I'm Wicked through and through!

We made it home from Chicago in one piece, and loved every minute of it. It all started out at the Memorial day parade in Maumee, where we got tons of candy (way too much candy) and a couple of little flags for the kids to wave (we didn't realize at the time what a hit these would prove to be). We were then off to the windy city (and it was), where we hoped to run into Oprah, or maybe Michael Jordan.

After 3 hours of candy in the car, we finally arrived to the craziness of Chicago traffic. After much 'discussion' and a few tears, we decided to go to the beach and park to join half of Chicago in Memorial Day lounging and secondhand smoke. It was fun, though, and Shaun made a few friends, and kicked one of their soccer balls into the lake. Time to leave.

Back on the road, we soon found our fancy, very expensive hotel (actually 2 star, $0.06 hotel). After fast food, Steve and Shaun went to see Speed Racer, while me and the other 2 bummed around downtown Melrose Park. We thought about going into the horse racing stadium across the street, but thought that we might get addicted. After the movie, we went back to the hotel, got some good sleep, until 5:30 am when everyone decided that we should be awake and wake up the rest of the town. Lets just say, Nathan can be loud.

Tuesday was full of 'L' train riding, trying to figure out where the heck we were, and walking to the Field Museum. We forgot the stroller, so Nathan either walked or was carried the entire trip. which makes for slow moving. We borrowed our friend's museum pass (thanks again, Kenna) and got in free. It was fun, but I think that it was a little too old for the kids, and I was starting to feel not great, so we didn't stay for too long. We then grabbed some lunch, then back on the L to go back to the car and off to the new hotel. This hotel was a really expensive ($39) and actually really nice. We walked into the room, to find fluffy down comforters, and tons of pillows, and a flat panel TV. We felt fancy. We then went swimming for a bit, and then it was off for a girl's night out on the town.

So Rachel and I, in our fanciest clothes (unfortunately, not that fancy), went and jumped back on the L to go see Wicked. We found it with time to spare, and pushed through the crowd to get to our awesome seats (not the very last row of the balcony, but the second to last. I actually think the last would've been better, because then Rachel could've stood on her seat to see better).

When the show started, Rachel couldn't believe that the dragon at the top of the stage moved, and she was pretty scared. Then the music started, and she was in heaven. She loved Popular, and laughed a lot at the way Galinda moved and danced. It was hilarious. Rachel sang along quietly to a lot of the songs, and was completely enthralled... for a while. She then started getting pretty restless, and said that she wanted to go home and see Daddy and Shaun. We stayed, and she fell asleep on my lap soon after intermission. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing, and wish I had someone to share it with, but it was probably better that nobody saw me balling my eyes out at the end. I felt sorry for the couple next to me, because they really had no idea what they were getting themselves into when they chose their seats online, right next to the smallest child in the theatre, and her sobbing, pregnant mother.

When Rachel came to, everyone was standing and cheering, and she knew she had made it to the end. We then went back to the L, past the 2 homeless guys in the station, and then onto the safety of the train. We met some very interesting people on the way home, and everyone thought Rachel was adorable. She fell asleep on my lap again, and I hummed quietly to myself the rest of the way to the car (I thought I couldn't get the music out of my head before). I really had such a wonderful time, and loved, loved, loved the show. It was everything I hoped it would be, and so much different than I expected. I will go see it again, and next time, I'll take Steve along, too.

On the way home the next day, we asked Rachel what her favorite part of the trip was, and she said "Well, it was before we left on the trip, and we went to the parade, and got my new flag." You mean to tell me that we could have stayed at home, and you would have been completely happy? I guess its like Christmas, when you spend hundreds of dollars on big, fancy toys, and all they play with is the box it came in all day long. Live and learn.

(Pictures to come)