Chi-town

Wow, what a weekend. It was Mommy’s Fall Break, so we decided to do something a little extra for the long weekend and we went up to Chicago for some swim time and a visit with the Kopps!

The trip started with an extended tour of northern Illinois on I-94. Once we were back on track, we checked in to the hotel and Mommy and I checked out the cool fish ponds while Daddy worked out the issues with our reservations. We had enough time for a quick dip in the pool, then it was off to dinner at Big Bowl to meet Patrick and his Mommy and Daddy. It had been a long time since I last saw Patrick, so we didn’t recognize each other right away. But, once we started sharing a movie and dinner together (hey, was that a date?), we were fast friends. So much so that we couldn’t be separated at the ice cream joint after dinner! We couldn’t get enough of running around, climbing and sliding on the window sills, checking out the freezers, and screaming! After that adventure, everyone was pretty pooped and we cashed in for the night.

The next morning, we woke up and grabbed some breakfast downstairs at the hotel. When we hopped in the car, I asked if we were going to see Patrick today, and I was excited to hear a “Yup” from the front seat. When we pulled in, I helped carry in some (belated birthday) presents and Patrick and I started getting our motors revved up. Next, we hitched a ride in Patrick’s car and headed towards Shedd Aquarium. First, though, was lunch at my new favorite restaurant…Rainforest Cafe. Since we went, I haven’t stopped talking about it. If you want to hear the whole story, I’d be happy to tell you with full excited animation, including animal sounds and arm gestures. But, for the purposes of this post, just know that I loved all the animals a lot and the thunder storm was the coolest!

The next few minutes were kind of a blur and can only be described as a harsh, shrill, ear piercing cacophony of screeches and screams. Patrick and I had a blast playing “Who’s parent’s ears will bleed first”! We would each start screaming and, as we independently adjusted our tone, they would end up matching in some strange harmonic frequency that amplified the combined effect to levels that made dogs howl. I think it can only be fully appreciated by those that heard us.

Anywho, we land at the aquarium and check in and head straight for the Nemo tank. Then, we took in all the sites at the Oceanarium, like Beluga Whales, dolphins, penguins, huge crabs, etc. After that, we made our way to the Wild Reef to see sharks, rays, and other coral animals. We rounded out with a few other highlights, like sea horses and the demonstration in the tank by the diver…she was actually talking to us and telling us about the fish while she was swimming around! By that time, everyone was beat and we packed back in and headed for the hills. Back at Patrick’s house, we had some awesome pizza and then helped him break in their newly-finished basement. I loved playing with the power tool toys and made sure that everyone, even the Mommies and Daddies, had a turn wearing the cheetah mask. After clean-up, it was time for goodbyes. Don’t forget me, Patrick…we’ll play together again soon. And, keep exercising those lungs for our next chorus.

Today, we rolled out of bed and hit the pool before the mall opened. Then, we made our way around the 592 miles of stores that make up the Woodfield Mall. Poppa — I used the money you sent with me to get a My Little Pony at the toy store…thanks! After the mall, we had lunch and then started back for Indiana. I almost made it through 2 movies before giving in and dozing off.

What an exciting and fun trip. I had a lot of fun and hope that we get to have another Fall Break soon!

200510-Chicago