Spring Break 2008 - Chicago Top Ten Photos (in no particular order)

The boys hanging out in the tropical gardens on Navy Pier. This is such a cool spot with fountains and birds flying around all jutting out into Lake Michigan so you get the view of the city on one side and the lake on the other.

The LEGO store! The boys were in LEGO heaven! The store is set up so awesome with big tray tables of LEGOs that they encourage you to play with! The back of the store has bins full of different varieties of LEGOs that you can choose from and fill a container for twelve dollars. When we were there two years ago, Spence filled one of the containers and played with his random assortment of LEGOs for months after. He created so many contraptions and ships - the best money we ever spent.

The Volcano dessert at the Rainforest Cafe. I know in this picture Spence kind of looks like he is making the gag sign, but he is really tasting the chocolate. This dessert comes out with sparklers on the top and the server yells "VOLCANO" at the top of their lungs as they bring it to your table. Spence has been talking about getting one for two years.

Chicago is a great city. It has so much to do and see, yet it still feels like you could feel at home there. I didn't feel that way when we visited New York City. That feeling could be in part due to familiarity - I have only been to NYC once and to Chicago over a dozen times.

Two of Spencer's favorite things in the world. LEGOS and STAR WARS. Could life be any better for a 6 1/2 year old boy?

Evan finally got to see some real dinosaur bones. The favorite skeleton was of Sue the T-Rex - the most complete T-Rex skeleton ever found. I think Evan realized for the first time how big the dinosaurs really were.

The boys were loving riding the elevators and escalators. We thought that stores would open at 9am and were mistaken by an hour. We spent that hour killing time by riding escalators and elevators all over Chicago Place. The boys were totally content until they started to walk up the down escalator and down the up escalator and we had to put a stop to it all.

Spencer had his first taste of Calamari - or as he preferred we call it... Squid. I can't believe when he found out what it was he wanted to eat it. He loved it! Then again, it is deep fried - what's not to love?

Things I will remember about riding the train. Evan's ability to eat an apple down to the very core - when at home he makes you cut up and peel the whole thing. When the conductor announced the stop for New Buffalo - Evan telling me to let him get on my lap to look out because he wanted to see the buffalo too. Watching the family with at least nine kids (I am not even kidding and there may have been more) and feeling as if my own brood were more than manageable. The train ride is so much smoother once you have done it and know the ropes.

Evan at the Chicago Children's Museum. He loved this exhibit called the Treehouse. It was geared toward children infant to five years old. He called it the "fake forest" and we could not get him out of there and he would beg to go back while we were at other exhibits. It was very cool.

Two other memories that I don't have photos of:

Our hotel room was very nice, new and ultra modern. The desk area they had separated from the bedroom area with a sliding door like you find in an office. The boys loved taking turns sitting at the desk being the "office guy". The morning after we were home Evan begged to get back on the train and go back to Chicago. When I asked him what he wanted to see so bad he told me he wanted to play office.

In the Field Museum interactive kid's world they had these corn stalks that you could fill with fake corn and then harvest it. At first look, you would think - Really? You couldn't think of anything better for this space? It was by far the most popular thing in the room. Our kids and about ten others were just running back and forth having the time of their lives picking corn and filling baskets, taking it in the house and repeating. I guess they know what they are doing!

It was a great trip!