KristKindle Mart

Two years ago, when I was pregnant with Jett, Charlie and I strolled through the KristKindle Mart downtown. We went at night when all of the Christmas lights were twinkling. We sat in the heated beergarten and drank hot cocoa, we visited the booths, I spoke German with the shop keepers, and we bought the first baby toy of Jett's collection, all when we were still getting used to the idea of having a baby. This year it seemed fitting to go again, with Jett.

So we bundle up and head out late Saturday morning. We're on a schedule now, squeezing this adventure in between his lunch and his nap. In fact, we're running late, and instead of giving Jett lunch at home (and being later), we add some Carnation Instant Breakfast into his milk, pour it into his sippy cup, and get in the car. (Carnation Instant Breakfast is on the list of things we can add to his food to increase his calorie intake - although it is supposed to be a supplement not his entire lunch). Anyway. We park at an el stop, snag a prime parking spot, and get on the train. This is Jett's first time on the el by the way, and he acts like a pro, flirting with all of the cute girls.

We get to the Mart and it is packed. We strap Jett in his stroller and discover he has a perfect view of everyone's winter-coat-covered butt. But it's hard to carry a kid when you both have winter coats on, so we keep him strapped in. We can't even get close to any of the shops because the lines in front of them are too long. We wade into the sea of people, trying to avoid running the stroller over anyone's feet, and find a spot that is kind of out of the wind. Of course there are no available seats inside, so Charlie scrounges up a chair for me and I go about giving Jett his lunch. His lunch is completely unglamorous: a cold grilled-cheese sandwich I made at home, which he eats off of his stroller tray. He has to take off his mittens to pick up the sandwich, and it's freezing, but he doesn't complain. Charlie buys a brat, and I get in to the spirit and go for a wienerschnitzel, despite the fact that it isn't even 11:30 am yet. The wienerschnitzel costs $7 and is cold. Jett looks completely bored.

But, but! He saw a real live horse up close and personal - and he almost petted it.


And even though we didn't stand in line to sit on Santa's lap, we caught a glimpse of him through the window.


The best thing of all? We were home by 12:30, Jett was asleep by 1:00, and Charlie and I were feeling pretty satisfied that we had made it out of the house at all.