Does Thomas The Tank engine visit your city or town? He visits ours every year for 2 straight weekends. Fortunately or unfortunately, however you look at it, the train depot is walking distance from our house. As a matter of fact, about every 20 minutes for 2 weekends straight; you can hear Thomas blow his whistle and get ready to take off. Because we live so close, you can actually see Thomas pass by if you stand on the edge of our sidewalk. So for 2 weekends, Callahan lives on our sidewalk watching Thomas pass by.
I have read some interesting things about how many children affected by autism are completely obsessed with trains....but not just any train....Thomas The Train! That is definitely the case for our son, Callahan! He has loved Thomas and all of his companions every since I can remember. He knows when Thomas will be visiting our city, and he gears himself up for it for a few weeks ahead of time.
NPayne told him exactly what day and time he would get to ride Thomas. We have to do this for Cal, or he gets extremely upset each time he hears Thomas go by and doesn't know when it will be his turn....he doesn't do well with uncertainty at all. For a good week beforehand, Cal didn't sleep through the night....he was constantly asking about or telling you when he was going to get to ride. After he was able to ride Thomas, he came home and crashed. He was plain exhausted from being geared up for so long.
NPayne and Cal are the only members of the Payne family who ride Thomas, because quite frankly it's really expensive. The girls get to do so many things that Cal doesn't, not because we don't allow him to; but because he just is too uncomfortable to do them or he just doesn't want to. They are very understanding about only Cal riding Thomas. We have taken them on the train, when it was just the steam engine, and not Thomas pulling it; so they have had the train ride experience....several times. There are lots of free activities surrounding Thomas's visit here in our city, and we oftentimes take the girls down there to participate in some of these things as well; but they know Thomas is really special to Cal!
Once on the train, Cal enjoys the short ride....then he and NPayne walk home....then he literally crashes from the anticipation of getting to ride! Thomas has come and gone this year. If you ask Cal where he is, he will say...."He's gone! He's back at the Island of Sodor!"
I have read some interesting things about how many children affected by autism are completely obsessed with trains....but not just any train....Thomas The Train! That is definitely the case for our son, Callahan! He has loved Thomas and all of his companions every since I can remember. He knows when Thomas will be visiting our city, and he gears himself up for it for a few weeks ahead of time. 
NPayne told him exactly what day and time he would get to ride Thomas. We have to do this for Cal, or he gets extremely upset each time he hears Thomas go by and doesn't know when it will be his turn....he doesn't do well with uncertainty at all. For a good week beforehand, Cal didn't sleep through the night....he was constantly asking about or telling you when he was going to get to ride. After he was able to ride Thomas, he came home and crashed. He was plain exhausted from being geared up for so long. 
NPayne and Cal are the only members of the Payne family who ride Thomas, because quite frankly it's really expensive. The girls get to do so many things that Cal doesn't, not because we don't allow him to; but because he just is too uncomfortable to do them or he just doesn't want to. They are very understanding about only Cal riding Thomas. We have taken them on the train, when it was just the steam engine, and not Thomas pulling it; so they have had the train ride experience....several times. There are lots of free activities surrounding Thomas's visit here in our city, and we oftentimes take the girls down there to participate in some of these things as well; but they know Thomas is really special to Cal!
Once on the train, Cal enjoys the short ride....then he and NPayne walk home....then he literally crashes from the anticipation of getting to ride! Thomas has come and gone this year. If you ask Cal where he is, he will say...."He's gone! He's back at the Island of Sodor!"
2 comments:
This is definatly Cal's thing :) Glad he like it and anxiously waits for it!
~Elyse~
Yes! At 17, Kyle STILL adores Thomas (and other trains, but especially Thomas).
Post a Comment