Vacation Time

Last month we took an adventurous family vacation to Sheridan, IL. We went to the same resort last year and had a good time, so we figured we would give it another try.

On the first day of our vacation we stopped off again at the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, IN. The girls enjoyed the train ride and our trip this year wasn't cut short by an impending thunderstorm, so we were able to see some parts of the zoo that we didn't get to last year. Mia's favorite spot was the prairie dogs. She plopped herself on the ground and watched them eat their lunch. I think she would have stayed there for an hour if we had let her.

On Sunday, we had a lazy day and enjoyed the mini-golf course at the resort in Sheridan and hit up a local park. The day was capped off with a movie night and some good treats.

On Monday, we headed north to Rockford, IL to visit their science/children's museum. Once we got past all the 'boring' science exhibits and made it to the younger section, the kids had a blast. I think we could have dropped Amelia off at opening and dragged her out at closing. We hope to make a return visit next year. In fact, the girls were asking about when they could return to that museum the rest of the vacation. The cutest exhibit was the auto mechanic shop where kids could change the oil, replace a rusty muffler, and other basic maintenance.

On Tuesday, we headed to Brookfield Zoo. We went last year and weren't planning on going back; however Allison kept talking about it all year, especially the polar bears. As we approached the exit for the zoo we noticed a billboard for the zoo that said "Kids Free Day" and listed some dates. We were really hoping that it wasn't for that day. I would have very gladly paid for a child's ticket, especially since we already bought three tickets on Ebay.  We arrived just as the zoo was opening and the lot was already filling up, so we knew we had come on one the kids free day.

The zoo was a complete madhouse! By the time we got to the penguin house, I think there were well over 100 strollers parked outside that building alone. Luckily the zoo is so big that it helped spread the crowds out.  Allison loved the dolphins and Amelia loved her shadow.

Allison had been saving up her money to buy a souvenir at the zoo. I thought for sure she would have picked out something polar bear related; however she was drawn to the pink penguin and was very proud that she bought it herself (with a little help from Mom and Dad).

On Wednesday, we had a low-key day and hung out at the resort. The girls loved the pool and Amelia really gained some confidence when it came to swimming.  We played lots of games and taught the kids how to play Uno, Twister, and Skipbo (or HIPPO as Amelia yelled out when she drew a Skipbo card).

On Thursday, rain forced us to change our plans of going to a children's garden, so we hit up the DuPage Children's Museum in Naperville, IL instead. I was hoping that if we arrived after lunch and during naptime, we would miss some of the crowds; however it was so busy. It was total sensory overload. 

On Friday, we relaxed at the resort. Luckily the cooler weather held off since they were predicating mid-60's. However, it did get up to the mid-70's so we were able to go to the outdoor pool one more time. We also took a trip in town to play at a local playground and get some ice-cream treats. We stopped off at a roadside attraction that we always had to drive past. It was in honor of those that survived the "agricultural crash" of the 1980s. 

We had a great trip. It was much more relaxing than last year. We only made one idle threat to pack up and head home, where last year, there were several times that Brian and I debated about actually doing so.  It helped that the girls were older and they weren't waking up at 5:30 am. On the drive home we already started planning next year's trip. Watch out Lake Geneva, WI, here we come!