"Let's do trains!"

Monday, July 22:  While playing in the toy room, Aidan spied the train crane, picked it up and said: "Let's do trains!" He carried the crane out to the main room, moved the chairs against the table, and retrieved the tub full of tracks and trains. Let's do it!

 Aidan loves these little trains so much. Sometimes, he is very particular about the track layout. He's actually very good at building a working track. Today, however, he just wanted to run the trains and I was the one who built the layout.

 I got to work on it, while Aidan chose his trains. Which cars would he attach to which engines?

 Aidan fully understands the mechanism of magnets, and you can see him switching the cars around so that they will attach. He is super serious when he plays with my trains.

 He is also very intense! He hardly looks at me. He is completely and totally INTO the bridges and tunnels, the lighthouse and boat, the little people that go in the Brio bullet train ...

 I finally said, "Hey, Aidan!" and he looked at me and gave me a sideways smile ...

 Aidan played with the trains for nearly two hours. Near the end, he was absolutely adamant about creating the LONGEST train possible ... always a problem on the turns and the bridges ... derailing is quite frustrating! 

 I have yet to find a grandchild who will just use an engine, a hopper, and a caboose--no way ... nine or ten cars, a few engines, some rear facing ... but it doesn't work out real well with their tiny hands and wooden tracks.

It was a good train day, though. Mr. Aidan was very contented to build and play and explore. What a gift he is! 

I will play trains with you any day of the week, dear child!