museum hopping

living in the loop, we are a short bus drive or a bit longer walk from the museum campus, which includes the field museum, shedd aquarium, and adler planetarium.  these places, along with the museum of science and industry (in hyde park), have become some of our favorite places to play and explore.  here are few outtakes of some of our museum visits.

from the shedd

here fishy, fishy!

that's one big fish

i'll go by boat

from the planetarium

let's go to mars

building our space station

with my space backpack, i'm ready to explore

with this telescope,  i can see daddy's office

from the museum of science and industry

let's take this tractor for a spin

ride 'em cowgirl

from the field

taking a rest in a dino footprint

sue, i'd like you to meet my t-rex.

from our new place

here's a view of our new world.  we have a place for almost everything.  and when the kids are asleep, our space is mostly clean and tidy.  

please stop on by.  we love to have visitors.

the family and dining room from the upstair's loft

the study

the kitchen

from the front door

we're here

my friend, mrs. h, called me yesterday.  she had been traveling much of august -- a few weeks in brazil to see family, a few days in san fran with her husband.  this weekend is her daughter's third birthday, come celebrate with us!

"of course," i said.  "we'd love to."  mrs. h asked me how we were doing, it had been so long since we'd seen each other.

"we're settling into our new place and love being in the city," i replied.

"what? you've moved!"

"oh -- you didn't get the note i sent you while you were in brazil?"

"no," she said.

and in that moment, it really hit me that in a month's time we decided to move, found a beautiful place to live in a great neighborhood, and are now here and unpacked.  what a whirlwind!

mr. pike and i are usually much more deliberate decision makers.  it took us over six months to choose a car.  we researched couches for months.  

our move to the city was definitely a more spontaneous choice.  and we love it.  we love being in the middle of it all.  we love walking to the store, parks, museums, work.  we love coming across unique events.  seeing and meeting people from all over.  i even love getting on the cta with the kids.

we do miss our dear friends from our old stomping grounds.  but feel so fortunate that they are not far. 

it's a new chapter of the ever-changing domestic adventures of mr. and mrs. pike.