riding the Holiday Train

The kids and I were sure to experience the CTA holiday train this year as our Advent activity one night.  You gotta love the CTA.  The city tries so hard to have Christmas spirit but between the freezing temps, crush of people, and "the elves" on the train handing out candy canes that looked like they needed a few days off from their making merry duties it was hilarious.  But we just had to do it what with our love for all things urban transportation.

It approaches to many excited cheers of other cray cray kids & parents (and  few poor unsuspecting actual commuters)


This blurry shot was the best I could muster considering I was holding A's car seat, the hands of both girls and pushing our way through the crowds (and trying to make sure no one fell to their death on the tracks).

"Mama, this is WAY lots of people!" Welcome to Chicago kid.

When we finally got on this was all I could see and the girls who are considerably shorter had views of people's butts and dirty boots.  Umm, also Abishai who was apparently not feeling the holiday train (or his mama who forgot his pacifier) and was screaming the entire ride.  But can I just say I love this random bitter holiday train commuter? I seriously could not stop laughing at the utter ridiculousness of it all.

In the end we waited in the freezing cold for 20 minutes to ride the train one stop in a crush of humanity all while holding a screaming Abishai in his car seat and then waited again for 15 minutes in the frigid temps to ride it back to our stop.  But it was still worth it for the extra swag in our steps because we rode the CTA Holiday Train.