Big City Adventure

We've been planning it for almost a year, and it finally happened.  Our whole family on a big city adventure to Chicago!  Why?  Well, why not – Chicago is awesome!  But why now?  Chris has an annual conference for work and it is often held in Chicago.  And since Uncle Matt and Aunt Kate live there, we were all in. 

We stayed in a hotel on Michigan Avenue, which was awesomely convenient.  But get this- I didn’t shop at all.  Really, the only store I even stepped into was a chocolate factory.  Boo!  But we could walk or take a bus to Matt’s condo in River North, get a bus straight to union station or the museum campus from across the street.  Nice!  Of course when Chris and I went, just the two of us 5 years ago, we were upgraded to a fancy suite.  This time no deal.  Oh well.

A big city is like a wonderland to small children.  Especially boys.  Riding on planes, L trains, commuter trains, cabs, buses, and watching everything out the windows of these vehicles, is fascinating.  And then there were all the “things” to do.

Sam woke early on our first morning, so he and Chris did a little sightseeing before heading to the condo.  That day we found a really awesome playground around the corner from their place that they barely knew was there – different perspective on life, for sure!  The kids christened Matt and Kate’s place with matchbox cars and doll strollers; we walked to lunch, and settled in for the OSU/Notre Dame game.

Day 2 we visited Matt and Kate’s church and rewarded Sam’s attempts at sitting quietly through the whole service with a trip to Dunkin Donuts.  Mmm.  We walked off our calories at the Lincoln Park zoo, where the adults awed at the baby monkeys and the kids were awed by the giant tractor in the farm exhibit.

 Day 3, my dad’s last day there, my parents and I drove the kids out to Glenview to visit a children’s museum.  It was a cool place!  Annabelle had a fabulous time, and if you ask Sam he will say the same.  In reality the boy melted down and made a scene numerous times.  Deep breath.  Papa was heading back to Ohio from there, so the rest of us rode the Metra train back into Union Station. 

 

Day 4 was a long time coming.  Last Christmas some friends of ours finally got the opportunity to move closer to family, a new job in Chicago.  I mentioned in passing that this conference would be there this year, and both Sam and my friend Sarah grasped onto the idea of a visit.  And we made it happen!  I was actually a little proud of the three of us – we got up, got dressed and ate in the hotel room, walked across the street and onto our bus, where Sam stood with me most of the way to the train station (seriously, and woman alone with two small children and not ONE commuter even offered Sam or me a seat!).  We bought our tickets, found our platform, boarded our train and settle in for the journey.  And then we had a lovely day in Naperville.  Sarah showed us around and we lunched at Chick-fil-a, the “big” kids played and the little ones napped.  The mommies chatted.  And then too soon it was time to go.  Sam fell asleep on the 10 minute car ride to the train, and then sobbed when it was time to say goodbye.  Dinner at the Rainforest Café made everyone feel better.

Day 5 my mom and I took the kids to the Field Museum.  The grownups found it fascinating, the kids not so much.  Even the dinosaur bones, the primary reason we went, were only minimally exciting.  Oh well.  We checked out of the hotel, said good-bye to Gommy, and settled in for a night with Matt and Kate.  Chris finished up a little early, so he and I actually enjoyed some time in the beautiful 73 degree sun on the balcony while the kids rested.

We didn’t see Chris much while we were there, they kept him pretty busy!  It was great that Gommy and Papa were able to drive over to spend time with us, and Matt was even able to take an afternoon off of work.  We hadn’t seen their place yet and it felt good to see how they live there.  I just hope my kids didn’t leave any scuffs or scrapes on their walls!  I left thinking that I really could live in Chicago, even downtown, with the kiddos.  But I also left thankful for my suburban-sized home!

As I prepared mentally for this trip, I asked my bible study group to pray for smooth logistics.  They must have prayed hard, because so many aspects that I was worried about went off without a hitch. 

-Airplanes: No delays.  Reasonably behaved children.  Snacks.  Friendly, helpful flight attendants.  And on the return flight, the bulkhead seats.  That's right, leg room, space for Annabelle to play on the floor, and "cool trays" to entertain Sam.

-Hotel Sleep: Everyone slept through the night every night.  Sam woke up early, but he always does.  What's amazing is that Annabelle continued to sleep - for some days up to an hour - after Sam woke.  We all know that silence is not a skill that Sam possesses, even in his sleep.  She must have been exhausted!  I even left the trip rested, maybe because I fell asleep with the kids 2 nights.

-Public Transit: The kids were so fascinated with it all that they paid attention, followed directions, moved quickly

-Trip to the suburbs: After several back and forths on the best way to get us there with the complications of traffic, car seats, preschool schedules, etc, Sarah bought a minivan.  Long story short, our commute was seamless.