Chicago

We took our first family road trip to Chicago last weekend!  It was a lot of fun and went much smoother than I anticipated.

Ready to hit the road!

 The kids were pretty good in the car.  We stopped for lunch about two hours in.  I was hoping everyone would nap after lunch but they didn't.  I was armed with some fun surprises and a portable DVD player though to keep them occupied!

It was really fun to see their reaction as we drove into Chicago.

It was a little chaotic arriving at the hotel and getting everything and everyone up to the room.  Jason and I both thought we were going to have a suite and when we opened the door to find a regular room with not much space for 5 people we both panicked a little.  The kids on the other hand thought it was the coolest room ever!  Once we got settled and the initial anxiety wore off we knew it wouldn't be a big deal - and it wasn't. It was cozy but we made it work!

After getting settled at the hotel we walked to Millennium Park and then had dinner on a nearby patio.

 The Bean!

 After dinner everyone was wearing down so we headed back to the hotel and got ready for bed. It was lights out for all of us at 7:30 although Charlie was the only one who fell asleep right away.  The girls were asleep by 9 and I think Jason and I were close behind.  It was a long day but everyone did really well!

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel (which the kids thought was great!) and then headed to the Lincoln Park zoo.  It was a cool, overcast morning and we were there right when it opened so we didn't have to fight crowds at all.  We took our time and explored nearly the entire zoo.  Bonus - it was free!

This bear was pacing along the window.  Charlie kept asking it "Where are you going, bear?"

 I took Peyton and Charlie into a play area in the Children's Zoo while Jason walked some laps with Nora to get her to fall asleep.

 Peyton was blowing leaves out of her hand :)

After the zoo we met my friend Kimmi and her baby girl Reshma for lunch.  Kimmi suggested the Rain Forest Cafe for the kids and they LOVED it! Peyton declared it her favorite part of the trip.  Every twenty minutes there is a "thunderstorm" just like in the real rain forest. The lights flash and there is thunder and the animals go crazy. Their reactions were priceless!

After lunch we went back to the hotel for a nap/rest.  Nora fell asleep while the rest of us watched a movie.  Once Nora woke up we had some time to kill before going to Kimmi's house for dinner.  Our hotel was just off Michigan Ave so we took a walk to the Disney Store and let the kids each pick out a souvenir.  Peyton picked an "Elena of Avalar" sceptor, Charlie chose a light saber and Nora picked a Doc McStuffins doll.  Charlie got a lot of smiles and laughs on the walk back to the hotel!

That night we had dinner at Kimmi's house and while I wish I had taken some pictures, Jason said it was good that we were living it and didn't worry about capturing it.  Kimmi and her husband Peter were gracious hosts and treated us to a delicious dinner and drinks.  Another friend of mine, Gregg, who also lives in Chicago joined us as well and it was fun catching up with some of my oldest and dearest friends. Kimmi's mom was also in town from St. Louis and she was so kind to hang out with the kids downstairs so Jason and I could have some adult time.  It was a great evening!  We got back to the hotel late and everyone crashed pretty quickly! 

The next morning we walked to a nearby breakfast place and then packed up and decided to head out.  Everyone was pretty tired so instead of pushing we started for home.  The ride home was pretty uneventful minus that one nasty potty incident...there has to be that one thing I suppose!  Finding a place to change a dirty pull up in the middle of Illinois was not easy.  Jason pulled off at the first exit he saw but there were no gas stations or restaurants anywhere. We ended up in the parking lot of some kind of plant/factory and changing the offender in the grass.  It will be one of those stories we laugh about one day...

Peyton singing about our trip to "Eleanor"

Jason and I had a lot of fun showing the kids a new city.  We were so happy with how things went and how well the kids did.  We have been scared to step out of our comfort zone and travel with the kids - fear of the unknown I guess.  But I don't think we gave them enough credit.  They were so good and had so much fun and were very adaptable to being thrown off their normal schedule.  We are already planning a spring break trip!