Gymnastics Winners--Going to State

 We all had a flippin' good time at the tumbling meet in Bloomingdale on Sunday.   Du-Jay placed 2nd among 8 year old boys, and Sagezilla took home a medal for 4th in the 6 year old, Advanced Beginner Girls Division.   This meet qualified both kids for State on February 27th!

Look For ChiIL Mama This Weekend: Home Depot Kids Workshop, The Cabinet, Vegan Bake Sale For Haiti

Saturday
Home Depot Kids Workshop 9am-Noon.   Tomorrow, we'll be making fun, checkerboard patterned, car displays.  It's free, fun and educational.   We've had a blast making a bean bag toss, wagon, trivets, and a firehouse bank during past months.   We're looking forward to making birdhouse shaped rain gauges in March.

One member of our Olympic curling team, Deb, works a day job at a Home Depot in Wisconsin.   So, your little Olympic hopefuls can sport their orange smocks proudly, as they follow their dreams and learn useful life skills.   You never know who you might meet at your local hardware store!

DATE NIGHT

The Cabinet opens this weekend at Redmoon Theatre and it's highly recommended.   We saw their first production of The Cabinet years ago, and are eager to go back.   This makes a better adult evening out, as it's too intense for young children.

The Cabinet is not suggested for audiences under age 13. Parental discretion is recommended for younger audience members.
The Cabinet received this rating because it contains acts of violence and a dark story line.

February 5th to March 7th, 2010
Thursdays 8:00 PM Price: $15
Fridays 8:00 and 10:00 PM Price: $20
Saturdays 6:00 and 9:00 PM Price: $25
Sundays 3:00 PM Price: $20

Sunday
Second Chicago Vegan Bake Sale to raise funds to help with the tragedy in Haiti. Come on out and enjoy some tasty baked goods! Vegan brownies, cookies, cupcakes, and much more, including some gluten-free options! 

They'll be at Renegade Handmade, located at 1924 W. Division in Chicago, from 11:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. on February 7th. All proceeds benefit Food For Life, a charity supplying healthy, pure vegetarian food in Haiti and worldwide.

The first one raised over $1,300.00, but that’s just a drop in the bucket.  Treats galore!   Philanthropy never tasted so good.  If you're interested in donating your time or baking skills to the event, please email Marla at marla@veganstreet.com.

Finally, we're off to Bloomingdale for another gymnastics meet for both kids.   If they both place high enough, we're off to STATE in two weeks!!

Mushing in the Mush at Polar Adventure Day 2010

 

We have been regulars at Polar Adventure Day for 4 years, throughout subzero temps, snow and lack thereof.   This year was more like the (melting of the) Polar (icecaps) Adventure Day.

It was fascinating to see a mushing demo with the husky dogsled team.   We'd seen them run on snow, pulling a sled, lots of times, but we'd never seen them mush through the mush.

   


They pulled a 3 wheeled bike through the muddy grass, and though not as picturesque as sledding over snowdrifts, they seemed to manage just fine.

We've had 3 Huskies and a Husky/Malamute as family pets over the years, and are fervent fans of the breed.  
 
If anyone's looking to adopt a rescue Husky, contact Free Spirit Husky Rescue in Harvey, IL.   They may shed tufts of white fluff, like a cottonwood tree, when they blow coat twice a year, but they make wonderful family dogs.


The kids learned how Polar bears, penguins, whales and seals keep warm and simulated having blubber by feeling ice with a bare hand versus feeling ice through a bag of lard.

 Then we made fairy wands, painted a winter themed paper quilt, 


and experimented with Mad Science.   We also loved the African folklore, story telling and drumming. 




Finally, we saw our old favs, birds of prey.   The tiny owl and this stunning red tailed hawk, from Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation, were cool to see up close.
 
 There's one more Polar Adventure Day for the year, on February 20th.   We hope to see you there.

I ♥ Faces Texture

This looking glass moment with Sagie in Wonderland, is the epitome of texture.  

What would life be without all the rich and varied textures.  This was taken at the Chicago Waldorf School Winter Fair, where the textures of all the handmade goodies were fanciful and fun.

Check out the I ♥ Faces texture themed contest this week, by clicking on the link above.

Creepy Killer or Peace Sign? Life Lessons in Coffee Cake.

Mmmm Swedish Kringle, AKA:  Aunt Jan Coffee Cake. 

This tasty treat is a fond memory from my childhood.   Every birthday, my Mom would shape the coffee cake into our age and bring us breakfast in bed.   Every Christmas, she would make a forest of Kringle trees and give them to friends and neighbors.   We'd always have several for Christmas breakfast.

This year, we decided to make our own, but left the design particulars to each member of the family.   Du-Jay made an awesome, anatomically correct snow boy.

Sagezilla made a Christmas tree, more candy than coffee cake.

 

Old school punk/hardcore Daddy made a scary face that was originally going to be a killer in a hockey mask, but mutated into more of a monster.   He also re-dubbed the confection "heart attack cake", due to the copious amounts of butter.

