Drawn to the familiar

Last weekend when we visited Pump It Up in Evansville, the first thing the boys were attracted to was the Cozy Coupes. Here they were in a room full of inflatable bouncy toys, and they chose the one toy they already have at home. Come to think of it, aren’t we all just like that? When we walk into a room full of strangers, why do we seek to find any familiar face? Why would we rather have a redundant conversation with someone we barely know, than to meet a stranger and possibly make a new terrific friend? I resolve to encourage the boys by word and example to seek out new experiences and friends every day.

What do we do now?

Today Sandy left us early to work at the Owensboro Mothers of Multiplies Simi-Annual Rummage Sale. As Chairman, she was anxious to make sure everything ran smoothly. With mom gone, the boys were left wondering just what to do next. While warmer, the temperature outside was still a little cool for the park and the Christian Life Center’s gym was occupied. After breakfast and bathing we checked out a couple of the other rummage sales, visited mommy and all her friends at their sale, then took a long, leisurely drive in the Western Kentucky countryside looking for signs of spring.

Birthday Benchmark Photo – 2 years 3 months

In order to achieve this month’s benchmark photo, I tried a new tack. You see, for almost a year now the process of taking the monthly benchmark photo has been very stressful. The boys just didn’t want to sit still in the chair and smile for a photograph. At first we promised and delivered treats for sitting still, and all I had to do was photoshop the cookies out of the photo. Later, when food failed to keep them both still I would photoshop two pictures together in order to achieve one photo with both boys looking reasonably good. This month I used a different approach. I promised to play their favorite choo choo video if they would sit still in the chair. While this worked, I couldn’t pry their eyes away from the screen long enough to look and smile at the camera.

Dustbusting Fun

Sometimes I think our little boogers intentionally make a mess that would require cleanup with the dustbuster. They are enthralled by this appliance and will leave whatever toy they are playing with to watch someone clean with the dustbuster. Maybe it’s the noise, or the compact size that so fascinates them, but once it appears, the mini-vacuum becomes their center of attention. Unfortunately, they don’t quite have the cleaning mechanics mastered, or else we would be putting their enthusiasm to work. When given the opportunity to hold the device, instead of picking up crumbs, they prefer vacuuming larger objects like toy cars, baseballs and babysitters.

Rail Station Rendezvous

While we were in Evansville Friday we visited The Evansville Museum Transportation Center. The EMTRAC exhibits dynamically interpret the transportation in Southern Indiana from the latter part of the Nineteenth Century through the mid-Twentieth Century. The indoor exhibits address Evansville’s early river, rail and aviation advancements. When we stepped outside onto the platform we found the Museum’s prized train. On exhibit since 1967, the train provided Trey Davey and Benji with their first opportunity to examine the exterior and interior of three historic railroad cars up close. The fleet consisted of a 1908 0-6-0 steam switch engine, a fully equipped 1926 club car, and a circa 1900 caboose.

Model Training

Transportation Hall also features EMTRAC's anchor exhibit, Charlotte's Evansville. This intricate model railroad interprets the City of Evansville in the late 1940s. Recalling an era when steam locomotives were giving way to diesel power, this diorama incorporates model trains motoring through a model city composed of Evansville’s most significant structures of that era. A visitor activated voice narration provides an overview of the exhibition and the history of the period. The entire exhibit is built inside a full sized 1920’s railroad car connected to the EMTRAC facility. Benji and Trey Davey were fascinated by the exhibit and pushed the narration button repeatedly to watch the trains circle the town until we made them leave.

Choo Choos

Trey Davey pumps Choo Choo after walking through EMTRAC’s Transportation Hall. The exhibit boasts selected vehicles from the Museum's collection recalling travel in the period prior to the 1920s. Of special interest are: a hearse from the 1880s used by Alexander Funeral Homes; a steam powered fire pumper utilized by the City's Fire Department; a high wheel bicycle; and a Sears Motor Car built by Evansville's Hercules Buggy Company. The backdrop for the vehicles is a mural depicting rail stations and other scenes from Evansville's past. For someone like Davey who has only seen these things in books, it was exciting to finally see these vehicles in person.