Choo Chooin in Chattanooga

We took Leo on a “Big Boy” trip to Chattanooga  this past weekend. It was his last trip as an only child so we made him the center of attention. The main draw was the “Day out with Thomas” event that was being held there. We joined other parents and their 2-7 year-olds for a hot, fun-filled afternoon with Thomas, Sir Topham Hatt and the gang. Here are some pics from our weekend which also included the Aquarium and a ride on an electric train at the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel.

Oh, and luckily I found another family of three where the mom was taking all the pics and convinced them to take our pic in front of the Aquarium (in exchange for us taking their pic). If I hadn’t done that, there would be no record of me being on this trip! It looks more like “Leo and Daddy’s weekend fun!” Oh, I was there all right—8+ months pregnant and sweating!!

 

 

All the world’s a train…

…and we are merely passengers. At least that’s how it seems to Leo. He can make anything into a train. We had this stack of plastic cups and he took about twenty of them and lined them up in our bedroom to make a train. He takes books and, instead of reading them, puts them in train formation.  Straws become coaches; spoons become engines; napkins become cabooses.

Today I tried to get him to play Memory and, while he did match up the cards at first, he ended up even making them into a train!

Boy, was I in trouble when I stepped on the train. “They’re not coupled up!!” he screamed at me.  He’s constantly doing the train whistle noise which sounds like “Haw haw!” Yep, he’s definitely got trains on the brains.

Bigger Boy Room!

In the 15 minutes that the Rooms to Go crew was in our house, Leo’s room went from baby to big boy. Gone went the crib-converted-into-a-toddler bed. Gone went the rocking chair that we spent so many nights and naptimes in, rocking him to sleep. Gone went the changing-table-dresser where we changed thousands of diapers.

Now Leo has a twin bed, night stand, new curtains, a new lamp and a new chest of drawers. The furniture is “mission style” so it matches our dining room set. That’s a good thing in case we ever have lots of kids and have to put Leo in the dining room!

 

 

We DO have a comforter for the kid; I just need to wash it. But it’s hot here and he’s quite a sweaty-head so I don’t think he minds.

 

 

Here he is on his first morning after waking up in his big boy room. He’s still good about not getting out of bed until we come in. In fact, yesterday during nap (his first experience in the twin bed), I watched on the monitor as he cried when his teddy bear had fallen out of bed. I had to go rescue him twice. He didn’t even think of getting out and getting it himself!

 

 

So while our first-born’s room is just about complete, our unborn’s is still a work in progress. Ah, the life of the second child!

 

One small step for mankind. One giant leap for Leo!

Do you know how many kids’ parties and events involve jumpy castles? Well, you probably don’t notice unless you have a kid who is terrified of them! Whenever we are about to go to a party, Leo asks nervously, “Will there be jumpies there?” Poor guy always watches from the sidelines and clings to one of us while the other kids bounce without a care in the world. Selfishly, I always wish he’d jump because it would be easier on me. I could stand around and chat with the other moms rather than having to comfort Leo or go to the baby/toddler play area. And although Leo is very verbal, he’s never said exactly what scares him about jumpies. I suspected it was the sensation of being off balance or maybe he’s scared of falling down.

But yesterday LEO JUMPED IN A JUMPY!!! It was the perfect setting. We were at our neighborhood’s spring fling and everyone there knew that Leo doesn’t like jumpies. So when they saw him climb in and jump, they were really supportive. “FIRST time in a jumpy!!” I exclaimed to everyone as I pointed proudly at Leo.

At first he climbed in and just lay on his tummy saying, “Look, mommy, I’m in a jumpy.” And then finally, with some encouragement from John (who even sweetly offered his hand to help Leo up), he stood up and jumped. I could tell he was thinking, “Why did I wait so long to do this?”

At some point it was nap time and we needed to get him out. He refused. Frank had to actually climb in and drag him out.

We just had the phone camera so the pictures/video aren’t amazing. But still, we’ve got the evidence in case he never does it again!

 

Leo’s Third Birthday!

 

It seems like just yesterday Leo was pushing other children and demanding that we “give him some space.” Oh, wait. That WAS yesterday! That’s life with a three-year-old. Still, it’s hard to believe our little Leo is three and that soon we will have another little Leo (but probably a different name) to amaze us.

Have you ever tried to throw a kid’s birthday party based on a theme that’s not completely mainstream? Sure, if you go with Thomas or Toy Story or Mickey Mouse or Dora, that’s easy. That stuff’s readily available at party stores and online. But if your kid is into Dinosaur Train, well, it’s a little bit challenging.

But since Leo only turns three once and he may only be into Dinosaur Train for a little while, we went with it. Here are some shots of his party (which took place at the train museum) and from  that evening when we went out to dinner and to a park with the family:

 

 

 

What a difference…

 

…three years makes!!