CHICAGO I

Here we go!!! Off to Chicago to celebrate mike's birthday. Ava slept just fine on the way to the train station at 3:30 in the morning. Then we got together for a fine family pic before we found out our 4:57am train would not leave until 7:20am. Wouldn't have been so bad if the seats we had to sit on for three hours weren't made for midget people. Needless to say our backsides were about to fall off by the time we got there at 11:30am chicago time. We also got to spend those few hours in the station with about 30 little boys going to a soccer tournament. they were smelly and jumping all over the place. Thankfully we didn't have to share the trainride there with them.

Mike and Ava enjoyed the first part of the ride, Ava got to meet some amish people and show off her mass produced clothing and toys.

Ava is very into whatever we are eating. This becomes a challenge pretty much anytime we have to hold her and eat at the same time.

Even when she is half asleep, our little porker likes to eat.

ROOM SERVICE!!! Even Ava got to enjoy our expensive meals. Though it was pricey, a cab ride ($) or an extremely cold walk (brrrr) and then a two hour wait at a restaurant was worth avoiding, especially when Ava needed a nap.

Ava learned all about the Hancock observatory. she had no clue how far up we were. I on the other hand was freaked out.

Ava and I got as good a picture as we could while feeling like the building was going to spontaneously fall into the lake.

After walking back to the hotel we were quite windblown. It was a great way to spend the first night in the windy city, which by the way has nothing to do with the wind. It was actually call that when the city officials were promoting the world fair and were so full of hot air they were called "full of wind" and then "the windy city."

Ava and Daddy got ready to see the dolphin show. Ava actually saw about 2 minutes of it and then fell asleep, that must me why the kids under 2 are free.

This guy looked so excited about the show that Mike insisted I take this picture. I felt like a goofball zooming in on a stranger but even you who were not with us can see the enthusiasm we wished to capture. (He was not that close to us so I'm sure even if he was looking he would've thought I was just getting the crowd.)

Meet Sue...the largest T-rex skeleton all together.

This is Ava and Isaac Cummings. They were cute together, probably because Ava doesn't understand that certain toys are hers and certain toys are his.

They sat so well for us as we took a ton of pictures. Isaac of course looks adorable and Ava looks like an amazon woman with drool covering her onsie.

"AAAAHHHHH"

"I heart Chicago."