Train! Train! Train!

This weekend was definitely Train Weekend. On Saturday Thomas (of the tank engine fame) was in town so we went down there to see him. And contrary to popular understanding it is possible to see everything and also leave with the same amount of cash as you entered with!

But then today as the climax of this long weekend Rowan and I went to this new place in West Chester called EnterTrainMent Junction. It's a huge building completely filled with the biggest train setup I've ever seen.

So as we hopped in the Honda and drove off to see the trains, Rowan was already excited. Oh yes, I should mention the reason we were in the Honda. You see Elaine went to get gas for the mower yesterday in the Rav4 and a bit spilled out in the car and made it stink. So we left it outside with all the windows and sunroof open, which we forgot all about of course, and then in morning we awoke to a nice soothing patter of rain. After about an hour of listening to the rain we realized the car was still outside and slowly turning into a mobile duck pond.

Anyway so while the Rav4 was drying out we were arriving at the trains. We were there early but we still had to wait for about 5 minutes in the line to get tickets. These must have been very long minutes for Rowan 'cos he could see past the people's legs to the trains running around inside and we had to wait very patiently on the other side of a velvet rope.

Once we made it inside, we saw a whole world filled with moving trains all going chug-ah chug-ah and baaaap-baaap and lights and little people and cars. All really well done and impressive.

Rowan's excitement was palpable and after a while I asked him if he was going to have a heart attack.

He didn't answer, just ran off to the next window.

At the entrance they have a stack of Ikea stepping stools that you take and use the short folk to see into the displays. As we walked around sometimes I could not get the stool down fast enough for Rowan and so he decided he'll carry it around that way when you just have to see that train coming down the track you don't have to wait for slow old dad.

They have a lot to look at and too much to type about and after a lot of fun we made it out without any heart attacks.

Richard was very busy building a deck and some stairs for our backyard entertainment area today and because he was using some dangerous woodworking tools and equipment, Rowan had to stay indoors for the duration of this project. We placed a chair in front of our sliding door for him to sit on. This way he had a front row seat to all the action.

As I watched him paying such close attention to what Richard was doing right beneath his feet, I was reminded of a little fib my father once told my sister when she was little. Somehow it came to him telling her that he built our house himself and that Yolande helped him to build it. She believed it for a very long time and was very proud of herself. It was the sweetest thing ever. It was their little thing.

So now I wonder how Rowan will feel about all the little projects that Richard includes him in. We have photos of him planting trees, a vegetable garden and of course a few where he is wearing his carpenters outfit and hammering away at whatever Richard is working on at the time. I think it will make him feel very good indeed and if we need to inflate the story a little the way my Dad did, I don't think it would do any damage. Here's to our very busy little helper, Rowan!

Another walk through a beautiful park and I feel compelled to tell you about it. Now I know you might be thinking: "Oh Elaine, give it up already. Seen it!" and I am tempted to agree with you, but you see, it is so very important to me to acknowledge these moments that we spend together as a family, exploring and experiencing the natural world, for these are the moments where we feel most connected to each other and to this amazing world of ours.

I have always enjoyed visiting new places, be they natural, man-made or both. At my core I am the observer. As I walk through this world and encounter new places and people I am most likely to find a comfortable spot, look around and listen. I take it all in. Then, when I have the courage, I might report on what I have seen through some writing, a drawing, painting or a photograph.

I am so grateful to have found a partner that is eager to take me on these wonderful journeys and for us to be able to share it with our son is a privilege.

There is something very special about taking a little boy along with you on a walk like this. He looks at the world in a different way and forces you to look at it anew. He is the one that notices the smaller less traveled path off to side and wants to go there immediately. He is the one that stops to hear that bird call. He is the one that stood next to me today and, as we gazed up to the glittering ceiling of leaves above some very tall trees, said: "Wow!" with awe oozing out of him.

So today, as we stepped on rocks, pebbles, sticks and leaves and heard the thump, thump, thump of our feet across the wooden bridge, I felt at peace and thought to myself: "I have finally learnt how to live."

So, even though there wasn't any school for Rowan today, we still had to drop by to pay his tuition for the month. I was very nervous about how he might react and tried to prepare him before our arrival. "We are going to school to drop off a check, okay Rowan?" to which he promptly replied: "No. No. No." I tried to explain and again he came back with the triple negative. So I braced myself for some action.

