“Old train! Smoke inside.”

That’s what Jacob said today when he saw an old steam locomotive at the old Union Station in Wichita, KS. Never mind that it’s been sitting there for decades — he’s got that concept of smoke coming out of steam engines down, and apparently realizes that for smoke to come out of them, it must start out inside them. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone talk about a steam engine in a more cute way. Two is a fun age.

Today I needed to return a power supply to Circuit City, so Jacob and I made a day of it. He came with me to town (yes, us country folk “go to town”). We returned the power supply, then ate lunch at a Mexican place. Jacob would call it a “chips and salsa” place. Today he drank from a straw for the first time, and loved it so much that I think he got more liquid than food in him over lunch. Oh well.

After that, we went to the “eye cream” (ice cream) store – Cold Stone Creamery. Whenever Jacob hears talk of Wichita, he comments with something like “Go ichita. Eat eye cream. Go town.” Jacob ate his entire kid-sized chocolate ice cream with sprinkles. He loves sprinkles.

While we were eating ice cream, I asked him, “After you are done, would you like to see skyscrapers or trains?” “NO! Eat eye cream!” I don’t think he quite got the after bit, so I asked him again in the car after we were done eating. His eyes lit up. “SEE KYCRAPER!!” So we drove to downtown Wichita and saw the skyscrapers. (Yes, I am aware that other cities have much taller buildings. It doesn’t matter when you’re 2.) We got out of the car and he got to touch a few of them. In fact, the only way I got him back into the car without a meltdown was by pointing out the train crossing above the road on a bridge, and the fact that he’d still be able to see it from in the car.

That, of course, led to us needing to see trains. I drove him up the ramp to be trackside by the old Wichita Union Station. There weren’t any trains going past right then, but he did get to see the locomotives at the Great Plains Transportation Museum through the fence.

We started to head home, but he really wanted to see the train again. So we stopped at the park in Newton to see the old ATSF locomotive there. By that point, it was waaaay past naptime and we narrowly averted a fit when I informed him that no, we could not go inside the adjacent grain elevators.

So all told, I think Jacob had a fun day with his dad.

Now, in case there is any doubt out there about what kind of child Jacob is, I should point out the things he notices in church lately.

First off, when we get into the sanctuary, we sit in the back. But first thing he said lately when we walked in was “TWO THERMOSTATS!” Yes, he saw two thermostats at opposite ends of the room up front, pointed right at them, and was very excited. He also notices the organ speakers (“oran peaker”), “big cross”, ceiling fans, and now “furnace vents”. Yes, furnace vents.

At the Christmas Eve service, there was a candlelight part. He loved it. “Daddy hold fire!” A few people nearby smiled. While we sang Silent Night, he really wanted to blow out the candle. When it was time, I said “OK Jacob, now you can blow it out.” A very excited “Fffffffffffffffff” followed, and several people nearby were chuckling by then. I also let Jacob put the candle in the box on our way out. He said, “I put fire in box. I did it!”