Last weekend was my brother's wedding in Chicago. We decided to drive instead of flying thinking it would be better to have the long drive but be able to bring the pack-and-play for a crib and toys and snacks, etc for the girls instead of having the convenience of a short trip by plane. Plus, this way we would have a vehicle to drive instead of having to take cabs back and forth, if we wanted.
Well, the drives to and from Chicago were actually pretty good. It took us 12 hrs to get there and 12 1/2 to get back. Not too bad with stopping several times each way. We left at 4 am Thursday and the girls slept for quite a while on the way there. Olivia learned to pee along the side of the road and thought it was fun. Of course when we were passing a rest area she didn't have to go but then we would get 5 miles away and she would need to go, especially when the next rest area was 40-50 miles away. So, sorry Ohio, but Olivia peed on your road! Addie loved stopping at the rest areas and would just run and run and run all around. We brought a portable DVD player and tons of movies and that helped pass the time. The way back was more of the same but no peeing on the side of the road. The last hour or 2 were a little tough. Addie was ready to be home and out of the car but she was a trooper.
Chicago is an amazing city. We all had a great time except for when the van was towed. Words of advice, if you go to a big city and there is a sign that says no parking 4-6 pm, tow away zone, DON'T PARK THERE!!!!........even if it is 5:45. They do have time to ticket and tow you. In fact, they probably have sensors or spies that know exactly when you park your car there so they can get both the ticket writer and the tow truck there immediately. Jamie warned me that we'd probably get a ticket. After searching and searching for parking, I was ok with the thought of getting a ticket but he didn't think there would be enough time to ticket and tow the car. He was right and he was wrong. After we parked, we walked to his condo to see where he and Katie spend their time when they are not at the hospitals working. Space is at a premium in Chicago but they have a great condo with a fantastic view of the city from the 41st floor. We then went out with Jamie for a nice and relaxing dinner. After that we walked back to Ontario Street where we left the van and found out (this is the part where Jamie was wrong) that they did have time to ticket and tow the van. It cost us some time and $160 bucks to get it back (on top of the $60 ticket still on the windshield) but we did get to see how phenomenal the view of the city is from their condo at night time (it was a great view when it was light out but after dark......amazing!). After that, we pretty much left the van in the hotel parking until it was time to head back home.
The wedding was beautiful! Jamie looked handsome and Katie was gorgeous. It was very apparent how much they love each other. Olivia was one of the flower girls and did her part beautifully. This was her second time being a flower girl and was a pro! Last time she walked down the aisle with me so I wasn't really worried about her seeing all of the people looking at her and getting nervous. This time was different. She was walking down the aisle w/ another flower girl but I was nervous she would see all of the guests and freeze. Silly me.....she did great! She looked like a little princess in her dress and sprinkled her flowers like a pro. Jamie said she "boxed out" (b-ball term) the other flower girl at one point but I don't think it's true! ha-ha!
At the reception Olivia owned the coloring table and after dinner, she danced and danced and danced....with anyone and everyone who would dance with her. Addie fell asleep for a while but when she woke up, we put her pjs on her and she hit the dance floor. Liv wasn't the only one with great moves!!!! Addie loves to dance!!!!!
Some other highlights from the trip.....
Olivia loved the "spinny doors" (revolving doors). She had to go through them by herself. She didn't need (want) any help.
Both girls loved the cab rides. Their first cab ride was the trip to the rehearsal dinner and we had a great cab driver. Not only did he not try to kill us with his driving, but he also asked Liv questions about herself (name, age, etc) and really made it a fun trip for her. Addie, I think was just a little puzzled about why we were all cramming into the back of this car without car seats. It was a real treat!
On Friday, all of my family except for Meredith and Michael got together for some real Chicago, deep-dish pizza. Delicious but wow, that's a lot of cheese. Olivia, the girl who could eat cheese as a meal, would not eat pizza so Jamie walked down the block to Harry's Hot Dogs and snuck a hot dog into the pizza place for her. Later, Molly and I did some shopping (mostly browsing) on Michigan Ave and State Street. We walked and walked and walked. Good thing because we needed to walk off the pizza! I don't know why but it's so much fun to go and look at all of the clothes, purses, jewelry, and shoes we cannot afford. I did buy a new coat and Molly bought a purse so we didn't go home empty handed.
On Saturday morning, we went to the Lincoln Park zoo. What a nice zoo. It's free to get in, there are lots of great animals to see and there were no crowds. We had a great time watching the sea lions swim, the penguins waddle and swim, and the huge polar bear try to move a large tree branch. The girls were exhausted by the time we left which was good because they needed naps so they would be ready and in good spirits for the wedding.
It was a fun trip and we look forward to going back to Chicago to do more sight seeing and visit Uncle Jamie and Aunt Katie some more.
(****Thanks to Aunt Tori and Molly for some of the pictures.****)
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