Going to see the trains at the Botanic Garden

On Saturday morning, Mom took us to see the trains at the Botanic Gardens.  The kids all LOVED it!  We went at 10am, right when it opened, and so it wasn't packed with people.   We were able to walk around and look at whatever we wanted, and I made the kids pose at the end for a quick group photo:

Everyone especially liked seeing the Ferris Wheel made out of walnut shells, and the tightrope walker crossing between the Marina Towers (to commemorate Nik Wallenda's blindfolded stunt this November):

And of course everyone liked watching the trains:

Here the train is going past the Field Museum, the bean, and the Millenium Park amphitheater:

 The girls also enjoyed looking for the penguins that were hidden around the buildings.  Supposedly there were six penguins, but we could only find five, including this one hiding in Soldier Field:

Nathaniel's eyes were wide the entire time; he found so much to look at.  He especially loved watching the trains on the high bridges.

Megan also loved it when I would lift her up to sit on my shoulder so that she could see the trains going over the bridges close up.

Outside the train room, a group of carolers performed Christmas carols.  The girls were enamored with the carolers, and went back to listen to them two separate times.

Megan requested "Jingle Bells", and then the carolers sang "Let It Go" especially for her, and invited her to come up and sing with them.  She was feeling too shy to do that, but Amelia eagerly went up and sang along.  We probably spent a half hour just listening to the singers.

Then we went through the train room again doing the scavenger hunt; I think we found everything.  It was a good idea to save that until the end, so that the kids weren't solely focused on the scavenger hunt the first time through.  The weather outside was gorgeous, it was probably about 40 and mostly sunny, so we walked around outside for a bit before we drove back home.  Megan said it was so warm that she didn't need her coat:

But I eventually made her put it back on.  The girls are looking at the ice on the lake here trying to decide if it is thick enough to walk on.  They decided it was because they could see a footprint on it, and they kind of wanted to try it out themselves.  But I was mean and said no.

 Nathaniel enjoyed being outside, too, and he especially liked riding on Ben's shoulders.

Thanks for a wonderful trip to the Botanic Gardens, Mom!  We all loved it!

Nathaniel was so tired due to skipping his morning nap that he fell asleep in the car on the way back to Glenview.  He doesn't normally sleep in the car, and I'm never in a position where I can see him sleeping.  But this time, Ben was driving and I was sitting in the very back.  Isn't he precious?