Monthly Archives: April 2016

Trip to Chicago

A few weeks ago, Isaac and his school band went to Chicago to play a special performance in the Chicago’s Symphony Center.  We drove separately as we didn’t want to ride the bus and he didn’t want us tagging along separately.  So, we made a family-1 affair of it and had a lot of fun touring around Chicago seeing the sites and having a great time!

At Willis Tower
At Willis Tower

At Willis Tower

At Willis Tower

We did stay in the same hotel as the band…The Palmer House Hilton in downtown, right near Millennium Park.  The hotel is listed as an historical landmark and I can see why…it is a beautiful hotel and well worth the experience!  I loved being able to step outside and see the “L” pass by.  We could walk to almost everything.  I especially love that part.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza!
Chicago Deep Dish Pizza!

We had Chicago deep-dish pizza the first night at Giordano’s.  I typically do not like deep-dish as all of the bread wears me out but it was a cool ambiance and the flavor was really great!  I especially loved to start off with a Chicago staple as well!  I know Jon Stewart gave Trump a hard time about eating New York pizza with a fork, but with deep-dish, we had no choice!

20160401_113055 20160401_192446 20160401_113153

Abigail, Emily’s parents and I braved the Sky Deck in the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower).  The Sky Deck is a set of glass push-outs near the top of the building where visitors can step out into what seems like thin air at 1353 feet up!  It was really neat to do and the views were simply amazing.  To me, the Sky Deck was so high up that it didn’t feel like a scary thing at all.  It was sort of like flying in a plane…I think 100 feet would have been more scary.  Anyhow, it was worth the trip.  We bought a City Pass there which gave access to a lot of the cool exhibits throughout the city and saved us a lot of money.

20160331_193909 20160401_100410 20160401_200128

We walked around in the cool air a number of days and nights and saw Calder’s Flamingo, Cloud Gate (aka the “Bean”), and the Chicago Board of Trade.  Really, Chicago is a fantastic city to visit.  We took in the Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.  There is just so much in Chicago and it is a shame we didn’t have  a lot more time to really take in more of the city.  We spent some time seeing Van Gogh’s work in the Art Institute but that was only the tip of the ice berg of the famous works that are housed there.  We saw American Gothic and Nighthawks and A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.  We saw Monets and Picassos and works of the ancients.  It is truly a remarkable collection which I would like to further explore.

20160401_200517 20160402_153311 IMG_6485

Finally, we did get a chance to actually lay eyes on Isaac and his his fantastic band play fantastic pieces in a fantastic hall!  I think they were all so very proud to play and their love of music was quite evident!  I so enjoy seeing Isaac and everyone in the band in tuxeudos / formal dresses and I am very proud of the hard work that led them to be able to play at this venue.

20160402_140749

Even though it snowed while we were in Chicago, it was a marvelous trip and one I would love to repeat!

 

Another teen in the wild

Earlier this month, Abigail, my precious little baby, had another birthday.  It was a big one…the big thirteen!  My adorable baby has turned into…a teenager!

In Chicago on her birthday
In Chicago on her birthday

I do not know if I am lucky or what, but aside from first thing in the morning 🙂 , Abigail is an absolute joy.  We were out of state on her birthday so didn’t get to properly celebrate, but we will remedy that this weekend.

Like most teens, she loves to listen to music and see movies, but where she really shines, I think, is that she is capable of and really enjoys thinking about all sorts of interesting subjects.  She has opinions on politics and the future, and the world around us and can elucidate her thoughts very well.  I always say that I don’t think I ever progressed, mentally, beyond age 13, but then I see how mature Abigail is, and I think I over-estimated my mental age.  She makes me so proud and I am happy to welcome another teenager into the world!