A beautiful, difficult surprise

For some reason I have never taken the boys to the park in Marietta Square.  I don't know why it has never occurred to me.  I mean, it should have been obvious.

They have a train there.

A train you can play on.

My boys looooooooovvvvvvvvve trains.

So Thursday I decided we would take a picnic (meaning pick something up on the way because I am lazy) and go to the park.  I told them we were going to go to a new park and there was a surprise there.

Carter immediately guessed a train.

Spoil sport.

I played innocent, got our stuff together and we headed out.

As we pulled into the strange square traffic pattern (one way street here, not here, one way street again...), I saw them.

The school buses and school children.

They were everywhere.

Great! I had no idea that the square had these Halloween displays that various schools had done and the kids had all taken a picnic lunch to see the displays.  Oh, well.  I drove around the Square looking for a parking spot and then they saw it.

"TRAIN!!!!!!  There's a train, Mommy!!!!!!!"

Can no longer hear in my one good ear, thank you.

Finally find a parking spot a block away from the Square (which required us to walk over the railroad tracks - boys in heaven!) and we made our way with Mommy loaded down with food and camera and blanket.  Of course we had to go straight to the train.

Then I see them.

The painters.

The orange plastic fencing surrounding the painters.

They are painting the train.

Seriously?  Really?  I finally think about bringing the boys down here and the train is closed?

We weren't the only ones  upset.  There was a 2 year old near by with a very pregnant mommy who was acting exactly like my boys wanted to act.

Kicking and screaming and trying to pull down the orange fencing and get to the train.

So, disappointed and surrounded by yelling school children, we find a spot to eat, spread out the blanket, get out the food.

"I need go potty!"

Seriously?  Really?

Pack food back into bag, shake out grass infested blanket, go to find restroom.

Find lots of signs on stores saying, "No public restrooms."

Finally find public restroom, child goes potty, other child is forced to go potty.

Go back to Square, get out food, eat.

Then go play in the fountain! (Meanwhile Mommy realizes that she didn't go potty and now really needs to go.)

Not such a bad day after all (said by Mommy writing this the day AFTER incident - not exhausted, frazzled Mommy day OF incident - a day makes a huge difference in perspective)!

Yes, I know this picture is blurry but he's just so cute.