Days 3 and 4: The Rest

Our last full day in Chicago was a beautiful, sunny day. Which was nice ... because I had taken a lot of grief for bringing us to 38 degree Chi-town for "spring" break. In my defense, it snowed in Minnesota while we were gone.

We saved Millennium Park for Tuesday in hopes of good outside weather. It was the right choice and it was so nice to have a day outside in the fresh air. We grabbed the bus downtown and had our first real experience with "rush-hour" bus traffic. That bus was full! But we managed it - and didn't even get the backpack stuck. The bus dropped us off right by Crown Fountains, so the kids got to see the faces on them. Unfortunately the fountains weren't on yet for the season, which meant the kids were a bit underwhelmed.

We headed for the Bean and the kids did their own impression of park statues along the way. On the walk to the Bean, Auntie called and said she and Parker would meet us down there. The kids were quite intrigued with the reflective surface and were more excited about seeing Auntie. We did a final hug with Parker before he headed off to work and then the rest of us wandered over to Maggie Daley park. It's a gigantic playground within Millennium Park. The kids were in heaven!

The kids (and Mike) checked out all the slides, we explored the "enchanted forest," they climbed and climbed to their hearts' content, and the tall kids sat on the sidelines soaking in the sunshine. It was lovely! I had brought plenty of snacks, so we took a break in the enchanted forest to fuel up. Then Auntie had to leave for the airport while we stayed a bit longer.

It was so late by the time we left the park that we decided to skip lunch and go to Dylan's Candy Bar instead. Instead of getting off at our normal bus stop, we went one more to find ourselves in a rainbow land of sugar-overload. We got a couple pieces of specialty fudge to share and the kids spent their dollars from Gpa J on suckers.

We took our treats and walked back to the hotel. Then had a hearty snack (some hummus and crackers and bananas and fudge ... vacation mom is crazy) and decided to head to the pool early for the day. We swam for about an hour and were the beneficiaries of a few squirt guns from other pool inhabitants. Dec is wicked with the squirt gun, so I also constantly had one for self-defense purposes.

After the pool, everyone showered quickly and we met a colleague of mine from work (he's the publisher for one of the industry journals I work with) at the original Pizzeria Uno. The kids enjoyed mozza sticks and mac and cheese, while Mike, Phil, and I indulged in Chicago deep dish. It was so good - and I was so full! We got back, started packing our gear, and headed to bed. Dec had a rough time sleeping (he had a bad cough), so neither he nor I got much sleep.

Wednesday morning, we hurried down for one last breakfast, finished packing, and hopped on the train (and then the other train) to the airport. It felt easier on the way back. Maybe just because we were nearing pro status on public transit! Airport security was relatively easy again. This time we got stopped for F's meds and the box of spaghetti that I had brought home (because I didn't want to waste it). Apparently not a lot of people bring 16 oz of uncooked angel hair through in their carry-ons. Weird! The security crew and I had a good giggle about that.

Our seats were less "together" than the first flight, but we were still near each other. Dec and I had two seats next to each other and everyone else had an aisle seat in the cluster. It worked. And as expected, both Q and D decided that they needed to try out the airplane bathroom. We were happy to land, take the tram and the train, and make our way back to our car. We snagged our Yogi on the way home and got back in time for the three to trick Mike into putting the trampoline up for the season [but not really. The predicted April snowstorm happened].

Final vacation math ... Planes: 2. Trains: 8. Buses: 9. Automobiles; 2. Bags stuck on bus: 1. Full-on public meltdowns: 0. In private meltdowns: no comment. Trips to the pool: 4. Backpacks: 5. Suitcases: 2. Number of Vs who thought the trip was great fun: 5 (6 if you count Yogs and his awesome vacation at the Ps).

Day 2: The Zoo

We started our second full day much the same as the first, with a trek down to the continental breakfast area. The demographic on a Monday morning is substantially different than it was on a Sunday morning. There were still a few families mixed in with the business suit set and the kids happily made as many friends as they could.

Then we got ready for the day, walked a couple of blocks, and hopped on the bus for the Lincoln Park Zoo. We were all excited because Auntie was going to meet us there. Mike, Auntie, and I were also excited because it is a free zoo! The ride to the zoo was uneventful and we got a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. The bus stop was right at the zoo entrance and we could see Auntie out the window.

You have to hurry when you get off the bus, so Mike and the kids raced down the aisle to get out. I grabbed the backpack to follow them. Except I didn't follow them. Because the backpack was stuck. Somehow the strap had gotten wedged between the seats and I could not get it out. I yelled for Mike, but he was focused on ridiculous things like not losing our children in Chicago. I was not making any progress, so I kept yelling for him (I was stuck, of course, near the rear of the bus). He finally was like "What?!?!" and I told him the backpack was stuck. He and the rest of the bus gave me quite the look(s). So I got off with the kids and he ran back, assessed the situation, yanked the backpack with all his might, crashed his elbow into the seat in front of him, and exited the bus (thank you very patient bus driver) with the backpack. Then we joined the rest of the bus in laughing at how entirely ridiculous that whole thing was. Apparently you can't take us anywhere!

