Eban and I took another trip to attend a wedding together. This time it was to Chicago so I was able to see my hometown and to reconnect with old friends and most importantly, family. We got in around midnight and Tutu kindly came and retrieved us from construction-crazed O’Hare airport.
The next morning, Uncle Steve came up from Chicago so we could have a morning excursion on the double-decker train to Round Lake. I think that’s where we went? 
Anyway, we had to stop and get Starbucks for everyone - - including Eban. Then we had the pleasure of watching a big, train come to the station on the other side of the tracks. 
The nice people waved to Eban and he could barely stand it. He wanted to get on the choo-choo train! Thank goodness the train finally arrived and off we went. Of course, we had to sit on the top floor and Eban would only sit with Uncle Steve. 
The conductor came and took our tickets and Eban was enthralled. He stared out the window with delight. 
Once we arrived in Round Lake, we ate at a tiny little restaurant with a train theme and Eban was bonkers about it. So much so that he could barely contain his excitement. As we finished our meal and headed back to the train station, there was a train waiting in one of the adjacent tracks. Eban cried and cried when he saw it as all he wanted to do was get on it. Our train arrived shortly so we didn’t have to hear him meltdown about trains any longer! And trust me when I say the boy has some lungs…he can be quite loud!
By the time we got home, the boys crashed. 
Then we headed off to Sara’s informal BBQ rehearsal dinner at a park in Evanston. It was perfect. 
There was food, drinks and a playground. It was wonderful to see Chub and Linda and meet Chris’ family and friends. 
Uncle Steve had to enact the same fireman scenario at the park’s various play structures roughly eight times…Eban was saving animals that were in burning buildings. Great imagination! The highlight was when one of Chris’ friends brought his WWE wrestling belt which Tutu thought was real so she put it on. That was certainly a scene-stealing moment which caused everyone to erupt in laughter as it’s so out of the norm for her to do something like this. 
Sunday morning we made homemade biscuits before traipsing over to the old neighborhood. 
It was like old times. Dick and Ali had a dog they were yelling at. They had their fridge filled with cokes so I happily stole one! Eban ran over to the neighbor’s house to play in their homemade tree fort which was incredible. My only complaint was this visit was too short as we reminisced and laughed about all the old neighbors and what trouble we got into and out of!
Finally, we drove downtown to the wedding. First of all, I can’t believe they changed the names of the Sear’s Tower. I can’t remember the new name of it?? 
The wedding was at the Methodist Church across the street from the Picasso Art structure near Daley Plaza. It was beautiful and Eban couldn’t have been more hyper and excited to run around. 
Did I mention he was the only kid at the wedding?? So the fact that he was loud was exasperated by the fact that he was the ONLY loud one. As he was kicking a pew or something and I was scrambling to get him to keep quiet, I shoved a trusty ring pop into his mouth. This didn’t work as he was still hyper. As my energizer bunny of a child continue to make a mini-fit of happy noise, a man sitting in front of us turned around and held his arms out to Eban. Eban then held his arms out to this man and I handed Eban over the pew to this guy. Whoever he was, I didn’t care. 
He took Eban and I kept my fingers crossed that Eban would sit still long enough for me to get a two minute breather. As I collected myself from having “that kid” I noticed that Eban couldn’t have been happier and content.
He sat on this man’s lap for the rest of the ceremony. He even went up and got communion with him and was a good as he could be. I guess he likes pushing my buttons, but when he’s with others, he’s as good as gold. Tutu and I were incredulous. Yet we also loved this stranger for taking Eban so everyone could enjoy the ceremony! 
The reception was a hoot! It was at the Greek restaurant called The Parthenon. Eban was nuts and ran all around. The only time he calmed down was when the belly dancer came out and started tearing up a rug. He was simply captivated and everyone was in hysterics watching him stare in amazement with her. He loved the flaming cheese and ate two servings of that. He didn’t dance much but was singing some song on the way home about “Taking it to the Higher Power” - - whatever that song it but he sang it? All my pictures came out a tad blurry from this evening so I think I had a dirty lens, so I'm rather bummed about it. The only one that came out was the one of Eban clearly staring at the belly dancer. Nice. 
Speaking of singing, he also likes Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds. Jack gets some of it right, but it’s really cute to hear them both sing (on key) that, “Every little thing - - Is gonna be alright!”
Waiting for the train in Deerfield, IL
Playing on Picasso
