• My 7-year-old son loves shoes with velcro and has been wearing the same pair every day for a year.
• I took him shopping for a new pair, and he said he wanted exactly the same.
• When a store employee told me they didn't make that print anymore, I braced for a meltdown.

My son is a creature of habit. Every time I leave the house, we have to follow the same routine, and he says, "Hug, kiss, see you whenever I want." He likes his pizza always with pepperoni and never with tomato sauce, and he has worn the same shoes every single day for the past year.

He's 7 and growing like a weed. Seeing how his shoes were falling apart from so much play and also that they were a bit tight on his feet, I recently decided to take him shopping in person for new ones.

I didn't expect a retail employee to have such an impact on our day.

He wanted the exact same shoes

We went to the only Vans store near where we live in Maine. When we arrived, he ran to the kids section. After being measured (and being told he is on the last little kids' size shoe before moving to adult sizes), he told the employee that he wanted exactly the same shoes, "because I love astronauts."

The employee smiled at him and then turned to me and told us that the brand no longer carried that print, but he could help us look for other options.

While he seems older because of his height and vocabulary, my son is still a little kid. I worried a meltdown was coming because of the bad news.

I coaxed him into picking another pair that he'd like. He was timid, grabbing all the shoes and inspecting them, only to end up requesting a pair of red high tops, which looked just like his beloved pair, minus the astronauts.

The employee went into the store's back room, and I could tell my son was not thrilled about this shopping experience anymore.

When the employee returned, he carried a couple of boxes and a big smile. He opened the first box, which had the bright red shoes we had just asked to try on. As my son was shyly putting them on, the employee slowly opened the other box and said, "But I also found these ones in the back."

It was exactly what my son wanted — his red shoes, with glow-in-the-dark spaceships and astronauts, in his size.

The employee then turned to me and said that since these were the last pair and they were discontinued, he could give them to us at 50% off.

He's so happy every time he puts them on

We bought the shoes. My son has been so happy since, and has asked me to keep the outgrown shoes in his memory box.

I shared our experience on Threads, and it went viral. People shared other stories of Vans employees helping them out, and former employees shared their stories working for the brand.

I reached out to Vans to see whether my son's experience was common, and Michel Bilodeau, the vice president and general manager of Vans Americas, told me that retail was very important for the brand, adding that he hoped "to have made a lifelong fan of Vans."

While I know he won't be able to get the same print next year, I'll remember this act of kindness every time my son puts on his new shoes.

• I didn't know I had uterine fibroids until I got pregnant for the first time.
• My three fibroids didn't interfere with my pregnancies, but they continued to grow significantly after.
• I'm getting a hysterectomy to remove the fibroids, and I'm having a lot of feelings about it.

"Did you know you have fibroids?"

That was the first thing I heard when I went for my first ultrasound after finding out I was pregnant. I held my breath, waiting for the bad news to follow, but the ultrasound tech said there was nothing to worry about.

My pregnancy continued uneventfully, and I delivered my son via C-section. As I was lying in the OR, numb from my chest down and cut open, my midwife gasped in shock. "They are huge," she said, referring to my fibroids. Still, she wasn't concerned.

Fast forward to seven years later, my fibroids are causing so much discomfort I'm getting my uterus removed.

What are fibroids?

Uterine fibroids are growths made of muscle and fibrous tissue. They're not cancerous, and up to 77% of women in childbearing years develop them.

I didn't know I had fibroids because I had none of the common symptoms, which include heavy or long periods, pelvic pain, and, in some cases, infertility.

After my first child, I got pregnant again with twins. I worried that having three fibroids and two babies was going to be too much, but again, I had an uneventful pregnancy that ended with a C-section.

My periods got unmanageable

My first period after the twins were born came with full rage. I was expecting something like it after not having a cycle for 19 months (I didn't have a period while breastfeeding). But with every new cycle that came, my period seemed to get worse.

