Cha-Cha Cha-cago

Cha Cha lives in Chicago.
Cha Cha is slang for Ciocia. Which is Auntie in Polish.
We’re not even Polish.
But, for the most part we grew up in heavy German/Polish communities, and they seem to overflow into each other.

Anyhow, Collin and Owen call my cousin Anna, Cha Cha. As their auntie. And so, every time we reference Chicago, Collin connects the too: “Cha, Cha, Cha-cago” It’s adorable and now sort of hard for me to think of Chicago with out the extra "Cha"s. Anyhow, we went to Chicago for Collin’s 4th birthday and celebrated with a long weekend, including a trip to Shedd aquarium and the Field Museum.

Collin has been really interested in sharks, whales and seals as of late and so it seemed a trip to one of the best aquariums in the nation was in order. So, we put Agnes-Grace’s and Collin’s birthday party together and headed to Chicago straddled by fish, whales, sharks and sting-rays. But, luckily for us, just next door to Shedd aquarium is the Field museum. Home of Sue the Tyranosaurus Rex. If Collin is interested in sharks and whales right now, he’s in LOVE with dinosaurs. This kid knows every name of every dinosaur that we come across. Dozens of them. Pentaceratops. Apatosaurus. Giganotasaurus. I always get them wrong and he always corrects me. 

So, imagine the excitement of a four -year -old when faced with a giant skeleton of Tyrannosaurus Rex. He was nearly out of his skin in the field museum, darting from exhibit to exhibit to see what amazing creature was behind the next corner. The field museum is the biggest stuffed gallery we’ve ever encountered. You name the animal, they have it there in its most realistic pose. Rhinos. Dinosaurs. Moose. Kangaroos. Echidnas. Whales, animals you’ve never heard of new existed. They’re all there. We stopped to look at nearly every single one.

Sometimes we forget what its like to be little. To be saw in awe of the world. Moments like these though are brief windows back to it. Seeing Collin at the Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium made capturing that little bit of pure joy easy for one day. Oh to be four. How lucky we all are to share in the adventure.