A walk in the park

Boy, did Dad have some moxie today.

He had seen that singer-songwriter St. Vincent - whose new album has received glowing reviews - was headlining a free concert at Millenium Park's Pritzker Pavillion tonight, just 24 hours after playing for a paying crowd at an indoor venue elsewhere in the city.

It looked too good to miss.

At least, if not for a couple complications. Mom was working, for one. There was a threat of severe thunderstorms, for another.

Then again, the pavillion's lawn is a wonderful place for kids to run freely, and the park has other attractions/distractions within earshot. Plus, we want to do this as a family eventually this summer, hopefully more than once or twice (Millenium Park has free music every day), and the park is a walkable distance from home now.

But Dad didn't commit one way or the other before he got the kids ready to go to the one definite destination of the day, the downtown library. He grabbed a stack of books, a handful of diaper-changing gear, and a sippy cup, and we were on our way. We rode the Brown Line to the library, where we exchanged books and read a few.

When we got back outside, Dad simply looked at the sky - "all clear," he thought - and decided to roll with it.

"Do you guys want to eat out?"

"Yes!"

So we went across the street to Quiznos and picked up a couple sandwiches.

"Do you want to eat at the park?"

"Yes!"

Make that to go, please.

"What park are we going to, Daddy?"

"How about Millenium Park?"

"Yes!"

So we strolled to Millenium Park, where we found a shady spot in the grass to eat. As we were finishing our meal, rain came crashing down. People on the grass in the pavillion, waiting for the concert, were caught by surprise and scrambled for cover under the little trees around the park. But we already were under one and stayed dry for the brief downpour, which soon gave way to sun and blue sky.

It was around this time that Dad finally thought, "You know, there's no reason not to make a night of this now."

The kids waded in the water at Crown Fountain for a while, we took a potty break, and then it was time for the opening act, Alla, a Chicago-based Mexican-American rock-and-roll band. We stayed long enough - until 8 p.m. - to hear maybe half of St. Vincent's set before Dad decided to quit while he was still ahead.

By the time we had made the long walk home, though, the kids were in such good spirits - or maybe just deliriously tired - that they started running around the apartment squealing.

"Ready for more?"

Dad certainly is.