My periods were so heavy that I became severely anemic and needed iron infusions. I knew something was wrong, but I figured I was just perimenopausal, and this was my new normal.

My OB/GYN thought differently and sent me for an ultrasound, which showed that my fibroids had more than doubled in size in two years. They were squishing my uterus, causing it to bleed.

My doctor told me I had two options: She could put me into early menopause through a monthly injection, or I could have my uterus removed (along with the fibroids), leaving my ovaries in to avoid menopause.

Because of where my fibroids are located, there's no option to just remove them and leave my uterus intact. Fearing the side effects of early menopause, I chose a hysterectomy.

The decision was more emotional than I expected.

I'm done having kids

Even though my husband and I have discussed at length whether we want more kids (the answer is no), the idea of not being able to have any more kids has been, inexplicably, a hard pill to swallow.

For a second, I debated whether we should have one more "before it's too late," which is not the best reason to jump into any life-changing event. But I loved being pregnant, and my uterus was my babies' first home. I'm having an incredibly hard time saying goodbye to it.

Late one night, I looked over at my husband and told him that I worried that he'd find me less attractive, knowing that I wasn't fertile anymore. He reassured me that I had nothing to worry about and that, technically, I would still be ovulating every month. If we really wanted, we could still have another child through surrogacy. Knowing there's a tiny window open made me feel slightly better.

My surgery has been scheduled, and I have two cycles left before the big day. I can't wait to stop feeling exhausted every day, worrying about staining clothes, and spending a small fortune every month on period products. Now, I'm worried about my recovery post-surgery, not only physically but also emotionally.

• I wanted to surprise my kids with a big teddy bear like my grandmother did when I was a kid.
• I decided to get them a massive teddy from Costco.
• It was delivered in a giant box, and the bear turned out to be bigger than I expected.

When I was 7 years old, my grandmother asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I told her I wanted a giant teddy bear, and so she set out to find one that would qualify as "giant."

Much to my parents' disappointment, she found a 5-foot bear. When she brought it home, sitting in the passenger seat of the car, I was thrilled. I kept that bear until I was out of college, when I donated it to an orphanage in my native Argentina.

I wanted to provide the same experience to my kids for their birthday this year, so I set out to find the biggest teddy bear I could. I might have overdone it, despite how much my kids love it.

I found exactly what I wanted

I asked on Threads where I could buy a very large teddy bear from a reliable seller. More than one person told me to look at Costco. I found the teddy bear I wanted almost immediately. It would deliver just in time for my kids' birthday.

I hit purchase and paid $300 without reading the specs. I was feeling accomplished until I got an email from Costco saying that because of the size of the box, the teddy could only be delivered to our driveway.

It's truly gigantic

I went back to the listing to check what I had bought, and that's when I realized how big this surprise was going to be — for all of us. Had I known, and had there been a smaller option, I would've gone for that.

The stuffed bear weighs almost 49 pounds and is 7 feet 9 inches, which is significantly taller than I am at 5 feet 6 inches. I told my husband about my mistake and he laughed, used to my antics.

When the delivery truck arrived, the driver told us he needed a dolly to move the box to our front steps. I wasn't impressed with the size of the box initially. It was slightly shorter than me and I worried my surprise wasn't going to be as big as I wanted it to be.

When we opened the box, the teddy bear unfolded and revealed its size: truly gigantic.

My kids love it

My three kids squealed in excitement when they saw their new friend, who they appropriately named Mr. Beary. They immediately climbed on top of him. Because the bear so big, it's basically like climbing a mountain for their tiny bodies.

I had to ask my husband to carry Mr. Beary up since it was impossible for me to even try. We debated where to put him. At first, we went to my kids' bedroom, but there was nowhere we could put him. The ceilings of certain rooms in our house slant, leaving minimal vertical space. We moved him to our playroom where there was enough room for him to sit up, but he now takes up half the room.

