three boys and a thousand hills: "If you don't learn how to fix stuff, mom...it's just not going to work out."

As if I'm going to get fired from my "a mom of boys" job. Evidently, I'm not very good at it.

No, Liam, I might not be adept at putting train tracks together so that they all meet up again. But, really, isn't it OK just every now and again that the trains run off the track and onto the floor. I think it's kind of cool!

But, then those little trains get broken because Thing One and Thing Two throw them around like lassos instead of leaving them on the tracks, where they belong....so there...

And when such tragedy happens to the fellows of Sodor...what then?...the ripped wires present a technical difficulty of sorts...

So Charlie took it open himself to fix the three engines whose plight was at the hands of my two and four year olds.

He fixed two but duties called him to leave the other for later.

That wasn't suitable for Thing One.

So by the minute, we each were asked when Gordon would be fixed.

And I was threatened, "If you don't learn to fix stuff around here, mom, it's not going to work out for you."

Excuse me?! And then came....gasp...the threat of all threats...

"Mom, if you don't do this, I will be very cross indeed, very very cross indeed."

Oh, Liam...whatever you do...just don't do be cross...(bahahaha!)

A tumultuous 24 hours passed and Charlie got the tools out....

but not before waffles... (I think the waffle episode was the day before when the first two trains were in the shop)