Adler Planetarium

I’ve been meaning to take Bub to the Adler Planetarium since the summer. Finally this weekend, I made the decision that we were going and by golly, we actually did it.

Super Bowl Sunday made for easy traffic and minimal crowds as we drove to the museum plaza. I love this part of the city and have always thought it set apart Chicago from the other biggies. The Field, the Shedd, and the Adler all within a three-minute walk of each other. And against a beautiful skyline and lakefront views at that.

When we got there, I bribed Bub with a chocolate peanut butter cup to pose for a few photos in front of the planetarium. We all squinted at the bright sun and half-smiled for obligatory family photos taken by a stranger walking her dog. I asked Bub if he’d take a couple more and he refused, eager to eat his candy.

Inside the museum, Bub was mesmerized by a hologram on the wall of the welcome walkway. He stared as parts of a rover were assembled in front of him. We then ate a snack in the cafe (he, his peanut butter cup) before making our way to the Sesame Street film playing in the dome theater. Steve was adamant about getting to the theater early to get our choice of seats haha.

Bub’s first time in a movie theater and it was fantastic to be surrounded by kids his age and parents going through the same motions we were. Halfway through the 25-minute show, you could see most of the kids become restless as parents shuffled them from one lap to the next.

After the short film, we wove our way through most of the exhibits. Bub spent 10 minutes steering a spaceship over Mars. We saw gigantic telescopes from the 15th century. He imagined himself manning mission control as he played with a giant touchscreen. He drove rovers, launched rockets, walked through deep space, and pretended to avert an aeronautical crisis with tubes, buttons, and switches. Barely stopping for hydration and belly fuel, we were finally able to convince him to leave after nearly four hours.

The Adler Planetarium was a huge success. I’m not sure who left more hungry and tired, Steve or Bub :)

Honor’s All Mine

I recently had an afternoon that was the definition of “lovely”. An afternoon I could only have dreamt of. I visited the Legion of Honor with dear friends who also love visiting museums. For the first time in forever, I walked through exhibits unhurried and admired them as much as my heart desired. Three hours spent being inspired by the creativity of others, drinking tea in the museum cafe, and catching up with long-time friends.

Guo Pei Exhibit

I absolutely loved the way Guo Pei seamlessly wove Western and Eastern cultures together. Her designs took my breath away.

My choice for the Met Gala

The wedding dress I wish I could afford

The details on every design were insane

Floral is clearly my jam

Mother & Child

Maybe it was because I missed Bub. Maybe it was because I’m a mom now. I used to walk right past artwork of the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus, never really understanding why these portraits were everywhere in Europe. But on this visit, they made me pause and remember what it was like to hold a cuddly baby, what a miracle it was.

A Day at the Field

We took Bubba to a museum for the first time this morning and had a blast. Leaving the house is usually a stressful, anxiety-inducing experience for me but today, I vowed to focus on having fun.

When we arrived at the Field Museum, Bub was overwhelmed at first. I mean, this kid doesn’t get out much. He didn’t want me to put him down while I was trying to get out my vaccine card. He wasn’t sure what to take in - the people, the dinosaurs, or just how massive this place was. But within a few minutes, he warmed up to the space and went from being on Steve’s shoulders to holding our hands to letting go and running around on his own.

We let him lead the way and marveled at how many animals he named and exhibits he wanted to see. We learned about wildlife that needs protecting (there’s a hypocrisy to telling us this while we look at taxidermied tigers, but I digress). We walked through rows of precious stones. We got up close to dinosaur skeletons.

I’m learning that when Steve and I are in sync, it leads to a much happier experience with Bub. It’s taken us a long time to get to this place. And though we won’t always get it right, it’s nice to know that days like today can and will exist.