Apple Boat!

Ever since his Aunt Janice gave him a Thomas train engine, Mats has been facinated with trains. Never mind that he didn't realize that the whole concept of a train was multiple cars (when you've only got one engine, that's a train) that run on tracks (again, in the absence of tracks, trains run on just about anything). So riding the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad was a bag of mixed blessings (I'm talking as parents - for Mats there was no down-side).

Pro: an entire day of FUN FUN FUN running up and down the train from car to car!
Con: Wait.....from car to car - you mean my train is supposed to have multiple cars?
Pro: Learning that train whistles go TooWhoo and you can get train whistles in the gift shop
Con: Stop blowing the whistle already!

Of course we had to buy Mats a few cars for his train and some train track. And it was so worth it the other day to hear him call "Apple Boat"* and blow the train whistle TooWhoo!! Although he still prefers the freedom of off-railing to the confines of a well-laid out track.

* for our Duch-spekers: the train conductor calls "All Aboard" before blowing the whistle to signal the train is leaving.