My kids have played nonstop with their giant bear since it arrived. In the end, I thought the price was a steal for how large, soft, and well-made the bear is. And if my kids ever get tired of playing with it, the bear is a perfect little couch for one of them to watch TV on.

• We first visited Legoland in Florida, and my kids were more into it than Disney World.
• We've since also gone to Legoland New York and San Diego, and have enjoyed all three parks.
• Still, there are a few reasons Legoland Florida is my favorite of the three.

The first time we visited a Legoland park, it wasn't really even on our radar.

It happened to be next to the brand-new Peppa Pig amusement park in Florida that my husband and I wanted to take our kids to. Our kids loved the show, and the park seemed age-appropriate for our then 4-year-old and 2-year-old twins.

The park was next to Legoland Florida, and tickets for both parks were pretty affordable, especially compared to Disney World, so we went there, too.

Our kids loved the Legoland park so much that we ended up taking them to the one in California and New York in later years.

Here's how the three parks compare, and which I love the most.

The parks have some overlap, though they offer slightly different experiences.

As parks from the same franchise, all three Legolands feature very similar attractions.

Although the layouts are different, and the order in which you enter each world may vary, you pretty much can expect very similar experiences in all three.

They all have a land that features miniature versions of iconic places in the world. All three have different landmarks, but kids still get to walk around and explore the miniature buildings.

The "Ninjago" ride is exactly the same in all three parks (ask me how I know — it's my oldest's favorite show), and it's a crowd-pleaser.

All three parks also have The Dragon, a coaster for kids ages 6 to 13.

However, each seemed to have at least one notable, unique attraction.

In California, the one ride that stood out the most for both my oldest and myself was a submarine ride called LEGO CITY: Deep Sea Adventure. We got to enter a submarine and explore real and Lego block creatures underwater.

In New York, we rode The Dragon's Apprentice, a roller coaster for younger kids (3 to 5 years old). It was as much of a thrill as my twins could handle.

In Florida, we all enjoyed hiding from the sun and heat at the Pharaoh's Revenge Land of Adventure, an indoor play area where kids can climb, run through tunnels, and load foam balls into tubes.

There's more to do in all three parks than just go on rides.

When we visited our first Legoland, my twins were just a little over 2 years old. I worried there wouldn't be much for them to do at the park. Thankfully, I was wrong.

All across the three parks, there are tons of things for kids to do and discover beyond the rides.

First of all, they all have figurines from Lego shows that are ready to pose with for photos. My son has a photo of the same punk-rocker sculpture in all three parks.

The parks also offer seasonal events. We visited Legoland New York during its Brick or Treat Halloween special. The park was full of skeletons and pumpkin decorations the kids could pose with and play with.

Plus, each has building stations throughout the property where kids can build with Lego blocks and earn badges.

It's worth staying at the hotel no matter which location you choose.

I won't lie, I'm a sucker for a themed anything, so when we first walked into the hotel adjacent to Legoland Florida, I was sold.

The hotel is decorated with Lego blocks and even has pools of blocks kids can get into and play with.

After that stay, we stayed in the Legoland hotels in New York and Orlando as well.

It's clear that the rooms in all three were designed with family in mind. This was especially important for me as standard hotel-room layouts usually don't easily accommodate a family of five like mine.

For example, the bunk beds have a roll-out bed to fit three kids in one room — which is rare in my traveling experience.

The rooms we stayed at had a kid's area separate from a space for adults, so my husband and I could watch television or read a book without fear of waking the kids.

The hotels all helped keep my family fed and entertained.

Walking into the rooms, my kids squealed in excitement. While there are different themes, we were always assigned the pirates' room. There are also Lego Dreamz and Ninjago-themed rooms.

My kids loved that the rooms had a safe, where we had to crack a code by answering questions about the space (for example, how many ladybugs were hidden in it). Inside the safe, there was a complimentary Lego set for each of them.

There's a restaurant at all three hotels that's also fully decorated with Lego characters which my kids loved.

The food wasn't that impressive, but I appreciated that we could get a quick bite after a long day of playing without having to leave the premises.

