A Day Out With Thomas!

Kaden has been obsessed with trains for about a year now. He got two train sets for Christmas and one of them was Thomas themed. Thus the craze began. Just so you know, Thomas themed stuff is hecka expensive. I was thinking Kaden would be pretty disappointed when he didn't get most of the Thomas stuff he would want. After that, some friends of ours got Kaden a Thomas the Train DVD....which led to a coworker of Shane's saying, "My kids grew out of all their Thomas stuff a long time ago. I can bring all of it for your son if you want."

Um, yes please! :)

The next day, Shane came home with 3 BIG bags of Thomas stuff....more DVD's, even more train tracks & trains (you should see the massively huge train area we have), an umbrella, a sleeping bag...you get the picture. We unzipped the sleeping bag all the way so that Kaden could use it as a blanket. He took it everywhere with him. :)

A couple of weeks ago, some friends of ours gave us brand new Thomas bedding (a full, huge, nice set) that they only used for a couple of nights when their grandson was in town. Yeah. It is in perfect condition and apparently their grandson is no longer interested in Thomas, so it's ours. Free! I love free stuff! Kaden LOVES his "Thomas bed" and can't wait to take naps and go to bed in it. :) Or just sit in it and play and say, "Hi" to every engine on it. haha :)

Anyway, a couple of months ago I saw an advertisement on one of the DVD's we got from Shane's coworker for a "Day Out With Thomas." It was 2 AM and I was up with Lexi. I was bored and very tired. As a joke, I researched the Day Out With Thomas online, knowing that it would never come to Utah.

It does! To the Heber Valley Railroad. Well, I looked up tickets to the normal Heber Valley Railroad when Kaden first got hooked on trains and they were $35 a piece! AND we would have to pay for Kaden! LAME! So I thought the Thomas tickets would be at least $45-$50 each, but thought I would look it up so Shane and I could joke about how people are stupid to pay such overpriced prices to spoil their children. So I checked it out...

$14 a ticket people!!! To make all Kaden's dreams come true...

When Shane finally woke up at 7:00, I told him what I'd found out. Even cheap old Shane couldn't resist $14. :) And Lexi is free, which is great.

After months of waiting (on my part-we didn't tell Kaden because he doesn't understand the word "later"), our day out with Thomas finally came! It was yesterday and HOLY. CRAPOLA. did we have fun. :)

Just so you know, between Shane and I, there were about 200 pictures taken, plus some videos. I promise not to post all 200. :D

The first thing we did when we got there was ride Thomas. You can't tell from the pictures, but really, Kaden was super excited!

As the train was pulling out...

Lexi really did have fun, she was just mad we wouldn't let her run up and down the aisle.

A conductor guy walked around and gave these to all the kids. It says that Kaden is a certified Jr. Engineer and can help Thomas anytime he wants to. :) Again, can't tell from his face, but Kaden LOVED it and carried it everywhere.

During the ride. Kaden was mesmerized.

Lexi was having so much fun.

She would have jumped out the window if Shane had let her. My little daredevil.

She finally got a turn wearing Kaden's coveted conductor's hat. :)

Kaden was loving life. :)

The train was decorated and had little laminated posters of the other engines on the Island of Sodor. Kaden loves them all and was pointing them all out to us.

Like Henry, who was the one by us. There was also Thomas music playing (from the DVD's) and it was hilarious that all the parents knew the words as well as the kids. ;)

I just love this picture. :) Isn't she adorable?!
Another train. Apparently Shane was more interested in getting a picture of the train than seeing me and the kids. :)

Taking Kaden through the mini maze (that wasn't even really a maze, more like a haystack pathway where you could just let your kids run around).

I left to go to the bathroom for 2 minutes, came back and saw Shane taking Lexi's picture on top of the hay bales. I love that he just totally ignored ALL of the "Do NOT climb on the hay bales" signs.

Posing with a conductor. My kids have issues with standing next to strangers.

Lexi checking out the trains. :)

The kids got temporary tattoos and Kaden chose Harold the Helicopter. He goes back and forth between which train/helicopter he likes best and yesterday it was Harold. :)

Lexi got Thomas.

"Hmmmm. What's this?"

"Let's see if it tastes as good as it looks!"

Trying to get a picture with Sir Topham Hat. All the other kids would walk right up to him and give him a hug or high five....not mine! Kaden was scared TO. DEATH. of the guy and Lexi saw his reaction so she freaked out, too. Nice. The photographer they had was laughing so hard. :)

Fun family pic! :D

Kaden would NOT look at the camera. He was waaaay too excited about having Thomas RIGHT. THERE. :)

Until Thomas had to leave and blew his really loud whistle. Scared the CRAP out of Kaden. hahaha I was laughing so hard.

Kaden telling us that Thomas is leaving.

We went on little motor car rides (teeny tiny trains that barely fit one family).

Kaden loved going on a "train" again. :)

After a long, windy day, saying goodbye to Thomas.

Back home, Kaden showing off his new Thomas backpack. :) The brown pile of what looks like poo in the bottom left corner is actually the remnants of a balloon animal monkey with a banana. :) Lexi got a butterfly that she quickly popped with her teeth when we got home. Wonderful.
There was mini-golf, but we didn't play since our kids couldn't care less about that. There were different tents set up with a huge play area with tons of Thomas stuff and sidewalk chalk, a TV with Thomas DVD's playing, a live band and food, a gift shop (hello new backpack), and of course the different photo op places that were set up. It was SO much fun and all that Kaden could talk about the rest of the night and most of today. He loves looking at the pictures and telling everyone who calls us (beware!) all about his day yesterday. :) Our friends (that we went to the demo derby with) came over last night for ice cream sundaes after we got back and asked Kaden which is better: crashing cars or Thomas? Everyone waited in suspense while he thought about it. After a minute, he looked up at us and said, "CRASH THOMAS!!!" LOL What a perfect answer from my brilliant little boy. :D