Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Trains, planes and automobiles!

Things have been a bit serious around here lately and so I've decided to have a break from my educational ponderings to share a few photographs with you ;-)


Trains.
Both Jen and Mikey (and Ray) love learning about different forms of transport. For a very long time Jenna has wanted to ride on a steam train. So when I saw an advert in our local newspaper for a ride on a steam train in Cape Town, we jumped at the opportunity!
The Atlantic Railway Association had organised a special day for displaying their trains along with some old motor vehicles and an old fashioned bus! Not only could we get a close up look at a steam train, but we all got to get on board and chug a little out of the station to get a feel for what it would have been like in the old days.



the red devil



just look at all that old wood work!



they just don't make 'em like they used to!


this was the train we got to squash into along with all the other enthusiastic steam train lovers



One day mommy, I'm gonna have a car like this!


dream big my boy!


Another highlight of the day was getting to ride on an old Beefeater Bus. We had a lovely little trip into town and around the waterfall in the center of Adderley Street. The kids and I didn't get to do the Fan Walk during the World Cup, so this was a little bonus for us getting to see the Soccer Fountain.

That's my "little" girl in the stroller-poor little chicken was still recovering from the flu so she needed her own means of transport to conserve her energy. Michael happily supplied the power behind her wheels.

Planes.

When Jenna was around 18 months we took her to her first airshow. She was still so sensitive to loud noises that she spent most of the time with a scowl on her face and her fingers in her ears!
During a creative spell recently she created a picture of the air show which prompted her into asking if she could go again. So Ray did some researching and discovered that sure enough there was going to be an air show again this year! After excitedly counting down the sleeps to the long awaited day it finally arrived.

We were shuttled, very kindly, by the fancy airforce taxis to the display area-no long walks and fights for parking for us ;-) Besides seeing different types of aeroplanes the kiddies got their first up close and personal looks at different army vehicles.



G.I Joe and Josephine on board a tank.


Inside an American Medic vehicle.


A brief look inside a Russian Helicopter.


And please, don't ask me to remember this huge air bus' name!

Unfortunately walking around all the displays meant we missed a lot of seeing the up close action of the airshow. When we tried to find a place to sit to view the take offs, landings and action stunts we found the crowds of people too much to infiltrate. So having been unsuccessful at getting beyond enemy lines we retreated back to the transport vehicles and watched the final stunts at the wheels of this huge truck!

Automobiles.

Every now and then Ray takes one of the kids on a Dad's Day out. Last week-end he took Michael to a Street Rod Car show.



A serious little boy discovers suped-up engines.....

taking a closer look inside.

Now that's more like it Dad-the Fast Cars!


His first official driving lesson.




After a lovely morning checking out all the big cars, Michael declared that the Drifter remote control cars were definitely the coolest! Boys and their toys!!!!