All that said, my favorite park was Legoland Florida.

Although all three parks kept my kids entertained and busy, my personal favorite was the one in Florida.

The California park is the first Legoland to open in the US, in 1999, so certain parts of it feel a bit outdated and old. It's also smaller, and although that allowed us to explore the entire property (except for the water park area) in half a day, I left wanting more of an experience.

We saw fewer characters walking around, and the stores felt pretty bare bones — but this could also be because our visit was near closing time.

The New York park in Goshen is the newest, having opened in 2021. I like that it's just a short trip away from New York City. We visited on a Friday, thinking it would be less crowded than the weekend, but we were wrong.

The lines were incredibly long, and we barely got to do any attractions. We later found out that day was a school holiday in New York, which partially explained the chaos.

However, the crowds didn't feel like such a big deal in the Florida park — maybe because it's the biggest of the three. It opened in 2011 and has over 50 rides for a wide range of ages.

Legoland Florida reminded us of Disney parks the most in a few ways, like its larger size and wide range of activities. I also found its gift shops had a bigger variety of items to purchase.

Plus, Legoland Florida being next to Peppa Pig Land is a huge plus for those with younger kids.

• We bought our Subaru Outback in 2018 after having our first child.
• When I found out I was pregnant with twins, I panicked, thinking about needing a bigger car.
• We made it work, but now that our kids are older, we are trying to figure out which car we need.

In 2019, while living in New York City, I found out I was pregnant with twins. My first concern was how much money we would need to spend on new things — including a bigger car.

We bought a used 2017 Subaru Outback for $27,000 when our first child was just months old. We figured that having a baby and two dogs required us to have a durable car but also not super fancy since there would be plenty of baby and dog accidents of all kinds in the future.

But now, staring at an ultrasound marked with Baby A and Baby B, I worried that our Outback could not handle three car seats in one row.

After testing a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, I've realized the heralded third row may not be an absolute necessity for my family, and that it's possible to get more room than in our aging Outback for way less than the cost of a full-size SUV.

We made the Outback work for a few years

We decided to move to Maine, knowing that having three young kids in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn would be tough. With the cost of moving, we didn't have money to spend on a new car, so we invested in slim car seats instead.

The Subaru Outback was exactly what we needed for the first few years with three kids. The slim car seats fit in one row, and the trunk was perfect for a double stroller, beach bags, or even tiny skis.

It became "the family" car, where kids can eat snacks and make a mess of them. It's also the car we take when we go on road trips because it doesn't stand out and fits almost in any parking spot.

We want an upgrade to a bigger SUV

But now that the kids are almost 7, 5, and 5, we want an upgrade. This is mostly because sitting next to each other has triggered many fights between my kids. My husband is convinced a third row would solve this problem since our oldest could have the whole row for himself.

I worry that he'll complain about being far away from everyone and unable to reach snacks and toys. Also, when we've ridden in other three-row midsize SUVs, it was an absolute slog to get kids in and out of the far back, and the trunk space leaves a lot to desire.

In our process of deciding what car we need, we decided to try the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. We have lots of friends who have the Atlas with three rows and they talk wonders about the car.

We decided to test the Cross Sport because, while it only has two rows, it's bigger than the Outback, which made me wonder if that would be enough for our kids.

I was very impressed at first with the two-row Atlas

Immediately after getting into the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, I felt like I was in a luxury car compared to our Outback. Obviously, a 2024 car, compared to a 2017 one, is going to have more gadgets, but I was incredibly impressed at first.

Small things like how easy it was to connect my phone to the console to have my maps or my music ready to go, having cameras both in the front and back of the car to guide you while parking, and the speedometer reflected on the windshield to keep me under the speed limit.

I also liked the automatic LED headlights, especially for driving at night on Maine's very dark and quiet winding roads. They automatically turned to high beams in low light and turned off when there was incoming traffic. I also liked how long and wide the sunroof was, a feature my kids also noticed immediately from the back seat.

