vacation in the big city

since the day i became a parent, i've been planning fun things to do with my kids. you can imagine how hard it has been to wait patiently all these years to start doing the things i've got planned. first up? museums. lots of museums. i LOVE museums. the minnesota science museum was probably the best place in the world when i was little: given the choice, i would have always preferred to stare at a mummy in a glass box than to ride a roller coaster. i have been anxious to share that wonder and mystery and sense of curiosity and discovery with ramona and james. this weekend, we visited chicago's shedd aquarium and the museum of science and industry. and OH MAN were they ready to experience wonder, mystery, curiosity and discovery. it was so super fun, and they were (almost) tirelessly good sports. i cannot wait to do this again and again and again.

first things first: it was gloriously beautiful out the first day we were there, so we strolled the mile between the hotel and the shedd aquarium. here are david and james, hotel to their backs, park and sun and lake to their faces, full of adventurous spirit. 

i'd like to say the kids walked the whole way to the aquarium, but they didn't.

in the last stretch, ramona made a valiant push on her own feet, sprinting along the grass in front of the field museum.

once inside, it was all otters and dolphins and sharks and jelly fish and belugas and one particularly memorable longnose sawshark. james claims that he would cut wood if he had that nose; that would be pretty convenient. (just the wood cutting part, actually.)

the sunny walk back along the lakeshore path

the next morning, we visited a few lions, all dressed up for christmas. 

the kids watched some ice skaters, and james got his knee horribly stuck in this fence about 1 second after this picture was taken. 

family photo in the park. the kids loved the bean. and why not? it's a darn lovable tourist attraction.

once inside the museum of science and industry, past the terrifically and horribly and shockingly long line (buying tickets ahead of time has never been a smarter move. never.), we played and played and played. then someone cried a little inside a submarine (james), and someone got a little starry eyed and refused to leave the human body exhibit (me), and someone got pretty excited about some hatching baby chicks (ramona).

later, a cheery walk on michigan avenue, a delicious meal, a few bus rides and subway rides, and we were exhausted. here we are, headed back to the hotel, full of joy and adventure, and needing some rest.