Summer Road Trips!

As much as we love exploring Chicago in the summer, sometimes it's nice to take a break from the city. We try to take at least one road trip per month in the summer, so we'll tell you about two of them that we've taken so far!

Road Trip 1: Strawberry Picking in Hobart, Indiana

Wait a minute, Kathleen. That is not a picture of strawberries or picking. That is a picture of two sand crabs.

Well.... strawberry season lasts about 90 seconds in the midwest. I was stalking this strawberry farm and market in Hobart, Indiana to make sure we got to pick strawberries this year.
I thought we had picked the perfect day! The website assured me that there were strawberries.

But their Facebook page told a different story. At 5am (this is not an exaggeration) the day we were supposed to go they announced that strawberry picking was DONE.

Surely there had to be some strawberries left, right? We decided to chance it and made the 45 minute drive. If strawberries were done for the season, maybe blueberries were ready?

All guesses were wrong.

Me: So can we pick some strawberries?
Cashier with better things to do: No, that ended yesterday.
Me: What about blueberries?
CWBTTD (nonplused): That doesn't start until tomorrow.
Me: So you're telling me there's nothing we can PAY YOU TO PICK IN YOUR FIELDS today?
CWBTTD (missing the irony): No.

Turns out they sell pies, though. So we'll count it as a win. And it was a good pie.
Not as good as this one that I made, though:

Store-bought strawberries and blueberries. How remedial. 2/10

So we went to the Indiana Dunes, instead! We were just a few miles from Ogden Dunes and played in the sand and the (considerably larger than Chicago-side) waves for three and a half hours!

Some of us were not prepared for such a long day on the beach and now we will have very awkward tan lines and splotches (one in the shape of a hand) on our backs for the rest of the summer and possibly for life. There will be no photos of this atrocity.

Road Trip 2: Blueberry Picking in Indiana (no fooling this time)

Determined to make up for my fruit fail, I made absolutely, 100% certain that I could take the kids to the Blueberry Ranch in Mishawaka, Indiana that we've gone to the last four years running.
Success!!

We picked 5.65 pounds this year, a new record! We froze half of them for smoothies and then just pretty much shoved the rest into our mouths by the fistful. I'm telling you, dear reader, midwest blueberries are just the best I've ever had. Sweet, bursting with juice, and as big as a quarter, we are very spoiled.

The fun thing about this annual trip is that it is part of a whole ritual. We drive to the blueberry ranch, then we picnic at Central Park in Mishawaka, and then end the day at Let's Spoon for frozen yogurt in  South Bend before heading back to the city tired and sweaty, but full of antioxidants.

Central Park is next to the river and we spent several hours wading and picking up shells.
Side anecdote: For anyone familiar with the Little Dragans' obsession with dead animals, you will not be surprised to learn that we found a huge floating dead trout and this became the subject of MUCH conjecture, prodding, and admonishments to NOT TOUCH THE DEAD FISH. How many times should you have to tell children not to touch dead animals that they find? Am I the only mother with this problem??

And now, back by popular demand.... BONUS BYTES WITH B!!

Hi guys welcome back to Dragan Tales. I’m B and today I’m going to tell you about our road trip. First I would like to give a special thanks to some friends who went blueberry picking with us. Thank you so much!!

So now let's get to the blog.

We go blueberry picking in Indiana about every summer and we usually take some friends along with us and then go to a park with our lunch and then to “let’s spoon” a frozen yogurt place that's really good!  Let's hear from Little Guy. Little Guy says that let’s spoon is the best frozen yogurt place and he also likes Josis!! [Mom's note: Josi's is in Portage Park and we will tell you all about it in the next post! Great foreshadowing, B!]

Now it's your turn to go to Indiana and experience all these fun things!!!!!!!

See you next time!!!!!!!!!  

Summer Series 2: Rogers Park

We are so excited to share this neighborhood with you!

Rogers Park (and its neighbor West Ridge) is the northernmost neighborhood in Chicago. A couple more steps, and a huge graveyard, and you've made it to Evanston.

I used to drive through Rogers Park when I worked north of the city, but I'll admit that I had never explored it. It is such a cool neighborhood!

Some facts:

It really is very far north. Just when you think you're almost there, you're halfway there. Chicago's longest street (Western Ave) is 23.5 miles long, so it's just one long city and this is its north pole, so to speak.

Rogers Park is the most diverse neighborhood in the entire country: socioeconomically and ethnically.

