I’m so incredibly honored to be blogging alongside not only one of my very favorite people but my mentor, Marguerite. This remarkable woman has taught me so much about life and friendship and I cannot thank her enough for her continued support!  

Where did all the time go? I know it’s important to stop and take the time to appreciate living each day one at a time, but I still find myself wondering what happened to my little Sofia? 

Fia, as we so often call her, is about to start her second year of kindergarten.

We sent her to an incredible pre-school that did wonders in preparing her for the next step. When the school later called to say she was ready, at 4 years old, to be in kindergarten my husband and I didn't hesitate to say "Okay... let’s do this." We knew if it didn't work out we could always put her back in pre-school.

The decision wasn’t hard because... well the teachers at her current school are absolutely amazing. I can’t say enough positive things about All Aboard Learning Express. They have truly loved and taught my daughter how to be an independent and smart little lady.

Don't get me wrong.. I still get the at least once a week-“Mommy I don’t want you to go to work” routine, which I know many of you can relate. The working mom guilt can be the worst sometimes...but the teachers help us get through it. Both my husband and I feel comfortable with them.. and they've done so much to help us that I can never say thank you enough. 

Raising a child does take a village and we are really lucky to have such great support. 

In a few weeks, Sofia will move on and become a student in the Chicago Public School system. We were extremely lucky that she got into a great school and I have no doubt she will do wonderfully. However, I’m dealing with the stress of watching my baby grow up, and move on to that next stage. 

Why doesn’t anyone tell you how hard this really is? Maybe because she’s an only child, the growing up is harder for me to deal with. Like many other parents, my husband and I don't have any other children to worry about or watch over. 

The uncomfortableness of it all is so scary for parents. She had her first sleep over this summer, and while it was at our neighbor's house... it was still a huge step for us. When I told her "Mommy isn't ready for this" she looked me straight in my eyes and said "it’s going to be okay... I've got this!"

So, I know on the first day of school I will be a mess, but I'll always remember her little voice saying "don’t worry Mommy, I've got this."

They grow up so fast and maybe it sounds like a cliche but don't forget to cherish every moment! Enjoy the last few days before the back to school craziness takes over!! 

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.  It’s the life in your years.”

-Abraham Lincoln

 Cheers!

This is one of our family favorites!!! So Good-Enjoy!! 

Hawaiian Bread French Toast

Ingredients:
1 - loaf Original King's Hawaiian Round Bread
3 - eggs, beaten
1/2 - cup milk
1 - teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 - teaspoon baking powder
1/4 - cup sugar
1/8 - teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 - teaspoon nutmeg
powdered sugar or syrup

Directions:
Slice the Kings Hawaiian bread into then cut each slice of bread in half. You can also get the loaf already cut at the store..(totally just as good) Lay the bread slices on plate 

Beat the eggs until smooth; add the milk and vanilla and blend; Add baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; blend until the sugar dissolves. Preheat slightly a buttered pan or griddle. Dip each piece of bread into the batter and cook for a few minutes. 

I put them in the oven on warm until ready to serve, they are so yummy!!!

Who would have thought I'd be writing about sleep away camp! I would never have imagined that the request to go to camp would have become a dinner topic late last August. But our then eight year old wanted to join in on the fun her friends were having at camp. While it was hard to imagine her going away for a week and not having contact with her, Matt and I agreed to look into it. We pretty much followed the lead of what the other families we knew were doing and signed her up to attend one week of camp at Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, Indiana. By tapping into the knowledge of other parents who paved the way to summer camp, we knew we were selecting a safe, engaging environment that would focus on developing independence, confidence and deep friendships with those Eleanora spent time with at camp.
 
We pretty much had ten months to prepare for the week at summer camp, but in typical fashion, I was running what I call "camp errands" up to the minute we left. Eleanora's must haves for camp included, Chips Ahoy! cookies, Pringles, Teddy, sunscreen that wouldn’t make her face as white as a ghost, and 10 pre-addressed and stamped envelopes to me so she could send me letters. This was in addition to the actual camp stuff she needed...
 