I realized we don't really need a third row

Another thing I noticed when we took the Atlas Cross Sport for a long drive was how much more comfortable I was in the passenger seat compared to the Outback. My footwell is often packed with water bottles, snacks, tissues, and whatever else kids might need.

In the Atlas, despite having all that, I didn't feel overwhelmed by all the stuff the way I do in our Outback.

Even more impressive was that our kids' car seats all fit in the second row as expected, but they also had more space to walk past each other when getting in and out of the car. This made for fewer fights and more pleasant driving for my husband and me.

So, while we started looking into new cars, thinking we needed a third row, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport proved that we didn't necessarily need that, but rather a slightly bigger car.

We also wanted a car that was not incredibly expensive. The starting selling price for a 2025 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is $37,190, which sounds much better than the parent-popular choices like a Suburban, starting at $63,495, a Ford Expedition, starting at $61,700, or a Chevrolet Tahoe, which starts at $60,495 and can go up to $80,195.

• I moved with my family of five from New York City to Portland, Maine almost five years ago.
• We love our life here, and people are incredibly friendly.
• That said, access to good healthcare has been a problem.

When I found out I was pregnant with twins, I told my husband we needed to leave New York City. We had been there for over a decade, but life with little kids seemed impossible in the city because of the high cost of childcare.

My husband is from Maine, and I fell in love with the state throughout our 11 year relationship. We moved to Maine in 2020 when the twins were 2 weeks old, excited for a change of pace and to spend more time outside. I wasn't prepared for how hard it would be to find good healthcare.

At first, it seemed like a COVID-19 problem

Shortly after we moved in, the state virtually shut down because of COVID-19. As the world started to open up again, we tried to establish care with primary care doctors and specialists. Getting in as a new patient was a mixed bag; I got an OB-GYN pretty quickly, but it took over a year and a half to see a dermatologist.

I figured wait times to see a doctor would eventually start going back to normal, but that was not the case for my family. Getting in touch with our pediatrician is still a Herculean effort, with hour-long waits on the phone and days going by before our calls are returned.

Now that our kids are older and can verbalize if something is wrong, we take them to urgent care when they're sick instead of trying their pediatrician. When I mentioned this recently to a group of local friends, many said they were doing the same.

Getting specialist care is also still a struggle.

In June 2024, I made an appointment to see if I was a good candidate for Lasik. After being on the waitlist for an appointment for six months, I got an email saying that the only clinic in Portland, Maine, that performs the surgery was no longer taking patients for it.

I decided to see if I could get an appointment with an optometrist in Massachusetts, and I was able to find appointments for that same week with two different practices.

I know the problem extends to medical providers

I have friends who are medical providers in Maine, so I know the problem goes both ways. They complain about long hours, pay that hasn't caught up with the economy, the cost of living, and a lack of new doctors moving to the state to fill in the gaps. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the doctor shortage is a nationwide problem, but small communities, like those common in Maine, see the impact more.

That said, I've also had incredible experiences with certain doctors.

When I tore my ACL in 2024, I saw a sports medicine doctor who personally called local surgeons to take me in. I got a call back from an orthopedic surgeon that same day and had surgery by the end of the following week.

The same sports doctor helped me get an appointment with a physical therapist who only worked rehabbing ACLs. He was essential in my recovery.

When I vented on social media about my experiences with healthcare in Portland, I was inundated with responses from people who have had the same issues as me. One friend told me she travels from Maine to New York for all her medical appointments. I heard from people who drive across the border with New Hampshire because they've found doctors there who have shorter wait times. When I checked to see if my former OB-GYN and dermatologists in New York could take me, their schedules were wide open.

Some friends have suggested going to a concierge doctor as an alternative. Here in Portland, I've only found concierge doctors that don't take insurance and have membership systems with prices starting at $95 a month. On top of what I'm already paying for my family's insurance, we can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on this.

