Chicago 2011!

January 21st we drove down to Chicago for the weekend. Our friends the Woods went too. We stayed at a great hotel right downtown and were within walking distance of all the fun shops on the Magnificent Mile. I thought I had packed mittens for Eleanor, but found that the ball in her coat pocket was actually a pair of socks. While those worked, she wouldn't keep them on. So we bought her a darling pair on clearance at the Gap. She loved those, but of course, wouldn't keep them on either. Oh good. 9 degrees out and she is not only gloveless but sucking on her fingers.
That should help with frostbite.

We persevered in keeping her warm but she seems irritated and confused by the cold. I don't blame her. Luckily we ducked in and out of stores our first night there.

The hotel was so fun. She spent a good half hour looking around every nook and cranny of our new "home". She also thought jumping on the bed was a hoot.

The reason we went to Chicago was to see Wicked. Clayton surprised me with tickets for Christmas! The Woods would watch Eleanor while we did that, so we watched their little one while they went out to dinner and a show the first night. Benson is sooo stinking cute. He and Eleanor played really well together. He would crawl around after her where ever she went. Then she would proceed to maul him with hugs or whatnot.

He's so cute!

Luckily I kept a real close eye on him, and if he did anything dangerous or gross, like say... suck on a knob of a hotel dresser, I was right there to take a picture. Sorry Mandy!The next "morning" (I use the term loosely, we aren't the earliest of risers.) we all went to breakfast at this place called Yolk. Oh my gosh, it was amazing!
Here is little E sucking on some bacon.

This would be my spread. Like, all of it. I only ordered the eggs hollandaise and a banana/nutella crepe, but I seemed to have ended up with about thirty sides.

Eleanor helped as best she could.

Benson enjoyed bananas.

Later that day we got to go see our musical! Here is Clayton, what a good sport!

And big ol' me! Would you like to know that I have been pregnant each and every time we have visited Chicago together?

I was so excited! I read the book about ten years ago and have had the soundtrack for at least 5 years. So I was very
ready to finally see this show!

It was incredible! There was enough different from the book and enough left off of the soundtrack to give me a few surprises in the storyline. I loved it and Clayton enjoyed it too.
Musicals aren't really his thing.

Back at the hotel, Eleanor had ways of keeping occupied. Like wearing daddy's shoes while watching Mickey Mouse Club House.

Her awesome "smile".

And then trying on mom's shoes for a more feminine look.

Benson, being as cute as ever.

That night we went out for awesome food: pasta, Italian beef sandwiches, sushi, cheesecake and of course chicken nuggets. We played cards at the hotel room and Mandy introduced me to mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Have you tried them yet? The new teeny tiny ones? They're awesome! No wrappers! A better chocolate to peanut butter ratio! Sooo goood! Moving on.

Eleanor enjoyed playing with her Christmas toys Woody and Jesse while we checked out of the hotel.

And we finally managed to get a group shot right before we left. It was sooo much fun!

P.S. Clayton finally got to see his all time favorite piece of art. Picasso's The Old Guitarist. We've tried twice before to see it at the Art Institute of Chicago, but once it was on loan and once they were renovating the modern wing. Third time's a charm!
P.S. #2. I use "sooo" a few too many times in this post, but I really mean it!