Hike!

In this case, "Hike" means...."Get movin'!", in sled dog lingo...

The husband is still out of the country, foraging for new business and my kids had cabin fever in a BIG way.  About this time of year I wonder why in God's name did I choose to live in such a cold climate. 

A recent poll listed Chicago as number 10 of the top 20 most miserable places to live in the US.  Lovely distinction, but apt on a weekend such as last.  Cold, slushy and the damp chill just never left me. 

Back to my kids, we needed to get out and about so we headed over to Northerly Island for the park district's "Polar Adventure Days". 

Northerly Island is a lovely park on the lake that was created when Mayor Daley, in a bold midnight gesture, backhoe'd under the runways of Meigs Field.  Needless to say, Corporate Chicago did not think it was funny, however, the park IS nice. 

All along the museum campus the parking equals a mortgage, but the kind park district folks did not charge for parking. 

Once there we enjoyed the creative results of ice sculptures, volunteers holding menacing  birds of prey on their arms and one kind mom who brought snow block kits. 

That was the best since hordes of kids worked with each other to create this cute little igloo. 

How many kids can cram into a tiny igloo, anyway??

My kids were very into the block building process, although the engineering produced a very weak structure....

oh who cares, anyway?  It was fun! 

And about 20 husky sled dogs, were chained to an apparatus around a car.  The owner hooked the lead dog to a sled on wheels.  Once he was attached the rest of the dogs went crazy, like they were saying, "Pick me....Ohhhh....Pleeeease pick me to go, too!!!" 

Otherwise, the sled dogs really could have cared less about the kids, except for this white doggie, who wanted to lick my son.  Poor kid loves dogs and is allergic...

The temperatures hovered around 40 degrees, so the snow was very wet and there were great patches of mud. 

Hopefully that means spring is around the corner! 

So, we survived a Saturday outside, got a little fresh air and lost some of that cooped-in feeling. 

I do have beach on the brain, though....it would be nice to escape. 

Did I mention that my husband got sunburned in Dubai over the weekend?  I smell payback in a BIG way.....