We're going to Chicago and we're so happy we just want to sing!

I like to go on trips. Mommy and daddy said that when I was littler I went on a really long trip to see grandma and grandpa in Thailand. And they also say that I was a very good little traveler. I've gone on trips to Thailand, Cincinnati, and Toronto. This week I went on a trip to Chicago to see my Auntie, Uncle, Cousin J, and Little Auntie.

We went there by airplane. Because it is too far to fly. There is a place at the airport where I can look at all the airplanes and run around in. And once I got inside the airplane all I wanted to do was play. Good thing mommy and daddy brought stuff to do. I was a little unhappy in the beginning, but after I got something to eat everyone said I was a good flyer.

When I got to Chicago, we took the train. I once took the train before in Thailand, but this did not look nearly as nice. I was so tired from being on the airplane that I fell asleep.
Later I woke up because it got real dark and loud. It was very scary even though daddy was holding me. Mommy and daddy eventually came above ground and walked to Little Auntie's home. Auntie N, Uncle T and Cousin P' J were there. And after I had a bath we ate. I told Auntie N (and everyone else) that dinner was yummy!!! Then I practiced running with P' J. P' J was a good coach.


The next day, daddy and I went to have lunch with P' J and his family. P' J is very funny and I laughed alot with him. Later we went to the park and I demonstrated what a good coach P' J was by running around. P' J introduced me to the Bean and taught me how to help hold it up. I even did some of it myself! Then P'J even chased me so I practice running further! (ed note: J was supposed to get get T to come back, but that did not seem to work. J's father thought that was very fitting since it does not always work very well with J.)

We went to have dinner at Amarit with daddy's friends.  There was lots of good food to eat.  But after I had rice, everyone else ate too much and did not leave enough for me :-(

We went to the Shedd Aquarium.  It is a lot like the zoo back home, but everything is in the water.  And I got to watch everyone swim and splash around.
 
And some of the locals spent some time looking at me too!
 
We then went to a very bright restaurant (Joy Yee) where I had dinner with Uncle C and Auntie L. Daddy even let me have noodle (err, with peanuts. maybe not a good idea).
We went to another museum the next day. Chicago has all these museums to walk to and Little Auntie lives right next to all of them. They had a big konglong named Sue. Uncle J was there to put Sue together.
 
They also had elephants, lions, zebras, rhinos, and bears!
There is a big park there, with lots of space to run, run, run. (did I say I was good at running? I even have a coach.) And other things to look at and touch.

I had so much fun in Chicago. I like going to the park and to museum every day!

My favorite book: Little Pea

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Mommy and Daddy like to read books to me. I have my own bookshelf. And I have books in my bedroom and in mommy and daddy's bedroom. There is always a book that I can give to mommy and daddy to read for me.

My favorite book is Little Pea. Little Pea is a happy little fellow. Mommy and daddy say he is just like me because when he is happy his mouth opens up in a big smile.

Little Pea likes doing lots of things. He likes rolling down hills really fast. I like going down slides. He like playing with his pea-pals. I like playing at the playground. He likes it when Papa Pea flings him up in the air. I like it when daddy tosses me up in the air. He likes to snuggle next to Mama Pea when Mama Pea tells him stories about what she was like when she was a little pea. I like snuggling with mommy when it is time to sleep.

From Baby Blog

And Little Pea likes to eat Snow Peas, just like me (ed: actually, Little Pea likes spinach, but they are both green, so close enough). And just like me, he eats the whole bowl. And when I get to this part in the book, I can say "Yum, Yum, Yum" (ed: the book text actually reads "yum, yum, extra yum", but we'll cut him some slack)

From Baby Blog

Where did mommy go?

Mommy disappeared last week. And she left daddy and me behind. Mommy left me one morning like she does alot, but at the end of the day daddy came instead of mommy. And when it was time to eat there was still no mommy. Then I took a bath and even went to bed. And daddy was there when I went to sleep and every time I woke up (he did not even try to sneak away!)

Daddy played with me the whole weekend. One day we went to the museum where we go often (ed note: The Mattress Factory). And we watched a bunch of people dancing and yelling. And there was a guy who was going to let me play with his drum.

The next day daddy left me in a nursery. I cried at first, but then I had fun playing with the slide. Daddy says he came to get me but I was having so much fun he left me there.

I got to eat the same things daddy ate. He had rice and pepper and eggs and kielbasa. And two days we had spaghetti. I like picking up the noodles and putting them in my mouth. And in the mirror I have all this red stuff on my face when I'm done. :-)

But one day I did not feel well. And mommy came back! Yeah! And mommy was so happy to see me. She says she even got a lot of sleep while she was gone so she was a happy mommy.

A second flight

Mommy and daddy spent another day putting all of our things into bags. And just like last time, that meant we were going somewhere.

Grandma and grandpa took us on an outing at night. There were lots of lights everywhere. I did not realize the city was so big. Grandma said that the next time I come here I need to get out more and see the world. We went to a big building with lots of other people who had bags and stood in lines. There was a line just for babies (and their parents) that we got into. And people for me to smile at.

There were lots of friends for me to wait with for the first flight. But it was so late I was not interested in playing, just sleeping. Our first stop was at an airport I was in before. It was the airport with the seats so I could wait for mommy in the bathroom. And they had a play area with toys for me to play with. At first I was alone, but then many big friends came. But they were big and fast so I just played in my corner.

We spent a long time in that airplane. Then another one. And we eventually made it back home. I was so tired after spending so much time without a bed. I slept for most of a day. And I'm still tired. *yawn*

Going to the beach

We left the city for a couple days to go somewhere quieter and by a lot of water. Grandpa had to drive for a long time to get there. We even stopped at a place just so everyone could eat. And of course, everyone there liked to look and smile at me.

We stayed very close to a lot of water. The first morning, daddy took me out to walk on the beach. It was very quiet with birds flying around eating their breakfast, and only a few other people doing the same thing we were. I even said hi to a monk who was taking a walk. We also went to the market here. Although we had to drive there, not walk like the city house. But the people here liked to laugh and smile at me just like in Bangkok.

But the real reason we came here was I had lots of cousins coming. From all over the place. And we did puzzles, went swimming, read books, sat around and even went to the beach. This was my first time standing on sand and in the sea. It was a lot of fun. And loud. With so much space and so few people, it is surprising that it could be so loud. But my cousins also are good at making lots of noise.



We only stayed there for a couple of days. And then it was back to the city house.

Pizza place in Hua Hin, Thailand

Pizza place in Hua Hin, Thailand, a photo by LugerLA on Flickr.

We went with Aunt D and Uncle R to eat pizza by the sea. I got to watch them making pizza from scratch. And afterwards, the nice lady who served us wanted to take a picture of me. Daddy thought that tourists are supposed to want to take pictures of things, not the people that work there. But, why not, as long we we got a pictures too.

Yes, I can cry

For some reason, all of my aunties and grand aunties think that I am a very well behaved baby who does not cry. Mommy and daddy have been assuring everyone that I can, but no one believes them. Well, today, mommy and daddy decided to go on an outing, and they left me with grandma.

Grandma wanted me to put me down and sleep. But I was not having any of that so I made her hold me. Then when she tried to change my diaper, I let her know I could cry. I really belted it out. So loud that great grandma made all the aunties and great aunties come over to help. (and a couple of cousins too for some reason. Maybe they were coming to compare notes on crying. After all, I am pretty good at it.)

Grandma gave mommy and daddy a full report when they came back. But they were not impressed so they just laughed. It is not that funny, is it?