Trip to Cleveland

This past weekend we had a family party in Cleveland. I was born in Cleveland but thankfully my parents moved to Chicago when I was four so I didn't grow up there. I wasn't sure how exciting the trip would be because let's face it, Chicago is really the only city to live in the Midwest (maaaaybe Minneapolis- sorry people that live anywhere else).

Waiting for the plane

We only had things at night so after we arrived Friday morning we had lunch at a great Mediterranean place and then headed over to a park called Preston's H.O.P.E. that my friend recommended we go to. Izzy thoroughly enjoyed herself on everything, but especially loved the sandbox. She learned the art of pouring sand all over herself which made a bath quite necessary before dinner. The play area was free and is a great place for the kids- although I do think the construction of a few things could have been better (the place was only 3 years old but definitely already showing a lot of wear).

Sand in my hair is the best

The next day we headed to the Cleveland Museum of Art. It's in a beautiful marble building that was expanded recently (according to my parents). Izzy wasn't too interested in the art so she went down with CP to the atrium in the middle to have a snack and run around. 

Did you know that Cleveland has a Rodin's "The Thinker" statue and that it was hit by a bomb in the 70s? The museum decided to keep it that way so the statue is missing some limbs and part of the base.

Afterwards we walked next door to the Cleveland Botanical Garden which was a big hit. They had a Madagascar exhibit where Izzy got to see some hissing cockroaches (yuck), turtles, a chameleon, a hedgehog, and succulents.....but the bigger hit was the Costa Rica exhibit. There were birds and butterflies fluttering all over the place! 

The only butterfly that would stay put long enough for me to take a picture!

The Japanese garden

The Botanic Gardens had a great outdoor section- including a number of cool treehouses where kids could play chimes and run around but unfortunately Izzy was getting tired so we walked through with her in the stroller while she started to fall asleep.

We decided to try to get as long of a car seat nap for Izzy as possible so instead of driving back to the hotel and risk waking her up we drove down to Cuyahoga Valley National Park to do a quick drive through. It's a national park that needs to be walked through but it was a nice enough drive.

Sassy Izzy before the party

Other than that we were hanging out with extended family at a dinner Friday night and a party Saturday night. Izzy got to meet her second cousin who is just two months younger than her. Both kids did excellent despite the lack of long naps. We brought Izzy's pack n play but because we were in the room she refused to sleep in there, instead sleeping between us on the king sized bed.