The Thomas the Train Table

Caelan is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine right now.  We are not really sure how that started but he became interested in it about 6 months ago and it ranks right up there with Cars and Curious George.  He doesn't watch the videos but he loves the books and anything with Thomas and characters on it.  And he prays for them  by name each night and every Sunday during Sunday School.

So here is the really awesome story of the Thomas the Tank Engine table....

I started looking online for some Thomas things to buy for Caelan.  I came across a train table and several accessories on one site and they were asking only $100 obo for it!  This is a phenomenal deal-  the tables alone are $300-400 new, each of the trains are $10-20 a piece and the wooden tracks and other things run easily another $100-200.  So all of this stuff for that price was great!  We are on a tight budget so I was hesitant.  I eyeballed it for a few weeks on line and finally one night mentioned it to Matt and decided to call about it.  I honestly did NOT expect the people to still have it.  It had been listed for three weeks-  and with that price I was sure it sold within the first couple of days.  BUT.... she still had it!!  I was one of only two people who had called and the other person never followed up with them!  I was so excited!

So she and I talked for a little while and decided to wait a week or so in order to arrange a time to meet and so I could make sure we had the funds (payday!).   The next day she sent me a text saying they were coming to town and wanted to know if they could bring it by.  I sighed to myself thinking, "I was hoping to pay her in a week."  But I texted her back, sure... come on by. 

A little bit later I could hear them in the garage so I went out there and there they were putting together the table!  I told her I would go inside to get a check for her and she said, "No, we talked about it and decided that we want you to have it.  Your son deserves it more than we need it."   I was beside myself.  She gave me a hug and told us to enjoy it and someday pay it forward. 

What genuinely kind hearted people.  I have no doubt that if I had not heard them in the garage, they would have just set it up and left without letting me know they were there.  It was such a touching moment.

And we remind Caelan regularly that he prayed about those trains and that God sent someone very special to bring it to him.  And I hope that each person that reads this will say a special prayer of thanks for a couple named Emily and Matt (and their three children). 

Heeeeerrre it is!

We waited a couple of weeks to give it to him-  we wanted to set it up for him and for both of us to be here, etc.  So the timing of that had to work right.  One Saturday morning I woke up before him and went out to set it all up for him.  Then I took his train hat back there and said that I needed a conductor for some trains.  I know he had heard people talking about it so when I said that he had a pretty good guess that there was a Thomas table for him!  Didn't change his excitement one bit though!

And that's just PART of the stuff-  there is a box with a lot more track in it!  And he also has some wooden tracks and a bridge that Aunt Mary Margaret sent him for Christmas.

Here is the video of him when he came out and started playing with it.

 

And he loooooves it and plays with it constantly!!  And sometimes he gets to pick out a train or two to go to bed with him!  :)