The Windy City

S and I started out hating Chicago. The traffic and tolls just didn't seem like a great introduction to the city. I used to liken the tolls to a birth canal with 10 different cars trying to get out at the same time. The trips that we had made were not that enthralling either. One year we took S's sister up to Shredd's Aquarium and were a little bored frankly. After a while, all the pretty fish just started to blend into each other. The most memorable thing from our visit was the otter and that probably is just because it wasn't a fish. Perhaps we should have sprung for the exhibits, but overall it just wasn't that impressive. However, my worst Chicago experience was picking up my mom from Midway. When you first turn onto the road that takes you into the airport, there are tons of homeless panhandlers who walk up and down the road in the hopes of scoring some cash. Some offer to clean your window with questionable materials, while others just want a handout. The most you can do is lock the doors and not make eye contact. Maybe I'm wrong, but I have a hard time feeling sympathy for their plight. In my Sociology class last year we watched a documentary on the homeless and followed several of them to find out what their real stories were. I was surprised at how many of these people stay on the streets by choice, even when they have families who want to help. Needless to say, I think there are few people in this country who do not have the resources and opportunities to pull themselves out of those kinds of situations if they have the desire to do so. Perhaps I am naive to think this way, but I do believe that there is a lot of choice in the matter. Anyways, after I reached the airport, picked up mom and was ready to head home, I realized that S did not print off return directions because he thought I was capable enough to just reverse my route on my own. It took us 6 hours to come home after getting lost in the ghettos of Chicago. At one point, I believe we were in Indiana. I have never been so terrified in my life even though the car doors were locked and we were moving.

After these experiences, I swore Chicago off, pleading with family to fly into different cities so we could avoid going anywhere near the place. Then our friends, the Bybees, moved to Chicago. There's no greater motivator than love, so we ventured back, asking family to fly into Midway so we would have an excuse to visit our friends. The following posts will highlight some of these redeeming visits to the Windy City. We bought a museum pass and have visited the Art Institute, the Museum of Science and Industry, Millennium Park and the Field Museum all within a month of each other. We hope to hit the Children's Museum on our next trek up.

Navigating through the Mess

The following pictures capture the attitudes of each passenger in our car pretty well.





The Art Institute

It was not easy to convince my mom to come with me and Aunt C to the Art Institute. She apparently was scarred from our last trip, as well as another trip she had made last summer on her own. I'm so glad she relented to my pleas so we were able to share the experience of seeing some amazing works of art with each other. #1 wasn't that impressed, but he loved Millennium Park.

Hoofing it to our destination


Can't go to Chicago without enjoying a hot dog


The Bean



Where's Waldo?


I think bribes were involved to get a smile at this point. #1 is pretty resistant to pictures these days.


Millennium had an amazing water feature for kids as we were heading to the Art Institute. #1 LOVED it! I had a prompting earlier in the day to pack an extra set of clothes and I'm glad I did because #1 was freezing cold from getting wet here and then entering the air-conditioned museum. I only wish I had had a prompting to pack two sets of clothes so that I would have been better prepared for the throw up we encountered on the way home. We now own a set of small ladies' shorts with CHICAGO written on the bum because they were the cheapest thing I could find at the Walgreen's on the way home. I'm keeping them in the hopes of using them for a white elephant gift in the future sometime- Aunt C didn't want to take them home as a souvenir, go figure.

The Water Park



Weird water towers with changing faces that occasionally spew water on the kids- I found it fun and strangely disturbing.



Some of our favorites at the Institute

Apparently living with each other was not enough- they are dressing like each other too. :)








This was one of the few points where #1 wasn't bored.


There was also an exhibit with knight's armor which he liked. He put on the metal glove and insisted that another party put on a chain link glove and shoot pretend lasers at each other.

All in all it was a fun day, which ended on a sour note because of the throw up although that was mildly amusing in its own way.

Some tidbits on the kidlets:

Baby N has just sprouted another tooth -2 now. She eats everything and anything- my floors have to be much cleaner now. This girl is motivated to move, she is now pulling herself up and is VERY interested in the stairs, electrical cords, and other life-threatening objects. She's also very vocal, consisting of low guttural noises,
"mama", EEEEEEeeeeeeee, and excited hyperventilating when she sees someone she knows after being separated for a time.

#1 has started to ride a 2 wheeler with training wheels this summer and he's doing great! He hates fruits and vegetables which has become our latest battleground. Baby N is his favorite person and is the first to be on the receiving end of goodnight hugs and kisses. His imaginative play is wildly entertaining and he is just a ball of fun.

A #1ism
"Mommy, I see a girl outside that I am going to marry" while pointing to our Muslim neighbor.