It’s Spring Break for my first-grader. He is having this week off. So tomorrow I will bring him to Dallas, Texas to see my brother’s family and my nieces. We will stay there for a few days and fly back to Chicago on Saturday.

The season change is subtle and gradual, with even a few setbacks along the way. Here is a picture of a snowy day when we visited Brookfield Zoo. The snow melted away soon afterwards.

Days are definitely longer now. When it is sunny, it feels really nice to be outside. My son and I have been out and playing in the last few weekends. Here are a few pictures of him playing in Scoville Park:

Seesaw

Swing

Yesterday we went to Shedd Aquarium. We took the train to downtown first, and then took No. 14 bus to the museum campus. I take trains like this to work every weekday. We sat on the upper-level, my son’s favorite level:

This is a shot of Lake Michigan and Navy Pier from the museum campus.

We saw an Australian lungfish at the aquarium, see picture below, who came to the aquarium in 1933. So it is at least 73 years old and was appropriately named Granddad. I never thought it could live that long. That is pretty amazing.

Visiting the aquarium is always a great experience. It is so nice to see different and interesting animals from all over the world, and appreciate the diversity nature provides. Here are a few more pictures.

Knifefish from the Nile

Paddlefish