What a fun day!

Thomas got a crazy idea from watching some show on TV (probably Backyardigans, or Super Why) about riding in a boat -- down a waterfall. He was VERY insistant that that is what he wanted to do. He talked about it all the time. So in our "conversations", I told him that Grandpa Anderson had a boat - a red Canoe, and that maybe Grandpa would let us go for a ride in it. I talked with him about how we would have to wear lifejackets when we rode in the canoe - and when I said it, I put my hands up to my shoulders, gesturing that I was wearing a lifejacket.

From that day on, riding in Grandpa's Red Canoe down the Waterfall, was all that Thomas could talk about. He even loved to mimic my gestures about putting on the lifejackets.

I tried explaining that we could canoe when we go camping in Aug. but that was not good enough for him. He wanted to go immediately. So I called Dad to see when I could make this dream come true for Thomas. LOL.
Yesterday was the day!
The weather was perfect!



Dad hauled the canoe up to Newton Dam for us. He has lifejackets of every size, so we found one to fit each of us.
Now did I mention that I have quite a fear of water?? Well, I do. But I was brave enough to get in that canoe too. I sat in the middle and held Thomas in my lap, Tyson paddled in front, and Nate paddled in the back - Aj was in the back on the second trip. (thanks guys for padding my lazy bum around :D LOL )
Thomas got to hold a small paddle, and he - of course - had to help paddle. He was really good at it. I showed him where to hold the top and the middle and I helped him pull it out of the water each stroke, but he could nearly do it all by himself! What a big boy!
After the canoe ride we played a long the shore. Newton Dam is not the cleanest place - so there was LOTS of mud. I think Thomas could have lived the rest of his days up there - What better combination is there than a little boy, rocks, sticks water and MUD?




The only way I convinced him to finally let us leave (because we were all ready for some lunch) was to tell him that we could go pick strawberries in Grandpa's garden.
We got back to Grandma and Grandpa's and had lunch. By then it was after 3, and Thomas hadn't napped, so before I let him pick strawberries, I made him lay down for some much needed sleep! He had been playing hard all day, and he fell asleep pretty easily. I needed a nap too, so I got to lay there and watch him drift off. It was very sweet.
The instant he woke up, he remembered that I had promised strawberries.
But we needed to do one more thing before we could do that.
My mom had been at work all day, and we were waiting until she got home to let Thomas wear his New Shirt. SO I got him changed and we went downstairs.
At first no one seemed to notice, or they did notice and they just didn't say anything. So Tyson prompted Thomas -- "what does your new shirt say, Thomas?"
And Thomas got to announce "I'm going to be a BIG BROTHER in Febooary"


(didn't get a shot of him IN the shirt, sorry)

Then I finally let him go pick his strawberries. As he picked and ate his strawberries, he would wipe his hands on his New white shirt, and then he continued to get all dirty, pretty much ruining it after only a few minutes of wearing it.
We only found about a dozen (and they were small) and that just did not satisfy him at all. So for the second leg of our day (this is by about 5 pm LOL) we dashed to the nearest grocery store and bought a HUGE bunch of strawberries and then went to Grandma Rochelle's, cuz she was just up the street. She got Thomas's message right away.
We had to wash the strawberries, and Thomas waited anxiously at my knee. He was more than happy to share with Grandma and mom and dad, though, since there were sooooo many!

On the car ride home, Thomas made us listen to the "Highway song" over and over (Sung by Rascall Flatts - from the movie Cars (Lightning McQueen IS Thomas's favorite thing in the world)). We got him in a bath as quick as we could (the water didn't get as muddy as I expected LOL). And he went to sleep almost instantly.

All in all it was a fabulous Day!!!!

More pictures to come!!!!!!