Lincoln Park Zoo x2

For Aunt Dina and Maddie. Dina, you have one beautiful hometown!
Yesterday I was certain since the kids only slept 4 hours and had 7 hours added to their day that they would nap. Sometimes I wonder if I am new around here. They didn't nap and had boundless energy and were up again before 5am this morning. I should have seen that coming.
I hailed my first ever taxi all by myself and took it to Lincoln Park Zoo (the zoo is FREE! The taxi was $10 one way and it took us about 2 miles).
We had the very best time! The weather was perfect and the zoo is super amazing. I saw my first ever gorillas and I could have watched them all day! If I had realized that was a career option it might be what I did for a living instead of studying the behavior of people. The mom gorilla was like looking into a mirror of my life. She ate nothing but lettuce but was all round and flabby and her three kids wrestled wildly while lookers on stood there staring in amazement. Solidarity, sister.
Beckett had to see every last inch of the zoo. He lives for animals. Always has. He got to see a serval and wolves and he reacted as I would if i were to win the lottery or get to go grocery shopping alone. His excitement made my day.
This morning we were at the hotel pool at 7:30am and I met a nice Mormon lady with 4 kids from Utah by way of Ohio whose husband was here on business and I mentioned we wanted to walk to Mellenium Park to see the Bean today and she asked if she could tag along. So Sarah and I set out with 7 kids in tow. 2 miles later I found out we had in fact walked to... the Zoo. Oops. She was super cool about it and just said she wanted to visit the zoo anyway (it was freezing cold. I can't believe I made 9 people walk that far in the cold to go to the wrong place!). The upside it the walk was breath taking. I'm certain it is out of my price range but the neighborhood was called Gold Coast and I am ready to move in whenever I can get a rich uncle who then dies.
Curtis finished up his meetings and met us at the zoo and we took him around to some of the highlights. The buildings there were so beautiful and I can't believe how close you can get to the animals. There were beautiful views of downtown as well. Beckett said "Why is this place free? It is so good." I agree! Thank you, Chicago! Best time the kids and I have had in a while!
At least I accidentally took us all somewhere nice!