another day out with thomas

we have taken hayden to "a day out with thomas" since he was just 2 years old in 2005. we even went last year when talan was just about 3 weeks old and it was cool and rainy. we have always gone to greenfield village as it's the only one we've known about. until last year when we saw that he also comes to the huckleberry railroad in flint. right then and there we decided that this year that is where we would go to get some variety.
so on friday, dave, myself, hayden and talan, mom, dad, jessica, jenn, rainah and don were all able to meet up at crossroads village for our annual day out with thomas event.
each year i start thinking that hayden has to be ready to outgrow thomas a bit and every year he has the same excitement as he had the very first year. greenfield village has only a 20 minute train ride while huckleberry village has a 40 minute train ride. the entire ride hayden had his head stuck out the window and was in heaven. i love that he gets so excited about thomas every year and it will be sad when that excitement does one day end.
talan has also become a fan of thomas and friends, which i'm not sure how he couldn't be seeing as though that's about all we have around this house. one of his favorite things is to go into the dishwasher to pull out the thomas and percy fork and spoon and push them around the living room floor while blowing air out of his mouth thinking he's saying "choo choo."
talan was a little young to be too excited by it all this year, but he did have a great time as well. the ride was a little long for him, however, simply because he HATES sitting. so a bit into the ride he started having a bit of a fit that he couldn't get down and run around. luckily aunt jenn had some goldfish crackers that shut him up for the rest of the ride.
we are so happy that we went to flint this year as they had SO much more to offer over what greenfield village does. on top of the longer train ride there was also a hay maze, WAY shorter lines to get your picture taken with thomas and sir topham hatt, moon walks and inflatable slides and other rides. and the rides that the village offered were cheap. they had several little kids rides, a carousal, a ferris wheel and some swings that were all just $1 a ride. it just seemed the village was better than greenfield village on a normal day but WAY better on a thomas day. i think i can safely say that this is where we'll be going every year from now on. we are actually thinking of taking the boys back in october for their halloween trick or treat and ghost train ride.
we got to the village probably a little after 9:30 and our train ride was at 11am. after the ride was done we got into the SHORT line and had the kids picture taken with thomas and then we headed outside the village to eat a picnic lunch on the lawn of the parking lot. when we were done eating we all headed back into the village to partake in the rest of the activities like tattoos, the hay maze, jumping in the moonwalks, petting the sheep and goats and riding on the carousal and mini train.
the kids went to 4 different stations and had their maps stamped at each one. at the end of the day we went to look around the gift shop and we were able to turn the maps in and each kid got a magnet thomas picture frame as a prize.
shortly after getting into the gift shop, talan fell asleep with his pretzels in hand. after looking around for a bit we all headed back to our cars and headed home.
it was so great to be able to spend the whole day like that with the family and i think everyone had a great time. we can't wait to go back again next year!


at least there are 3 kids now. before it was 1 kid with about 5 adults (although we do usually need 5 adults to control that one kid):
petting some animals while waiting for our train:


waiting to board the train:

the train ride:



this is what hayden did for 40 minutes:


jessica thought it looked fun too:


he loved this plum. until he threw it at dave:

the family picnic in a parking lot:



you have no idea how impressive it is that hayden did this:


they all loved the hay maze:


look closely and you'll see talan's head:


rainah got to the top of the slide and just bounced. after awhile we had to send hayden up to get her and show her down. instead of sliding down, she walked down:
i think hayden was annoyed that the kid in front of him couldn't climb faster:

talan building something:
robin, sara and josh got hayden a salty lego duplo toy and he is in LOVE with it and wants all the rest. he was so happy to see the lego duplo table:
he seriously could sit and watch these trains go by ALL DAY:

jess pretending to be laura ingals:


hayden enjoying the one room school house:

ohhh, THAT'S why he was so attentive. flint one room school houses are awesome!:
of course flint chickens drink faygo. what else do you think they would drink?!:
chee chaw. cu-cu-ca-cha!:



before we made him cart us all over the village:
he didn't mind the tattoo (which apparently rainah SOBBED after she got hers) but he did mind being held down:


even dave got a tattoo:
carousal fun:



the mini train that all the kids loved. hayden was looking out the windows at us:





hayden armed and ready with the "dap" or "knuckles" for jessica:

i have a picture of dave and hayden walking next to each other like this from hayden's very first year at a day out with thomas. i just love these pictures:
it was a long day: