Accidental Tourist

We walked 500 miles yesterday.

Or so it seemed.

Once we got up, there was some general funk about. Wonderboy didn’t want anything that was here to eat. No cereal, no fruit, no poptart, no toast, nothing. He wouldn’t say what he DID want, just pouted.

As we were gathering our information on bus numbers and routes to get us to Michigan Avenue and eventually Navy Pier, it just seemed to get worse.

I’m sure it was nervous energy, combined with hunger (if he was that hungry he’d have eaten a pop tart so I don’t buy that stuff) and just general unease about being in a new place, big city, someplace what was NOT Great Wolf Lodge. All self contained and tidy.

But we made it to Michigan Avenue. We went into the first place he got excited about which was The Cheesecake Factory. (facepalm.) BUT, it IS a ritual thing that he and Bonusmom do together, he was comfortable there, and he started smiling. Priceless. Thank you JESUS. We had a great waiter, who coddled us and gave him a little birthday sunday which he scarfed down. We made a little shopping plan to go to the Lego Store and then across to the Hershey’s Store. Both things were the best in the world. So, it was then that we began to walk a bit, heading toward the river with the intent to catch a water taxi/boat cruise of some sort and head to the Navy Pier.

It was hot. It wasn’t as hot as it’s ever been, but it was hot. And windy. We stopped for slushie’s and water and kept moving and it was then that we saw signs for the Navy Pier. Well, somehow, unintentionally, we walked all the way. Instead of getting a cab, or finding a trolly (which I never saw)–the signs diverted us from the path to the river where our original intent to catch a water taxi would have happened. It wasn’t a bad walk. For a 10 year old it was the end of the world. I have no idea why we didnt catch a cab. I have no idea why we didn’t find a bus. I just don’t. It didn’t come to my mind. Bonusmom didn’t say let’s do it. We all just kind of focused and walked…Luckily, we made it. We made it and there was a water feature that Wonderboy promptly went and cooled off in. We walked up and down Navy Pier, nothing much jumped out at us. We were over the shopping. The Imax wasn’t showing anything till this morning. The Ferris Wheel wasn’t operating due to the high lake winds…someone would wind up in Michigan. Lord. BUT, we found a Build-A-Bear, we found a Candy Store. There were smiles again.

We contemplated getting a cab back to the condo, but decided to make the bus trek, and made our transfer and came right home! HUZZUAH!

Dion got the car out and we ran some errands, got some dinner, came back to the condo and while he went into his room to teach some online Rosetta Stone classes, we went down to the pool. Wonderboy and I got in, and let the cares of the day float away. He played down there till it closed at 10pm, we watched the planes coming into O’Hare. That was a sight to see. (it doesn’t take much to entertain Bonusmom and myself!)

I think yesterday was a learning day. I don’t think all new experiences are necessarily fun while learning, but I do think that at some point, in the not to near future, Wonderboy will look at this and talk about walking all over Chicago, how hot it was, being right by the Great Lake, eating pizza and hot dogs…I think he’ll like it.

Mostly, playing games on my computer has put the biggest smile on his face.

But that’s a 10 year old for ya.