As you know, we left last Thursday to spend Easter in Chicago. We got in late because apparently we cannot read maps. Either that or we just enjoy taking the long way and then getting lost and then yelling at each other for (1) making us get lost and (2) not turning were the other one said to turn.

So anyway….we were tired. And it was too late to go swimming. So we just went to bed.

On Friday, we decided to check out Navy Pier. We took the train in to the city. This was the first time Justis, Skyler, Spencer and Caleb [and Lee] had ever ridden on a train [subway]. I think they were more excited about riding the train then they were about actually going in to Chicago. It was really quite cute.

If you’ve never been a train, there is a little map above the door that shows each stop and where you can get off to switch to a different line and so forth. So the kids watched that very, very closely and counted down the stops to our destination. This was cute…at first. But they did it EVERY SINGLE TIME we got on the train. After about two train rides, it got a little old. But it kept them happy and entertained so who am I to judge.

We also took a bus in th final leg to Navy Pier. Honestly, I think that was the first time any of the kids [except Justis] have ever ridden on a bus [other then a school bus]. We live such a sheltered life.

After many train rides, some walking and a bus ride….we finally made it to Navy Pier. Then began the mood swings that would be Caleb.

The poor little guy just wants to do everything his big brothers and sister do. Unfortunately, he’s not big enough for all of it. The first thing the “bigger” kids did was ride on the swing ride. Spencer was just barely tall enough to ride this ride. So, of course, Caleb was too short. And man was he mad about that. He went storming off, arms crossed, scowl on his face….occassionally turning around to make sure we were watching him be mad.

After the swings we headed over to the carousel. Caleb was tall enough for the carousel. And he loved it. He started out on a dragon, but that didn’t go up and down. So he switched to a moving horse mid-cycle.

After the carousel we took a turn on the ferris wheel. At the top we got a fantastic view of the lake and all the tall buildings of Chicago.

The bigger kids and Lee decided to play a round of golf…mini-golf. I didn’t think 18 holes of gold would hold Caleb’s attention, so he and I and Grandma Cathy took another spin on the carousel.

Once the carousel ride was over we headed inside so Caleb could jump in the inflatables. It’s amazing how entertaining it can be to just jump up and down in a big inflatable box. The kids just seem to love it. The guy that was supervising one of the inflatables went in to join the kids for a while. After a few minutes he came out sweating like a pig. He goes, “I don’t know how they do that. I think I just lost 10 pounds.”

I think Caleb could have hung out in there for the rest of the day. But I was ready to check on the rest of the family. We found Lee and the rest of the kids on the 15th hole. Mr. Mood Swings, Caleb, was freaking out because he wanted to play golf too. So Lee let him swing at a few balls. He’s no Tiger Woods, but he’s not half bad for a three-year-old.

Following golf, we headed over the rock climbing. Keaton and Justis have climbed rock walls before, but this was Skyler & Spencer’s first time. And Skyler went ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP. I was so impressed. Spencer did a great job too. He didn’t make it to the top, but that’s ok. It was still a lot of fun.

By that point it was getting late and the kids were adament that we must go swimming. So we headed back to mom’s apartment. Poor little Caleb was just pooped from the day’s excitement. He crashed in his seat on the train. But that little cat nap was all he needed to rev him up for some serious swimming.

Caleb has always been a little bit shy when it comes to swimming. But he’s really starting to come out of his shell. By the end of the night he was even putting his face in the water. He told me “likes drowning.” So I guess he equates swimming with your head in the water as drowning. Goofball.

On Saturday, we had plans to go to the aquarium. However when we go there we changed our minds. All I wanted to do in Chicago was go to Shedd’s Aquarium. But there was a line about two miles long to get in. Have you ever stood in a two mile long line with five kids? And a mother/grandmother with bad knees? Yeah, I didn’t want to go that bad. So we headed over to the Field Museum instead.

There are two special exhibits at the Field Museum. There’s the dinosaur exhibit which had tons of dinasaur bones and facts about the different types of dinosaurs. We even got to feel what a dinosaur’s skin felt like and what it’s teeth were like.

The second exhibit was about things that are in the soil. We had to shrink down to insect size to look at all of the stuff. Caleb was a little bit freaked out, but all of the other kids liked it. Check out how big that acorn is compared to the new small versions of the kids:

After we explored the Field Museum we decided to head over to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. On the way there we stopped off at a little fountain to take a breather and check the map to make sure we were heading the right direction. The picture below is a picture of the kids in front of that fountain the day before.

Caleb was getting a little bored so he decided to walk on the ledge around the fountain. Next thing I know I heard him hollering. We all immediately turned around. And there was Caleb…half way in the fountain. Lee grabbed him, but by that point the whole right side of his body was soaked…including his sock and shoe. And he was devasted. Poor guy. He just can’t catch a break.

Even with a wet Caleb we made our way to the Hard Rock Cafe. Caleb held out as long as he could, but he was just to tired. He crashed before his food even got there. The waitress was nice enough to bring us another chair so he could sprawl out while the rest of us ate.

But that was all the rest he needed. After dinner we headed back to Grandma Cathy’s apartment. I got the easter egg coloring ready while everybody else headed down to the pool. When they returned they quickly colored easter eggs before heading off to bed.

On Sunday the kids woke up and discovered that the Easter Bunny had visited the night before. He hid a whole bunch of plastic eggs filled with candy all over Grandma Cathy’s living room. They each took turns searching for one egg at a time. They ended up with about ten eggs each so I think they made out pretty well. Plus the Easter Bunny left them each an Easter basket.

After the Great Easter Egg Hunt, the kids went off to the bedroom to play UK Monopoly with dad. I tried to clean up after the tornado that is my family. And mom [Grandma Cathy] made us a traditional Easter dinner of ham, roast beef, carrots, potatos, green bean casserole and fruit salad. It was very yummy!

Once we finished our meal it was time to head home. We piled everything in the van, said goodbye to mom and headed back home. And we didn’t even get lost this time.