Two Surprises

On Saturday, RoadTripDaddy and I got the kids up early and headed out the door for the first of two surprises.  When we got to the train station, we told the kids we were taking a train ride.  Monkey LOVES trains.  They were very excited for their first train rides.  We boarded the train and headed towards the city.  The kids were enthralled looking out the windows.  It was fun to watch the excitement in their eyes.  Sweet Pea asked why we were stopping.  At every single station.  All 10 stops.  We had to change stations when we arrived downtown so we could head to our next surprise.  We walked the couple blocks to the Ogilvie and hung out for a bit until it was time to head to Ravinia.  On the train we told the kids that we were headed to see Laurie Berkner!  Sweet Pea kept asking if we were going then.  She later proceeded to tell a nice woman on the train that we were going to see Laurie about 15 times.  RoadTripDaddy and I figured she was excited.  However, this didn't stop her from asking why we were stopping again at every station.  This time there were 12 stops to question.

The kids had a blast at the concert and it was definitely worth the trip.  After the concert, we headed into the city and explored Millennium Park.  It was a ton of fun but we were exhausted by the time we finally made it home.  More about our weekend to come later.

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Fun with fish

Recently my husband and I took Sweet Pea and my parents to spend the day at the Shedd. It had been years since I had been there and my only memory was the large round tank in the center of the aquarium. I was thrilled to see so much more than I remembered.

There are seven large exhibits to visit along with the central tank and the four water areas to explore. We started with a stop at Amazon Rising. From anacondas and piranhas to rays and very, very large fish, this should be everyone’s first stop. I was shocked to see there were monkeys in this area too! I didn't see them the first time we were in this area but when we headed back up there later, I sat down on a bench and looked up to see the monkeys hanging out looking down at all the people.

After Amazon Rising, we headed down to Fantasea. It was a great show with the animals coming closer than you expect. We all got a kick out of the penguins as they toddled around the audience. There are several animals in this show: a seal, red tailed hawk, Pacific white sided dolphins, penguins and beluga whales. Sweet Pea was enthralled with the whole show.

As we explored exhibit after exhibit and saw all sorts of crazy looking fish and colorful sea life, I laughed realizing that I couldn’t tell who was having more fun out of our group – was it Sweet Pea, my husband, me?

We easily spent four hours roaming the aquarium and I’m sure we could have stayed for another four! It was a great day and everyone enjoyed themselves. If you live in the Chicago area or are planning a visit here, check out the Shedd Aquarium's website for information about free days at the Shedd.