Day Out With Thomas

We like trains.  James is a train person and trains were sometimes focal points of my family vacations as a child ... and once we started hitting Colorado for our summer vacations, we drove on some crazy ass roads that were once narrow gauge rail beds. I really don't recommend that unless you're comfortable with heights, cliffs, and rocky roads.  :-)   It all started one Christmas when Megan gave her Daddy their first test of Thomas the Tank Engine wooden trains.  It was a little beginner set but when you start something like that with someone who built model railroads as a kid it takes on a life of it's own.  Megan is probably the only girl at pre-school with a Thomas the Tank Engine backpack (though she has recently been eyeing another little girl's Tinkerbell backpack so I think her little brother will soon inherit his very own, gently used, Thomas backpack). They were so excited when we told them Thomas was stopping by for a visit and they couldn't wait to go see him.  We had a blast (though I had quite the waddle down by the end of our day).  Grammy and Grandma both came along for the fun and it was a great help to have them along so James didn't have to herd the kittens all by himself.  Here are a few (OK - a lot of) pics from our day!

We started off the morning in the tent playing with the trains!  We really thought it would be a nightmare to pull the girls away from the train tables since it usually is but it went remarkably well. They actually had a few trains we don't have, if you can believe it.

Next stop for the day was the bounce house and big slide. They were fearless as they climbed right up and slid right down.

Poor Emmy can't jump yet. I know at 2+ she should be able to, and God Bless her she tries so hard, but the feet never leave the ground.  She loves the little bouncy houses though.  Some bigger kids got in and bounced her all around and I just kinda laughed even though the bigger kids' parents were horrified. I guess it's because she's kid #2.  Poor kid #3 will have to show blood before getting any sympathy I guess.

Snack time with Daddy!!

Petting Zoo with Daddy!

Yes, that poor pony has pink mane.

There's the star himself! How EXCITING!

Waiting in line for our ride on Thomas!

James wonders why his back hurts. That's 70 pounds of wriggly little girl he's holding!

Daddy and Emmy on the train.

Mommy and Megan on the train.  Apparently that's the most unflattering position for pictures of big fat pregnant me, but wanted to put the pic on because Megan looks so excited!  Grammy and Grandma are in the background too!

After our ride, we hoofed it all the way to the front of the train to say HI to Thomas and take our picture with him but the train left for it's next ride while we were still in line.  Yes. I'm serious. We weren't happy but at least it saved us some money.  We hit the concession stands for some lunch of typical fair fare.  Nachos, hot dogs, funnel cakes, etc.  YUMMY!  So not on my diet but yummy none-the-less.  Poor little Emmy passed out on our way home but Megan was still going strong.  It was a long fun-filled day and we can't wait until Thomas comes back next spring.  If your kid even remotely likes Thomas, it really is a lot of fun.  Megan wouldn't let us wash off her Rosie (the purple engine) temporary tattoo and it lasted almost the whole week. I had to tell her teachers that she had, in fact, bathed since Saturday but that the tattoo was just off limits.  :-)