Hippie/punk Mama made a tie dyed peace sign.

When Dad pulled the baked cakes out of the oven, he laughed and exclaimed, "See, we're really not so different!" 

I have always thought that punks and hippies are a yin/yang type of balance, with more similarities than differences.   Punks are cynical hippies with similar political and world views.   Both are often vegetarian or vegan.   They just dress differently on the surface and like to rock out to different tunes.   

Despite the fact, some of our punk friends say "Blah, blah,blah....boring, lame jam bands and the great unwashed."   And some of our hippie friends are freaked out by and avoid the punks, a good sized segment of us enjoy both worlds.

We're really not so different, indeed.

DIY Life lessons in coffee cake:   

 Aunt Jan Coffee Cake from Mom

1 stick butter & 1 cup flour—work by hand

Add 1 T cold water

Form ball and divide in two.

Make 2—12 inch rolls and flatten into desired

shapes on cookie sheet with palm of hand.

In pan together 1 cup water & 1 stick butter.

Bring to boil. Remove from heat and add 1 cup flour

And 1 T almond extract.

Beat in 3 eggs one at a  time by spoon.

Spread on above mixture.

Bake about 1 hour at 350 degrees. Cool. Frost. Decorate.

Frosting

1 cup powdered sugar

2 T softened butter or margarine

¼ teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

Add 2-3 teaspoons milk.

Mix and add coloring.

ENJOY!

Look For ChiIL Mama This Weekend: The Swedish Museum, Polar Adventure Day, & Vittum Theatre

Friday Fun:

Swedish Style

Jan. 22, is Family Night at the Museum! Admission is free, but reservations are recommended. Come make crafts, participate in activities, and see the new exhibit, "Swedish Cows!  4-7pm at The Swedish American Museum

 

Saturday Fun:

Polar Adventure Day  All ages. Free. Don't let winter slow you down - come out and enjoy it at the fifth annual Polar Adventure Days series. Watch as amazing ice sculptures are created, meet live animals, make winter-themed crafts, sip on hot cocoa, and much more. Don't forget to dress warm.

Date: 01/23/10
Start Time: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Cost: free
Location : Northerly Island

Click Polar Adventure Day in the side bar, for a photo filled blast from the past.   Remember how much fun Polar Adventure Day was in 2009. 

Sunday Theatrical Fun:
The Whipping Boy

   

New Play Workshop

Free Reading of
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
adapted by Beau Johnson

Sunday, January 24th, 2:00pm
Vittum Theater
Admission is FREE and reservations are recommended
Call our Box Office at 773.342.4141
Refreshments will be served

The Whipping Boy centers on proud orphan Jemmy and spoiled brat Prince Horace. In a time when striking an heir to the throne is considered a crime worse than murder, Jemmy is the unlucky boy picked to receive corporal punishment in the prince's stead. When the two young men run away from home, each sees the other in a new light and an unlikely friendship is born.

ASC's New Play Workshop Series is an opportunity for our audience to gain a sneak peek at and share their thoughts on new plays we are considering for full production in a future season. The audience is encouraged to remain after the reading for a talkback with the director and cast.

Musical Alternative:

Our Beatles show at Fitzgerald's last Sunday filled up quickly and many people were turned away - make sure you arrive early, or buy tickets in advance!

Why should Tributosaurus be just for adults? We've had so many requests from our fans to do a show that is accessible to the little ones that we decided it's time to give the kids a show of their own.

As our fans know, this past November we embarked on our quest to play the entire Beatles catalog with Volume 1, encompassing the first 2 albums and the Singles of the same time period, and we've decided that this is music that speaks to everyone - so we're bringing it to the kids. We've cut down the mega-set to a more manageable 1 hour, and we're offering it to families all over town --
this Sunday we visit the north side at SPACE!

Trib For Kids Becomes THE BEATLES (Vol. 1) :

Sunday, January 24th at SPACE
2pm Show - $10 in advance, $15 at the Door / Kids Under 3 Free
1245 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL
Tickets available at Evanstonspace.com

CHICAGO CHILDREN’S THEATRE PRESENTS “RED KITE ROUND UP” Jan. 20 – Feb. 19, 2010

Tickets on Sale Now for New 40-Minute Multi-Sensory Adventure Created Specifically for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Chicago Children’s Theatre presents “Red Kite Round Up,” Jan. 20 – Feb. 19 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion Choral Rehearsal Room in Millennium Park. “Red Kite Round Up” is a 40-minute multi-sensory adventure created for children with autism spectrum disorder ages 5-13 and their chaperones. Guides take 10 children on the autism spectrum on a digitally simulated outdoor trip where they can chase butterflies, hike trails, star gaze and more.

