Sunday has come and gone, but I still find myself reminiscing about the beautiful day I had with my little family. This week, my son turns three! To celebrate his very special day, we decided to take him on a train ride, since like a typical boy, he loves everything that has wheels! To make the day even more special, my parents (his gwanny and BobPop) joined us for the outing, which really made the little dudes day!
Come Sunday morning we all rose at the crack of join. It was quite a chilly day but we warmed up with some tea and coffee. The real excitement kicked in as we arrived at the train station! You see, this wasn’t any old train that we were about to board, it was a steam locomotive that was first built in the early 1900’s! We were in essence, about to travel back in time and get a real feel of what it was like to travel from point A to B in the “olden days”.
As the train started chugging along it let out it’s whistle, my son was in his element! The huge smile on his face would brighten anyone’s day! He sat still throughout the whole 45-minute trip, which is a big deal for a toddler! He loved watching the trees and cars pass by and his favourite moment was when was passed through a long and dark tunnel (it was at this point that he let out a shriek of enjoyment).
Our destination was a humble market situated out in the beautiful country-side of in The Valley Of A Thousand Hills, here in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa. Here we enjoyed some pancakes, warmed up some more with a cup of hot chocolate and meandered around the stalls while my kiddo let out some of his own steam while jumping on a Jumping Castle.
There was also a display of model trains on show, and a tiny museum where we learnt more about the history of the rail way line and the trains that used to come and go. Here gwanny and BopPop purchased a wooden train for their grandson, as a birthday gift and to remember the very special outing we had together.
The trip back home was a little quitter and we all sat back to rest and simply enjoy the beautiful scenery. I think we all felt very blessed that we could enjoy this time together. Our little guy began to get very sleepy, but refused to close his eyes, just in case he missed out on something.
Moments like these, spent with family and loved ones, are what I live for. Seeing the smile on my boy’s face makes my heart melt and burst with joy at the same time. Honestly, you can spoil a kid with toys and sweets, but giving them your time is the best gift of all. This is a Sunday that will go down in our family history.
