The Chicago Adventure with Mommy & Me

Guest Post by Jackson.

This weekend Mommy and I went on an adventure to Chicago. She got together with some high school friends, and I played with Ms. Jenny's kids, Ryan, Rachel, Colin, Katie and Baby Megan. Mr. Pete got us dinner, we had a dance party with a disco ball and strobe light, and then we all slept on the boys' floor. The next morning because it was rainy outside, we stayed and played some more, and then at lunch time we headed to Chicago.

At first I thought Chicago was one tall building, but mommy said there were LOTS of tall buildings. Then I saw them. They were tall.

I had lots of questions, so before we went to our hotel, Mommy drove us to the lake, I saw lots of boats, we saw a place Mommy said was Navy Pier, and it looked fun!

When we got to our hotel, and mommy was talking to the man at the desk, this pretty lady started talking to me. (She worked at the hotel, so wasn't a stranger). She was nice and eventually gave me this UglyDoll. I named him Pretzel.



Our room was very big and nice. It had a giant TV that can spin, a big fluffy bed, and my favorite part, this chair thing.



After we were in our room for a little while, I told Mommy I was ready to go on the train. She said we needed a place to GO, so I picked that Navy Pier place that looked fun. Here I am on the Pink line El. It is up by the roofs of buildings.

The Pink Line did not get us far, so we had to switch trains. This time it was a subway one. We went down the stairs to the street, then down a bunch more stairs under the ground. I told Mommy it was like a submarine, but not in water.

(Mommynote: This el stop was under construction.
This isNOT what the true stops look like.)

Mommy said that after we got off the El, there was a BUS that would take us to Navy Pier. We finally asked another nice lady at a hotel (Mommy could not remember which street our bus was on) and we got on the bus to Navy Pier.

By the time we got there, it was really sunny and warmer. Warm enough to go on a boat ride! This man told Mommy how to do it, let me have a free ticket, and gave me a First Mate Hat! People in Chicago were soooo nice to Mommy and me!!

Here I am getting on the boat.

And waiting for the boat to leave the dock.

Once we got off the boat (which after a few minutes I thought was kind of boring - that boat goes SLOW - but Mommy liked it.), they had a Thomas Train. I got to drive it.

Navy Pier has lots to do. There was a Ferris Wheel, flying swings, a carousel, and some water I was not allowed to walk in. I did not want to ride the Ferris Wheel.

Instead we played golf. Mommy did pretty well. I did better.

After golf, we were getting hungry. I rode Thomas one more time, and we got on a bus to go back to where the tall buildings were. At first I thought I was so tired that we should take our food back to our hotel, but then I saw the Rain Forest Cafe and decided to eat there.

We got to sit next to the aquarium. I did not "care for" (Mommy says that is the good manners way to say it) their mac n cheese so had little hot dogs instead. Mommy got some ice cream for dessert. They put a candle in it and sang Happy Birthday to her. I was sad because there was chocolate on the ice cream, and I wanted my own. Between trains on the way back, Mommy found a place to get me 'banilla in a cone. It is my favorite.

I was not so tired after the ice cream, and had fun with my new favorite chair.

In the morning I had breakfast there that Mommy brought from home while I watched Sponge Bob on the really big spinning TV, and the trains coming to the tracks outside.

After we got dressed, we took two more trains and went to church. After church we took another train, still the red one, on our way to Mommy's friends house. We had to walk quite a way still, but Mommy said she knew this neighborhood, and passed a church she used to go to while I was still living with God. Good thing, too, because I had to go potty really bad, and she knew where the potty was in the church!

Our friends live in an apartment, but it is bigger than our house. We went to brunch with them, but did not take any pictures.

I decided not to go to the zoo, but wanted to go to the place that had the water where I could play. We took another bus and went to the Nike Store. I got new shoes.

When we got off that bus, a cowboy was doing rope tricks. Mommy gave me a money to put in his box, so he did some tricks and then took a picture with me.

After riding another bus, we finally got to the place I really wanted to be - the park with the water. They also have this giant metal shiny thing. People call it The Bean.

Then came my favorite part - the water. There were two big walls that had faces on them. Sometimes water rained down from them, and sometimes it sprayed out of the mouth of the face. I ran and splashed.

It was fun, but the water was cold.

After I dried off and got my clothes back on, Mommy and I got new shirts. She got a hat too, and I got a book mark.

We took a taxi car back to the hotel. I did not have to have a booster or buckle up. It did not take long to get back.

