Chicago- Day 2

Our agenda for the second day was much simpler than the first day. We had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, where I failed miserably at an attempt to compromise with Leah. I told her she could wear her hair any way she wanted if she would wear the shirt I picked out. Her hairstyle choice was "long", and she pulled the clips out of her hair 5 minutes after I put them in, hence the abundance of scraggly hair pictures. I tried.

While trying to find our way around town Leah and I hopped out of the car to check out the "El" and get some Dunkin' Donuts. Sadly, they weren't that good. I guess my tastes have changed since high school, when I last had easy access to Dunkin Donuts. (and on a completely un-Chicago-related side note, they do not sell Stephens hot chocolate in Indiana! Sad, sad day.)We found our way to the Shedd Aquarium - which was tricky since the Chicago marathon was going on that morning and a lot of the roads were closed.Adam fell asleep in my arms as soon as we got to the aquarium, and I ended up holding him for 2 hours while he slept! I didn't have any of my many slings or wraps with me, and my arms were so achy when he finally woke up! Both kids still had plenty of time in the stroller, though. We just loaded Adam up on goldfish crackers and popcorn and he was set! (I hope I don't actually have to say this, but yes, that was a joke.)
The aquarium was amazing. We saw dolphins, beluga whales, sting rays, penguins, and lots of sharks.
After the aquarium, a drive along Lake Michigan, and a quick stop at some yacht club for "potty!" we headed to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner. Again, not as amazing as it was when I was younger, but it was great seeing it through Leah's eyes.
All in all, the trip was great. It was so good getting away from school, the house, phones, and the computer to just spend time together as a family. And I think it really helped with Adam's home-bodiness. He is happier in the carseat now, and has started only waking up once a night to eat during a 12 hour stretch. Amazing!
And for anyone who has actually made it to the end of this post, I will reward you by telling you that the two pictures I posted were clues to two of my family's favorite movies. The first picture of the Chicago Sun-Times represents Never Been Kissed, and the second picture is of the Illinois welcome sign. It says "The Land of Lincoln" and represents That Thing You Do. Were you close?