Chicago

We checked out Chicago for the first time since moving here (excluding O'Hare). Our hotel was all modern and hip and was right across the street from Lake Michigan. We did a lot of walking through neighborhoods and I can easily say that I could live there--which says a lot. I think Chris and I are really big city people, despite his growing up in the suburbs of Dallas and me in my tiny cow town. The food and the variety was the best we have had since moving to Illinois. We of course tried the deep dish, and I have to say I am still a thin crust kind of girl. I actually had authentic Cajun--the gumbo tasted like I was in the Big Easy. Super Yum!!!

We went to the Science and Industry Museum which was really interesting, and checked out Navy Pier and the zoo. Brody made friends through the glass with a baby gorilla that was exactly his size and was in the mood to play. There was a lot of mutual teasing going on, so I guess babies will be babies. I dont think that he could believe his eyes and we had a hard time getting our little monkey out of that exhibit.

The kids and I had a blast checking out the Magnificent Mile, which would not have been complete without a trip to the American Girl Store. For those of you who don't know about this, it is three stories of dolls, clothes for dolls, clothes for your daughter that match the dolls, and even a doll salon. Georgia's eyes were about to come out of their sockets there was so much to see. The frenzied looks and squeals from all the little girls compared to the bored, uninterested expressions of their brothers sitting at various places around the store was quite comical.

The Fourth of July fireworks were very cool, although we almost missed them taking a short cut that turned out to be not so short and ended up in a locked parking garage. I am sorry to say that I live with a bunch of over-reactors (and that is all that I am going to say about that).