MIDWESTERN TRAVELS

Did I mention that we went to the Mid-West for Thanksgiving?

When I asked Celilo to get dressed up to go on the airplane, she put on her Halloween costume-- mermaid away!
When we got to Chicago Rowan and Aunt Patti had jam session-- all Christmas carols, all the time. Lucky me, I got many to attend another one of Patricia's show (this one sans violinist) with Hilly at the Blue Room while Martha babysat the sleeping beauties. It was so much fun to go out on the town, Patricia did a fabulous show and I felt like a super groupie gone wild, as we got many smiles from the stage.
Celilo and Hilly napped on the dog bed under the grand piano while the tunes continued late into the night.

Next day we went to Grant Park and the Field Museum.

Rowan's favorite color? Same as Coop-- any color as long as it's blue!

Rowan and Celilo playing a version of the game Moutie called "Dominate or Be Dominated" back in the day. Looks to be as much fun as ever!

There was a kiddo corral in the basement of the Field Museum-- Ro was probably twice as old most of the minis in the house, but she didn't seem to notice and had a great time. She and Celilo got dressed up in turtle costumes, then moved throughout the exhibit in slo-mo. Way to live your character!

We went to the once Marshall Fields and wrote letters to Santa. Celilo asked for a violin, Rowan hemmed and hawed, then asked for horse.

Prices were high-- Celilo thought loving the lion was enough to qualify her to take him home. Security begged to differ.
Rowan was impressed by the pegasus and unicorns, but the mama pig was the most snug-able.

Hilary took us to the Bean.

Celilo was thrilled by the E. We could have just ridden the rails all day and she would have chalked the trip up as a great success.

Unfortunately my camera battery died before we got to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving at Granny Goose's. Hilary, the girls and I drove up on Tuesday. Popa and Ginnie met us there. Betsy, Josh, Erik, Tony, Leah, Jake and Bo were there for Thanksgiving dinner-- it was a lot of fun (as well as a lot of food). Grandma taught me how to turn a heel, so I was able to knit my first pair of socks, and it was cold enough that the girls got to go slipping and skating on the ice. When we got back to Chicago for our return flight we had another Thanksgiving Dinner that couldn't be beat with Aunts Martha and Patricia. Martha endeared herself to Celilo forever and always by allowing the 5 year old with the hair fettish to play beauty shop with the professor's flowing mane. We also got to make a quick stop at the Lincoln Park Zoo-- saw them feed the seals, were mere inches of (hopefully very strong) plexiglass away from a yawning lion and learned from a zoo keeper the classic cautionary tale of the gibbons who lost an arm while attempting to grab a chapstick from some yee-haw that was teasing him. It was a whirlwind tour, as they all tend to be. Hilary and Granny were both gracious hosts and we came home tired and pleased.