Chicago

Last week we went on a fun family vacation to Chicago.  We left Monday afternoon, intending to do most of the drive during Abram's nap.  A little ways into the trip Rebecca got car sick.  We had to stop for clean up, calm down and medicine (a sucker really helped too :).  Of course Abram woke up...and didn't go back to sleep for an hour and a half!  Not what we had hoped for.  But we managed to keep both kids entertained.  Rebecca actually slept more than Abram did once the meds kicked in.  We got to our hotel around 4:30, unpacked, got settled and headed out for dinner.  We walked for a bit, took a quick stroll through the American Girl store and had a simple dinner before going to bed.

Tuesday morning both kids were up bright and early (after a restless night).  Since we had time to kill we went swimming (at 7am local time!).  They both really enjoyed their first dip in the pool.  Then we got ready and drove an hour to Schaumburg...to Lego Land!  It's like a children's museum, but everything is Legos.  We went on a little ride (Kingdom Quest).  Rebecca did some building in the Lego Friends area.  Abram played with the Duplos and the large rubber blocks.  Mary and Rebecca went on a little amusement ride that looks like a hang glider and goes up or down depending on how fast you pedal (Rebecca couldn't reach, so Mommy had to be in control :).  Daddy and Rebecca watched a 4-D Lego movie.  It was a bit scary for Rebecca, but she still enjoyed it.  We took a break for lunch.  Lego Land is in a little plaza with shops and restaurants, so we ate there at a sandwich place called Jersey Mike's.  After lunch Daddy and Rebecca went back to Lego Land while Mommy and Abram walked outside for nap time.  After nap we drove back to the hotel and then headed out for some shopping.

 Our first stop was the American Girl store.  Rebecca brought Jenny, and they wore their matching dresses.  We let Rebecca pick a new doll.  Naturally she chose Rebecca!  And how fitting that the Rebecca character has a cousin named Ana :)  After more browsing and pictures we did some more walking.  We stopped at the Disney store and got fall pajamas for both kids.  Then we went to dinner at MityNice.  We had a delicious dinner.  They were very friendly and really catered to any special dietary needs (a nice change!).  It was a fun but long day for the kids.  After dinner it was time for bed.

Wednesday morning we hopped on a bus to Shedd Aquarium.  When we got in Daddy and Rebecca went to the 4-D Dora movie while Abram started his nap in the Moby.  We met up after the movie and looked at some of the exhibits while Abram napped.  Next we saw the aquatic show.  It's not quite like what you'd see at Sea World, but it was a fun show with dolphins, hawks and beluga whales.  After the show we looked at more exhibits and then took a break for lunch at the cafe.  We took a quick walk through the Jellies exhibit and then parted ways for a bit.  Mommy and Abram headed out to walk around Grant Park for nap time.  Daddy and Rebecca stayed at the aquarium for a while.  They were setting up for Lalapalooza at the park, so it was noisy, and a lot of it was closed off.  It was also a very HOT day, so Mary ended up walking the same short path over and over...the only shady spot she could find.  We met at the fountain after nap and made our way to the bus to head back to the hotel.  We were all hot, sweaty and tired.  Daddy and the kids went for a dip in the pool while Mommy showered and cleaned up our mess of dishes, etc. in the hotel.  After swimming we did baths and got ready to go out.  It was already late, and both kids were tired.  So we just went to the restaurant at our hotel, Cafe Med.  It was actually quite nice, and we had some delicious food.  Abram didn't last long sitting in a high chair since he had been contained most of the day.  Mommy and Abram went back to the room while Daddy and Rebecca finished dinner.  Then it was time for bed.

We spent Thursday at Navy Pier.  We walked there from our hotel and looked around while Abram napped in the Moby.  When he woke up we went to the Chicago Children's Museum.  They had a lot of really neat things to do and see.  They even had a special room for toddlers.  Unfortunately since it had a door and wasn't that big Abram thought it was a nursery.  He would not let go of Mommy or play with anything.  So he just played with all the big kid stuff like Rebecca did.  We packed our lunch on Thursday.  The Children's Museum is part of a small mall with a food court.  So we found a table to eat there. 

