Trip to Aurora May - Fourth Day

Bill with Brock, Braden, and Brady

Today was Mother's Day and tomorrow is Eileen's birthday.  So it was a very special day for her.  We made a bagel run to Einstein Brothers in Naperville which gave me a chance to a see a bit more of the area.  It was surprising to me to learn that Aurora is the second largest city in Illinois with a population of almost 200,000 and that Naperville at 150,000 is the third.  These are quite substantial cities with plenty of resources and especially impressive schools, at least the physical plants are certainly impressive.

Brock inspects tortoise.

After our bagel brunch, we made a visit to the Aurora Zoo.  Yes, they have  their own zoo located in Phillips Park, a five minute drive from home.  The park also includes a golf course.  The zoo was perfect for a Sunday visit:  There is no admission fee.  It is small, easy to get around, and close to home.  We spent about an hour there which was just right for everyone.

After the zoo, Brendan and I took the boys to the Naperville Skate park where Brock skated and Brady rode his scooter.  This is a very nice facility with high quality wood ramps and a lot of them as well.  There was only one other skater when we arrived so it wasn't as much fun for Brock as it would have been with other kids to ride with.  With soccer and baseball, he doesn't skate as much these days but that will probably change once he connects with some other kids that do.  Again the facility was quite impressive in a larger park adjacent to a high school campus that looked like a small college.  Below is a time lapse photo sequence of one of Brock's skate board tricks.



We got back home in time to watch the Royals finish taking the three game series from the White Sox and then the conclusion of the Players Championship.  Eileen's niece, McKenna, drove out from Chicago for dinner and a visit.  We ended the day watching an episode of The Celebrity Apprentice.  Tomorrow is my last day here.

Watch a video of Brock on a half-pipe.

View the updated photo album.