Holiday Train

Last year our family had a great time riding the Holiday Train (an el train decorated to the hilt with Christmas decorations, complete with Elf helpers handing out candy canes and a flatbed car with Santa on his sleigh)  Last year, it was COLD and snowing.  So perhaps that accounts for the fact that the train was mostly empty.  This year, a family in Zachary's kindergarten class put together a little outing for Z's class: a ride on the holiday train followed by dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  The train was PACKED.  It was crazy.  Trying not to lose our kids, while letting them sit with friends was NUTS.  All the while me having Yannick strapped to me in the ergobaby!  Several kids from Zach's class came, including Z's best buddies: David, Eli,  and Vasanth.  The kids all had a great time.  Even better at the restaurant, because they were allowed to sit at a table by themselves with NO PARENTS! :)  I sat at a table next to theirs with Yannick, David's mom and Vasanth's mom.  Art and Wyatt sat at a table with Vasanth's dad who arrived later.  Shemar's family was nearby.

We had 4-5 minutes after disembarking at the last stop to go check out Santa on the flatbed car before loading back onto the el and heading back to main st. stop for dinner.

Zachary with is buddies David (next to him) Vasanth (across), Eli (diagonal).

It was a fun, albeit chaotic and a bit expensive (that restaurant is not playing around!) evening.  However, I do prefer how it was last year with just us, and much less chaos!