We spent Day 1 in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry, checking out their Christmas Trees around the World exhibit, a favorite of mine every year, and day 2 was spent at the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier. We had planned on seeing the lights at the zoo on Day one, but, as it was 35 below with the wind chill, we went out for Chicago style pizza at Uno's (a Chicago institution, for sure) and then saw Santa at Macy's. We skipped the big tree, because by the time we got there, the kids were already burnt out from walking around the museum all day!
The photos are backwards because I am still techie deficient, but you'll see how much fun we had!
This is the first exhibit at the children't museum. You put the tubes to your ears and try and guess the Chicago sounds. There are horses clopping, the el, traffic sounds, etc. It's really cool.
At the museum, there is an exhibit that is like the great outdoors. This is Nate coming down the slide in the "tree house". You can also go fishing, canoeing, and cook supper with tin dishes in a tent.
Johna nd Jack, building what, I don't know.
At one exhibit, you can use nuts and bolts to make skyscrapers. It was serious work for the 3 kids, and even Maddie got involved with putting the screws into holes.
Jack did a great job building. He used the tools properly and built some type of sturdy-ish structure. He is so much fun at these museums now because he is really trying to figure out how things work, not just pushing buttons. You can see his mind clicking away as he absorbs it all, and it is so cool.
Nate was all about safety.
Up the ropes in the treehouse area!
Nate was all about safety.
Up the ropes in the treehouse area!
This is the fire safety exhibit. The kids also got to "drive" an ambulance.
This is at the MSI. There is an entire area for smaller kids in the basement before you get to the U505. There is also an area within the kids area for kids 3 and under, so Maddie got to go in without her brothers and she loved EVERY second of it.
This is before we got onto the Sub. The MSI has the ONLY German U-boat that was captured. We got the full blown tour, and let me tell you it is no cruise ship. Some fun facts: If you were on a U-boat, you had a 70 percent chance of never making it home, you were commissioned for basically 3 months in a tin can with 59 other grown men with no showers, or way of cleaning yourself--and one toilet, the Germans invented phosphorescent paint to identify their torpedoes within the event that they had to dive below the surface and turn off all power (ie: lights) to conserve energy.
Jack wanted to take a photo of us, so I let him. His favorite part of the WHOLE trip was learning about the bad guys on the boat and how they got sunked.
There is a farm area in the museum. Maddie got very possessive of this cow. We still can't figure out why.
The boys driving a tractor. Scary stuff.
The Ireland tree.
Before you get into the museum, you can "ride" on the original Zephyr diesel train that took its virgin voyage from Colorado to Chicago in the 1930's. On the second class train car you can sit next to a "passenger" and hear him talking to other "passengers" and learn a little about the train.
It was a pretty cool trip. I SO cannot wait for next year!
This is at the MSI. There is an entire area for smaller kids in the basement before you get to the U505. There is also an area within the kids area for kids 3 and under, so Maddie got to go in without her brothers and she loved EVERY second of it.
This is before we got onto the Sub. The MSI has the ONLY German U-boat that was captured. We got the full blown tour, and let me tell you it is no cruise ship. Some fun facts: If you were on a U-boat, you had a 70 percent chance of never making it home, you were commissioned for basically 3 months in a tin can with 59 other grown men with no showers, or way of cleaning yourself--and one toilet, the Germans invented phosphorescent paint to identify their torpedoes within the event that they had to dive below the surface and turn off all power (ie: lights) to conserve energy.
Jack wanted to take a photo of us, so I let him. His favorite part of the WHOLE trip was learning about the bad guys on the boat and how they got sunked.
There is a farm area in the museum. Maddie got very possessive of this cow. We still can't figure out why.
The boys driving a tractor. Scary stuff.
The Ireland tree.
Before you get into the museum, you can "ride" on the original Zephyr diesel train that took its virgin voyage from Colorado to Chicago in the 1930's. On the second class train car you can sit next to a "passenger" and hear him talking to other "passengers" and learn a little about the train.
It was a pretty cool trip. I SO cannot wait for next year!
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