Chicago!

This week we went to Chicago for a quick getaway to see a Cubs game-- Harry and Jack's first trip to Wrigley.
I think Ben has been waiting forever to get a picture like this:

Harry, though, was really bothered that he had no Cubs shirt to wear, even though we assured him he could buy one-- and a hat-- the minute we got to the stadium. Phew! He and Jack were joyfully Cubbed out



I took this picture to show you that we bought a seat for my diaper bag and to hold all the crap we were sure to buy at the game. It came in really handy, and we used our 5th seat as a buffer between us and OTHERS. The people sitting next to my bag should have been happy because a bag didn't have loud cell phone conversations, get drunk and spill its beer, or get up 50 bajillion times to use the bathroom. But they were super pissed off because they had friends at the game who had seats elsewhere and wanted to sit in my bag's seat. The woman in the group next to us even PUT HER HANDS on my bag and started to move it. "That's our seat!" I yelled at her a little too harshly. "Do you want to see the ticket?" They gave us dirty looks until we left after the 7th inning stretch-- leaving 5 vacant seats in the back row right by a beer cart. So we were actually the best stadium neighbors ever. Except for the snow cone incident. And the water bottle debacle. And a minor crayon problem.

Our seats were prefect. Ben picked the terrace reserve because it was close to the field (and in foul ball territory, which always excites him) and in the shade, which was great for our little pasties and ensured we'd stay cool despite the mid-90 temperatures. The back row was also ideal because we could just climb out of our seats the 50 million times we got up. Good seat picking, Ben! (My bag loved it especially. I mean, seriously, have you seen the floor of a baseball stadium? It's no place for a bag, that's for sure).

Family pics on the way out

We accidentally burned the shit out of Jack putting him on this Ernie Bans pic for a photo. So we settled for a pic in front of the statue.

A super nice Cubs employee offered to take one of all of us

Jack took a selfie on the way back from pizza with Ben's grandma

Who gave the boys a bag of dinosaurs and let them frolic in her yard.




Our hotel was a bone of contention. Ben wanted to stay in a Marriott suites hotel by the airport because we do better in a suite with our kids. I wanted to stay on Michigan Avenue because that's way more fun and festive and has an awesome view. We were not able to use our points (weird blackout) for a suite at a downtown hotel, so staying in the city meant we would all be in one room. We had never all stayed in one room before, but my desire for an awesome view won out over Ben's common sense.

The city looks pretty from the 26th floor, huh?

While it was cool to be in a pool 9 floors up, this particular pool was gross and cold and dim. And the hot tub was under construction, destroying any ambiance the room might have had.

After the WORST NIGHT OF SLEEP since our kids were newborns, we fought for a couple hours, drank some bunny crackers

and headed out to explore the city, which was really fun and lovely.




We met up with Amy and her two oldest kids to hit the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier, which the kids all loved (even if they did all cry in the Block party exhibit, which featured an ice cream pushcart that was the most desired object in the room and the cause of our 4 tantrums and probably 8 more from other kids during the 20 minutes we played in there)

Harry and Amy's Jack fought some fires


Harry took his job very seriously

Notice the dirty look the kid in the orange shirt is giving Jack

Ha! Clearly he was jealous because by the next snap, he had donned a cone himself

Even when he is the only one in the pic, Jack chooses the supporting role.

The kids payed the most happily in the water room, but I was too busy sitting on a bench and talking to take any pictures except this one.

The dinosaur dig room was also a huge hit, and we made them all pose for some pics




Harry did not think this was a cool as I did, but he humored me.

Then we ate lunch (a lovely, well balanced organic picnic for Amy's kids and a giant fried bag of fried for ours) and jumped in the car.

Where both kids slept for 3 and a half hours (the traffic was terrible!), and we came home to tornado siren wailing, and both kids stayed up until almost midnight.



The end.