Stephanie, Hamlin Park, Lakeview, Chicago

Stephanie, Hamlin Park, Lakeview, Chicago

Hamlin Park, Lakeview, Chicago

Jessica, Hamlin Park, Lakeview, Chicago

On Memorial Day my brother’s family came over for a visit. We were going to go to the Notebaert Nature Museum, we tried, but Lincoln Park was so crazy today. We drove around for a half hour and there was NO parking to be had anywhere. Note to selves: Next time take public transportation. I thought we’d be alright since the Nature Museum’s web site shows a map with parking nearby and because when we went to Lincoln Zoo we had no problem, but not today.

Plan B. We decided to pack a small cooler, a few Frisbees and a football and head over to Hamlin Park. I’m still surprised every time at how grown up Steph is. It was just a couple years ago that we were at Wicker Park and she was the one playing on the barrel roller on the playground. Time flies. Hopefully, she and I can hang out more this summer together. Jess took a few hours today, but she got warmed up and was talking and being silly. Once on the playground, though, she started to play hide and seek with some other kids and when she was “it” she counted out loud then ran around to look for kids but was too shy to actually go up and tag them “it.” At least I know that her shyness isn’t just me!

I had fun hanging out all day, talking, people watching, playing catch and running around with Jess on the playground, even though it wasn’t what we’d planned on doing. For dinner we went to Riverview. Jess loved the mini corndogs. Steph and I split two sandwiches. My brother enjoyed a few Fat Tires, which he can’t get in Wisconsin. Amanda tried to order tea but they were out? And they were also out of knives? Weird.

Later on after everyone left and I was waiting for Dallas’ flight to get in, I rode my bike about 6 miles up Damen to Rosehill Cemetery and back down, detouring through Winnemac Park, a lovely little slice of nature I’d never been to before.

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