A Chicago Christmas

Chronologically, the pictures are WAY out of order. We took the kids on a weekend "ACASHUN" to Chicago, and on Friday visited the Museum of Science and Industry. The boys got to see the Star Wars exhibit (www.msichicago.org) and Maddie and I checked out the kiddie area in the basement and spent some quality time with the new U505 exhibit, which was so incredibly amazing, I made John and the boys go after lunch. After that, we chilled out at a hotel, and checked out the zoo lights at Lincoln Park zoo. We tried to get into a real Chicago pizza place, but the wait was over an hour and a half so California Pizza Kitchen it was.

Saturday, we went to the Chicago children's museum at Navy Pier. It was a 9 block walk from the hotel and a free trolley ride back to get our car. The kids had such a great time!!!

At the Children's museum there's this huge Curious George exhibit. The kids got to climb a rocket, and then go down a slide. Nate really liked this part!
Such a scary likeness, isn't it? She may look like a Fraggle, but poses like a cartoon monkey.

Probably my favorite moment of the ENTIRE trip caught on digital film. It doesn't get any better.

This is on the ride home. The end of the trip. Total burn out. FABULOUS quiet time.

Now we're at the museum. This is the boys in the U505 exhibit pretty much drunk driving a submarine. They failed the 30 second test and were sent to the galley by the German Admiral.

This is us with the ComEd bear at the zoo. The glasses everyone has on made all the big globe streetlamps have a Santa or Frosty illumined halo. It sounds weird and made my head hurt so I took mine off.

It's just not Christmas without Charlie Brown.

Nate had to have a picture with his true bretheren, the gorrilas.
At the hotel, snacking on Shrek Cheeze-its, watching the magic glowing box and having fun eating in daddy's bed (I slept with Nate since the boys couldn't settle down together).

Okay, back at the beginning again. Team Ireland in front of the "Irish Tree" at the MSI. The trees around the world is pretty much my favorite exhibit ever, and they do it every year. I love all the cultural representations. Funny fact: Columbia's tree had little coffee bean ornaments!

Of course there was a Star Wars Tree. No star on top of this one. Those are Jedi Sabers.

Future techie geeks in the making for certain.

The cardboard cutouts didn't faze the kids, but according to John, neither of the boys wanted anything to do with the Chewbacca Wookie costume on display. It kinda freaked both boys out a bit.

But fighting with the "Yoda Hands" didn't seem to be a problem.

It was such an awesome trip. I hope we can do it again sometime, maybe hit the Field Museum and the Aquarium next time, who knows. There is always something to see and do in the Second City!