsal dinner.

Outdoor wedding at Columbus Park Refectory:

Some video footage of the wedding:


Post wedding brunch at the Palmer House:

From Ali and Geoff post-wedding brunch

From Ali and Geoff post-wedding brunch

Xoco

We went to the new Rick Bayless restaurant, Xoco, on its opening week. The wait was 1 hour long but well worth it. We even saw Rick Bayless who made my dish. Our friend, Ali, who was getting married in a week (see next blog entry) came with us!

Labor Day Weekend

It was a busy past couple of weeks, just barely enough time to fit activities before the end of summer. The beginning of the holiday started with a play date with the Birkners (Sam, Ellis and Jamie).

From Labor Day Weekend 2009

From Labor Day Weekend 2009

From Labor Day Weekend 2009

While I was at work, Lisa and Zoë were also able to enjoy a parade in our neighborhood in celebration of Labor Day.

From Labor Day Weekend 2009

From Labor Day Weekend 2009

From Labor Day Weekend 2009

On Labor Day, I got to have half the day off so we headed to Mitsuwa for authentic Japanese noodles - soba and udon. Zoë loved the noodles, but her favorite was the green tea shaved ice with sweet red beans.

From Labor Day Weekend 2009

From Labor Day Weekend 2009

From Labor Day Weekend 2009

From Labor Day Weekend 2009

Flower Girl

Zoë is a flower girl for our friend's wedding next week. We finally got her dress which she loved to wear (tantrum shortly after these photos were taken when she had to take the dress off).

Grandma's Birthday

We had a free night this weekend (one of a few this month for me) so we drove to Normal, IL to celebrate Lisa's mom's belated birthday. Lisa made peach cupcakes with brown sugar frosting. Tony/Cathy and the family were in Denver for a wedding so it was just us and the Preston Grandparents. Zoë enjoyed playing with all the toys and Grandpa/Grandma during our visit.

Oz in the Millenium

We went to a picnic hosted by Lisa's residency at Oz Park in Lincoln Park. The food was catered by delicious Smoque BBQ. Absolute deliciousness! We even saw a flier for a missing pet bear under the Dorothy statue.


We also went to Grant Park for a picnic and outdoor dancing with our friends Marian and Alanna and their respective others. While we were there we saw Rick Bayless, chef and owner of the famous Topolobampo and Frontera Grill. Zoë loved the dancing and especially enjoyed seeing Buckingham Fountain and playing in the water at Millennium Park .

Chinatown

We were in Chicago's Chinatown last weekend for dinner. In the center of the area is a small courtyard surrounded by statuettes of the 12 animals representing the Chinese zodiac. Zoë visited her zodiac sign, the pig.

From Chicago Chinatown

From Chicago Chinatown

From Chicago Chinatown

From Chicago Chinatown

Hyperstimulated

Lisa and I were chaperones for Zoë's daycare fieldtrip to Day Frog, a recreational center for children located in downtown Chicago. Zoë and her classmates loved it, so much that they may have been overstimulated. One of her favorite things (and Dad's) was going down the slide. When it came time to go home, Zoë (and others) got very upset.

Summer Fun

Very busy past few days. Becky came to visit and helped babysit while Lisa and I worked. Zoë really enjoyed playing with her and going to the various activities planned for the weekend. One thing Zoë really liked was riding on her new tricycle. Becky bought a helmet for her which Zoë finally agreed to wearing.


We attended a BBQ on friday hosted by our friends Steve and Kelly. The next day was the Korean Festival which Zoë and I attended a year ago. We met up with a few of our friends on one of the hottest and most humid days in Chicago.

Birthday-Birthday

We went to two birthday parties back-to-back Saturday, both for kids under age 2, so Zoë had a great time.

The first party was hosted at Gymboree, a play facility held for toddlers. Zoë particularly enjoyed the parachutes and bubbles. I think she was not a big fan of the dancing clown (neither were Lisa and I).


The second party was hosted by our friends Jamie and Irv. Their son, Ellis, turned 1. Irv barbecued and hung a pinata filled with candy. Even Zoë (and Lisa) took a few swings.

Noooooo!

From playground summer 2009

From playground summer 2009

Enjoying a summer weekend

We've had really nice weather in Chicago which has given us opportunities to do a lot of outdoor activities. We went to the playground where Zoë loves to go on the slide, ride the swing and sit on the elephant.

