Ryan's First Train Ride

This past weekend, Grandma and Grandpa took Ryan for a scenic train ride on an old-fashioned steam engine (like Thomas).




Our tickets informed us that produce would not be accepted as payment, that passengers would be enlisted to help remove any livestock blocking the track, and that the railroad is not responsible for "lost goods or kids." We were also warned to "watch out for card sharks."



Another rule was posted inside the train cars:



Ryan was a little apprehensive about the noise the train made when it pulled into the station, but once we started moving, he enjoyed the ride.






He felt compelled to announce "dark!" every time we went through a shady area.



Here he is answering the question, "Ryan, what's Thomas's number?" He also says "one" (which he pronounces like "Juan" with the vowel sound drawn out) as he holds up his finger.



Ryan wanted to sit with Grandma and Grandpa for most of the ride, but whenever the whistle blew (the noise scared him), he would come snuggle on my lap for a minute, then go back to Grandpa's lap when he felt safe again.




(If Ryan had recognized this sign as a railroad crossing, he would have said "ding! ding! ding!" as he does when he sees the black-and-white striped ones when we're driving.)





While rooting through Grandma and Grandpa's cupboards over the weekend, Ryan found a pink and purple sippy cup (I'm not sure why it was there, since they have only grandsons!) Ryan insisted on drinking out of it and carrying it around all weekend, favoring it over his Thomas cup. Maybe it reminded him of the pink sheets he slept on in Taiwan :-)