My Little Man is Growing Up!

Wyatt has always been his own little person.

He has always been very careful; Wyatt doesn't try anything before he is certain that he can accomplish the feat. This includes everything from climbing out of his crib (which resulted in a broken wrist), to learning to ride his bike (this goal was reached at age 7).

He picks up academic subjects with lightening speed (reading at age 4, math a little later), he loves to read (non-fiction please), constantly learning new and exciting information that he rushes to share with anyone who is willing to listen.

Wyatt can also become obsessive about the things that interest him. When he was roughly 18 – 24 months old, he could point out (if not name) every vehicle that every member of the family drove – this included extended family (aunts, uncles, grandparents). Hot wheels were a big favorite at this time.

For his second birthday he was given a wooden train set, nothing special, just a generic little track with a few trains. This sparked a long love affair with trains in general, Thomas specifically.

I give Thomas a lot of credit for Wyatt's education. Wyatt learned everything from his alphabet, colors, letters, etc from Thomas and his railroad friends. Paul and I learned the difference between Gordon, Percy, James and Toby.

Thomas the Train and his friends have captured the heart and mind of my son for the past six years. Trains, tracks and stations have become a common sight in our house (Wyatt's bedroom, the living room, the basement, etc), however Wyatt has recently informed me that he is ready to put them all away.

"Put them away?" I asked, a little shocked.
"Yes, they take up too much space in my bedroom."
"Umm, ok. Sure. We can do that."
"Can we move my train table too?"

Really, the train table too…I was genuinely surprised by that. That table has gotten lots of use over the years, it has been a portal to the Island of Sodor, to prehistoric dinosaur times, a raceway for cars…now he wants it gone.

Hmmm. He really is growing up.