The American Girl Adventure

Emie's Lolo (Gus' dad) gave her money to buy a special dolly for her birthday. He heard about American Girl Dolls and wanted us to get one for her. I really didn't know much about the American Girls and I thought they might be too "grown up" for a new 1 year old. But then I learned about the Bitty Babies. Suddenly, I felt quite giddy about the whole thing. Fortunately, we live near one of the American Girl Place stores, so we could have the full experience!

So we loaded up in the family van . . .

and hit the busy streets of Chicago. Made busier by the Air and Water show, but it was a beautiful day!

It took us a little while to find the best match for our little Emie. We narrowed it down to two and the kids made the final call. And they actually agreed!

Obviously, it was love at first snuggle.

Since Bitty Baby (we've yet to name her) didn't cost as much as the Girl dolls, we used the leftover money to treat Kuya Nathan to something at the Disney store. He picked out a Handy Manny tool belt and has been "fixing" everything around the house.

Don't you just love that toddler cheesy grin?

We then walked over to the Rainforest Cafe. The kids loved it!
We sat near the elephant who was quite animated during the storms.

Crayons and paper are a must have when waiting at a restaurant.

So are Cheerios to tide over your ravenous 1 year old.

Nathan LOVED this waterfall. It had an alligator at the bottom that he was very excited about.

We had a visit from the frog mascot. I just thought this picture was funny. Though it looks like I forced him to pose with the frog he was actually excited about it. Really, he was!

We finished the day with a drive along Lake Michigan. And decided we need to hit the beach soon!