We got to the hotel, got our bags and our car and headed home.

I love Chicago. It is a fun place. I told Mommy this morning that I want to live there.

"Ding Dong. Doors closing."

Adventure

Jackson and I are getting set for a little trip and adventure this weekend. My unofficial 20 year high school reunion is tomorrow night, so we are headed back to the burbs.

Since my birthday is Sunday, I am going to keep Jackson for the weekend, and Springfield seems to be in turmoil, I thought it would be a good and fun opportunity to introduce Jackson again to The City.

He was downtown once when he was 3 months old and experienced the great Water Tower area. I still remember the looks on the faces of the people at the little Italian place right in the Older Tower plaza area when my friend Little Margaret and I showed up at 7 PM on a Saturday night, pushing the stroller, and requested a table for the three of us. This is a place where we stopped for appetizers between my friends' wedding at Holy Name Basilica and the reception at the Four Season- Not the place you take an infant on Saturday night. Did not deter us. And by the end of the night, we have numerous people approaching our table commenting on what a cute and great baby he was/is.

That was also the same trip we got in the elevator, joining 3 or so 20 somethings dressed to the 9s, heading for a night on the town. My adorable 3 month old lit up and I swear started flirting with them. He IS his father's child.

I have lots planned: CTA bus and el routes and schedules. Shedd Aquarium schedules. Water Taxi from Shedd to Navy Pier. Perhaps dinner at Dick's Last Resort, hopefully with Little Margaret. Brunch on Sunday with my friends and their two children whose wedding is mentioned above, and then off to Lincoln Park Zoo.

Jax will get to experience all modes of public transportation in The City. Bus to Shedd. Water Taxi to Navy Pier. Likely cab to Dicks. El back to the hotel, unless my maternal fear is too great to take my precious cargo on the el after dark. El to Belmont for Sunday Brunch. Not sure about the to and from the zoo, maybe walk from brunch.

I have packed lots of little bags of snacks, a baggie of cereal for each of us for Sunday AM, a couple of juice boxes and a couple of bottles of water; my camera, and I found a brand new, disposable camera for Jackson to use.

We are staying at the W City Center, a place that fancies itself one of the chic hotels in The City. It was my home away from home for awhile in my old life when I typically spent several nights a week downtown for work. My boyfriends roommate managed the bar, and it is right by the loop el.

Excitement has filled our house. Jax has told anyone and everyone he can find that he and mommy are going to Chicago tomorrow.

Wish us luck. I hope the trip lives up to at least a fraction of my dreams! Hopefully we can post a photo journal of our trip when we return.

Expectations

My facebook post a little bit ago was "My world is spinning on a broken axis."

For the past 6+ days, I have been battling strange emotions I could not quite identify. I think the common thread is behavior or occurrences contrary to my expectations.

There are some major things - a woman who has been one of my closest friends in Springfield since I was pregnant with Jackson was arrested on Friday for fraud and embezzlement from her former employer. Apparently this has been going on for the entire time I have known her. And she has been convicted and served time for a similar crime in the past.

Several friends have contemplated or participated in cyber affairs with a former boyfriend, all parties are married. One did not do it. One did it and came clean and is making amends with her husband, and one is getting divorced.

I had a major falling out with my mother over apparent expectations we had for each other.

Scott and I are struggling a bit over my expectations of him.

I have issues at work with employees letting me down, way below my expectations. And I have a feeling that my boss feels the same way about me, but I also expect that if she does, she should tell me (which is exactly what I did with one employee today).

I am also very very much struggling with my own expectations of myself. The house is a mess. The bills have not been paid in a month. I am behind at work, and don't have the drive to work late to catch up. I expect more from myself.

I am not sure where the magic switch is to turn things right in the world. I am trying to tell myself it is me just adjusting to the new course of hormones. I just don't know.

Things I do know:

• I am blessed to have my beautiful little man who never fails to meet my expectations, and does not hold me to too great of standards.
• God has blessed me with a great prayer/support group, and sent Lisa to visit in just the right time.
• I am looking forward to my unofficial 20 year college reunion Friday night.
• We are having fun planning Jackson's 4th birthday.

And one request: If you do pray, please pray for my friend John Ross' father and family who is on life support and not expected to live; my friends' and all marriages that may be struggling; for Rachel, that she finds help and can come to terms with the choices she has made in her life; and for Randy and her father who have to be the most hurt by such a terrible surprise.

"Come, Holy Spirit, Come"