As we pulled up he just calmly looked around - raising his eyebrows - not too sure of what the deal actually is. We parked the car and to my surprise he remained totally calm even as we entered the building. I was relieved.

When the staff started talking to him, however, his lip started curling down and the tears came rushing in. Slowly the crying got louder and louder. This was when I decided it was time to go. I said to Rowan: "Say 'bye' to your teachers!" and with a bit of a howl he managed to push "Bye!" out as we left through the door. So sweet. But then something even more precious happened...

As we got outside he took in a deep breath, and without any more crying he exhaled a very relieved "Shoo!" and wiped the tears from his face. All I could do was to hug him as hard and long as I could.

Huh-huh-huh-huh!

Our boy's sense of humour is developing at a rapid pace and to make it even more impressive he has acquired an entirely new way of laughing. "Huh-huh-huh-huh!" he pushes out from deep inside his belly in quick succession as he bends himself in half at the sight of the ball unexpectedly landing on the roof of our house. He has never seen a ball land on the roof before and thought it was the funniest thing ever. So we made it happen a few more times just to see and hear him express the humorous delight he felt inside. Good times!

Day 2 of school, I am relieved to say, went very well for Rowan. He was still a little sad and confused at times, but I was told that he spent most of the day doing his work.

I decided to go to the school a little earlier today. This way I could sit in the observation booth, behind a one-way mirror, and watch Rowan go about his work. I am so glad that I did, because what I witnessed convinced me that Rowan is really settling into this new world of his. He got visibly sad a few times but was able to pull himself together and get back to the tasks at hand. He still seems unsure of himself in this strange place but I am sure that he will eventually reach a point where he can be his happy-go-lucky self again very soon.

His teachers are happy about the progress and seem positive that he will adjust within a couple of weeks.

There won't be any school tomorrow or Friday and I am sure we are going to enjoy just spending time together at home again. These last two days have been a challenge and we could use a bit of a break I think.

On a big day like today, Rowan's first day at school, I always feel that the blog entry should be a little more special than all the others. I guess it is because we make such a huge deal of these milestone events in our lives. Yes, our little boy is going to school. Yes, he is stepping out into this world all on his own. And that is big! The anticipation of it all is even bigger, but when it's all said and done, it was a pretty ordinary day where Rowan got to try out something new and his parents had to learn to put trust in others and have faith that he will be all right.

So this morning, after a healthy breakfast, Rowan enthusiastically said: "Car!" which indicated to us that he was ready to go to school. Backpack on his back. Ready to go! But first the obligatory first day of school photo.

Richard offered to take Rowan to school for the first few days, since he would be able to remain calmer than I would. I gladly accepted the offer. I really did not want to witness my little guy have a breakdown and not be able to help him out. So off they went.\

As soon as Richard got back to work I called him to get a report on how things went. Much to my surprise, Rowan got out of the car without any fuss and walked to his class room with his teacher. He did seem a little confused at first but went along with it anyway. So when I heard this news, I was ecstatic.

Feeling more relaxed about the whole situation I set out to do some housework with music blasting (so that I wouldn't feel too lonely.) Rowan's playroom was the first thing on my list. Before I knew it two hours had passed and I had just enough time to drink a cup of tee before I had to go fetch Rowan. I thought that Rowan would probably enjoy coming home to a nice clean room where his favourite new toy was ready and waiting. And not only can you see the bed again, it also received a new quilt. Won't that be great for a little cat nap?

I was very excited about seeing Rowan again. I was nervous about how he might react, but mostly hopeful that it all went all right. I was expecting a smiling face running toward me. Unfortunately this day turned out to be very challenging for him. As his teacher opened the door the first thing I noticed was his drooped posture and when I gazed into his eyes, my heart sank. He was sobbing. Not even the site of his Mom brought a smile to his face. He was not happy at all. I picked him up and told him that everything would be okay.

So now I wonder: "Is it really worth it? Does he need to go to school just yet?" But then I think about our little walk this evening, where Rowan walked out in front of us creating an ever bigger gap between us and him, and I know that he is ready for the next step. We just have to find a way to make it a little easier for him.