Wednesday in Chicago

Nedy's been talking about Chinese Acrobats for a while now. (What happens in Kai-Lan must be replicated in real life. Just so you know. Ahem.) Anyway, I needed no arm twisting to make this happen--Mama loves her some Chinese Acrobats. :)

Cirque Shanghai is in Chicago this summer at Navy Pier. Guess what we did Wednesday?

Well, first we took a water taxi from Michigan Avenue to Navy Pier. (N: "Why wiver all geen yike dat?" M: "That's just how the river looks in Chicago. Cool, eh?" N: "I yike dis geen wiver. I yike Ch'cago.") And then to the acrobat show! It is so cool that they do a 2:00 p.m. show. Ned watched the show intently, only occasionally turning around to see if we were as enthralled as she. Sometimes she'd give a status report on the performers such as, "Mama, the mens are out now. Dat means yadies changing costumes. Dey come out next. Okay?" "You see it, Baba?? You yike dis show? I yike dis show a yot!"After the show some of the performers hang around to meet people and sign show paraphernalia. Nedy was totally pumped about this and, after seeing how it all worked, quickly got Baba to buy her a fan so she could have "acwobats wite der names on it." She walked down the line from person to person saying "ni hao" with such a sparkle in her eye. She was the last of just a few people to do this, so the acrobats poured their attention on her--and she was just beaming. I mean, BEAMING. Leaving the show with her special fan in hand...just look at the child. I mean, am I the only one whose heart is melting into a puddle of goo? :)So how do you follow-up the acrobat show? Well, with a ride on the humongous Navy Pier Ferris Wheel, of course! Contemplative Nedy wonders how she'll feel about this next experience... It's a winner! Fair to say she has no fear of heights whatsoever."I yike dis fewis wheew. I even take yitto west inside dis fewis wheew."Self portrait nearing the tippy top. And then we took the water taxi back to Michigan Ave and walked down to Millennium Park. Oh, but not before purchasing Nedy her first sucker ever. She picked it out. She was soooooo excited about that crazy huge sucker. Ummm, how cute are they?!And we ended our crazy fun day with an impromptu dip in the public water sculpture in Millennium Park. For the record, we both rode home without pants. Good times. Nedy's thoughts upon awakening Thursday morning? "I yike Ch'cago. I had fun wit you, Mama." Right back at ya, babe.