Multiple Trips to Chicago

In mid-July we made two trips to Chicago in the same week.  On Sunday, July 8th we headed to the Southside to take in a White Sox game with the kids.  There was a break in our super hot weather over the weekend and it was Kids' Day at the park, so it was the perfect day to make our way to the ball park.  We stopped for breakfast at a diner we love to stop at on our trips to Chicago and the kids insisted on taking their picture with the Blues Brothers and Betty Boop statues. 

Addy, Carter & Betty

Posing with the Blues Brothers

We got to the ballpark early and were there when the gates were opened because there was going to be a player autograph session before the game and we wanted to try to get a few autographs on the kids' baseballs that we had brought from home.  We raced up the stairs and jumped in an autograph line not knowing whose autograph we were waiting for or if we would even get to the front of the line in time.  It just so happens that we chose a good line with starting White Sox players Gordon Beckham, Addison Reed, Matt Thornton, and Jose Quintana.  Carter and Addy each got signatures from all four players and were really excited to get to interact with them.  They were almost as excited as their Dad who was smiling from ear to ear.  Gordon Beckham even joked around with Addy and told her that she could come closer because he didn't bite and then proceeded to growl at her as she inched closer.  She has talked about that interaction ever since and always cheers for Beckham when the White Sox are playing.

Getting autographs from the White Sox

Chatting with Gordan Beckham (black shirt)

We had outfield seats and the kids did a great job throughout the entire game.  The weather was beautiful; the game on the other hand, wasn't so pretty on either side.  The White Sox ended up losing, but we still has a wonderful family outing to the ballpark! 

Windy family photo

Later in the week we headed back up to the Chicago suburbs for Derek's Consultants Meeting which was being held at a golf resort.  Since it was trip that was close to home and I feel comfortable toting the kids around the Chicago suburbs on my own, we decided to take the whole family.  We headed up on Thursday morning so that Derek could make it to the company outing held at the Arlington horse track.  I elected to hangout with the kids at the hotel and check out the pool.  Later that evening we had a dinner at the hotel complete with white tablecloths on which Carter managed to spill a full glass of wine.  About halfway through the dinner I realized the reason we don't always bring the kids on these trips.  As our kids were treating the dining space  as a race track and Carter was chasing all of the kids around all fours and declaring himself as a monster, I realized that these dinners aren't made for toddlers and preschoolers.  We did make it through the night with only one spilled wine glass and a few scrapes on the knees; so all in all we survived, but just barely!

The next day we had a big dinner scheduled at the Brookfield Zoo, so I knew that whatever I planned for the kids had to be low key and allow for a nap time (for the kids and their momma!).  So as Derek headed to his meeting, the kids and I stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for a yummy breakfast and then to a small kiddie amusement park called Pirate's Cove.  It was very close to the hotel and a perfect fit for our busy day.  The park had several kiddie rides and playground structures for the kids to explores.  Carter loved the hand powered train cars, paddle boats, and train.  Addy enjoyed climbing the rock wall, bouncy house, and the boats.  It was a cute park and a great way to spend the morning.  As we headed back to the hotel we grabbed lunch and then the kids went down for a nap. 

Riding on the train

Addy and Carter loved the boats!

Carter was a big fan of the hand crank train



Trying out the climbing wall

Later that evening we met up with Derek and then boarded the charter bus to travel to the Zoo.  Pinnacle had booked the dinner after the zoo was closed to the public, so it was neat to see what it looks like after hours.  Cocktail hour was held in the underwater bear viewing area, which was really cool.  We got to see large grizzly bears swimming in the water up close. It was so neat, that I was kicking myself for not committing to bring my camera to the dinner!   The kids did more running and chasing during cocktail hour, but no wine was spilled this time--thank goodness!  After cocktail hour we headed to the banquet area for dinner.  The kids were actually very well behaved and were obviously wearing down by this time.  They were good sports about the whole thing, as formal dinners obviously aren't their cup of tea.

Addy was so excited to have the zoo to ourselves

Derek had more meetings on Saturday morning.  When he finished, I high tailed it to the resort's spa for my massage.  It was awesome!  Then we swam and went to dinner at a local pizza place.  We stayed one more evening in the hotel and were planning to head to the aquarium the next day.  However, Carter came down with a fever late Saturday night and was obviously feeling pretty crummy, so we headed home Sunday morning after having breakfast. 

We had a lot of fun at the consultant's meeting and are so thankful that families are included in the fun.  Overall, the kids were good sports about everything and did very well.  They aren't used to eating dinner at 8:00, so I am proud of them for being flexible.  They were very popular with the Pinnacle crowd and were definitely a great source of entertainment for on several occasions.