Our Day Out With Thomas

Weeks ago after hearing the radio commercial for "Day Out With Thomas" for the one millionth time, I decided to be decisive for once and purchase three tickets. I heard about this event from parents of Thomas loving children, and they highly recommended making the trip up to Duluth for the special day.

Harper has been Thomas obsessed for quite some time. She can recite the theme song by heart and names every single character without hesitation. Our house is stocked with plenty of Thomas puzzles, books, toys and of course tracks and trains. I'm not sure who likes building the tracks more, Mitch or Harper - but either way the Helleen house has nothing but love for the little blue tank. 

With Baby E being 3 weeks away from his grand entrance (holy smokes) we decided a day trip to Duluth would be a perfect pre-baby getaway for all of us. Initially we planned on getting a hotel and staying the night, but due to poor planning on our part and lack of hotel rooms our plans quickly changed. 

The drive to Duluth isn't that bad, a little over two hours - but to make sure we got the most of our day we were on the road by 9am. Our train ride on Thomas was scheduled at 1pm. I had read online to get there an hour early and that there were plenty of other activities to keep both parents and children entertained. We pulled into the parking lot of the North Shore Scenic Railroad a little after 11am. It was a picture perfect day - the sun was shining and there was a slight breeze. We were ready for our train adventure!

We walked through the gates of the event and Harper's eyes grew large. "THOMAS!!" she screamed. After getting direction from an event volunteer, we got our wristbands and started exploring. In the Depot, several stations were set up. There was a place to watch videos, coloring and crafts, train tables galore, a spot to meet Sit Topham Hatt and of course a gift shop. Harper didn't know where to run first. 

As it got closer to 1pm, we made our way to the train line. Thomas was the first thing the kids noticed and their reaction was priceless. The pure joy on Harper's face made the trip well worth it. They tore our tickets and we boarded the train. We passed through several cars before finding a seat. Once everyone was settled, we started rolling down the tracks. Harper's face was glued to the window for most of the 30 minute ride. As we pulled back into the station, Harper said her classic line, "that was fun!" 

After our train ride, we ended our Day Out With Thomas experience with inflatables and the sand station. Shockingly, Harper climbed up the inflatable slide all by herself. We thought for sure Mitch would have to join her. She could have sat for hours filling up toys and buckets with sand, but after nearly 3 hours at the event our bellies were rumbling. We said farewell to Thomas, and headed to Canal Park for an early dinner. 

Canal Park was very crowded, but we were lucky enough to grab a parking spot right away. We walked around a bit before wandering into Little Angie's Cantina. Mitch and I were starving, and this place totally hit the spot. Afterwards we walked around a bit more, splashing in the fountains and ending the trip with ice cream. It was an amazing family day, and I'm sure we'll come back to see Thomas again. It has been years since I've been in Duluth in the summer. I forgot how stunning it is. Our quick one-day trip has inspired us to plan another North Shore getaway soon. 

It was nice to wake up Sunday morning in our own beds, knowing we had the entire day to do whatever our little hearts desired. It was another flawless summer day, so I knew whatever we decided to do it should probably involve the outdoors. Mitch and Nick decided to head out to the 3M Golf Championship in Blaine. It was a great day to watch live golf. With Mitch gone, Harper and I decided it was a good day to lounge around on the boat with my parents. Harper and my Dad did a little fishing. (Just so we're clear, this is Harper's idea of fishing: Play around until PaPa reels in the fish. Once the fish is in the boat, she needs to touch it and have her picture taken. Classic!) She even got in the water, telling us she was "swimming like Ariel." After a staple lunch at Lord Fletcher's, we decided to head back home. It was fun relaxing day, just the way Sundays are supposed to be!

The weather has been nearly perfect the last few days, so last night we took advantage and ate outside on our patio. Mitch did a little yard work while Harper and I watched from the comfort of our rocking chairs. :) We tried to convince Harper to run through the sprinkler, but she wouldn't by herself. Mitch finally picked her up and ran through the water. Ready for not, she was getting wet! They both had giant smiles and I couldn't help but laugh along with them. I know our summer days are limited, so we're going to soak them up as long as possible!

PREGNANCY UPDATE: 

I'm officially 36 weeks and starting my countdown. We're 20 short days away from my c-section and meeting Baby E. It still seems a little unreal that in 3 short weeks we'll have a newborn. We're stuck in the middle of "toddler world" with Harper and I'm just hoping both Mitch and I remember what it's like to have a little baby around. 

My ankles are officially cankles (if you see me, please don't stare) and my feet are swollen. Flip flops are pretty much my best friend. Throughout the day I get sausage fingers, but I still manage to squeeze on my wedding ring. Overall I feel good, but I'm starting to get a smidgen uncomfortable. My belly seems bigger than ever and I feel like I'm running out of room. I'm sure Baby E will manage to stretch my belly a little more over the next few weeks, I'll just need to stock up on the Palmer's Cocoa Butter.

I've started weekly doctors appointments and yesterday everything looked great. I'm back again next week to meet with the doctor who will be performing my surgery. We'll go over all the pre-operation information we need to know and be one step closer to the big day. Aghh!! It's all very excited and frightening at the same time!! :)

Until next time…

The Helleen's