The remaining items on our Summer Bucket List were all downtown and all in proximity to each other. My OCD wouldn't allow this list to remain incomplete, so I decided we would take care of them all on the last day of summer. We may have to make this a tradition because it was a pretty fantastic day.
First we stopped by Buckingham Fountain where I gave each of the girls a nickel to make a wish for the coming school year. Turns out the distance between the fence and the fountain is a bit prohibitive to this kind of thing (even I had to throw pretty hard) and everyone's change ended up in the grass. Then I noticed how my tiny girls could easily fit through that fence...
...and with no authorities in sight, I sent Ireland on a mission to find the lost nickels so we could have another try. She scampered around on that grass and gathered our errant nickels along with some more change that apparently didn't make the trip for other people. This time, we all made sure our wishes made it into the fountain.
It's such a beautiful fountain, and with the city in the background, I wanted to capture this moment. Unfortunately, the sun was a little too bright for the girls facing full on east.
We went around the corner so the girls were facing north and well, the sun was still a little too bright.
Ooohkay, facing west put their faces in shadow, so I was finally able to get a shot of them. It's not the one with the cityscape in the background, but you can see a blue sliver of Lake Michigan if you look really hard.
From there we went to Maggie Daley park which is huge, so it's easy to get lost. I always get looks when I dress the girls identically. Sure, it's cute but I actually do it for safety reasons. I can pick the girls out of a crowd more easily when they are dressed the same. Should one get lost, I can ask strangers if they've seen a little girl just a little bigger or smaller than the one I have with me. Other parents immediately identify which kids are mine so if someone gets hurt, they can direct them more quickly to me. In situations like this, I'm constantly counting children: 1, 2, 3... where's #4? Okay, there's 4. Again: 1, 2... 3 and 4. A few minutes later: 1, 2, 3, 4. I may look like I'm just enjoying the weather and chatting with other moms, but I'm always, always scanning and counting.
We met Brent at Cloud Gate for lunch. I wish I'd caught a video of the moment he topped the steps and the girls caught sight of him. With no inhibitions, they simultaneously cried out, "DADDY!!!" and ran their little hearts out towards him. All action in that little part of Millennium Park positively stopped as everyone watched Brent scoop up his little darlings in turn and greet them with a hug and kiss. Liesel made it to him first and Sydney with her short legs trailed in last.That moment is burned in my memory forever. Seeing him in the middle of a workday is a treat for all of us. After lunch, we snapped a few photos by the Bean.
For some reason, I thought jumping shots would be fun and again, I think we will have to make that one a tradition. Eventually, Brigitta and Sydney will be able to try it but for the time being, their jumps are more little hops than anything that catches wind. Liesel and Ireland were determined to get some good shots mid-air.
I love the Bean. It's such a simple sculpture but so fun and interactive!
Just down the steps from the Bean is the Crown Fountain which is one of those Chicago attractions I've heard of and driven by, but just never made it to. Brent wasn't in a terrible rush to get back to work so we let the girls kick off their shoes and run around in the water. It's so funny how just a couple inches of water makes life a party for these little girls. Brent and I chatted while they (quite literally) cooled their heels.
Liesel really loved the spouts in the middle of the fountains that would occasionally spurt water like a hose. She became positively soaked as she scurried to throw her arms into the spray, later chiding me for not bringing their swimsuits or towels. Next year!
Everyone was bummed to leave, but Brent was able to walk us back to the car and then we dropped him off at work on our way home. The girls were so exhausted, they all fell asleep during the car ride home so I was able to drive in sweet silence.
I can't believe we made it through the summer!
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