Day Out with Thomas 2011!

This marks our 3rd Annual Day Out with Thomas tradition and Rob and I thoroughly agreed it was our best experience yet.  Although it got off to a rough start with Rob being stuck at work in the morning and us rushing to the office to pick him up, ultimately we made it on to the train and had a splendid time. Many things played into it being the best time ever:

1.) We knew exactly what to expect.  We knew right where to wait for the train.  We knew the line was more of a free for all herding and that all the seats were going to be more or less the same.  We knew the train ride was going to go forwards for 15 minutes and then backwards for another 15 minutes and that it was more about hyping up that we were ON the actual Thomas train vs. going somewhere exciting. Total “joy in the journey” deal.  We jammed to the Thomas songs.  Oohed and Aahhed over the springtime scenery of Heber mountains, grassy meadows, farmland, and creek.  Waved to every passing neighbor that looked our way… and generally soaked in the special family occasion of it all.

2.) The weather was pretty darn good.  Last year it was soo hot.  We were sweaty and uncomfortable and so were the kids.  This year it was sunny, but much cooler.  Towards the end the wind kicked up a little and Rob was too chilly in the shade because he forgot his jacket… but all in all, it was definitely an improvement.

3.)  It really was not too crowed.  It runs Thursday through Monday and we went Friday.  Don’t get me wrong.  There was a solid crowd, but it really was manageable.

4.) We knew what to hit and what to avoid.  We enjoyed mini golf, avoided the tent of kids playing with trains, skipped the line waiting for an employee to put on tatoos and put on our own, blew off the mega line waiting to take a pic with Thomas but instead got cotton candy for the boys to eat while we waited in the short line for a pic with Sir Topham Hat.

5.) We did NOT buy our tickets online, instead we bought them from our local Smith Tix so we could pay less processing fees (I’ll take what I can get)  and even got a ticket free by going to the second to last train time, that apparently they were pushing in a big way.  I think I’ll consider Rob the free person/ticket in this scenario .

A couple kid moments included when one of the engineers helped Caleb up the steps to the train, he proclaimed “I like you!”  Also, I put Rob in charge of taking Caleb to the bathroom in the portapotty.  Caleb utterly refused and I can hardly blame him.  Being the brilliant mother that I am, I was able to convince him to pee in the handy little urinal section inside of it.  Much better.  Isaac was also quite hesitant to go and asked if the portapotty was for “Mamas or cats?”  I told him it was for everybody.  He repeated “and cats?” “No Isaac, it’s not for cats.”  Only then would he pee in it.The cotton candy was 2 tickets.  I asked the guy if he would give me a “boy” size for 1 ticket so they could each have their VERY own and he agreed.  Score! Nothing better than a cotton candy goatee.If you look at their incredible expressions you can see why waiting in the line for a picture with Thomas was NOT worth it. Even Topham Hat is struggling.Here is our “no line” version of a picture with Thomas. I think this is the happiest Rob’s ever been to pose for a picture. Three boys in da hood. Happy happiness, riding Thomas and their very own sugar high… and then sugar crash, the climax being Zekie yelling “I’m hungry for… BLOOD!!”  Rob and I just looked at each other like, did that really just happen!?  Apparently he saw some super hero cartoon with a vampire bad guy.  Looks like it’s time to go back to watching Thomas the Tank Engine!

The rhythm is gonna get you!

And for the grand finale, Zekie and Caleb (briefly) busting out their best Thomas moves!  Later though, when all the kids (maybe 30) had a dance/drum off Isaac was the grand prize winner of the coveted neon green and pink train whistle.  Woot woot!!