the black train is loud

This past Saturday after we celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family, we went out to the Mower County Fairgrounds where the Mower County Historical Society was hosting Christmas in the County. My dad was supervising the steam engine for a while so that little kids could climb aboard and ring the bell and blow the whistle. We walked over to the steam engine and right as we turned the corner, someone blew the whistle REALLY loud. We all jumped and Joshua went running, crying and screaming, "the black train is loooouuuud!!!" The poor boy absolutely loves trains and the piercing whistle of the steam engine left him traumatized. We decided that we would go onto the Milwaukee Road passenger car that is there, which is the picture above. The kids were pretending that it was the Polar Express train waiting for the hot chocolate waiters to come out and serve them! This calmed Josh down a lot. However, we left the train to go inside and get warm. In a few of the buildings there were art projects for kids, cookies, a model train, and Santa and Mrs. Claus. When we got off the passenger car, the whistle blew again and Josh was in pieces. We went inside where he was crying so very hard repeating, "the black train is loud, the black train is loud." Brian got him interested in an art project and I took Logan and Lauren over to the steam engine to see my dad. My dad was happy to see us and Lauren was excited that Bumpa was there! Lauren rang the bell and then blew the whistle. Of course, Logan cried, which I expected. Then it was another girl's turn and she kept blowing it and blowing it! Lauren was in tears, Logan was screaming and I was just trying to make my way down the wooden ramp all in one piece! We survived and met Brian and Josh in one of the buildings where Joshua was STILL crying (or else crying all over again!). We decided it was time to go and as Brian was buckling Josh in his car seat, Josh exclaimed that "the black train is loud" and "I crying" and then "I shaking like a leaf"!! What? He came up with that one all on his own!! Even today he is still talking about the black train. I'm sure it's not likely to leave his memory any time soon!!