Last Saturday, 4 1/2 yo C (here on referred to as "Urban Kid 1") and I ventured down to the Art Institute. Urban Kid 1 has been doing an art class at a wonderful place called The Paintbrush lately, where she's learned about lots of famous artists. She now recognizes Monet's "Water Lillies," Grant Wood's "American Gothic" and several others. AIC is having Free February, and Urban Dad could stay home with Urban Kid 2. So while we didn't relish the crowds, you take your opportunities where you get them!
We used the Art Institute's website to make a list of what we wanted to see. UK1 loves Mary Cassatt's "The Bath," so we made sure to include that on the list. The printout included thumbnails of the art as well as locations. Once we got there, after a loooooong wait at coatcheck, we grabbed a map and planned our tour.
I had a Proud Mommy Moment when UK1 looked at one painting and said, "it's from Pablo Picasso!" The guy next to us just stared at her. When I asked, "Why do you think that?" he physically bent at the waist to hear her. I think she said something like, "It looks like a person, but doesn't really." She did the same in another room when she recognized a Jackson Pollock. Rock On, BabyLove! Rock ON!
So yeah, The Paintbrush is my Shameless Plug this week for any fellow Chicagoans. Check them out at http://www.thepaintbrush.net/.
Oh! We even saw a marriage proposal! Not a dry (female) eye in the room!
A sidenote -- UK1's last two haircuts have been well...BAD. Poor little cutie has been sporting a near mullet lately! I realized that we were just two short blocks from my fantastic hairdresser, so I boldly called her. She had time just as we were planning to get out of AIC! So we waited for several days to get our coats back from coatcheck, then dashed over to State & Monroe. Lee fixed her up in 5 short minutes and told us to never take her back to whoever did this tragedy of tresses! God love 'er, she wouldn't even charge us!
Days like this brighten up winter. For a moment, I stop asking, "why do we live HERE?" like I tend to do at this time of year.
Showing posts with label Shameless Plugs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shameless Plugs. Show all posts
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
Las Vegas
Ahhhh, the joys of travel with kids! Actually, it was really a very nice trip. I have few complaints and am VERY glad that we did it.
First, my mom -- aka: Best Namma Ever -- flew up to Chicago in order to drive back to St. Louis with me and the two munchkins. I planned to drive to StL on my own, but she worries. And why stay at home worrying when she can get out and do something instead! And why turn down an extra set of hands?
The next day, we all loaded up and drove to StL. Then the munchkins got baths and were off to bed. I didn't sleep. When you know that you HAVE to get up REALLY EARLY and that you CANNOT mess it up, it makes for a restless night. Sharing a bed with a 4-year-old who seems to dream that she is a badmitton-playing windmill doesn't help.
So it was up at an ungodly hour and off to the airport for an 8am flight. The goodbyes to little 13-month-old J went more smoothly than I thought, and C & I were off for our adventure. After getting into line for the wrong SWA flight (note to self: there are multiple planes leaving for Vegas simultaneously!), we got our bearings. We colored, watched Dora videos and snoozed the rest of our way there.
Wow, what a town! This big-city girl was momentarily mezmerized by the signage. Ok, I was momentarily mezmerized by the "Thunder From Down Under" signage.
We connected with our friends who had flown out earlier directly from Chicago, plus our friends that we were out there to visit and headed over to Circus Circus for the Adventuredome. What fun! An indoor amusement park for kiddies. The kids rode airplanes, a ferris wheel, a roller coaster, played mini-golf, and still only saw a fraction of the place. C & I did not get to the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier this year, so it was a real gift to be able to enjoy the Adventuredome.
Later, we went to a show featuring a guy named Popovitch and his trained dogs and cats. Yes, trained cats. Don't ask. I don't know. But the kids dug it, so who cares?
While out there, we also went to see the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. Ohhhh, how the homeschool mom in me wanted to break out! But we were on vacation. Just watch and enjoy. Let her punch in the numbers that she wants for the displays that she wants on her little audio guide thingy. And she and her little buddy who lives out there lingered for a looooong time over the touch-pool. Good fun.
We also wandered through the garden at the Bellagio, which had a Chinese New Year theme. Pretty.