Eventually, seven days worth of camp essentials were packed neatly into purple plastic drawers she picked out at the Container Store on one of our camp errands. As Matt loaded these into the trunk, Eleanora asked if I would sit with her on the car ride to camp. I hadn’t sat in the backseat with Eleanora since she was a newborn coming home from the hospital on June 12, 2007. Of course I’m going to sit in the backseat!!

I think she and I were both nervous as to what the week would bring, so it was nice to spend this time together. We played multiple rounds of Spot It, read a few chapters of Out of My Mind, and drew pictures of the one and only "Teddy" (her teddy bear of course). But as we got further into the trip, she put her head on my lap and had me tickle her back. She asked lots of questions about what I thought things would be like at camp. I could only guess because I wasn’t a camp kid growing up so we talked about what I knew for sure – the camp menu that had been posted on the camp’s website. She was convinced she wouldn’t like much on the menu but we encouraged her try everything. Honestly, who can’t wrap their head around eating chicken potpie! Thinking she might starve at camp, she requested I make one of her favorite dinners upon her return home – tacos with Judy’s Chocolate Chip cookies for dessert (recipe to follow). Before we knew it, we were driving down the gravel road leading us to Camp Tecumseh.
 
Two counselors greeted us giving us directions on where to park for check-in. We truly avoided the check-in lines as we were one of the last families to sign-in. She made a name badge, got the names of her camp counselors and off we drove over to her cabin. No sooner did Matt put the car in park, Eleanora was greeted by her friends who told her to get her swimming suit on as it was time for the swim test!
 
Matt and I grabbed Eleanora’s stuff, walked her into the cabin and grabbed her swimming suit out of one of the plastic purple drawers. I have never seen Eleanora move so fast and get changed and ready to go somewhere in less than two minutes! We said our goodbyes and she was off!
 
Matt and I stayed in the cabin to get her bed made and set up her bunk area. The temperatures had skyrocketed and the heat index was 107F - Matt and I were dripping in sweat (and now a little crabby) as we worked quickly to put her bed together and figure out where to put the 8-inch clip on fan that would hopefully help cool her off and lull her to sleep when she finally hit that hay later that night. Matt and I both wrote her a note and placed it next to Teddy on her bed and we headed out to the car. That was it – our kid literally jumped right in.
 
I am so proud of Eleanora and am grateful that she gets this opportunity to experience summer sleep away camp. But as we drove away from the cabin, my eyes filled with tears. I missed her already. I know as a parent one of my jobs is to help Eleanora become independent and make good choices in life. This is a perfect opportunity for her to grow in each of these areas. All I can say is the days go by in a blink – it’s hard to believe she was ready for sleep away camp and it’s not easy to say goodbye even if it is only for a week.
 
While I don't and won't have the camp memories she is making this week, and I have not received one single letter from camp, I do have the wonderful memories of our journey to Brookston, Indiana. Not only is my first backseat car ride with Eleanora a special memory, the memory of the few hours we spent together in the backseat on our drive to Camp Tecumseh will be held in my heart forever - that was my summer camp experience. I can’t wait to hear about hers!

Love,
Holly

Judy’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 3 ½ dozen cookies
 
This is from my very good friend Judy.  We have enjoyed several treats while visiting her and her husband Jim over the years in New Buffalo, Michigan, but this cookie made a huge impression on Eleanora. She now requests Judy’s chocolate chip cookies and only Judy makes them just so, but if you follow the recipe and use the times indicated for mixing, you will end up with results that Eleanora first enjoyed one special summer day in July on their boat.
 
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
2 eggs
 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips*
 
Place sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in a bowl of a stand mixer. Using the flat beater turn mixer to speed 2 and mix for 30 seconds. Stop and use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. Turn to speed 4 and beat for an additional 30 seconds.
 
