We Are So Blessed!!!

Friday, November 30, 2012

Day Out with Thomas 2012!


This was our 3rd annual Day Out with Thomas- and the best one YET!
For those that may not know- this is a REAL train! They created an EXACT replica of Thomas the Train and he travels the rails- touring the whole country all year- and he comes to CA every November! Maletch counts down the days all year to the next time Thomas will visit.

Most of you probably know how much Maletch loves Thomas, but I bet most of you don't know how much Sariah LOVES him too! It might be hard to believe, but she is JUST as MUCH obsessed with Thomas (and friends) as her brother! She LOVES to play trains (much of her day), she also loves to watch Thomas DVD's, and anytime she sees an image of Thomas ANYWHERE- she yells excitedly, "Choo Choo Train, Tomma!"
So this year, John and I couldn't wait for her to see him too- and we were right... her eyes got HUGE and she kind of freaked out (just like he did the first time). She was so excited- they BOTH were- and it was so FUN!

I really considered getting her a conductor costume like his- since she LOVES trains so much, but I knew she would look like a boy- and we cannot be having that! I even thought about sewing flowers to a costume- but thought that wouldm't look right... so I finally decided on this dress that her Grandma had given her. Even though it is actually more nautical than train- somehow it really worked and everyone noticed the "little girl conductor!"


I thought they looked so cute together walking around holding hands!
 
It is an all day event with so MUCH to do from: Bouncy Castles, a Video Room, a HUMONGO play area with every train and track imaginable, Photo Opps with Thomas the train AND Sir Topham Hatt, a Hay Bale Maze for the kids to run through, a Petting Zoo, and of course the best part a REAL train ride pulled by Thomas!!
The Orange Empire Railway Museum hosts the event in Perris, CA and that is just such a cool place on its own!

They have really cool Thomas stuff that is not sold in stores- exclusive for event goers- which is a neat treat! So we usually load up on gifts and stash them for Christmas (of course we don't let him see it) and we have always told Maletch he could pick out one toy while we are there- which is always a fun surprise for him because he never expects or asks for anything.

Sariah and her whistle:
I don't know why initially it didn't occur to us to tell Sariah to pick something out too (I guess because we considered this mainly a boy thing? I really don't know?)-- but as soon as he picked out a HUGE Thomas shaped train whistle, she asked for it and she didn't want to let it go! We have never seen her so attached to anything- but she literally held onto to it ALL day! She didn't even want to let it go to put her coat on- she acted as if it were attached to her hand! Just before we boarded the train, we bought another one for her- well really for him because she hi-jacked his, hehe! Good thing for us, he likes to share so he didn't complain at all! I should be clear, she  never set it down from time of purchase- all day- continued holding it the whole drive home- and even to bed that night and fell asleep with it in her hand! Needless to say, she LOVES that thing and she will undoubtedly tell you all about it!

Of course Sariah is too small to jump in the Bouncy Castles (she would get trampled on)- but she sure had fun watching her big brother jump! Maletch had so MUCH fun jumping with all the kids- he laughed his head off in there!
They both LOVED running through the Hay Bale Maze! They are both so fast too, funny I watched daddy try to catch up to them and he had to really run!
They both got tattoos: Maletch suggested as we were walking up to the tattoo booth, "Mommy, we should get Sariah a 'Rosie' tattoo because she is a girl." Rosie is a pink train (friend of Thomas). The lady handing out tattoos overheard him, she smiled and asked, "Do you want to get Rosie for your sister?" Everyone thought it was so cute, because he didn't even pick out one for himself. The ladies gathered all around him, and asked which one he would like, and he chose Thomas.

When it came time to ride the rails... Sariah was very serious I think partly tired, but mainly the same thing that comes over the kids when they are really meeting the characters- they are so shocked and have to really check things out! Is this for real? He had fun pointing out everything that we passed including crossing signals (he thinks those are so cool) and he loved waving at people on the street!


After we put this sweater on her, we called her "Snowball" for the rest of the night! 
 
Fun day!! Check out lots more pics of our fun with Thomas in the slideshow below...

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