One thing I love more than just about anything is our proximity to Lake Michigan. We are only a few blocks west of the lake, so it's nothing to hop in the car and go to one of the many parks on the beach.  This park is Loyola Park (did you know Rogers Park is home to Loyola University?). 

I passed this park on a run the other night and thought the kids might enjoy it. They very much did, in spite of the cold temperatures. As the Scandinavians say, "There's no such thing as bad weather...just bad clothing (or inappropriate clothing)." If you wear the right stuff, any weather is good playing! 

We love cold weather. That might actually be an understatement. 

And even for a family from the south, we've figured out how to dress for it. We sort of had to. Immediately upon our moving here, Chicago got blasted with super cold temps. 

Base layers, fleece layers, puffy coats, waterproof layers, waterproof gloves that extend to the elbows, Sorel snow boots. I'll do a separate post on winter gear/wear. Or what I've learned.

Standing out, looking up the shoreline, I confess to being filled with pure glee. 

It is so utterly beautiful.

Looking down the shore, you wouldn't know this wasn't an ocean.

The park systems of Chicago are unbelievable. 

I guess when you have several months of serious cold, when it's warm, you take advantage of it. 

So there are huge green spaces scattered about, with wonderful places to play.

They also offer tons and tons of classes and activities through each individual park. Sign up is mandatory, fees are minimal and people snatch up the slots. 

Ironically, my kids were warm as toast. Shedding layers, even. I was the one who underestimated the coldness. As Wyeth likes to say, "I'm freezing my keester off!" I was. I did. Jeans do not block the winter chill from freezing the keester. 

Wilder, nestled against me in the boba was toasty warm. He does have a puffy suit, or as I have dubbed it, his "warmies". But for this short outing, it was just body warmth.

On our way to the park, Kyle and I drove past this curious sight. The Cheetah/Burberry house. 

Words fail me.