You'd think the rest of the day would pale in comparison after that adventure, but it was just a lovely zoo. We had so much fun and spent the whole day there. Animal highlights were definitely the lions, the mongoose, the giraffes, the naked mole rat, and the bird whose feather mohawk matched Declan's mohawk hat. Maggie joined us for a little while too, which was a lot of fun, before she and Auntie headed off to some other Chicago adventures while we continued exploring.

The zoo gift shop benefited from the $10 the kids each brought of their very own money for souvenirs. Their backpacks were packed more tightly on the way home as Dec added Ellie the Elephant, Fiona added Samantha the Snake, and Quinn added Scarlett the Baby Seal to our family. Mike and I counted it a victory that none of those new stuffed animals were left at the zoo or on the bus!

We ended our day there by exploring the children's zoo area. We found an indoor climbing structure that is clearly the natural habitat for all three Vs. Then we found an outdoor "unstructured play" area that they also thrived in. Mike and I enjoyed sitting on a bench in the sun and watching them have a blast.

We were a bit worried about the bus and rush hour, so we loaded up after five hours at the zoo and headed back "home." We got there just in time for the complimentary social hour. We had wandered down to snag a free glass of wine, but found quite the spread - including salad, soup, tons of fruit, crackers and cheese, etc. So we loaded up plates for all five of us, let Dec eat his weight in berries and melon, and called it dinner. It was so easy and low key. And the kids loved it because it enabled us to hit the pool that much sooner.

We finished the day with our standard evening routine of pool, showers, and bed - with a few extra stuffies included.

Day 1: The Museum

Sunday was our first full day in Chicago. The kids (ahem ... Declan ....) were up bright and early. Mike and I hid in bed for a bit and then we all headed down to take advantage of the free continental breakfast at the hotel. We were pleasantly surprised by the breadth of options and everyone found something they were happy to eat.

After breakfast, Mike's buddy Kyle - who lives in Chicago - came down to meet us at our hotel. The boys caught up a bit (it has been years since we've seen Kyle in person) and then the six of us adventured out see see a bit of downtown and have lunch at Portillo's. While no one had the famous Chicago dog, we all enjoyed eating at such an iconic Chicago place. We had to cross several busy roads on the way there, so everyone was assigned a buddy. Including Kyle. He and Dec played it cool while we were on the sidewalk, but were super good hand-holding buddies when needed.

After lunch, Kyle headed home and we found our bus stop to make the trek over to The Field Museum. The trek even included a bus transfer - fancy choreography for our first bus adventure. We managed to transfer correctly and ended up right outside the museum entrance. It's in the same area as Soldier Field (where da Bears play) and a monument to Special Olympics. We took a moment to check out the Special Olympics eternal flame and send a virtual wave to cousin Nate.

Our MN Science Museum membership got four out of the five of us into the museum for free. We think it should have gotten all of us, but chose not to fight it. To our delight, Auntie Emmy (who also made the trip to Chicago for a few days), cousin Parker, and his wife Maggie joined us. While the childless people probably thought it was a lot, Mike and I found the five adults to three kids to be the best museum ratio ever. Basically anytime we out-number the children is a big day!

We saw a bunch African animals, some mummies (and other Egyptian artifacts), and most importantly, DINOSAURS. There was also a group coloring activity in the Kids Lab, digging for dino bones, and a group piggyback adventure. We stayed for a bit after Auntie, Parker, and Maggie left - and although we were there for four hours, we didn't come close to seeing everything! The good news was that we had a blast - and were all very ready to be done. How can museums make your feet so sore!!?!?

We caught the bus back to our hotel ... sort of. It was our one and only time taking the bus the wrong direction. We only went about five minutes out of our way before correcting our path - so a pretty mild mistake. We got off about three blocks from our hotel (and didn't need a bus transfer this time!). The kids and Mike chilled out a bit while I made mac and cheese in our kitchen. [Our hotel offered a complimentary grocery service. I dropped my list off at the front desk that morning and our groceries were sitting in our room when we got home. And we only were charged for the price of the groceries. It was basically magic!!!]

After a quick dinner, we headed to the hotel pool for an hour. It was significantly quieter and less busy than the night before and we were all happier. The kids jumped and splashed and cannonballed and bobbed and did all the things. We got back to the room and while I showered everyone up, Mike made a quick walk to Trader Joe's to get us some adult beverages. After the kids went to bed, we enjoyed some cider and tv in our tiny living room and it almost felt just like home.

Spring Break: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Buses)

To everyone's disappointment, Cheryl's spring break did not line up with S-town's this year. There would be no repeat P&V Wisconsin Dells vacation (rumor has it that we will be back with a vengeance next year). Mike and I decided that we'd still like to do something with the crew. The girls were off of school anyway, and we've all been enjoying the spring break vacation. [Neither Mike nor I went to school in districts that had a true "spring break" when we were growing up. So this is a bit of a new phenomenon for us too.] I am also growing more and more acutely aware of the fact that Bugs is nearing NINE and am feeling the need to show her a bigger world (while ensuring that she loves up north the most).

