Trains

So I'm sure I've mentioned it here before but my son is a train freak.  He knows names, models etc.  He knows what acronyms stand for.  The only reward system we have for him is a ride on a real train.

Need to potty train the kid?  Offer him a ride on a train.
Struggling on a subject in school?  Reward is a train ride.

We bought toys.  Lots of toys......when trying to potty train him.  Nothing worked.  He didn't want any of it.  He didn't want candy or any other reward system we read about.  And then Dr. Phil offered some advice one day......

Find their hot button and thats what you use.  (For the record, I DO NOT watch Dr. Phil.  My mother does.)

Nicks hot button was trains.  So we researched Amtrak and Metrolink and came up with a plan.  Within a week, he was potty trained.  That was almost 3 years ago.  Every hurdle we run into seems to end with a train ride.  Some of the conductors on the Metrolink may or may not recognize us.  Not going to admit 100% to that one.  *winkwink*

Anyway, we've been working on a particular hurdle lately and we finally seemed to beat it.  His reward was a train ride down to San Diego.

 This man was wandering the track.  Tell me he isn't the spitting image of Johnny Depp?  Scary right?  Even his mannerisms matched Depp/Sparrow.  Scary but totally rad.

 We took a quick tour of the harbor on a special truck - if you want to call it that.  It was some kind of army assault vehicle that drives on land and then becomes a boat.  Awesome.  We floated around the harbor with all the cool boats.........

 Saw some sea lions......

This was our vehicle.  Totally rad.