How Old Are You?

Right before John's birthday we were asking him how old he was and how old he was going to be on his birthday.  During one of these conversations I asked August how old he was and he promptly told me 2.  That is his answer and he is sticking with it.  He will sometimes even hold up one finger while proudly proclaiming 2, but you won't get him to say he is 1.  This is further evidence of what a little toot he is.

A Little Thomas Obsession

We can't deny anymore the Thomas the Train obsession in our house.  It isn't just a phase anymore, it's been going on for almost 3 years.  John got his first train set on his first birthday and on every gift giving occasion at least three trains are given to him.  This isn't an obsession I mind.  Actually, I love that he loves Thomas the Train.  If you've ever sat down and watched a Thomas DVD you may wonder why I, or any kid for that matter, love it so much.  They move slowly and are very simple.  This is was I like about them.  It encourages kids to use their imagination.  In a world that is full of Chuggington, Dora the Explorer and every other new and exciting show it is a breath of fresh air for me to see kids watching a show that doesn't move so fast.  I'm pretty sure the guy that created Thomas is rolling in the dough as the shows took mere pennies to make and are still being sold all over the world.

The only problem with Thomas the Train is that everything costs so much!  Don't get me wrong, it is all worth it.  Everything is made well and will last a lifetime, but to get your kid all the trains and accessories will set you back a pretty penny.  My mom and I have found a few sites we love and use often and I thought I would share them with you.

Trains Galore is a great site.  They have free shipping on orders over $55 and a flat rate $6 shipping for anything under $55.  They also have a store located in Noblesville, IN (near Indianapolis).  While I haven't had the chance to visit the store yet, I can only imagine it is worth the trip.  They ship fast and often have sales.

Mesko Toys is a great place to get pieces of track. They make track out of scrap pieces of wood and pass the savings onto the customer.  As your little train engineer gets to making his/her own layouts, it is nice to have a few of these odds and ends pieces.  The only downside to this track is that it isn't two sided like the Thomas track, but it does the trick.

On Ebay I love, love this seller.  He actually sells all kinds of things, but has great prices on various Thomas things.  He ships fast and does combined shipping on multiple items.

As always Amazon is great and Michaels is also another great place to try.   Michaels often times has 40% off coupons on regular priced merchandise and you can even finds some treasures there at great clearance prices.  And, don't forget to explore Craigslist.  While I will never sell the pieces we have accumulated there are many people out there willing to part with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise at a fraction of the cost.

While my house is filled with pieces of track, various bridges and trains everywhere I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love to sit at the top of the stairs and listen to John's imagination soar as he reenacts the various stories in his head.  These toys have given him hours of imaginative play and enjoyment.  And, it must be contagious as Gus is loving them just as much...in his own way.

The Tales of John

I can see why people think that kids don't hear the things that are going on around them.  But this is a wild misconception.  Just because you don't think they are listening doesn't mean they aren't hearing you...whether you want them to or not.  If we tell John not to do something I make him repeat it back to me.  He hates doing this because he knows I now have confirmation that he heard me.  We will sit there for 5 minutes going back and forth, "What did I say?"  "I don't know."  "Yes, you do, tell me what I said."  After a while he gives in and tells me.  There are lots of times I still feel that what I say doesn't sink in, but he always manages to prove me wrong.

A few weeks ago we had VBS at Mt. Calvary and John was so excited to have so many kids to play with.  A couple of the little boys were just as crazy as John, which John didn't find so amusing.  One of the little boys was making an annoying sound next to John while they were eating.  I'm pretty sure John told him to stop a couple of times before I heard,  "How many times do I have to tell you to stop?"  All of the adults just had to laugh.  I wonder how many times a day I have to say that to him.

Aside from being able to repeat what we constantly say to him; John is able to hear something just once and store it in his little brain until he needs it again.  While on vacation he watched 101 Dalmations.  After watching the movie once Hans asked him questions about the movie to which John knew all the answers.  Hans, trying to stump John asked him how many puppies were in 101 Dalmations and without hesitating John answered 99.  At the time, Hans and I didn't know how he could know this since we didn't think it said this in the movie.  After watching the movie again we found that it mentioned it once, just in passing in the middle of the movie.  I'm just surprised he was able to remember that.  I am also constantly amazed at the amount of times he can squeeze in the words fabulous, marvelous and confusion in a simple conversation.  For this we have Thomas the Tank Engine to thank, as we also have them to thank for the word stupid.