EIGHTY different languages are spoken by the residents of Rogers Park. I have a hard time even naming eighty languages! This was anecdotally confirmed when Little Guy and I played hide and seek with some girls in the first park we visited and they spoke Bosnian!

Going to Rogers Park is like taking a trip around the world without even leaving Chicago. Check out some of these fun sites!

Tel-Aviv Kosher Bakery - 2944 W Devon

Devon Avenue is this fantastic mile of the city where half of it is Indian and Pakistani restaurants and fabric shops (don't worry, we'll get to these) and the other half is Russian and Kosher Jewish bakeries and stores. It is almost a surreal experience to walk down this street and realize you're still in the U.S.! 

Tel-Aviv is a fantastic stop for bagels, pastries, cakes, treats, etc. They gave the kids samples of cookies and the adults samples of Rugelach - Hebrew for delicious, delicious pastry (think croissant with some extra sweetness rolled up in it.)

We bought most of the store. 

I have heard that they also have a great selection of sugar-free treats, but where's the fun in that??

Indian Boundary Line Marker - corner of Clark and Rogers

The Indian Boundary Line established in the Treaty of 1816 runs straight through Rogers Park. This was the line that was negotiated with the Native American tribes living in the area at the time, namely the Potawatomi, the Fox, and the Sauk among others. They were supposed to make their camp north of the line while Chicago grew and developed south of it.

It didn't last long.

After just 17 years Chicago decided they wanted more land and pushed the tribes even farther north.

Studying history is hard. It is really hard to read about these decisions with a modern lens. But I think we have to keep reading and remembering, and showing our children and teaching our children so that we can learn from the mistakes and injustices of the past. 

This marker is the only designation left for the Indian Boundary Line. It's on the side of a building at the  northeast corner of Clark and Rogers and it's now hidden behind a huge stoplight control. But we found it!!!

This makes a fun treasure hunt for the kids, and then you can have the boundary line discussion after they find it.

Loyola Beach and Park

Readers who have never visited Chicago may not realize that it's located on Lake Michigan, and that the lake is so huge you can't see the other side. It feels a bit like living on the ocean! I was totally surprised by the Great Lakes when we moved here. This might sound dumb. I just couldn't wrap my head around how big they were!

Loyola Beach is a really fun one to visit for a couple of reasons:

1) Way less crowded than the touristy beaches around Navy Pier.

2) The beach is angled so that you can't really see the skyline, so it feels more remote.

3) They have a natural dune restoration project, the only one of its kind on this side of the lake.

4) The Artists of the Wall. This is my favorite part of Rogers Park. After graffiti on the breakwalls became a problem, neighborhood activists decided to turn this section into a huge community art project. Each year on Father's Day residents come out to paint a section of the wall according to an annually selected theme. The result is a vibrant stretch of community pride that is so much fun to walk along!

I feel like I did a pretty terrible job photographing this, it kind of needs to be seen in person!

Look at that teeny tiny city way south of us!! B says Thumbs Up to Loyola Beach!

Indian Boundary Park

I told you I had a thing about wooden playgrounds, didn't I?

This park is SO COOL. There's a ton to explore including a pond (with turtles!), a splashpad with dancing bears, really nice tennis courts, an old zoo that is now a nature center, and of course, ice cream vendors who come around ringing their bells every few minutes.

This park alone is worth the trip up to Rogers Park with little ones!

Devon Ave - Devon and Western

As I mentioned before, this street is such an anomaly and an absolute must experience in Chicago!

There are so many great restaurants along Devon, I really don't think you can go wrong. This is from Viceroy and I loved every single bite. I love buffets for trying new things because well, I love to eat A LOT of food, and I find the buffet allows me to be more adventurous since it takes the intimidation out of having to order. 

Little Guy agrees. Buffets for the win! That's kheer (Indian rice pudding) and it's his third bowl. So proud.

I hope you've enjoyed exploring Rogers Park with us! I give this neighborhood an A+ for its flavor, uniqueness, and the surprises it offers around every corner!

Next up: A summer road trip and then Portage Park

Summer Series 1: Lincoln Park

Both kids are finally done with school! So it's officially summer and officially time for me to get back to work full time with them.

Don't get me wrong, I relish this time of year. I am so thankful for the opportunity to stay home with my kids and for all the adventures that we are able to go on. It does become a bit of the "All Mommy, all the time" show, though, so it's good to have some activities ready for the summer.