That night, we got a sitter. How did our hostess find a sitter who would take 3 4-year-olds? Again, I don't know. But she did beautifully. All three were zonked out when we got home. If she had a bottle of Benadryl in her purse, I wouldn't blame here... In the meantime, the grown-ups went to see Cirque du Soleil's Mystere. A friend of mine had never seen any Cirque du Soleil's before and knew nothing about what she was getting into. It was a treat to sit with someone who was beyond astonished at what she was seeing! Also, there were taiko drummers in this show, something that I have always loved. I'd love to see O, the water-based one -- a reason to plan another trip, I suppose!
One day, we took the kids for a hike and a frolic in the hot tub at home. Burn off that energy, kiddies. Burn it off!
Details on the trip back home to Chicago tomorrow (via StL to pick up little J from Best Namma Ever). But it was great to get out of the winter weather for a while and shake off a few doldrums in a colorful, fun place with colorful, fun friends!
Haven't done a shameless plug lately, something that I'd like to do somewhat regularly. Here's the link for the Cirque du Soleil that we saw: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/mystere/mystere-Las-Vegas.htm
Maybe I'll get ambitious tomorrow and try to post an actual picture of something!
First, my mom -- aka: Best Namma Ever -- flew up to Chicago in order to drive back to St. Louis with me and the two munchkins. I planned to drive to StL on my own, but she worries. And why stay at home worrying when she can get out and do something instead! And why turn down an extra set of hands?
The next day, we all loaded up and drove to StL. Then the munchkins got baths and were off to bed. I didn't sleep. When you know that you HAVE to get up REALLY EARLY and that you CANNOT mess it up, it makes for a restless night. Sharing a bed with a 4-year-old who seems to dream that she is a badmitton-playing windmill doesn't help.
So it was up at an ungodly hour and off to the airport for an 8am flight. The goodbyes to little 13-month-old J went more smoothly than I thought, and C & I were off for our adventure. After getting into line for the wrong SWA flight (note to self: there are multiple planes leaving for Vegas simultaneously!), we got our bearings. We colored, watched Dora videos and snoozed the rest of our way there.
Wow, what a town! This big-city girl was momentarily mezmerized by the signage. Ok, I was momentarily mezmerized by the "Thunder From Down Under" signage.
We connected with our friends who had flown out earlier directly from Chicago, plus our friends that we were out there to visit and headed over to Circus Circus for the Adventuredome. What fun! An indoor amusement park for kiddies. The kids rode airplanes, a ferris wheel, a roller coaster, played mini-golf, and still only saw a fraction of the place. C & I did not get to the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier this year, so it was a real gift to be able to enjoy the Adventuredome.
Later, we went to a show featuring a guy named Popovitch and his trained dogs and cats. Yes, trained cats. Don't ask. I don't know. But the kids dug it, so who cares?
While out there, we also went to see the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. Ohhhh, how the homeschool mom in me wanted to break out! But we were on vacation. Just watch and enjoy. Let her punch in the numbers that she wants for the displays that she wants on her little audio guide thingy. And she and her little buddy who lives out there lingered for a looooong time over the touch-pool. Good fun.
We also wandered through the garden at the Bellagio, which had a Chinese New Year theme. Pretty.
That night, we got a sitter. How did our hostess find a sitter who would take 3 4-year-olds? Again, I don't know. But she did beautifully. All three were zonked out when we got home. If she had a bottle of Benadryl in her purse, I wouldn't blame here... In the meantime, the grown-ups went to see Cirque du Soleil's Mystere. A friend of mine had never seen any Cirque du Soleil's before and knew nothing about what she was getting into. It was a treat to sit with someone who was beyond astonished at what she was seeing! Also, there were taiko drummers in this show, something that I have always loved. I'd love to see O, the water-based one -- a reason to plan another trip, I suppose!
One day, we took the kids for a hike and a frolic in the hot tub at home. Burn off that energy, kiddies. Burn it off!
Details on the trip back home to Chicago tomorrow (via StL to pick up little J from Best Namma Ever). But it was great to get out of the winter weather for a while and shake off a few doldrums in a colorful, fun place with colorful, fun friends!
Haven't done a shameless plug lately, something that I'd like to do somewhat regularly. Here's the link for the Cirque du Soleil that we saw: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/mystere/mystere-Las-Vegas.htm
Maybe I'll get ambitious tomorrow and try to post an actual picture of something!
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