Fall Break in Chicago

The week before Halloween was fall break. Since the girls didn't have school but Brian had to work, we compromised. We all headed up to Chicago for the week. I was nervous about the space constraints in Brian's small studio apartment, but it worked out well. Greta slept in the closet, and Elsa and Ava slept on an inflatable mattress. We had a fabulous time. Brian's apartment is in a great location next to the river with great views of downtown Chicago and a couple of blocks away from the Blommer Chocolate Factory. In the mornings, we would open the windows and inhale the chocolate aroma. (We also made a couple of trips to the factory for purchases.) Elsa and Ava loved looking at the big buildings and watching the boat tours below. We spent the week enjoying many Chicago sites. It was a lot colder than what we were used to, but the girls bundled up and enjoyed themselves. They were troopers with all the walking we did.

We went to Rain Forest Cafe (a must for Elsa and Ava). They love the volcano dessert with sparklers, the jungle animals, and balloon animals that were made for them. We also went to Ed Debevics, an old-fashioned hamburger diner. Our waiter, Biscuit, teased Elsa and Ava by calling them stinky face and cry babies. Ava quickly retorted by telling him that he had a stinky diaper and eats crabby patties. The waiters and waitresses danced and sang on the tables. It was funny until Biscuit stuck his butt in my face. Ooh Gross (as Ava would say)! We also went to Navy Pier, the Children's Museum, The Lego store, and ate hot fudge sundaes at Giradelli. Most of all we just enjoyed walking around and taking in the big city feel of Chicago. It reminded me of when we lived in Boston. I made a couple of trips to the market with all three girls in tow. I got mixed responses. People either stopped to admire the girls or gave me disgusted looks as they passed. As I said, it totally reminded me of Boston. Greta was so easy-going on this trip. She was carted all over with little complaint. My only complaint is that she hasn't slept through the night since we've been back. Traveling always throws us off schedule. It was worth it though. The girls had so much fun and can't wait to go back. It has made them even more excited to move there. Now we just need to sell our house!
The view from Brian's apartment.