And what better city to explore in the summer than this one, right?! We complain about the weather for nine months out of the year, but summer in this town can't be beat. We're going to be exploring lots of different parts of Chicago this summer and hope you'll come along with us or be inspired to check out some new nooks and crannies on your own!

Have you checked out this book yet?

It's so fun!! The author is an absolute hoot (got a chance to meet her a few months ago!) and she's a very talented writer. Every single page in the book makes me want to run right out and try the things she's written about. You can check it out on her website or wherever you like to buy books. Highly recommend!

So, armed with a great list of ideas and some of our own research, we started our summer of adventures off in:

Lincoln Park
Lots of families live in Lincoln Park, so it's not like this is some "undiscovered gem" in Chicago, but we don't actually live that close to it. Aside from trips to the Lincoln Park Zoo and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, I had never really wandered around. What a treat! I'll show you some of the highlights. Keep in mind, there is so much to do in Lincoln Park! This is just a tiny taste.


Oz Park: 2021 N Burling

I'm a real sucker for a wooden playground! We had a great time exploring here. The statues of the characters from the Wizard of Oz are fun to find!

Happy Play: This place lets you play with bunnies and birds! The birds loooooooved Little Guy! He talks about this place every day now. So we'll probably go back.

The Weiners Circle: 2622 N Clark
I'm probably going to get sick of hot dogs at some point this summer. But it hasn't happened yet!

Chicago-style, baby. The works. Get that ketchup outta here.

Imposters! Those are children, not an all beef frank! (This was at the Chicago History Museum.)

Pequod's Pizza: Seriously, why have I not eaten this before?? Caramelized cheese crust on deep dish. That is all.

Little Dragans say two thumbs up!

Sweet Mandy B's

Before you tell me that this blog should just be renamed "Dragan Stomachs," allow me to interject that we only went to Sweet Mandy B's to buy something for Grant because it was Father's Day. The rest of us ate nothing! This time...
We've been to a cupcake decorating class there in the past and it was adorable and delicious!

Chicago History Museum: This was a surprise HUGE hit with all of us! They have audio tours that you can walk around with and the Little Dragans loved finding the different items and listening. They had three different interactive exhibits going with very charming volunteers, and we learned a ton while having fun. Kids are free!

The first "El" car!

Lincoln Park was a fascinating neighborhood to explore! We spent three days there on these different outings, and we've barely scratched the surface of all that the neighborhood has to offer. It also has gorgeous architecture and is along the lake!

I hope you like these neighborhood glimpses! We'll be back with many more.
Next up: Rogers Park

Ring Bearing and Flower Girl-ing

When your kids are asked to be part of a wedding party, it might set off a chain of emotions similar to the stages of grief, but in reverse order:

1. Acceptance! This is often gleeful and given without much forethought. Will your kids be in my wedding in this remote and almost impossible to reach town on the same day as their dance recital and preschool graduation? Accept! Will you buy them outfits that they will claim are itchy/torturing them and that cost as much as the down payment on your condo? Accept! Will you make sure that the flower girl's shoes are dyed fuchsia to match the whimsical streak in the mother of the groom's hair? ACCEPT!!

2. Depression. When you actually think about what you just accepted.

3. Bargaining. This takes two forms. First, you bargain with your child. If you will wear this outfit and walk fifty feet AND smile once or twice without looking like a bobcat bearing his teeth, we will let you drink as many full sodas as you want at the reception and buy you a new transformer AND a Corvette. Second, you rationalize your decisions with yourself. Sure, they'll wear these clothes again! Doesn't she have a First Communion next year? Or a Bar Mitzvah? Or a quinceañera. Or something??

4. Anger. Hopefully this stays under control. Or can at least be directed at the half of the wedding couple that you aren't actually related to and won't have to see that often. But forgive yourself if you have some left over and it falls on your own loved ones. #NormalizeLadyRage

5. Denial. This typically happens the month after the wedding when your credit card bill arrives. 

How do I know all this? Because B has been a flower girl 5 times, Little Guy has been in 3 weddings, and we just spent the last two weekends with both of them in the wedding party, back-to-back. 

And you know what else?

IT WAS AWESOME!!!!

Re-horsing around

Getting ready with the bride, my beautiful new sister!

50% of the people in this photo are very excited about the outfit they are wearing

Dance Face: Ready

Dance Face: Go!!!

Little Guy danced himself silly at both weddings. There were splits. 

