Category: everyday life

Monday,Tuesday, And Off I Go

So that I won’t leave a trail of stories-not-told, a quick recap of Monday and Tuesday.

On Monday morning, we went for breakfast to the Common Cup “to compare the breakfast sandwiches,” and the vote was that “both were good, but different.”

A coffee-cup decorated tree in the Common Cup

Shortly after, we left for Christkindl Market, planning to get there by its opening. The plan didn’t exactly work, since we had a couple of photo stops on the way (and a couple of fights), so we actually arrived at 11:20.

There was no wait, but the market was pretty crowded; besides, all three of us wanted food from three separate lines 😂, and it was really difficult to navigate. We got everything everyone wanted, and then we stood in a really long line for the best hot chocolate (Belgian, with a chocolate wrench on top).

Then, we went to the Sweet Castle store. As usual, there was a line to enter, but the girls were willing to stay in it. I told them they could get two small or one big thing each, and they ended up with gummy bears and hard candy (I hinted that there might be a lot of chocolate in the presents).
By the time we got out of the Sweet Castle, the crowd had subsided a little bit. There were still a lot of people, but as Nadis put it, fewer intimidating, so we happily continued our journey exploring the market, and stayed in another line to get into the Christmas Ornaments store.

Next stop was a manicure appointment. We started walking toward the DePaul campus (where the nail salon is located), but there was a bookstore on our way, and we couldn’t pass it without going in and starting to read off the shelves :).

… and then since we were by Harold Washington Library, one can guess what happened next :).

On Tuesday morning, we were waiting for Anna and John to come and have a pre-Christmas celebration together. They ordered the food from Honeybear cafe, and picked it up on the way. Once again, Igor escorted my mom to my place, and we had brunch, and exchanged presents.

Igor and my mom left, the girls packed, and all five of us went to the Merry Merry Chicago Concert. For Nadia, it was for either the third or fourth time, and she was looking forward to it. Kira was restless, and at the end, she said it was boring, and she didn’t like it. I think it was indeed too long of a concert for her, because before that, she only attended half-hour children’s concerts.

I went how and started to get my life in order. Actually, this time, the girls did a very decent job of keeping things in order, so it was not like I had a lot to clean up. However, I also had to pack for a short trip, catch up with work and other responsibilities, visit my mom, and finally talk to Boris for longer than ten minutes at a time. This took pretty much all the time starting with after the concert till 6 PM on the Christmas Eve, when I left the house with my luggage.

Sunday: Art Institute And Cookies

Sunday was our Art Institute Christmas Day: as anyone should, we went to see Napolitan Creche and Miniature Rooms, and then headed to the Ryan Center to do the projects.

The theme of the projects was a newly opened Bruce Goff exhibit. We missed it on our way to the Ryan Center, but went to see it after lunch, and then returned to the Ryan Center one more time to make more art.

We all liked the Bruce Goff exhibit. I previously mentioned that I was disappointed with the Symbolism exhibit, and Nadia said she didn’t like it either. She said that the Bruce Goff “Material world” was also “Strange realities,” but the funny ones. I agree.

We finally left the Art Institute close to 3 PM, returned home, and then spent the evening decorating cookies. Last Christmas, Nadia did a great job with cookies, and I told her I could use your help, but this year, it was on a whole new level, and Kira helped as well. They decorated all of the remaining cookies and said they could do more 🙂

I was super impressed with this rocking horse – that’s one of the most difficult shapes to decorate.

Now, I am definitely employing their skills next year!

Igor picked up my mom, and they both came to have dinner with us, to socialize with the girls, and watch them decorating cookies.

My mom was really impressed with the work the girls did “on their own will,” and said that she understood how much work I had to do with the girls staying with me, and that she “sympathized with me.” When I told her that I do not see anything to be “sympathized” about and that I only do the things I enjoy doing, she got very upset and went on one of her regular rants about “my generation not being able to understand hers”, but I honestly have no idea how this all got connected in her mind!

Chicago Christmas Tree 2025

Breakfast Sandwiches

I love making breakfast, and most people who stay with me love my quiche and breakfast casserole. But when it comes to Nadia and Kira, the only two parts of breakfast they love unconditionally are fruits and chocolate. For the longest time, Nadia loved my savory toasts (grenki), but the problem of Kira not eating anything except for fruits reamined. She would get hungry an hour after breakfast, just when we would be on the way to activities.

