A Little Blue Engine (and an Afternoon at the Pumpkin Patch)

RJ and Thomas are buds. They used to be really tight, hanging out almost every night and eating breakfast together. Thomas even went on road trips with us. I remember the night they met:

RJ and I took a trip to Toys 'R' Us that night. Little did I know the treasure trove I had unlocked with one little blue train--hours of play, countless bedtime stories.  

And then one day, big Thomas came to town: 

He was so little!

A year of bedtime stories passed, and big Thomas came to town again: 

We added Tidmouth Sheds to our train table at home; Victor, Skarloey, and Fergus joined our happy little railway.  And, big Thomas came to town again: 

Surely, this was our last year. Surely, my bestie is going to outgrow Thomas and our little railway at home. I'll miss that little blue tank engine and all of those bedtime stories. 

But, this year, Thomas came to town yet again: 

We added a little sister to the mix; she loves Thomas, but she was a little unsure of big Thomas. (Yes, those are the same shoes her brother wore on his first visit. I'm a sentimental fool--and I love saddle shoes.)

GiGi was not amused at this point in the day. 

But earlier....

I think she enjoyed the ride. 

They both did. 

Awwwwwww.....

Later that day, RJ and his daddy were talking. "RJ," his daddy said, "Someday, there will be a time when you won't want to go see Thomas; it makes me sad." 

"Awwww Dad, come on!"

He'll grow up too soon. Secretly I hope that when he's 16, he'll sneak the keys to the swagger wagon one Saturday afternoon, convince his pals that he knows the perfect place to get some BBQ and beer (of the root sort, of course), and take a ride down memory lane with his old pal Thomas. 

Sitting shotgun?

His bestie. They'll swear this never happened. But it did. And it's adorable. They also hug each other after soccer goals and give pats on the back for skinned knees. 

Today, they conquered the biggest maze in the whole wide world. 

And picked out a pumpkin or two on their class field trip. 

RJ overcame his fear of ponies. 

Fall is my favorite season. Mostly because we get to go to the pumpkin patch, and I can capture some sweet pictures of my bestie before he gets too big, before Thomas is stored in a box up high in the closet, and while bedtime stories are still best shared with his mommy.