After lunch Mommy and Abram walked around outside for nap time.  Daddy and Rebecca played for a bit at the museum before heading to their special event - a live performance of Beauty and the Beast!!  Rebecca absolutely loved it.  We met up after the show and made a stop for ice cream and a little shopping.  Then we walked back to the hotel.  Rebecca was so worn out that she fell asleep in the stroller (Mary carried Abram all the way back...he can only handle so much time in the Moby and stroller for one day :P)!  Rebecca never takes naps, but she was so tired.  She didn't even wake up when we got back to the room.  It took quite a bit of poking and yelling from Abram to wake her :P

 We got back around 5, cleaned up and went to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory.  They have a huge selection on their menu...and of course an array of delicious cheesecake.  This was kind of our anniversary dinner since Justin and I celebrated 9 wonderful years of marriage.  We shared four small plates - ahi tartare, chicken croquettes, fried zucchini and crab artichoke dip.  All so delicious!  We also ordered a piece of white chocolate caramel macadamia nut cheesecake to go.  Again Abram was not in a mood to be in a high chair for as long as it took us to wait for our food and eat.  So Mommy and Abram went outside for a bit while Rebecca finished eating and Daddy got the cheesecake.  We put the kids to bed and then enjoyed our cheesecake :)

Friday was our last full day of vacation.  It was a special day because Grandpa and Grandma Voogt joined us for most of it.  First we took an early walk by the water while Abram napped in the Moby.  Unfortunately about 10 minutes into our walk it started pouring rain.  Thankfully we had jackets and umbrellas.  And Rebecca was covered in the stroller.  So we kept walking.  It was just a passing shower, even if it was a downpour :P  By the end of our walk the sun was already blazing.  When we got back to the hotel Grandpa and Grandma were waiting for us.  We got on a bus and rode to the Lincoln Park Zoo.  It is a free zoo with a small farm (most of the animals were not there due to the heat) and lots of neat animals, including giraffes!  We walked around for a little while before parting ways.  Grandpa, Grandma, Daddy and Rebecca hopped on a bus to Wrigley Field for a Chicago Cubs game.  Mommy and Abram had a "quick" lunch (meaning Abram would hardly sit for 5 minutes or eat more than 3 peas while Mary attempted to get a few bites down) and got situated for nap (you can see from the picture that we were both very ready to be done with the zoo :P).  Abram napped in the stroller as usual for a long walk.  Thirty seconds into our walk the rain started again.  Thankfully I was prepared and it ended up being just a light shower that lasted about 10 minutes.  Then the sun came back out for another hot 2 hour walk.

Mommy and Abram got back to the hotel around 2:45.  We had a snack, went swimming, did bath and shower and had some play time.  The baseball crew got back around 5:30.  They had a great time at the game, enjoyed some stadium food and ice cream in mini baseball helmets and got to ride the Metro back (a new experience for Rebecca).  Rebecca really enjoyed her day with Grandpa and Grandma at her first MLB game.  We then headed out for dinner, intending to go back to The Cheesecake Factory to sample another assortment of small plates and new flavors of cheesecake, but the wait was about 40 minutes.  So we went back to MityNice instead.  We had another delicious dinner.  As usual we had to eat fairly quickly.  Abram was not a fan of sitting in high chairs very long by the end of the week.  Grandpa and Grandma had to get on the road as well.  We went back to the hotel, said our goodbyes and got settled for bed.

Saturday morning we packed up and got on the road for nap time around 10am.  Both kids napped for a while.  We stopped around noon to stretch and get gas.  Then we drove the last stretch of the trip, entertaining the kids with lunch, toys and music.  We got home around 1:30pm.  Rebecca and Abram were both so happy to be home and able to run around and play with their toys.  Rebecca was ready for some much needed quiet time right away.  She needs alone time every day to play, imagine, think, etc., but she didn't get much on our trip.  Abram was ready for a "normal" nap.

We had a wonderful time in Chicago.  Both kids did great with the time change, sleeping in the same room, travel and very busy days.  We enjoyed so many neat activities.  We are all happy to be home now and getting back a normal routine.  There is so much to do and see in Chicago.  We'll have to go back again to explore more of the museums, shopping, restaurants and attractions.