Chicago Air & Water Show 2017

This was our 2nd year going to the Chicago Air & Water Show.  Thankfully we got almost the same spot as the last time, under the only shady tree in Chicago.  Again it was super hot that day but we got there early in the morning and snagged a spot under the shade and on the cool sand of the beach so it was really quite nice.  

This time was different from the last in 2 ways.  One was because Aiden was physically reacting differently, initially.  I think he was a little bit nervous about going and his stomach was hurting when we got there.  Why he may have been slightly nervous this time around? I have no idea, but I do think I know why his tummy was hurting, allergies!  It’s something I’ve begun to notice with Aiden over this summer.  When the days are super hot he tends to start sneezing and sometimes gets a runny nose and now, to add to the list, a stomachache.  Once I gave him the handy Zyrtec that I had packed he was fine for the rest of the day.  

The 2nd new thing was that we decided to leave the beach a little early and take a ride on the double decker bus, which Aiden calls the “London bus”  because he had seen it in a London movie before. That actually made the air show even better!  Now we were directly below the jets and it was really an awesome view!  Aiden really enjoyed it and we all did as well too.

Veggie Fest - Lisle, IL

Veggie Fest is a festival of food vendors, cooking demonstrations, health products and practitioners, music and kids activities.  Basically anything and everything that promotes a positive healthy lifestyle. 

This was a trip that I requested and my boys went along with for the ride.  I wanted to go for the opportunity to try out different foods. That’s not a strong suit for Aiden but I give him a lot of credit because he tried every freebie we came across.  

We visited all the food vending booths and most of the products ones but, of course, what Aiden appreciated the most was the kids activities area where he made a couple of craft projects.  All in all, I would say Aiden handled this “mom excursion” quite well.  

Couple things you won’t learn from their website; most food products are not actually for sale at the individual booths, they’re just for show, you don’t purchase food with money, you purchase with tickets so get tickets before standing in the super long lines (although they do move at a good pace). And lastly, a good chunk of time was spent just trying to park the car!  We waited in an extremely long, extremely slow moving line before we ever even reached the parking lot.

Lambs Farm - Libertyville, IL

Lambs Farm is a non profit organization that provides residential services and employment for adults with disabilities.  It includes attractions like a petting zoo, pet shop, miniature golf course, carousel, bounce house, thrift shop, restaurant, and a bakery. We visited all these attractions except for the carousel and mini golf.  

The carousel was too small for Aiden, and we intended to do the mini golf last but forgot about it when we walked to the opposite side of the farm to explore what they had on that side. The whole area is divided in two. 

One side has the admission area, bounce house, carousel, and petting zoo while the other side has the pet shop, thrift store, bakery, and restaurant.  The food at the restaurant, Magnolia Cafe, was awesome! As were the goodies at the bakery.  

Aiden really enjoyed seeing and feeding the animals and brushing the goats.  There were even a few loose cats walking or sleeping around the pet shop that he got to pet, so he was very happy about that. 

This was really a nice place to visit and we were very happy to support an organization that provides opportunity and community to adults that might not otherwise find it.

Gail Borden Library - Dinosaur Giants Exhibit

The Gail Borden library currently has a Dinosaur Giants exhibit going on. It ends on September 24th. There are 6 life size skulls and skeletons on display. There is also a flesh model, dissected neck, and photo opportunities.

We came here to return and check out some dinosaur books so of course we had to take the dino tour of the library while we were there. We were greeted by a huge 2 story dinosaur on the main floor and then we went upstairs to see 5 additional displays.

I always find these kinds of exhibits fascinating, just trying to wrap my head around the fact that these creatures were actually here millions of years ago.  Aiden liked this exhibit too but, just like when we took him to the dino exhibit at the Field Museum, I think he would’ve preferred to see them with skin on their bones. :-|