Chicago Science Museum

After picnicing out on the lawn with the seagulls across the street from Lake Michigan we spent the afternoon at the Chicago Science Museum and wished we’d had more time to explore.  The last time I was here was 17 years ago and the exhibits hadn’t changed much since I was a child going with my Dad and brothers in the 1970’s and 1980’s.  But the museum had some major renovations and changes in 1996 and so many things were different now.  Some things I did recognize but there were some displays I missed about the new set up as well.

The kids were enthralled with the Mars Rover when we first walked in.  Robots are huge with Nathan anyway.

There were some exciting displays to  check out. 

Dream big and maybe someday…

This astronaut was on the ceiling over my head so I had to grab a picture.  Lindsay and I tried to imagine what it was like to be in space inside one of these capsules. 

Amazing to see this set up.

Tristan and Nathan pose next to Nathan’s favorite planet; Saturn.  The boys have a model Solar System hanging from their bedroom ceiling these days and Nathan recognized this planet right away.

We moved on to World War II displays; I imagined my grandparents being young men and women back at that time and suddenly got a feeling of how fast time really goes.

There was a submarine; we did not go inside as it cost extra money and we had more than enough left to see.  I have a son who would like to go back and explore inside of it.  We looked at the outside of it as we passed it by and it was huge.

There was an area where eggs hatch and little chicks can be watched during all of the stages of hatching to running around and eating to falling asleep mid-track.  They were so cute and I had several younger children trying to cut through the thick crowds in order to see these little guys.  Adorable.  Tristan now wants chickens in our backyard.

The boys went upstairs to go and check out this airplane.  Rick and I were finding it a little difficult in this part of the museum to keep track of all five kids!  I found myself doing a head count more often than enjoying the exhibits.

Nathan was excited by this train and wanted to go home to find his toy trains again.  Kaitlyn was reminded that her cousin Porter loves trains and went to find a post card to send to him of a train.  On the right this tornado in the middle of the hall got our attention.   

I went to go listen and watch as my older children asked questions and participated in trying to stop the tornado’s rotation.  Tristan and Lindsay stuck together on this venture.
 
Rick found his favorite animal and he stopped to pose with it.  Nathan and Kaitlyn found a cow to climb onto for a picture… that was a lot of fun being “allowed” to climb on something.

The boys got excited about climbing up into a tractor.

Lindsay and Haley marveled at the tire size on one of these things.

This area was a fun hands on place for young ones especially.

Nathan had a lot of fun, especially with the water to the point of being dangerous with it at times.  I tried to keep my distance.  Then Haley took off with my camera since hers had a dead battery and entertained herself quite well in this area but did stop every so often to check out her cute little brother.

Yup!  Haley did have fun with the camera.


There was so much to look at and so much to do and we were running out of time.

Kaitlyn and Nathan pedaling on the left in the water area.  Then Kaitlyn and Lindsay check themselves out in the silly mirrors.

Then the boys discovered the silly mirrors too.  They sure made Kaitlyn laugh.

Haley poses with the cool Slinky that Lindsay found.  The gift shop was a dangerous place for Haley to enter… or maybe it was safe… she had NO spending money left but just a few dollars for dinner on the way home.

Haley’s T-Shirt Wish List VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I will admit that she found some good T-shirts.  In the end she decided to borrow my camera again and take pictures of them since she couldn’t buy them; a creative solution that made her dilemma acceptable to her.

I bought some Rock candy for Nathan and Kaitlyn and surprised them out at the car with it.  After tasting some of Nathan’s I decided that next time I’m going to buy myself some of that candy too.  I’m more of a chocolate person usually but this was YUM!
The museum was near closing and we had a long drive home ahead of us so we said goodbye to Chicago until next time; whenever that may be.  We had a fun time there and it was a nice break to just go and do something fun.

Chicago Temple

On our last day in Chicago we packed up the car and headed out for a day of sightseeing, fun and adventure.  Our first stop of the day was the grounds of the Chicago Temple.  Rick and I haven’t been here since 1995 and since we were so close we wanted to see the temple again and show it to our children.

The grounds are beautiful and serene and we encouraged our children to be so also.

We spent about 45 minutes to an hour here together.  

I tried to get a picture of each of my children and to spend a little time conversing with them individually.  Kaitlyn proved nearly elusive; she didn’t really want her photo taken.

My older children could talk about their own experiences in the temple as they look forward to making their own temple covenants one day.  My younger children could talk to me about what they do know of the temple and I could answer their questions about why the temple is so important to us.  Tristan will be able to go inside the temple in just 2 more years, we realized!

The boys enjoyed time together and Lindsay was contemplative by the fountain as she looked on the temple.

We walked around the outside of the temple and gathered the children at the sign at the entrance for a picture.  We found the dated cornerstone.  I just missed attending this temple as we moved away from Michigan in 1985.  The long temple trips to Washington D.C. from the Detroit area would be no more since Chicago would now serve this need and with so much less distance.  I’m sure a childhood friend or two of mine was married here.  I wouldn’t come here for almost another 10 years after its opening when my brother David and my husband I came to this Temple in October 1994 for the day.  It was my last time seeing David before he went to serve his 2 year mission in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Someday these two young men will visit the temple to make their own promises and covenants as they prepare to serve as Missionaries!!!  Tristan thinks about this being just 9 years away as he approaches his 10th birthday.

Sisters sit together knowing they’ve been blessed by the temple.  I look on that sweet scrunchy smiley face of my youngest child.  LOVE!

We imagined this to be a great place for bridal pictures.  Kaitlyn thought it was a good place for a nap.  And the brothers stuck together like glue.  It makes me think how Tristan always asked where his brother was as a little boy.  I remember telling him at one point I wasn’t sure there was ever going to be any little brother for him.  Our house was tight and so was our budget but then those things don’t really matter.  When Nathan was born Tristan said with a smile “I KNEW I had a little brother.  I was waiting for him.”  The faith of a child!  Brothers and Sisters are the best gift you can give your children and I’m glad I figured out there was “one more.”

My boys held back, on their own I must add, even though this beautiful cherry tree was “a perfect climbing tree… but not at the temple.”  For the most part I think parenthood is one of those things where you have to wait for years and years and years to know if you’ve been successful or not.  On days like this I catch a glimmer that maybe we are moving in the right direction and not doing such a bad job after all.

Rick and I contemplate having been married in the temple as our 18th Wedding Anniversary would approach exactly one week later!  Things change one day at a time and here we are.  We were grateful to have this opportunity to show our children another temple on this day.  Inside or outside, being at the temple is always a good experience.