home via Chicago / traveling in Chicago with kids

ancient Chicago Garbage truck on Armitage taken with the Hipstamatic app on the iphone

Chicago was cold, windy, feverish, and caloric.  I ate too much, watched too much tv, hardly exercised, made nothing, and froze.  It sounds worse than it was.  It was fun to be in a big city and see new things everyday.  And honestly, Tessa, our babysitter really pulled through and made our nights.  Thanks to her devotion to her prom dress savings account, we ate out, a lot.  On the days without Tessa, sad as they were, we'd often eat out for lunch and dinner, so we did mange to keep moving and stay busy- that is until the kids went to sleep and the direct tv spoke to me.  We don't have tv at home and now I know why.  I just gave in to the end of the day at 7:30.  In California, I would sit down at the Janome or bolt to the gym.  Ah well, we all have to make sacrifices to sell wine and make a living.  A little Kennedy's Mini Series never hurt anyone.  Fours hours of cartoons back to back, now that is another question altogether, but I wouldn't know anything about that.  I for one took my kids to the Children's Museum, where they caught the flu, the Plantarium, the Aquarium, The Field Museum and Lincoln Park.  We got around, saw the sights, and had a good time despite the freezing cold, the busses, and the L Train.

Still, and with the worst plane ride ever, it is good to be home.

Home to sunshine, tulips, fresh eggs, and weeds.  The next time I move for a month it will be under an umbrella on the beach.   I did, however,  find a few gems in Chicago.  My favorites:
For Kids
Beat Kitchen -Live music every Sunday at noon on stage with a beer.

The L Train- The clank-a-tee-clank is unmistakable and fun.

our stop

The Children's Museum - although we did catch the flu here, we made toys, painted with watercolors, dressed up, saw our shadows, climbed in a huge shoe, and drove a bus. Just have them play in the chlorinated fake river before you leave.

art studio at the Children's Museum

Shopping:
Posh - European/ flea market cool
Vintage Pine- unique until you realize you need a boxcar to take anything here home- go across the street to Whole Foods and drink a glass of wine while you buy diapers and mac and cheese
Renegade Handmade- of course
Greer Chicago - awesome selection of letterpress cards and the like oozing out of vintage library card holders
Eating:
Ruxpin - bonus poster art in the bathroom, awesome food and attitude.  Had my first wine delivery by bike, thanks to the Noble Grape
Chalkboard- treated us like rock stars. Perfect food.
Wine:
Rootstock Wine Bar - best wine list, and we looked everywhere, but tried to seat us next to the bathroom because we were just drinking...we did read wine bar right?
Coffee:
Dark Cloud - Om to the dark one.  How I worship thee.

the double stroller we borrowed parked outside Dark Cloud