Sift flour, salt, and baking soda together. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture on Stir Speed for about 2 minutes. Increase to speed 2 and beat for 30 seconds. Add chocolate chips on Stir Speed and mix for 15 seconds.
 
Drop by teaspoonful on parchment lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake at 375°F for 9 to 10 minutes.
 
*I've also used milk chocolate chips and m&m's. Both work great!

So this happened on my way to pick up my four-year-old twins from summer camp. Since I worked in insurance for eight years, I would like to tell you I was calm, cool, and collected. I was not. I was frazzled, worried about picking up the girls, and frustrated that my awesome one-year-old minivan just had the front bumper ripped off.
 
I was in the right lane stopped at a red light. When the light turned green, the older gentleman in the left lane turned right in front of my car. My honking and screaming did not slow the gentleman down as his car tore apart the front of my lovely minivan. Fortunately, no one was hurt and thank goodness the girls were not with me. I pulled my sad minivan into a bank parking lot and a kind witness came over to make sure the older gentleman and I were ok.
 
I quickly called the police and my husband, Tony. I then called the summer camp and told them about the accident and that we may be late picking up the girls. Suddenly, two tow trucks were in the lot lurking for business. Tony, pulled into the lot and we transferred the car seats. We swiftly swept up Doc McStuffin, Sofia the First, and other Disney dvds, favorite car toys, and other travel gear.
 
Tony left to pick up the twins while I called my insurance agent and asked about what to do next. This was a bit ironic with my insurance background. Through my role in public affairs I had worked on dozens of education campaigns on exactly what to do in an accident. But yet, in this moment, I was stressed out and unsure of the exact steps. The tow truck driver was trying to divert my attention and even told me to not call my insurance agent since it was clearly the other drivers fault.
 
My insurance agent’s office told me to call the claims number once I had the police report. The police arrived soon after and the heat was sweltering as the police officer took our statements and wrote his report. Once I had the police report, I went with the first tow truck company that had arrived on the scene. My super friendly tow truck guy assured me they worked with all the insurance companies and that it would probably only take about two and a half weeks to fix my minivan.
 
After driving 25 minutes away from my neighborhood, we arrived at a repair shop that was probably fine. My very helpful tow truck pal showed me the office and the receptionist and I called my insurance company. Tony arrived about the same time. I took the insurance company off the speaker phone and gave the professional claims agent my information. We discussed next steps. She explained about the auto repair companies that the insurance company already had existing relationships with and the benefits of working with those companies. Tony stepped in and wanted the claims professional to tell us what to do. Suddenly, in that hot office something clicked and I immediately remembered the many accident talking points I had written over the years, including shady tow practices. I interrupted Tony and explained that legally she could not tell us what to do. I clicked on my excellent insurance mobile app and scanned the list of repair shops. I found ABRA Auto Body & Glass, an outstanding repair shop that I had worked with in the past while in insurance. We made arrangements to have our minivan towed to ABRA. We had excellent customer service with ABRA and within a week had our minivan back.
 
I should have known exactly what do to immediately following an accident. But I did not. Life is messy.
 
And, because life is messy I wanted to start a blog. Now, I realize there already are millions of mom blogs but I wanted to be a part of these conversations and I wanted some of my friends and family to join me.
 
Why call our blog Messy Mommies in the City? We are mommies of kids of different ages, we all live in the city, and our lives can be messy. When I was much younger I thought there was a certain order of life such as you go to school, you have a job, you fall in love and get married, you have kids, you have hobbies, and make great dinners. Much later I realized that life is actually messy. I had wonderful jobs, moved around the country, fell in and out of love, really fell in love and married much later. I had help having my darling twins and am still trying to figure out how to make great dinners. I have come to realize that life can be super messy but if you look, there is so much joy in the mess. My friends and family have often helped me figure out the messiness of life. I know they will have great insights for you and that you will enjoy their stories too.
 
We hope you will stop by often and hope you find joy in every mess!
 
Meg