Chicago

Yesterday I took Jonas to Chicago.  This was a decision that was not made easily.  It is also one of those things I would not normally do.  I thought Jonas would like taking the train and I really wanted to go to Chicago while I was up here.  Chicago is probably one of my favorite places.  I do not even care that it is cold there.  So we got up early and headed to the train station.  Jonas was only worried that the train might go under dark tunnels.  Even though I assured him many times that we would not he was not easily convinced.  Once we got to the train station, got our tickets, and got on the train Jonas was good to go and no worries what so ever.  We sat on the upper level of the train.  I let Jonas pick but I was happy with his decision!  He was excellent on the train ride and sat there happily while looking out the window at all the snow.  As we approached Chicago he got more and more excited.  He told me he LOVED that train.  We got off the train and met up with my cousin Amy and her husband Craig.  We got lunch first and then headed out to the Museum of Science and Industry.  It took a little bit of trial and error to find which bus would get us there and the best way to pay for it.  I was a little nervous about taking the bus because I have NEVER ridden a city bus before.  Jonas wanted to ride the 'L' because it was a train and that is what I had told him we would ride but it did not get us to the museum without having to do a LOT of walking.  Jonas loved the bus.  He thought it was great and made friends with all of the 'nice' people on it.  We got to ride by the Sears Tower and the Trump building.  We also saw the lake and the Chicago River.  We got to the museum and waited in a VERY long line but it did not take too long.  The first thing we saw was a gigantic and gorgeous Christmas tree and then right after that a HUGE train engine.  Jonas was in awe from the second we got in to the second we left.  We saw the trains, the baby chicks, the huge submarine, the space section, the food court, the toy maker, and the YOU experience.  We were going to see what Jonas would look like 30 years from now but the line was too long for our 3 year old attention span to wait.  Jonas had a blast.  We loved hanging with our tour guides, Amy and Craig.  We got back on the bus and walked to the train station.  We got our ticket and headed back home.  Jonas got two souvenirs.  I bought him a wax mold train and at the train station he got a railroad crossing pin from a real conductor.  He thought that was pretty cool.  The conductor even saluted him.  Jonas was a chatter box the whole way home on the train ride and then zonked out in the car almost instantly.  We got home and he went straight to bed.  What a day!!!