Last couple of times when the girls stayed with me, we went to Common Cup for breakfast (we also went to Charmers, but they didn’t like anything there except for the swings :). I thought that since they bioh love breakfast sandwiches, we should try to make them at home. I used to have a breakfast sandwich maker, but I didn’t take it from Palatine to Rogers Park in an attempt to reduce the clutter.

I browsed several models online, and the most simple (and cheap) one seemed to work the best.

The girst decided to make sandwiched just with eggs, with no extra ingedients. That was an easy recipe: beat an egg in the sandwich maker, microwave for one minute:

Warm up a brioche bun for 30 sec

Assemble and enojoy!

First time they tried it, both of them ate two sandwiches for breakfast, and one more for dinner (in addition to actual dinner:)). On the third day, they decided to go to the Common Cup “to compare,” and later made one more at home 🙂

Christmas Break

So, I have Nadia and Kira here with me for the first part of Christmas break, which means I do not have time for anything else :), so I will make a post tomorrow, when everyone leaves.

So far, we have done Santa Train, Christmas crafts, the Joffrey Nutcracker, the Art Institute, and cookie decorating. Next on our list is Christkindle Market and a holiday manicure :). And then early Christmas presents giving and the Merry Merry Chicago concert on Tuesday.

Skating

The skating season this year is going to be very short, due to the rink closing in early February, and my two trips in between, and I am using any opportunity to go skating, including skating with a big crowd 🙂

Packing And Shipping

I need to count how many total packages I have already mailed; I think it’s more than twenty. Even when I have more than half the addresses in the USPS address book, it still takes time to weigh the parcel, click “does not contain,” enter the dimensions, print the label, cut it out, and attach it. To be honest, when I did it at the kiosk during the after-hours in Palatine, it seemed faster! Or maybe I am getting older and becoming slower 😂.

The last batch was shipped yesterday:

And if you look closer, you will see one more small cookie tin in the background: I received a parcel from Kentucky!

One more angel – or is it a firebird? – on my tree!
One more card over my fireplace!
… and the cookies will mostly go to my girls 🙂

Shipping update:

  • Most of my US parcels have reached their destination
  • The total mailed is twenty-seven.
  • Also, there are(will be) five that I am passing, not mailing, because I will see people in person.
  • And so far, six more I gifted, plus I brought cookies to work twice.
  • Which makes it forty 🙂

Christmas Countdown

I didn’t post about our corporate party yet, although the post was almost finished, because it is still difficult to operate in a holiday mood after the tragedy that happened practically at home, but nevertheless, life continues.

Aside from the party, I spent the weekend decorating the cookies and baking additional batches. Saturday started with a trip to Jewel-Osco, the only store that still carries inexpensive plastic cookie boxes, which are not only affordable but also super light, which makes them perfect for shipping.

Also, I baked two kinds of gluten-free cookies, mostly to mail to our exiting team manager, whose wife has a severe gluten intolerance, but then I also had leftovers for others. I loved the GF flour I got this year, and will make sure to stick to it.

This weekend was record cold, down to negative in the mornings, and here is how my balcony door looked from inside – I thought it’s increadibly pretty:

To my surprise, the lake was not frozen!

Also, I received one more international package, this time from Ireland:

The new ornament is already on the tree!
And the chocolate awaits 🙂

Cookies From All Over The World

I don’t know why New Zealand is the closest place to Chicago in the whole world, but my New Zealand Christmas present always arrives first, without fail!

Can We Put Them To Work?

WBEZ reported earlier this week that the hazardous situation with snow removal in Chicago is not only due to the record early snow, but also because 60% of the landscapers are not leaving their houses, afraid of being deported.

When I shared this news with Boris, he said: Let ICE agents do this! I said: It would be great, but on what grounds? Boris replied: Well, ICE is detaining people whom they call illegal because they believe they are taking jobs from Americans. Since apparently, nobody wants these jobs, ICE agents should be summoned to snow removal!

While this is unlikely to happen, I still think it’s funny enough to share:)