“Red Kite Round Up” is part of CCT’s ongoing Red Kite Project for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is the second installation of its kind created by the company.  The driving force behind The Red Kite Project is Russell.  In her capacity as an artist in residence for the past decade at Agassiz Elementary School, she has had the opportunity to teach theater to students with autism since 1997 and has witnessed firsthand the benefits of drama for this unique audience. 

Chicago Children’s Theatre officially launched The Red Kite Project in October 2007 when it brought members of London’s Oily Cart to Chicago for a series of workshops at the Victory Gardens Biograph.  That work culminated in a four-week education initiative, “Red Kite/Blue Moon,” presented at the Chicago Children’s Museum Spring 2008.  Red Kite also includes “Camp Red Kite,” a summer arts camp for children with ASD and their families encompassing music, movement, drama, arts and crafts and led by a team of artists and special education teachers; and professional development workshops for child educators.

 “Red Kite Round Up” runs Jan. 20 - Feb. 19 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion Choral Rehearsal Room in Millennium Park. The schedule will be as follows: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Thursdays and Saturdays at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 ($20 covers total cost for a child and one chaperone; $10 observer tickets subject to availability). Due to the nature of the production, capacity for “Red Kite Round Up” is limited and advanced reservations are required. “Red Kite Round Up” is appropriate for ages 5-13. For more information visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org or call 773.227.0180 x15.

Chicago Children’s Theatre aspires to enrich our community through diverse and significant theatrical and educational programming that engages and inspires the child in all of us. Chicago Children’s Theatre focuses on the production of first-rate children’s theater in Chicago, with top writing, performing and directorial talent and high-quality design and production expertise.  Led by Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell and Board Chair Todd Leland, the company is supported by a dynamic Board of Directors comprised of dedicated individuals from the fields of entertainment, philanthropy and business and a committed Artistic Council of Chicago-based actors, directors, musicians and designers. 

Founded in 2005, Chicago Children’s Theatre, a non-profit organization, provides affordable and accessible theater for families and area school children. To enhance the impact of any given production’s themes, Chicago Children’s Theatre also offers educational materials and programs for families and educators.  Since their Inaugural Production of “A Year With Frog and Toad” in 2006, Chicago Children's Theatre has continued to produce top-tier theater for families.  For more information about Chicago Children’s Theatre visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org or call 773.227.0180.

The Red Kite Project is sponsored by The Chicago Community Trust – Audience Engagement Sponsor; The Field Foundation and The Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation – Productions Sponsors; Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation and Helen Brach Foundation – Education Sponsors.  Millennium Park is Program Partner for “Red Kite Round Up.”

826Chi Moustache-A-Thon Bwwwwwwwwwwwwaaaaahahahaha

LADIES & GENTLEMEN. THE TIME TO REGISTER IS NOW! SIGN UP BY SENDING YOUR NAME TO : info@826chi.org WHAT: MOUSTACHE-A-THON 2010 is a month-long, winter celebration of a spy's best disguise: the moustache. Organic growers start with a clean shave and attempt to grow a most beautiful moustache. Those who don't want/ can't have a lip canopy, are encouraged to register as a prosthetic grower. Each week, the prosthetic growers are given a creative project to be completed by the next meeting. Both organic and prosthetic growers find friends and family to support and fund their growing endeavor and, simultaneously, 826CHI's free programming for students. Supporters, growers, gawkers can track the progress of these moustaches and donate to the cause on our website or in person at weekly check-ins at Sheffield's [3258 N. Sheffield Ave | Just off the Red Line Belmont Stop]! WHEN & WHERE: WED JAN 20th at 7:00pm at 826CHI: The Opening Hair-emonies THURS FEB 11th at 7:00 pm at Sheffield's: First 'Stache Check-in THURS FEB 18th at 7:00pm at Sheffield's: Second 'Stache Check-in THURS FEB 25th at 7:00 pm at Sheffield's: The Closing Hair-emonies WHY: The kids. Upper lip warmth. Free drinks. Weekly prizes including tickets to the theatre, books, music, shirts. Meeting like minded and faced individuals. The best organic grower wins the prized 'STACHE SASH. The best prosthetic grower wins the prized MOUSTACHE TIARA. The best funded moustache wins the prized CHAP 'STACHE CUP. HOW: Sign up now by sending your name and your preference [prosthetic or organic grower] to INFO@826CHI.ORG. And if you have any questions, feel free to write info@826chi.org or call 773-772-8108 and ask for the Moustache Man.

826CHI   1331 N. Milwaukee Ave | Chicago, IL 60622 | ph. 773-772-8108 | fx. 773-326-3513 www.826chi.org | www.notasecretagentstore.com

I ♥ Faces--We are Family

A stranger and a friend may not be the first people who come to mind when you hear, the I ♥ Faces theme of the week, We Are Family.    But I thought this shot, taken on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, really depicts the bigger picture.   We are ALL family.......the humankind family.   On this day, on the south side of Chicago, people laughed, skated and played together regardless of the color of their skin.   Race, religion, gender and age were all irrelevant.   Isn't that what family really means.