Mid-winter break

February is usually a sad, sad time around these parts. In a normal year, it represents the third or fourth month of dreary Chicago weather with no relief on the horizon. March might be the official start of Spring, but we all know that it can be the cruelest month of the year, taunting us with broken promises and the merest hints of Spring.

But this year we have a few things going for us: first of all, we only just got our second snowfall of the season that stuck around, and as I write this a few short days later, it is all but gone. The only remnants of our most recent snowfall are the snow-frosted dog turds littering the parkway directly in front of my parked car.

Second of all, most of the major museums have several *free days* for Chicago residents. This was perfectly timed, as both girls are enjoying a week off of school for their mid-winter break. Although in true Katie fashion I either mis-read or mis-calculated and ended up paying for almost every visit this week, the girls and I enjoyed many days full of adventure.

On Monday, February 20th, we made it to the Field museum, whose *free day* was in fact January 20th. But after a few moments of forehead slapping and apologizing, Chris and I forked out the $40 for the 4 of us to explore ancient Egypt. The girls have been spending a lot of time listening to the audio version of several Magic Tree House books, and Mae really wanted to see "all the dead people"  (mummies). As we climbed up the pyramid and then descended back down into the tombs, Mae complained about the abundance of "boring stuff" (pottery and interesting ancient artifacts) and wanted to see the "boxes with dead people" (sarcophagi).

A few mummies later, Mae started complaining. "I'm sick of seeing all these dead people. There are too many dead people. I'm tired of walking. This is boring. I want to eat. I want to go home."  

Wednesday was the highlight of the week. We spent almost 5 hours at the Museum of Science and Industry. We started on the third floor balcony and worked our way down to ground level. Twice. The girls ran in giant hamster wheels, competed against each other with brain power to move a small ball across a board. They studied the fetuses in jars and watched the conception to childbirth movie three times. They simulated tornadoes, avalanches, and tsunamis, and they spent two hours in the Idea lab on floor 1.

Friday we visited the Nature Museum, whose free day is every Thursday. We've been there several times before, but Bela had a nice time in the water exhibit playing with locks, dams, and levies. Mae liked the insect, amphibian, and reptile room. And they both spent a great deal of time trying to get a butterfly to land on them in Butterfly Haven.

The two days we didn't go to museums we spent at home playing, cleaning and working our way through the multitude of craft kits Bela recently got for her birthday. We braided 1 1/2 friendship bracelets, built and painted (but did not hang) a birdhouse, beaded 1 earring, and built 1/2 of a lego house.  We also prepared for the arrival of the newest members of our household - more news to come.

Spring break will roll through here in about 6 weeks. I'm actually looking forward to it. Maybe we can visit some art museums and the planetarium. Maybe we will get around to making a complete pair of beaded earrings.