We do the tourist thing.

Thanks to the Chicago Pubic Library's generosity, we've been able to visit a few places in Chicago free of charge. (At least our 10.25% sales tax pays for something, right?) Last week, I packed the boys and a lunch for a morning at the Chicago Children's Museum. The museum itself was a wee bit underwhelming, though this probably had something to do with my urge to keep moving and see everything in order to extract every last bit of fun from our excursion. (Thrifty Dutch blood dies hard.) The museum did afford the opportunity for the boys to sit down to a lively game of checkers. It lasted about 10 seconds. The museum did also afford me the opportunity to observe firsthand one of Manny's fears, which I would loosely describe as a phobia concerning lifesize or larger objects that should be real but aren't. This fear manifested itself earlier this summer when the boys spent a week with my parents and Manny screamed in fear when he was set down near a man in a dog costume. When I traveled to Boston a couple weeks ago, Manny was also scared of totem poles on display at the Field Museum, to the point that he refused to walk by them on his own power. At the Children's Museum, Manny was duly terrified of a man-shaped bench. I think that he may have even said the word "scared," which would be a first for him. Poor kid. Anyway, this whole paragraph is a digression, but I find these fears to be fascinating, and, in their own way, funny. Jonah's first fear was a city street sweeper truck, which is funny considering that Jonah loves trucks.

The real magic of the day, though was our ride on the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier. This summer I read the book "Devil in the White City" by Erik Larsen, which follows the planning, building and spectacle of the 1893 World's Fair here in Chicago (as well as detailing the work of a Chicago serial killer). I could barely put the book down and found the description of the Ferris Wheel to be fascinating. Though I've always avoided Navy Pier, I've also always harbored the desire to take a trip on the magical wheel there. It was worth it.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day. It's nice when Jonah doesn't avoid and actually smiles for the camera!

It was an absolutely gorgeous day.

Another favorite. I love it when they're quiet and together. (Unless they're scheming. I don't love that.)
Jonah's learning to be Mama's helper. Now, if I can just get him to raise Manny while I concentrate on the third child...

A magical ride on the Ferris Wheel must necessarily be followed by a special treat. These rainbow-colored unicorn horn suckers provoke a certain feeling of nostalgia in me, and I couldn't deny the boys. The larger purpose in buying them, though, is to keep the boys awake and distracted on the long ride home. Suckers have become my latest go-to for this purpose.

A few trips have ended this way, with Manny's chin on his chest. Still clutching that sucker, though.