Fourth of July everyone-marches parade fun!

There are posters in most store windows in Hyde Park with details on the Fourth of July everyone-marches Parade. It's one of my favorite Hyde Park events.
People assemble at the Hyde Park Bank parking lot (54th & Old Lake Park) at 11 am or earlier. They'll have red, white & blue baloons, stickers & streamers to decorate bikes, strollers, wagons, watever. You can march with a group or alone. The parade route goes south on Lake Park, east on 55th, north on Hyde Park Blvd and West on 53rd Street. Everyone ends up at Nichols Park where there are games, a patriotic sing-along, free live dance music, free pony and horse rides, as well as shows for kids inside the Park District facility until 5pm. I think we stayed 'til the bitter end last year. You'll also find the ubiquitous ice-cream man. I recommend packing a picnic for after the parade although I seem to remember a group selling hot dogs.
One year we marched with the Parent Support Network, one year we marched with the Spruce Park Advisory Council, last year we marched as the Friends of the Blackstone Branch Library.
There's usually one or two area marching bands and (my favorite) the Hyde Park cowboys. They're the ones on horseback and the ones giving free rides to kids in the park. But they don't stay for long.
It's good, clean neighborhood fun.
*Remember, fireworks in downtown Chicago are on the *3rd*. A crowd gathers on Promotory Point for that and the show is literally a speck in the sky. Bring binoculars and bug spray.

Hyde Park Murder

Robbers shot and killed 26-year-old Corey Ebenezer, the manager of Leona's restaurant on 53rd Street in Hyde Park this Thursday morning, June 15, 2006. I discussed it with Roni, the best-dressed Mexican waiter at Pizza Capri and George Rumsey the president of the Hyde Park Kenwood Community Conference. Everyone is upset.
While my boys and I were eating our slices at Choli's pizza on 53rd Street, I mentioned it to an elderly aide from Bret Harte school who shared our table. My four-year-old son Benjamin asked what we were talking about. I didn't tell him. He's afraid of the book "Three Billy Goats Gruff." He's going through a lot of tranistions. His schools are finished. He's just spending one week at Hyde Park Art Center's Creativity Camp and then it's on to Hyde Park Jewish Community Center camp. We went to the open house tonight at the JCC. Benjamin was close to tears.
"Don't sign me up," he pleaded. "I just want to stay home with you and cook and bake and do projects."
"Liar," I thought. "All you want to do at home is watch TV."
JCC camp looks really fun to me. They have day camping down to a science.
Because of all this turbulance Benjamin's wetting his bed almost every night.
Telling him someone was shot and killed in the neighborhood is too much for a four-year-old, although it may be harsh realities for other four-year-olds, like the children of the Leona's manager. It's so sad to read that Ebenezer had a 5-day-old baby.
Funny, the theme of the Chicago Public Library summer reading program is ancient Egypt because of the King Tut exhibit at the Field musuem. We signed up at the Blackstone Library today. We were perusing a pop-up book on mummies.
Lot's of death there. Is it really apropriate subjects for children? It's treated in a light manner but sometimes it's too scary.
I didn't go near Leona's today, though I meant to bike by. Life is normal with the kids out of school and summer in full swing, but somewhat jittery here in Hyde Park.

Busy June weekend in Chicago

On the weekends we must keep our two boys, Judah age two-and-a-half and Benjamin, age four-and-a-half busy.
Take this weekend for example. On Saturday morning Benjamin had his last AYSO American Youth Soccer Organization game. Unsurprisingly, when he arrived he announced he was NOT going to play and wanted to watch his friend play and blow bubbles. Somehow I motivated him to keep playing. “Ask your coach,” I kept telling him when he told me he was tired and wanted to sit out. The trophy and medal for good sportsmanship helped.
After some doubts I signed him up for the fall and spring. The coach said he had made good strides and wasn’t afraid of the ball anymore.
Also, this weekend, I had a screaming incident with my husband about Benjamin “obeying.” Said husband shoved a finger with Kiddush wine in Ben’s mouth because he should drink it after the blessing.
In the afternoon we met up with friends at the 57th Street Art Fair. My review: some of the photographs were nice. My boys and I like funnel cake and corn. I snagged some fried “blooming onion” from a pregnant friend.
We ate lots of junk food & played in Bixler Play lot. Then Benjamin had a pooping accident in his pants. Judah fell asleep coming home at 7 pm. It was still light. So we were happy.

On Sunday we kept up the manic and calm pace all in the goal of taking in life and keeping the kids busy.
We attended the free neighbor’s open house at the Museum of Science and Industry. We met up with my husband’s visiting Mexican relatives there and saw lots of neighbors. We liked the face painting and balloon art. The frog exhibit is well done. Benjamin liked the virtual frog dissection program. Last night Benjamin continued his marshmallow-toothpick art project.
After that we went to a Birthday party in Hyde Park.
Next over to the Printers Row Book Fair for a free Justin Roberts concert.
Our Chicago Plus card took us to Millennium Park to meet up with the cousins again. Where we tromped over to a restaurant with Mini-golf on Columbus Drive.
That night I finished the book “Nervous Conditions -- by Tsitsi Dangarembga.” Hmmmm…. It’s about the effects of colonial life on Africans in Zimbabwe formerly Rhodesia. I thought it was about patriarchy. See screaming incident description above.

I feel sad that I am far from my family that they can’t join in the day-to-day joys of raising our boys. I also wish they were close by for a little relief.

Working on the Library

The Friends of the Blackstone Branch Library is a group I lead that volunteers to support our local branch library at 4904 South Lake Park Avenue in Chicago. Last year we:
-brought & funded local cultural institutions (Smart Museum & Hyde Park Art Center) to the branch for outreach programs
-organized a local author series
-bought puzzles and a dollhouse for the childrens room

This year we are continuing these and also:
-Working with the Kenwood Open House Committee. Their yearly ball will be a benefit for the library.
-Working with the local Co-op Supermarket to be more involved in & to benefit more from the Columbus Day weekend book sale
-trying to get volunteers to help with the summer reading program
We meet monthly with library staffers to figure out how we can be more supportive. There's a new children's librarian and we are eager to support her to make the library a friendlier place.
Wednesday night is our June 2006 meeting!
Regrettably our secretary, Brenda can’t come. She’s been an incredible force and support working with the city on all of these endeavors. There are much more organized and active Friends groups out there toiling for their libraries. But while I get compliments on my efforts, there are very few of us Friends volunteers in Hyde Park.