We talked about it as a family ... and ended up with these parameters. The kids wanted to take a airplane somewhere as Q and D have never been on one and Bugs' one experience barely counts. Mike didn't want to take more than 3 days of vacation. And I didn't want to spend a ton of money. With these (at times, rather conflicting) requirements, I proposed Chicago for our vacation destination. I won't lie to you - it was not met with a lot of enthusiasm. But I'm in marketing ... so I did what I do best and continued chipping away at it until I got everyone bought in to the plan. 

I found us reasonably priced plane tickets (with the caveat that we were not guaranteed to sit next to each other. I put my faith in the fact that no one else wanted to sit by my 4 year old ...) and booked us at a Homewood Suites right downtown Chicago. The suites style hotel sounded best because we could have a kitchen area, a living room, and a separate bedroom. It also had the most important vacation requirement ... a pool! We did not rent a car and planned to take advantage of Chicago public transit. And prayed that we didn't accidentally leave anyone on a bus. 

So last Saturday, we dropped Yogs off for his vacation with the Ps (thank you!!!!) and headed for the airport. We decided to park at the smaller airport and took the light rail train over to the big terminal. Then it was another tram to security. We made sure we got there with plenty of extra time because we knew we would get stopped at security for them to check Fiona's meds. We did not expect that there would be no one in line at security (like ... literally no one. I didn't even have my ID ready and believe me, that never happens) and that we could also get held up because of the fruit snacks in my backpack. Despite the extra time as security triple checked us (as expected. and they were so so nice while doing it!) and with a stop to pet some puppies hanging out in the airport, we were still at our gate almost two hours ahead of time.

Luckily our gate was also right next to the playground in the airport (THANK YOU!), so Mike and the kids headed over there while I waited with all the stuff to look pathetic so the gate agent would seat us all together (our seats had not been assigned yet). The kids were awesome in the airport, had a great time at the playground and just hanging at the gate, and we ended up with seats together AND an upgrade to Delta Comfort. Not too shabby!

Fiona was really nervous, Quinn was slightly nervous, and Declan was living his very best life. Travel Declan is the best Declan, you guys! They charmed the flight attendant and got extra snacks (including ones from the first class basket) and did awesome on the short flight. 

Once we landed, we trekked across Midway to the train station, figured out how to get a transit card, hopped the Orange Line train to the Red Line train, and came out 1 block from our hotel. Not included in that description was Fiona freaking out about how fast the trains were going, Mike and I worrying about how fast we had to get on and off the train with all the people and all the stuff, and the 400 miles of walking to get to all these things. Fiona was a trooper, but it about did her in. Since we had all our gear, we couldn't help her as much as usual, but Mike did, at one point, piggyback her and her backpack plus roll a suitcase because he's pretty much the best. 

We got to our room and we were all DONE. We ordered in Chick-fil-a, hit up the hotel pool (on a Saturday night ... oh, my migraine), showered up, and headed to bed. It was a full travel day, but we were super proud of how well the kids did. And they were thrilled with all the new adventures. 

Signs of Spring

As I started to write this, Mike started sneezing. There is no more telling sign of spring in our house than the sudden onset of all the allergies. In most of the people. I'll be over here - not sneezing, and being glared at by the rest.

It was the craziest winter. We had no snow through January. Got all.the.snow in February and early March.  At one point, had so much snow that we could barely sled. And then less than two weeks later, it was all gone. It's been very confusing - to the point that we basically don't know which coat to wear. I'm not putting the winter gear away yet. I fully believe there will be at least one more snowstorm before we officially bid winter farewell.

Last week, I was cleaning up dinner and watching the kids play outside. I said to Mike, "Quinn's putting on Ev's rollerblades." Mike asked if she was wearing pads or a helmet. She was not. Mike said, "I don't know that she can get up." I said, "I don't know that she can't." And with that, Mike headed outside to assess rookie rollerblader safety. I looked outside maybe three minutes later. Quinn was already 2/3 of the way down on the block on the blades. And Mike was in his roller blades playing roller hockey with Dec and Jonah in the driveway.

As we trudge through the latter part of winter, there are a lot of attitudes and requests to "watch a show" when we get home from school. For the past couple weeks, I can barely park the car before they dump their backpacks in the entry way, grab their bikes or scooters, and head off in search of friends and sunshine. I've ruined a lot of lives lately by calling them in for dinner. And not hearing everyone whine about being hungry while I'm standing in the kitchen making dinner has most definitely not ruined my life.

We got home mid-afternoon yesterday from spring break (more on that later). Mike used the lovely afternoon weather and extra time to start picking up the dog poop in the yard. The kids went out to help him (or play in the sandbox). And then they tricked him into putting up the trampoline. It's a little bit earlier than we usually get it out, but they were just so dang excited. There were a lot of neighbor kids who made their way to our yard last night. And Q and D headed out at 9:00 this morning when it was barely above freezing. They didn't last long ... but were back out several other times today as it warmed up.

So ... while we aren't convinced that winter is completely over, we will soak up every bit of this pre-spring weather. And I'll stock up on Kleenexes for the gang.