I feel compelled to give everyone a glimpse into what a Hale family car ride generally entails. Here’s the dialogue that took place on a recent 20-minute trip:
Son: Mommy, do you want to play a game with me?
Me: Sure. What kind of game?
Son: Trains, hunting on trains.
Me (a little surprised about the hunting part): What are
we hunting?
Son: All kinds of animals.
Me: So what do we do when we hunt them?
Son: Me, the engineer, will stop the train so that you,
the passenger, can look closely at them.
Me: Oh, so that’s hunting?
Son: Yes. ALL ABOARD!
Daughter: All Aboard!
Me: OK. Here’s my ticket.
Son: Choo choo! Chug a chug a chug a chug. Mommy, we’re
moving. Aren’t you going to try to find animals?
Daughter: Choo choo! Choo choo!
Son: Be quiet Tatum.
Me: Oh yeah. Look! There’s a Moose!
Son: If you want me to stop the train, you have to say,
“Appalago” and then the animals name.
Me: Oh, OK. Appalago Moose!
Daughter: Appago Moo!
Son (makes dramatic brake screeching sound): You better
watch out. That’s a red spider moose. They can bite.
Me: Duly noted.
Son: What?
Me: Never mind. Appalago Bear!
This went on for the entire road trip with my daughter
chiming in, doing her best to say “Appalago” and point enthusiastically out the
window, much to my son's chagrin (he refused to stop the train for her). I usually have the pleasure of making two trips in one when I'm behind the wheel with the kids in tow, one to my actual destination and the other to the inside of my
son’s imagination. It’s a wild ride!