The train we took from St. Louis to Chicago had come all the way from Texas and therefore had some amenities that our last trains did not. One of those was the lounge car with open seats and overhead windows to take full advantage of the view.
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| This is what a hungry baby looks like. |
Video: Hungry (Teething) Baby
The boys enjoyed the lounge car quite a bit, but Hazel and I were sleepy and enjoyed some snuggles in our standard seats (which on this train included a ton of leg room and foot rests!).
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| FB Post: I could get used to this #trainlife🚊 #amtrak |
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| This is what happens when baby has a blow-out on the train. Naked (& waiting for Daddy to retrieve her back-up outfit). |
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| Thinking hard while she sleeps. |
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| This may make me a bad parent, but tablets are a God-send when traveling with children! |
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| Hazel entertaining Grandma & Papa |
As we made it to Chicago the air got colder and colder and by the time we arrived Spring had turned to winter and snow was beginning to fall (on the 27th of April).
Once we arrived at Union Station we grabbed a late lunch from McDonalds followed up by some shakes and waited for our final train back to Wisconsin. As we waited my mom had a very strange conversation with a woman. It was kind of the perfect way to wrap up our trip as we had noticed that my mother seems to attract some very *interesting* people.
On our first night in St. Louis a guy in is twenties sat at a table with my mom and dad during dinner (the restaurant had very casual open seating) and proceeded to eat with them talking with his mouth open the ENTIRE TIME about how he was trying to eat at all the restaurants he could while visiting St. Louis and sneezing on his and their food...anyone that knows my dad would also know that he was very green in the face as this was taking place and afterward.
On our train ride from St. Louis to Chicago a very peculiar older man took a fancy to her as well and began talking to her about joining the Circus. She politely listened and nodded for what seemed like an eternity until Eric sent Asher over to her to rescue her from the conversation. She was extremely grateful.
On that same train ride, I had my own experience with a foreign elderly woman who pulled me aside as I was heading back to my seat after using the restroom. She did not speak English for the most part and sounded Russian or something, but I was able to glean a few words which I think had something to do with my children and myself as a mother. The moment reminded me a bit of the Romanov curse, but I'm pretty sure she was actually trying to complement me.
This brings me back to the woman at Union Station. She was again an older foreign woman (Jamaican maybe?) and was seemingly fascinated by our family. She struck up a conversation with my mom and told her over and over how blessed she was to have such beautiful grandchildren. Then before she left us she grabbed my arm and muttered some sort of blessing over me. Kind, but strange. I'll take whatever blessings I can get though I guess!
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| FB Post: Almost home. (Union Station) |
Finally, our waiting was done and our last train was ready for boarding. We climbed on, found seats and took one last ride across the Wisconsin state line, through Kenosha and up to Sturtevant where our van resided. Then we gathered our belongings, thanked Grandma and Papa for joining us on our St. Louis adventure, said goodbye and then headed back home...in the snow.
Once at home, we were freezing (the house hadn't warmed up yet) and exhausted. So I turned on my bed's mattress warmer and the kids and I crawled in for a movie and warm snuggles to finish out the day.
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| Avery snuggling with Hazel <3 |
The next day (Sunday morning) we were all exhausted and Hazel was VERY fussy which is NOT like her at all. She spent most of the day crying and refused to sleep at all unless she was being held. Therefore we spent the day lazily relaxing at home (for me that largely meant rocking our not-so-happy little girl) as we tried to rest up and prepare for normal life starting back up on Monday.
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| FB Post: Tonight Asher was driving me a little crazy saying he was bored so I threatened to give him homework. Surprisingly, he was excited by that option and begged me to do it. I printed him 6 pages of 1st & 2nd grade worksheets and it’s kept him busy for over an hour! #momwin |
At the end fo the day, I took baby girl up to the nursery to attempt to put her to bed. Before doing so I took a few minutes to clean up her floor a bit. I laid her down on the carpet next to her space heater while I picked up and two minutes later I found that she had finally given up the fight and was totally passed out.
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| Hazel's methods to soothe herself: One hand in her mouth, the other pulling her hair. |
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