Metra Ride

Alistair loves trains.  He likes to play with his trains, he reads books about trains, points out train tracks/bridges from the car, watches Thomas the Tank Engine as well as Chuggington videos, and he watched videos about trains that are for adults.  He is also scared of trains.  He was so excited to take the train today while we are in Chicago.  He talked about it before we rode the train.  We went to Hill's Hobby to see toy trains.  As soon as we stepped onto the platform, he was petrified.  He clung to my legs and was crying "I don't want to go on the train."

As the train approached Norwood Park station, he started to cry.  I picked him up (while I was still holding Charlotte in the Ergo carrier).  When the train stopped and the doors open, he pulled away from me a little and said, "Let's get on the train!"

Once we were on the train he was fine.  He was very excited when the conductor punched the ticket.  He thought it was funny that everything out the window looked green.

It was a Friday afternoon, so there were some regulars on the train that obviously new each other.  At one of the stations, two friends came on with a case of Miller Lite.  They passed some around to other friends on the train.  At one point one of them shouted to a woman a few rows away "Would you like one?"  Alistair, who couldn't see over the seat to see what they were passing around, replied loudly, "I want one!"  The whole carriage erupted with laughter followed by things like "Start them young!' and "It's never too early to start."  They said goodbye when we got off in Arlington Heights.