We stayed on Smith Mountain Lake between the weddings. Hit the reset button and RELAXED.

"Mom," she said. "Take a picture of me coming down the stairs and pretend it's my wedding day." Evidence that all the attention is definitely not going to her head. Not at all.

Wedding #2 was at our Alma Mater! Pretty gorgeous backdrop for anything!

Disturbing proof that flowers do not a flower girl maketh.

Despite my hemming, hawing, and sometimes toxic attitude, we enjoyed two jam-packed with fun weekends and got to celebrate two beautiful love stories. I'm so glad we got to be a part of these weddings! Maybe next time I can skip all of the phases of wedding party acceptance and skip straight to the part where I'm stuffing my face full of cake, looking around at my family and friends and feeling phase 6:

The Glow of Love: that feeling of gratitude for just one more day on this Earth. Highly present and contagious at weddings.

Some Positive CPS News

If you've read a newspaper or even just a social media feed from the Chicago area lately you've seen a lot of news about our schools. Some of the news is confusing, some of it is maddening, and none of it seems great for our kids. 

In the midst of budgets, politicians, and bureaucracy, however, there are also shining stories of great individuals that stand above the rest to make a positive difference in the lives of our kids. Today I'm really excited to share an interview with one of those individuals.

Meet Playworks coach, AmeriCorps volunteer, and Chicago native: Ariana Walls!

Coach Ari, as she's affectionately known to the kids at B's public school, has been volunteering her time and talent all year through the AmeriCorps program. As part of her work at the school she planned a "Community Engagement Initiative" that included repurposing the school's paved playlot. The Little Dragans and I helped out for a bit, and then I caught up with Coach Ari later for some more details. I hope you'll enjoy hearing about her experience and seeing the pictures of her project.

Coach Ari's plan for the playlot: basketball court, four square, hopscotch, and lines for the different classes. I'm ready to play!!

KD: What are your responsibilities as part of AmeriCorps?

AW: As an AmeriCorps member my biggest responsibility is to complete 1700 hours of service. Through Playworks, I was given 10 months to complete the hours. As a Playworks AmeriCorps coach at NTA, my job focuses around recess, an after school leadership program and non-competitive sports leagues throughout the year. Along with the 1700 hours, AmeriCorps members are required to attend service projects once a month, as well as plan a "community engagement initiative" or CEI event. For me, my CEI was the playground painting. 

KD: What have been some of your favorite memories from this year? 

AW: My favorite memory from this year would have to be with one of my 3rd grade classes. The class was particularly loud and disrespectful that day making it really hard to get through our lesson. The next day I had 25 hand written letters in my mailbox from that class. The kids were so sweet, talking about how much they loved recess and learning games from me. It was the first time I had that "ah ha" moment and felt like I was making a difference. 

KD: Is there anything about your work this year that has surprised you or from which you felt like you really learned something?

AW: NTA has a really diverse staff, culturally and racially. I think that I have learned so much from my recess staff in particular. We are all such different people and come from different backgrounds but are here at the school for the same reason, to provide a safe and fun space for children to play. I was the rookie coming in this year, but my recess team really took me under their wings and welcomed me during the first few months of the school year. They also grasped onto the Playworks language and values that I was trying to incorporate in the school quickly, which made for a well meshed team. 

KD: What was your project for NTA's play area and how did you come up with this idea?

AW: I came up with the idea to paint games and boundary lines on Federal Street a few months ago. For my CEI, I had to identify an area either in our school or community that had a need. I identified that one of NTA's biggest needs surrounding recess had to do with the lack of boundaries and games. Each day before recess I would have to place cones to try and distinguish different play areas. I would also have to chalk out four square courts and hopscotch. As you can guess, this took up a good amount of time and was not very effective. If it was a windy day, the cones would blow all over leaving kids unsure of where to play certain games. I realized that if I could have permanent boundaries, recess would be able to run way smoother. 

KD: How do you think the project will improve the experience of NTA students?

AW: I have already seen an improvement at recess! The street is brighter and more inviting so more kids feel welcomed to play (which is awesome)! Boundaries are clear and understood by even our youngest students, making recess fun for them and stress free for myself and my team. I am hoping that in the years to come, many students are able to have fond memories on the space we created. 

Thank you so much, Coach Ari, for serving our community and for showing us all that one person can bring about change if they are creative, motivated, and optimistic like you are! You have made a lasting and positive mark on our school, and we thank you for your service.