Chicago

For Mother's day, Ricky gave me a mini-vacation to Chicago! We went on Monday and came back on Wednesday. It was the perfect get-a-way before the baby comes! We had such a wonderful time and the weather was beautiful! It was a really relaxing trip, even though we went to 2 museums and the zoo!

On Monday we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was a little chilly, but nice. Dylan was looking forward to seeing the elephants all day long! We were talking about all the animals that he would see, and he was really excited about the elephants! Turns out that the zoo didn't even have any elephants! They had everything but elephants! Just our luck! We found a stuffed one in the gift shop for him, so he was happy.

Ricky and Dylan outside of the Farm part of the Zoo.They let the kids feed the cows! Dylan was so happy!
This is the jaguar. It was really cool to see all the different 'big cats' up close. They had a cougar, lion, jaguar, and tiger.

Dylan had to look at the fishes! He asks to see them every time we go to the store!
There is a black bear behind Dylan! The bear was asleep and they had a tunnel to look at them! It was pretty cool!

Here is the Rhino. Dylan was asking about seeing them today in the car! It still amazes me how much he can remember and how fast he is learning!Dylan thought the polar bear was really cool swimming by! It took a while to get him to leave this exhibit!

On Tuesday, we decided to ride the bus over to the train station and take the train to the Field Museum. It seemed like it took forever to get there, but we only spent 5 dollars for a train ticket and didn't have to worry about traffic or parking! I'm sure we saved a ton of money by riding the train, plus Dylan was so excited to ride the bus and the train! He was telling everyone he saw! It was cute!

Nap time at the museum! Dylan did great for not getting a nap! He rested for a while while we saw all of the 'stuffed' animals in the exhibit. He got to see a lot of the animals that he had seen at the zoo! It was cute having him point out all the different animals!

Watch out... the alligator is coming to get you! Dylan started saying this (not about the alligator, but himself) before he runs after you! He loved seeing all the animals!

Daddy and Dylan posing for a picture!

Dylan just before he fell asleep on the train! He didn't want to miss anything! We took a little detour on the way home to stop at a Giordano's. You can't go to Chicago without getting a Chicago-style pizza! It was really good!

On Wednesday, we went for a swim at our hotel before heading over to Kohl Children's Museum. One of my friends recommended it, and it was perfect for Dylan! I would highly recommend it for anyone with small children! They had tons of activities for children up to age 8! On our way there, Dylan fell asleep, so Ricky and I took turns getting lunch to eat in the car. He got a little nap in, which helped keep him active for the afternoon at the museum!

There was a grocery store were the children could shop for anything they wanted! They filled up the cart and then took it to the register!

Then, they got to be the cashier and scan their purchases! The scanner actually beeped when you ran the bar code across it! Dylan had a lot of fun!

They had a water works room, where you learn about all the different ways water can move things. Luckily they had aprons for the kids to wear!

They had a nature area with a cute little boat to ride! Watch out for Captain Dylan!

Dylan got to play vet for a while! He was listening to the dogs heart and then he decided that the dog needed a shot. He then put the dog in the cage to recover.

If you know Dylan, then you know he LOVED the music room! Look at his cute face! They had all kinds of instruments for the kids to play with! Let's make some music!

They had a stage where you could see yourself dancing. Dylan had to get up there and shake his thing!

They had a PotBelly's sub shop with cute little aprons. Look at our little worker! He made a nice big sandwich with lots of cheese!

Daddy got to enjoy it while Dylan drank the milkshake!

While Ricky and I rested for a while (chasing a 2 year old for 3 hours can get tiring!), Dylan played with the train set. He did a really good job of sharing with the other kids that would come up to the table. Good job Dylan!Mommy and Dylan! (He was exhausted by this point!)

Since it was my Mother's day gift, I told Ricky that I really wanted to go to IKEA. I had never been there, but had heard wonderful things about it! I was really excited and got some cute things for our house! I am looking forward to going back soon! Thanks Ricky! I had a wonderful time!