Chicago, Day One

For the record, the first day of our trip went like this: Mr. Ouiser and I went to the dentist. Mr. Ouiser got the good hygienist. I got the sadist. Mr. Ouiser got a haircut. Then we hit the road. We stopped to eat in Bowling Green, and I made the monumental mistake of getting a latte at Starbucks. In case you're wondering, T is not over his aversion to dairy. He blew chunks. We drove to Lebanon, Indiana that day. While we didn't eat dinner there, I wish we had. The cutest little restaurant ever was there. I passed it when I ventured out to buy goggles for S. How I remembered her kickboard and forgot her goggles I'll never know. The whole downtown was cute, and the geographer in me desperately wanted to tool around the town square. I did not. Goggles are paramount. Seriously.

The next morning we made it to Chicago and were blessed with an early check-in. We walked to Pizzeria Uno where I continued the assault on my son's digestive system by partaking of the scrumptious deep dish.

Then we headed to American Girl Place. Part of the reason that we chose to visit Chicago was a desire to take S to this store. It's like Disney. She was in heaven from the second we walked through the revolving doors. Of course, nineteen seconds in, the camera battery died. M dutifully found an outlet and proceeded to sit down with T for two hours while we stole power from American Girl. I think we paid them back, though. S got a new doll. She shocked me by choosing one of the My American Girl dolls instead of Kanani, who she has been obsessed with via catalog. What seemed like a hundred years later, she and I went to tea. It is one of my favorite memories of vacation. Her new doll, Skating Mahoney*, and her Bitty Baby doll, Mary*, were seated on either side of her. She had pink lemonade in a tea cup. I had forty-three cups of coffee. We had lots of goodies. Scones. Fruit. Tea sandwiches. Strawberry Mousse. Chocolate and sprinkle covered marshmallows. And we played "Table Topics." I wouldn't trade that tea date with my girl for anything. I think I'll remember it forever, and I hope that she will.

After that we headed back to the hotel. S showed off her wicked swimming moves. T froze. Then we went to bed. It was a very good day.

*Skating Mahoney is truly what my daughter named her doll. Originally, she called her Skating Melissa. Then she called her Sarah. Then Skating Mahoney stuck like glue. Mahoney is the name of Natalie Portman's character in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. The "Skating" part is because she chose an ice skating outfit for the doll. Mary is named after the mother of Jesus. She got her at Christmas and was mildly obsessed with the Virgin Mary at the time. You cannot make this stuff up, people. My life is an absolute riot.