On a side note, I always get nervous when people compliment us on our kid's behavior (knowing there are so many more times when someone would rather strangle me instead) because I know that it could go south at any second!  As anyone who has had more than one kid knows (it seems sometimes you can get lucky with just one and they can be fairly compliant...but usually the second time around it all evens out!) so much of kid's behavior/choices are completely out of our control.  Of course you can set them up for success, and we try to do that, but still you never know.  

This past weekend we were eating out at a restaurant in our downtown when a lady came over and told us how glad she was that we made our kids behave while they were eating.  I told Marcus that it makes we want to just run out of the restaurant as fast as we can before anything else happens and they change their mind! (Note to self when I'm older: give families with young children grace when I see them struggling.)

Anyhoo, what I thought was so funny about the above incident was that several weeks earlier we were also eating out at another local restaurant, and it did not go so well.  We were trying a new Korean restaurant, and I should've listened to my mother's intuition which said "turn around and exit immediately" when we walked through the doors.  We were greeted with white tablecloths and no children anywhere in sight.  In fact, they had to dust off the one high chair they had in the back for us to use ("Not a good sign mama. Not a good sign."  Why don't I listen?).  We sat down to order with hungry and tired kiddos ("Good time for peanut butter and jelly at home mom!" Yet still in denial here.), and there was nothing that I thought my kids would eat at all.  

Jacob started to fuss, so being the somewhat responsible parents we are, Marcus took him outside while I settled on some sort of Korean enchilada for the kids ("Abort mission. Abort mission!") while nervously eyeing the couple behind us leisurely sipping on their wine and discussing the matters of the world.  Meanwhile, Grace is not using "her quiet voice" like I am so desperately asking her to do, and I see Marcus and Jacob making a lap around the outside of the building.  But then, but then, the kids food comes and I breathe a sigh of relief ("You can do this mama.  You can do it").  Grace perks up as I hand her the plate with her "enchilada" on it.  She quietly takes a bite and starts to chew ("whew, we made it. We are masters at eating out with 2 young children.  I should write a book really").

I look down and then look up to Grace with the strangest expression on her face.  The chewing becomes slower...and slower....and THEN, and THEN, she screams (not using her quiet voice by the way), "YUCK!!!!!", spits the "enchilada" into her hand and then throws it across the restaurant!!!! OH YES SHE DID!  Next thing I know I hear a "SPLAT" at the table next to us as the food hits and then runs down the side of the table leg. 

AWESOME!!!

Time stops.  Korean waiters are scurrying.  Refined couples drinking wine are staring.  This mama is DYING, and so I do the only thing that comes to mind.  I grab Grace and run as fast as possible out of the restaurant.  I think I mumbled something like, "I'm so, so sorry everyone," and probably, "No m'am we do not throw our food" as I was running out the door, but I can't be sure.

Outside, I inform Marcus (still trying to settle Jacob) of the aforementioned events and also inform him that I am under NO CIRCUMSTANCES going back into that restaurant, so he bravely heads in to clean up our mess, pay, and get the rest of the food to go while I load the kids into the car and then hide in the front seat.  My brave husband tells me that no one yelled at him, but I'm not so sure I believe him.  I feel sure that refined couple would laugh themselves silly if they could hear the first lady complimenting us on our parenting skills!

OK...that was a long side note.

And now back to Chicago....

 Eating deep dish Chicago-style pizza.  Yum!

 Braving a taxi and 2 kids by myself.  And yes, Grace did retail every taxi cab driver with the Arkansas fight song.

 Chicago has an awesome zoo, and it's FREE!!

 At the pier

 Watching the dolphin show

At the top of Willis Tower 

 Great to see my brother!  We loved Chicago.  A very fun city!!