Anne Peyton can be painfully shy given the right conditions, and it gets worse when the focus of a group of unfamiliar people turns to her. This has been difficult for me, given my own introversion and social anxieties. So last Monday (9/29), when she & Tommy & I took a trip to the Golden library for story/song time, I felt pretty sure that she would refuse to go by herself to hear the stories up close, and instead cling safely to me. I was exceedingly surprised and proud when, after she realized that I would stay back in the circle and not go with her up front, she thought about it for a minute then took Tommy's hand and sweetly said "Tommy, do you want to come with me to hear the story?"

It was yet another lesson learned for me: that kids will do their own things, when they're ready. I loved that it was her very own idea, and not the result of coercion or nagging from me.

After hanging out at the library and having lunch along nearby Clear Creek, we headed over to the Colorado Railroad Museum - our first visit. It was a really neat place! Especially cool was the fact that it was virtually empty, a stark contrast to the weekend prior when Thomas the Tank Engine was there for his annual visit - a veritable zoo. I was hoping perhaps Thomas hadn't left yet for his next venue, and sure enough, that was the case. We found him sitting by himself in the roundhouse. I realized later that we shouldn't have been in there; it was probably quite a liability. On the way out I noticed a small area behind plexiglass where museum visitors should have been relegated to. But instead, for a few minutes with noone there to correct us, we had Thomas to ourselves. I'm pretty sure I was more excited about it than the kids were though!