For now, I'm looking into practitioners in nearby states and even thinking about checking with my doctors in New York to see if they'll take me back.

• I lived in New York City for years but left because we couldn't afford to raise three kids there.
• We live in Maine but recently visited friends in NYC and went to the Instagram-famous Space Club.
• The indoor playground was a blast for all of us, though it felt a bit expensive for three kids.

When I found out I was expecting twins in 2019, I panicked. There were many reasons for my stress, but a big one was that I didn't know how we could afford to raise three young kids in New York City.

We moved to Maine, where our living costs are cheaper, but we still visit the city regularly. We have friends there, and there's always something to do — especially with kids.

In a recent visit, our friends suggested meeting at Space Club, an indoor playground in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, so the kids could get the wiggles out before dinner.

Although I found it to be a bit expensive, my kids loved the experience and have been asking every day since when we're going back.

Space Club is an indoor play area for kids.

Space Club, which opened its Greenpoint location at the end of 2023, is essentially an indoor playground.

It was created by artist and mom of three CJ Hendry, known for — among other things — her installation of a Bargain Bodega.

The Space Club website says it was created by parents with parents in mind and that the goal was for it not to be cramped, loud, or stinky.

I paid $115 for my three kids for a two-hour pass — $35 per kid, which includes one adult per child. Without having explored the place yet, that felt very expensive.

You can also add an adult for $5 or pay $15 an hour for extra time. The club also offers a $300-a-month membership with a $500 joining fee billed once per family.

The space is massive and has so many rooms to explore.

Prior to our move, I spent a lot of time with my oldest child in similar play spaces in New York, but they always felt cramped, dirty, and stinky.

When we first entered Space, it was clear the playground was doing something different.

The lobby is wide and open. There are coat hangers and shoe racks since all visitors must go in wearing socks with grips, which are provided. No shoes are allowed inside, not even for parents.

There are tables for kids to eat snacks at when taking a break from playing and so many rooms to explore.

As soon as they were ready, my kids all ran in different directions.

There's a room with a giant white bounce house that my twins immediately gravitated to.

Other rooms include an area with foam blocks where kids can build structures, an area for younger kids with age-appropriate activities, a huge ball pit with climbing structures and hanging ropes, a bead room, a music room, a glow-in-the-dark room, a sequin wall, a Lego blocks area, and a hamster-wheel wall.

There was truly something for all my kids to enjoy.

My kids have very different interests, so organizing activities they will all enjoy gets trickier as they get older.

My oldest, for example, loves playing with Lego bricks and can do so for hours. At first, he was hesitant about jumping into the ball pit — which seemed to be the main attraction for other kids — and wandered around looking for what to do.

Once he found the Lego area, he was thrilled.

My twins, on the other hand, ran to the bead pool — which I stuck my feet in for a cool sensory experience — and they spent almost their entire time there making creations for the entire family.

Months later, one of them still carries the necklace she made there with her wherever she goes.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it myself.

My kids had an absolute blast during the hours we were there, and it was true that it helped them get their wiggles out. However, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much myself.

Encouraged by my friend, who said I could join kids in playing, I jumped into the ball pit — technically a star pit since the balls are star-shaped — and had so much fun playing with my kids.

I also bounced around in the bouncy house, made a bracelet for myself, and played some music. My inner child was thrilled.

Most importantly, I got to spend time with my friends without our children interrupting us. They were so engaged in their activities that it allowed us to catch up and chat like we did before we had kids.

The space feels more like an art installation that you can play with.

There's no doubt that Space Club is the most attractive kids' play space I have ever been to. Every room has a theme and a color palette. Sometimes, I felt like I was more in an art installation than a play area.

I appreciated seeing employees regularly walk through the rooms to tidy up, putting blocks back into the Lego room, beads back into the beads room, and so on.

After our time was up, two things were true: The price I paid for my kids to play didn't feel that expensive anymore, given how much fun they had, and none of us wanted to leave to go to dinner.

