Hello! My name is Courtney and I’m excited to be one of the new bloggers for Chicago Parent’s ChiTown Parent blog. As a warm-up to my future ramblings, here’s a little bit about me:
I’ll be blogging with you all from my home in Woodlawn. If you’re not familiar with the city south of Roosevelt, Woodlawn is bounded by 60th street to the north, 67th to the south, MLK Drive to the west and lovely lake Michigan to the east. We are minutes away from University of Chicago and Hyde Park.
The neighborhood is predominately African-American (as am I, in case you’re wondering), although growing influence from the University and gentrification are slowly increasing racial diversity in the area.
My husband and I have lived here since 2007, purchasing our home just months before we were married (and as an aside – signing the mortgage was way more terrifying than signing my marriage certificate!). We wanted to be a part of the gentrification and revitalization of this neighborhood…and on the economic side of things, we found a beautiful home we loved at a price that couldn’t be beat. So we moved ourselves and our furbabies (Mocha, our cat, and Itsy, our dog) into our little condo and we haven’t looked back!
My hubby and I met shortly after I moved back to Chicago from Lawrence, Kansas (go Jayhawks!) to begin graduate school. That was eight years ago and I feel like I’ve covered a lot of Chitown ground in that time. I’ve lived as far north as Uptown, and as far south as the suburb of South Holland. I’ve worked in Cabrini Green in the Gold Coast and for a private practice in Glenview and Vernon Hills. I’ve probably driven through most neighborhoods in this city and many of the suburbs, but I’m still learning about all of the amazing things this city has to offer.
I am currently a stay-at-home-mom — by choice, not by economy. My sweet son, Dru, was born in October 2009, and I must say, I miss nothing about having a full-time job outside of the home. Yes, I loved the work I did as a neuropsychology technician and therapist (sounds fancier than it is), and yes, I’ll be paying back student loans until my grandkids are in college, but nothing can compare to the freedom I have found in rediscovering the simple joys of domestic life.
As an aside though, I think working parents should receive medals of valor for doing double duty day in and day out – this parenting game is no joke!
In the coming months you’ll get to know me, my family, and our exploits pretty well. We love to try new things, and we are always looking for new ways to grow as individuals and as a family team. My plans for the next month include learning how to make my own cloth diapers, throwing a party furnished by HouseParty.com, ending our relationship with Gymboree to explore the world of baby soccer with Lil Kickers, and *gasp* turning 30!
I’m looking forward to chatting with with you all, and I hope you’ll enjoy me, too!
