A big help in keeping that commitment has been the museums commitment to having free days and kids activities.  Most of the museums have at least one free day a month.  The Museum of Science and Industry was free the whole month of January and the Art Institute was free in February.  Michael had been learning about Claude Monet in Kindergarten so he and I took the train downtown to see the Impressionist collection and see the real Monets.  What a treat for him to get to stand so close to the Monets that he could see the texture of the paint.  We did a kids’ tour and did a children themed program where you get to draw some of the sculptures.  All free.

Surprisingly though, by far the biggest hit has been the Museum of Contemporary Art.  I don’t generally think kid-friendly when I think of modern art, but the MCA puts on such a great program.  One Saturday a month Target sponsors a family day.  Admission is free for families and they set up themed activity stations.  The February day was on Valentine’s Day so there were Valentine’s themed activities.  Yesterday’s activities were based on the artist/futurist Buckminster Fuller so the activities were geometric themed.  And the activities aren’t your typcial color and paint, but are high concept projects like building a geodesic dome, making a map or your heart, or a movement activity that creates dance from shapes and colors.  Every month there’s an art scavenger hunt so the kids get to know the art in the museum.   

It’s so wonderful to visit a museum with hundreds of kids actively engaged, doing art scavenger hunts and loving every minute of it.  They even have a room with snacks (juice boxes and gold fish) for a break.  As we walked out of the MCA yesterday with the portfolios they had made to hold their art, Michael and Jacob wanted to know when the April family day was and wanted to make sure we could go back.  It’s amazing to me that the Museum of Contemporary art has rapidly become one of the favorite places for a 3-year old and a 6-year old.  I’m glad they love it and I have a few more tricks up my sleeve.  Summer is near with weekends filled with the Jazz Fest, Blues Fest and Gospel Music Festival.  All free and a wonderland for children who love music. 

The photos in this post are from last month’s Valentine’s Day trip to the MCA.  Click here for a few more museum themed photos.     

In about an hour I’m heading to the airport.  While this certainly marks a turning point in our lives, it also marks a turning point in this web page.  Gone are posts like the last one about raging rivers, malaria and installation of running water (at least I hope those aren’t part of our experience in Chicago).  Quite frankly this web page will be getting pretty boring pretty quickly.  So consider this your fair warning and feel free to click unsubscribe if you’re on the e-mail version, we won’t be offended.  I make no excuses for the forthcoming posts about my lawn, the softball team I’m itching to join and the Bears chances at the Super Bowl.  

Worry not, we’ll still strive to keep it pretty updated because though we will be in Chicago we will still be far away from many of our family and friends.  Actually now that I think of it the posts may not be so boring after all.  While I’m accustomed to rampant corruption, tropical diseases and always carrying my passport, I’ve never mowed a lawn, shoveled snow or taken by kids to ballet class.  I think the second set might cause me more difficulty than living in the third world ever did.  

So, stay tuned for adventures from suburbia.