Adventures at High Altitude

"The best thing you can do for your family is take a vacation together every year."

~ Some Very Wise Parents, at the other end of the parenting journey

~

Well, okay then. We signed on for just that. And so it begins. The boys were pretty stoked to hit the road on Monday morning. Two new surprises: a big boy carseat for Tyler (don't tell anyone he's still two pounds shy of the weight minimum...), and a portable DVD player to make the drive more fun for everyone involved.

A very public thank you to the inventor of such brilliance.

The movie of choice: Polar Express.

We didn't choose this movie for its seasonal correlation, although with all the Christmas music in the movie, combined with the coincidental timing of a Christmas Eve celebration in the novel I brought along, and then the appearance of a real live Christmas tree in a themed store window, I was beginning to feel downright festive by the time we arrived.

No, we watched Polar Express because we were on our way to an honest-to-goodness train ride. We purchased our tickest weeks ago, and we have talked it up. (Because I am nothing if not all about anticipation.) Sadly, the boys were sure it would be about big hills, holding on tight, and flying off the tracks.

Not so much. But they would learn that in due time.

Tucker was the first to spot the train coming our way,

so this entitled him to be the self-proclaimed expert on all things locomotive.

In his careful expertise, he made sure Tyler didn't miss a single thing.

They were expert watchers, listeners, and impersonators of a train whistle.


And would you believe, Ken the train conductor wanted to punch their tickets.
Glory be. That was a genuine highlight.

I believe I have two children who aspire for a brimmed hat with a gold braid of their own.
Once we were on the train and comin' around the mountain, the boys were all eyes and ears.

And they kept checking in with each other, to make sure they were having a mutual experience.

And for the most part, they were very, very brave.

We had quite a day.

Thomas the Tank Engine has nothing on us.