my escape to Chicago

Husband finishing a master's program, me hosting a party, daughter losing a tooth, same daughter starting school, other daughter deciding be ornery about everything.

I needed an escape.

My darling husband saw this coming and marked on the calendar 'trip to Chicago.' He even lined up babysitting and set aside some virtual cash.

Having lived in Chicago during our college years and a few after that, we knew and loved Chicago in the 1990s. Now, when we manage to get back there, my husband takes 50 8th grade girls and I choose another weekend and take just myself. Let me explain: he is a choir director and I'm a closet introvert. So we have perfectly delightful weekends. Separately.

This time would be different. For one, we would be together, in a little couple-bubble. And I wasn't planning the trip solely around ethnic food. We had just one goal: EXHALE. Together. Anything else we did, any fun food we enjoyed, any much-missed friends we visited would be an extra bonus.

Here's a snapshot of our bonuses.

My favorite designer consignment.

Holding a college roommate's third-born.

Biking along the lakefront, a great way to get a good look at the city's various sizes, shapes, shades of strange and beautiful people. Despite the 50 degree weather, people were running, biking, dog-walking, rollerblading, even swimming.

Finally getting a decent haircut.

Taking the subway downtown and back.

When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything. (name that movie)

Visiting another family that has two young daughters.

I didn't get a pic of the dinner party that we as-graciously-as-possible crashed, but here are the gourds that the host sent home with us (grown in Indiana by his mother, harvested by him, handled by my daughter).

We came home to children that were sleeping and caregivers that were recouping. All in all, an escape well-executed.