Choo Choo - All Aboard!!

Thanks to some very generous friends, we were able to spend a Day Out with Thomas this past weekend! Because of an out-of-state death in the family, they were unable to use their non-refundable tickets to see Thomas the Train a little over a hour away. They wanted to give them to someone that would be able to take their place & with nothing 'on the schedule' for saturday, we accepted. Our hearts went out to them for their loss, & for their little girl that was going to miss out on a very special train ride. But if anyone could fill her shoes for the day, it was 'J'. His obsession love for trains is right up there with cars. We actually own a collector set of Thomas DVDs & there is a 10yr anniversary one that shows this very event! We decided not to tell him until the last minute, so as we rushed around early Saturday morning, we let him watch the DVD. Then when it was time to leave we asked him, "Do you want to go see Thomas?" "Yea! Thomas da' Train! Go see? Thomas?! Car? Go car? See Thomas Train! Shooooes. Where are you shoooooes? Come, mumma, come."

After battling construction traffic, we finally arrived 1/2 hr later than expected & just in time to board. As we walked into the station the first thing out of this mouth was "woah". Right before our very eyes was a life-sized Thomas the Train all hooked up & ready to ride the rails. I should mention that he has a bit of 'stage fright' when it comes to meeting idols. This has happened several times where we find ourselves up close & personal with one of his favorite things (fire engine, garbage truck, semi, etc) & he freaks out a little & hides. He's more of a "admire from afar" kinda guy. So I was not anticipating getting the "here I am with Thomas!!" picture, therefore I was not disappointed at all when the opportunity came & he ran away. LOL.

Yes, this is an outfit we already had hanging in his closet. Haha.

The conductor blew his whistle "All aboard at Gate 3", & up we went.

It took a few minutes for him to wrap his head around it all. We were actually riding on Thomas the Train! And not just for a few minutes, this was a full on 40 minute train ride, with Thomas tunes playing the whole time. What an Adventure! Little 'A' was lulled right to sleep within the first few minutes & missed all the fun, but being the good Big Brother he is, 'J' was sure to have enough fun for both of them :)

 Then we set out to find a nice shaded spot to enjoy the picnic lunch we packed. Even though we were sweating our butts off in over 95* heat, we made sure to explore the whole village & take part in everything the day had to offer. From hay mazes & activity tents, to story telling & a Bob the Builder Show! We danced, we played & we smiled a LOT.

 This is the closest we got to a picture with Thomas. 

 We found a nice shaded area in the back & relaxed for a while. Enjoying a tasty snow cone, & eventually a scoop of ice cream. Playing in the grass, exploring everything around us. And most importantly, spending time together as a family.

Finally, late in the afternoon & well past naptime, we took one final look at Thomas & said "bye-bye". We can not thank our friends enough for giving us this opportunity. And I think a special little girl will like the surprise 'J' picked out for her ;)

 I know the chances of him actually remembering this Adventure later on in life is slim to none, but I can say with certainty that this is an Adventure that we, as parents, will never forget.