• I took my family from a 95-degree Australian summer to experience Chicago's 5-degree winter weather.
• Everyone warned us December was a bad time to visit, but smaller crowds and festive activities proved them wrong.
• From ice skating to curling, winter-only activities made our offseason trip unforgettable.

Despite warnings from friends and fellow travelers, we decided to spend a December vacation in Chicago.

Nearly everyone tried to talk us out of it, saying it would be too cold and windy and we should choose a warmer destination. But we had a different goal: experiencing a real American Christmas. In Australia, where we live, December means sweltering heat and late sunsets that make holiday light displays practically invisible until 10 p.m.

Despite the cold weather, it was a memorable experience.

We got an extreme welcome to Chicago winter

Our first day coincided with the city's coldest temperature of the year — just 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Even Chicago natives shivered and complained about the brutal cold.

Despite the arctic blast, we had scheduled a five-hour walking tour through the Chicago Greeters program, a free service that matches visitors with local volunteers. Bundled in multiple layers, we met our guide, Bill, an energetic local in his 70s who quickly proved that Chicago's famous winter weather couldn't dampen the city's charm.

His local stories, mixed with iconic attractions, made for a great day, and he provided recommendations for the rest of our week.

Winter activities became an unexpected highlight

While our usual Christmas involves seafood and beach trips, growing up watching movies like "Home Alone" gave us a different vision of the holiday season. Chicago delivered that movie-perfect Christmas experience with a magical winter atmosphere we had always dreamed about.

We explored the Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo, wandered through the enchanting Christkindl market, and discovered several festive pop-up Christmas bars in Wrigleyville. As a special treat for our half-Jewish kids, they were thrilled to visit the Hanukkah bar, 8 Crazy Nights.

Although our skating skills left a lot to be desired, the breathtaking cityscape surrounding the Maggie Daley Ice Skating Ribbon more than made up for the spills.

The architecture tours impressed even in winter

One thing I was hesitant to do was an architecture river tour. While the city is famous for its buildings, I worried the cold would make it unbearable. But Bill convinced us to do it.

Though many operators had closed for the season, we found a 90-minute cruise. Surprisingly, despite the wintery conditions, this was a great tour, and even the kids loved it. The moody gray skies made for more dramatic photos.

After dark, the city came alive with a holiday spirit

Being close to Christmas, the city offered endless entertainment options. We went to a high-energy Chicago Bulls game where we were incredibly excited to support fellow Australian Josh Giddey, complete with handwritten signs to cheer him on.

We also saw the Blue Man Group perform, but the highlight for me was visiting Second City. Having completed some online satire writing courses with them during the COVID lockdown, it felt like a pilgrimage to see a show live. My kids were worried I would jump onstage, but despite my best efforts, this didn't happen.

Chicago's winter weather demands comfort food

The frigid temperatures gave us the perfect excuse to indulge in the city's heartiest dishes. We devoured deep-dish pizza at Giordano's (which quickly became our favorite), savored authentic Italian beef sandwiches, and relished Chicago-style hot dogs.

The kids loved tasting the endless selection of decadent hot chocolates while my wife and I warmed ourselves with mulled wine and Tom & Jerry's, a Midwestern holiday cocktail. These warming treats perfectly matched our winter adventure.

The offseason offered a more relaxed way to explore

During the peak summer months, Chicago becomes very busy, with popular attractions and restaurants sporting long lines and requiring a lot of planning. By visiting in December, we avoided all the typical tourist crowds and had a much more relaxed trip.

We were hoping for snow, but although it was cold, it never rained or snowed. By the end of our week, we had transformed into winter warriors. On the day we departed, it was 40 degrees and felt almost warm. In true Chicago spirit, one of the kids even wore shorts - he had become a true Chicagoan!

The magical combination of festive atmosphere, smaller crowds, and unique winter activities made it an ideal time to visit the Windy City - even for a family of Australians used to a hot December spent on the beach.