Akron, Ohio and Schaumburg, Illinois

On Sunday, we met up in Akron with some friends and their son, who is exactly two days younger than Boo. We ate lunch and decided to go to an Akron Rubber Ducks baseball game (AA league). They were playing the Portland Sea Dogs, and hit two home runs so it was fun. 

Randomly, the theme of that day's game was "Princess Tea Party," so Boo and her friend got to meet all the Disney princesses (who went by such names as "Snow Queen" and "Amulet Princess" to avoid legal issues). Boo was star struck by Elsa, and asked me to tell her that she was her favorite because she suddenly became shy. Yeah, my kid. The one who sings "Twinkle Twinkle" at full volume in the grocery store. Hilarious. 

We left around the 8th inning because Boo threw a tantrum over sitting in the #10 seat (as opposed to #4, because she's four. Ah, preschool logic combined with being overtired. So fun.). Yup, time to go. 

There's no crying in baseball, Boo.

Monday it was time to head to Chicago. Schaumburg is actually where LegoLand is. We are staying at the Westin Hotel in Elk Grove Village, just outside Chicago. Despite the massive construction going on around the hotel, the rooms are nice, the beds are fluffy, and the water pressure is good, so I'm happy. 

Ahhh, cool sheets

We arrived around 4:30pm local time (one hour behind EST), after driving through a torrential downpour in Indiana. 

Boo likes the elevator.

After we dropped John off in the morning, it was a short, 15-minute drive to LegoLand, which is within a shopping center, and much smaller than I expected. I think I was expecting something like what is in San Diego. Still, Boo had a blast. She told me numerous times how much fun she had. I'll let the pictures do the talking. 

While we were waiting for the place to open, we browsed a department store next door and I managed to resist these babies for Boo. I regret not buying them now. 

We saw a 4D movie (the theater snowed on us) and rode two rides. 

My favorite part was the water table. Kids had to figure out how to get their boat to float all the way down, and had tons of Legos at their disposal to do so. Very cool.

There was also an area to build a car to race down slopes of varying height. 

Overall, I'd say that LegoLand should be done for an older child (maybe 5 or 6 and up), but it wasn't a waste of time. They had small Legos and Duplos for all ages, but Boo was more interested in running around than building structures. Maybe that's just her. If, after reading this, someone wants to visit, I'd recommend buying tickets online ahead of time, because it's $13.50/ticket online, and $18.50 in person. Also, adults aren't allowed to go alone, and must be accompanied by a child. But never fear! There are adult nights for nerding out. 

Tomorrow we will play tourist downtown and eat some pizza. Once finished, if Boo feels like it, we will hit up a museum, and if not, we will come back and go swimming at the hotel until John is done. On Thursday, we will probably leave around 2pm, so I plan to find a nice playground in Naperville or something to wear out my energetic kid before the long drive back to Cleveland. Time is seriously winding down!