So....after our wonderful visit with Bill and Kathryn, we headed into downtown Chicago for our stay at the Hyatt on Wacker. The Toxoplasmosis Study sponsored by the University of Chicago is always so gracious in providing us with our family's plane fare and a night at this centrally located hotel. It just so happened that at check-in we discovered that none other than our favorite president, Mr Barack Obama, was to be appearing in the hotel that night at a fundraiser. The entire place would be locked down early before dinner, so we quickly skipped out with our friend, Margo - who we met years ago during our Telluride Film Festival Days. She and her husband and gaggle of lovely daughters live in Lincoln Park, so we took in the zoo. Zelda wrestled with her stuffed lion, thanks Margo! and Creed whined non-stop about wanting to see Obama. "Why can't I go to the fundraiser?!" Luckily, their attentions were diverted by capable babysitters named Anna, Madelyn and Olivia. That convenient arrangement allowed for the parents to have an evening out at Bruno's latest new restaurant.
Margo & Creed waiting for Obama's helicopter...The next day we were up early to be at the University by 7am. Doctors, nurses, and our favorite: the Oracle - Dr Rima McLeod - to whom we attribute the success and health of our children, were all on hand to put us through the paces. The study should last the lifetime of the children. This was our 3rd trip to Chicago and as the twins get older, the trips will be spaced out a bit but each one involves a developmental assessment, blood work, eye exams, visits with the neurologist, infectious disease specialist, and opthamologists. It's a day's work and despite our exhaustion, we were intent on seeing our friends, Gemma, Rowley and their imp of son named Fin. He is also a toxo baby and we had met them on our last trip to Chicago and immediately felt a bound with this strong, caring and fearless family. The evening was spent at Millennium Park listening to the Symphony and then the entire lot of us descended upon a nearby restaurant. Imagine the delight of the server with 3 toddlers - Fin with his huge smile, crackling and swinging his paper, Zelda needing to get up every 5 minutes to go outside and walk, and Creed demanding his french fries and water and anything else he could get his hands on. It was glorious! And the restaurant staff was extremely gracious...
the Toxo Tribe at the Symphony...We left the next day...as Zelda pushed the double stroller through the airport with her lion in one seat and Creed's tiger in the other...until the next time, Chicago, we love you...
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