Sunday, April 24, 2011
Chicago Trip - Day 3
We had planned to go to the Planetarium on our last day, but Miles wanted to go to the Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier instead. He had decided that he had seen enough space stuff. He was ready to see some dinosaurs.
Here's Jason pretending to be inside the mouth of a T-Rex.
Here's Miles and Gavin as paleontologists digging for fossils.
Gavin had a great time in the water area. Even with a rain coat, he was so soaked, I had to change his clothes. Luckily, I had an extra change for him with us.
We took a family picture inside an indoor garden.
We've had a fantastic trip, but it's now time to head back to Union Station. The train ride home was a bit long. I had expected the boys to fall asleep because we were scheduled to get in at 11:30 pm. Well, we didn't get in until 12:30am and they both stayed awake the entire trip! Gavin slept in until 11am the next morning. Miles and I got to sleep in until 9:30. Poor Jason had to go to work. 
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Chicago Trip - Day 2
I started my day at 5am with a 13 mile run along Lake Shore Drive. It was awesome! I've never ran so far by myself before, so I wasn't sure how well it would go. It was truly a fantastic run. I was fast (just under 2 hours) and the time went by quickly as well. I enjoyed the views of the water on one side and the city on the other. I just wished Jason could have been there with me to experience it.
After breakfast, we took a bus to the Science and Industry Museum where we spent several hours. It's a huge museum. We didn't even come close to seeing it all.
After breakfast, we took a bus to the Science and Industry Museum where we spent several hours. It's a huge museum. We didn't even come close to seeing it all.
The boys liked riding the bus, especially Miles.
Gavin took the opportunity to take a 20 minute power nap.
Here are the boys and I on the steps to the museum. Miles was already frustrated with me wanting to take so many pictures.
Miles in front of a picture of his favorite planet - Jupiter!
We really enjoyed the stuff on space.
Even Gavin the astronaut liked it.
There was a fantastic model of Chicago with skyscrapers and trains. It was really spectacular.
There was even a hands-on kids area. Here you can see Jason pedaling a bicycle to get water to rise to the top of a tube so that it can flow out. (I ran 13 miles, Jason pedaled for 2 minutes. That was the extent of his training. LOL He too is running a half marathon in 2 weeks. Ask him how far he's run in the past 3 months.)
After the museum, we headed to Navy Pier.
The boys all bought Cub hats as souvenirs.
And finally, after dinner we headed to the John Hancock Observatory to see the city lit up at night. It was pretty cool. By the time we got back to our hotel, it was 11:30pm! Miles fell right to sleep, Gavin on the other hand was a crazy man. I had to turn on the tv to loll him to sleep. That kid wears me out! At least he's usually in a good mood.Friday, April 22, 2011
Chicago Trip - Day 1
We took the boys to Chicago via Amtrak over Miles' spring break. We chose Chicago because he has been intrigued by skyscrapers. We figured between those and the variety of modes of transportation and museums, the boys would have a great time.
Miles was thrilled to be on the train!
The boys did a great job playing quietly on the train. Of course, Miles stared out the window for the first couple of hours. I don't think we have ever seen him stay so still or quiet!
We left home at 6:30am, so the boys did take a nap on the train.
Here's the train we rode on. Miles did NOT like walking through the platform. The trains would make sudden noises that scared him.
The train was a bit delayed so by the time we arrived and ate lunch, we didn't have enough time to hit any museums. Instead we went to the Lego store which happened to be practically next door to the hotel. We stayed at the Marriott on Michigan Ave. It was a fantastic location!
We went swimming in the hotel pool too. Gavin was a nut! He scares me so much I can't even watch. From the moment I took him in, he was trying to squirm out of my hands to swim. I let Jason handle him. In this picture, Jason is taking him under water. I guess he liked it. Again, I didn't want to watch him.
The pool is way to deep for Gavin to stand, yet here he is holding on to the side by himself with no life jacket. I think I have a few more gray hairs now.
The boys slept together in one bed. They were pretty cute. I'd find Gavin snuggling up with Miles. The next morning, Miles said that he loved it!Thursday, April 07, 2011
Potty Trained!
We kept finding Gavin with his pants and diaper off, sometimes leaving messes behind. So, we figured we should give potty training a try. I wasn't looking forward to it at all. Miles was over three before he was potty trained, so I hadn't put much thought into needing to potty train Gavin for another year. Plus, we are going to Chicago in a couple weeks. Extra clothes and trips to the bathroom while on a vacation did not sound fun to me at all. My plan was to give it three days. If he didn't do well by the end of the three days, I was going to give it up and try again in the summer. Well, wouldn't you know, that little Gavin did well. In fact, he didn't even want my help.
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