From playground summer 2009

From playground summer 2009

From playground summer 2009

Zoë also has a bruised cheek from falling on the steps outside and falling off the couch (both on the same cheek).

From playground summer 2009

Another tantrum

A recent tantrum in the household.

Bridal shower

Zoë and Lisa attended the bridal shower of our friends Geoff and Ali this weekend. Zoë is the flower girl so Lisa and I have been lucky to be invited to their wedding events by association. Zoë particularly enjoyed pasta and chocolate cake though most ended on her face.

March!

July 4 weekend

Independence Day was rainy in Chicago. We had a non-traditional celebration. While Lisa cooked dinner, Zoë and I went for a walk in the rain.

From Independence Day

From Independence Day

Afterwards, we had delicious Vietnamese pho and basil infused limeade for dinner.

From Independence Day

From Independence Day

Sushi!

We met up with our friends Gelane and Helena for sushi out our favorite local sushi restaurant, Toro. Gelane and I went to med school together and also ended up in the same pediatric residency program. She will be leaving for Africa in a few weeks to work at an HIV clinic for the next 2 years.

The Orr and Mattis Families

The past couple of weekends we've seen two families who are our friends from our former lives in Champaign. The Orrs were in Danvers, IL from Baltimore, and Lisa and Zoë were able to meet them at their BBQ. I unfortunately wasn't able to make it because of work. The following weekend we saw the Mattis family who were in the Chicago burbs from San Francisco for their son's 1 year birthday. It was nice finally getting the time to introduce Zoë to Aiden Orr and Vidas Mattis.

An increase in vocabulary

Our nightly bedtime reading with Zoë has shown that her word capacity has increased dramatically. Amusing things we've noticed is that she likes to refer to animals not by their names but by the sounds they make (our favorite is the fish). Also, occasionally she will make up words which, to our amusement, she will state with much confidence.

Matt and Becca have a new addition to their family!

Congrats to our friends Matt and Becca who had a baby last week. Born on May 19 at 7 lbs and 13 oz, Charlie Raymond Richards was welcome to the world in Champaign, IL. We went to visit the new family this past weekend. It was nice to see some friends from our old town. The Richards are doing great!


Afterwards, we stopped by one of our favorite restaurants, Bacaro, which we were regulars. It was here that Lisa told the first person (besides me) that she was pregant - our bartender; he was suspicious when she ordered a non-alcoholic drink. Zoë essentially dictated the meal. She was not in a good mood and did not have the patience for a quiet sit-down meal so we actually had to end the meal early.

A night at the museum

We were at the Chicago Children's Museum located at Navy Pier this past thursday. The museum is free to the whole family every thursday evening. Though it cut into Zoë's regular routines and was really close to her dinner/bedtime, she enjoyed the interactive exhibits.

Another visit from Grandma and the Great-Grandparents

My mom and grandparents came for a brief Memorial Weekend visit. Most of the time was spent with Zoë, but we did do a lot of eating. My mom and Grandma made their famous Taiwanese spring rolls. Yum! They also were able to watch Zoë while Lisa surprised me with dinner at Schwa with our good Chicago friends, Ali and Geoff, for our 10 year anniversary. We had been wanting to go to Schwa for a long time, and it certainly took a lot of effort on Lisa's part to get us the reservations (over 2 months!) It was all well worth the wait. Delicious!

Visiting friends again in Oak Brook

We went to Oak Brook, IL this past weekend to spend time with our friends, the Griffiths. Their sons, Zach and Cayden, are our godchildren. Zoë enjoyed the BBQ made by Andy, and we all enjoyed the impromptu concert by the boys.

From Oak Brook

From Oak Brook

From Oak Brook

From Oak Brook

The Scrap Kins

I was in NYC last weekend for my college friend's (Matt Sadowsky) bachelor party. During my time there I stayed with my buddy, Brian Yanish, and his girlfiend, Candice, in Brooklyn. Brian has his line of children's characters known as The Scrap Kins geared towards teaching children the importance of recycling and staying "green". Also, he is selling a line of children's products. I bought a t-shirt for Zoë which she looked really cute. You can purchase these products by going to the Scrap Kins online shopping site.

From Scrap Kins

From Scrap Kins

From Scrap Kins