Grandad, Grandad.......

Miss M came for her weekly visit with us yesterday.  She encouraged her mother to leave not long after arriving.  Seems she was anxious to go around the house and check on the various "toys" she likes to play with.  M was particularly interested in going downstairs.  That is where the dollhouse and the trains are!

Allow me to digress a moment - When I was growing up, my brother had an elaborate set of Lionel trains.  I was fortunate that he felt I was trustworthy and allowed me to assit him with them.  My father built him an enormous table top to set them up on in the basement. Years later,  I relayed the stories to the Englishman of the many hours spent setting up tracks and running the trains.  And do you know what that sweet man did?  He surprised me one Christmas with my very own set of LGB trains!  Diamonds are not this girl's best friend - trains and dollhouses are!

So that is why there is a train set at Grandmom's house.  Miss M loves it! Initially, I was the only one who would run the train.  But M has been watching me carefully, and with a face her Grandmom can't resist, she is now allowed to be the engineer.  Which prompted the cries of "Grandad, Grandad" as she darted up the stairs to the kitchen.  "Grandad, come see me run the train!"  She couldn't wait for the Englishman to come and see what she could do.  With a grin stretching from ear to ear she proudly started up the engine, easing it forward - then backwards!  M was so proud of herself!  Which of course delights her equally proud grandparents.

As we stood and watched her at the controls, the Englishman mentioned that there were some other buildings and trains that went with the set that are currently packed away.  We started to discuss where to put the pieces, maybe paint a road on the table, add a few more people, find the smoke that goes in the smokestack....