Calling All Thomas Fans! All Aboard!

Day out with Thomas™: The Thrill of the Ride Tour 2014 is coming to the Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish! And for the first time ever at Day Out With Thomas™, Thomas the Tank Engine™ will be able to talk to his fans.


This fun-filled event offers little engineers and their families the opportunity to take a ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, star of the popular Thomas & Friends® series. In addition, children will meet Sir Topham Hatt®, Controller of the Railway and enjoy a day of Thomas-themed activities including arts & crafts, storytelling and more.

Because you're a Mom Squad Blog reader, you've got a chance to win a four-pack of tickets for this SUNDAY! Your ticket includes a 25 minute ride with Thomas at 12:45pm, so to win, you'll need to be able to arrive at the Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish by 11:45am. Don't worry though, there are a ton of activities to enjoy while you wait for your train to depart.

Email your answer to the question below to me - Abby@spiritfm905.com. I'll draw a winner from all the correct answers Friday (3/21) at 10am & post the winner's name here, on the blog. So hurry hurry! The clock is ticking. And remember, these four tickets are for THIS SUNDAY, March 23rd.

Here's your trivia question: Which of the following people has NOT narrated the Thomas TV series?

a) George Carlin
b) Tim Allen
c) Alec Baldwin
d) Ringo Star

For information on the event and Thomas & Friends, visit www.thomasandfriends.com

Florida Railroad Museum is located at 12210 83rd St East, Parrish, FL 34219. The ground will be open from 8:30am – 5:00pm for activities. Tickets will be at will-call. THESE FOUR TICKETS ARE FOR ADMISSION AND A 12:45PM TRAIN RIDE. The activities on site at Day Out With Thomas™ are for you and your children to enjoy for several hours, please plan to arrive at least one hour before your train time.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Lisette Moore! She won the four tickets! Oh, and the correct answer was Tim Allen. Can you believe Alec Baldwin did a voice over for Thomas?!

Choosing to Sacrifice

I was thinking the other day about how we, as moms are constantly sacrificing. I don't know what got me started on it. Maybe it was a conversation about the difference between a mom's home life versus a dad's. This is absolutely no knock on men or the job they do as fathers. I just think that for the most part and from what I've seen in my own life and in the lives of my friends and family, mothers are more inclined to make sacrifices for their children.

But why? Why do I hear so many women talk about the hobbies they've put on the back burner or the last bite of ice cream that went into another's mouth or the letting go of the desire to move forward in their career? I think it's because we have been made to give.

This is not a revolutionary thought, but it was to me. From the moment a child is conceived, we start to give. It is involuntary. If you've ever had morning sickness, you know that your body is putting you second and the baby first. You have to take extra vitamins not just to ensure the baby's growth but also to ensure your own health because your body will take care of that little one before you. We make conscious decisions to care for the life growing inside of us, by doing things like cutting down on caffeine or not eating sushi. But in so many ways, we don't even have to choose to care. Our bodies, our "being", is designed by God to care.

How can we expect that once that child is breathing air with his lungs, jumping on the bed, sitting at the kitchen table doing homework or walking down the aisle at her wedding that we can halt that action that is so deeply rooted in who we are?

Not that we should try to halt it, but why don't we change our perspective? Why don't we change our attitude? Instead of bitterness or frustration with the constant sacrifices we make as moms, why don't we see it as an extension of the sacrifice we naturally made for nine months? I was able to assist God in a miracle. He used me to bring a new soul into the world. I involuntarily gave of myself because it's what God designed me to do. Now I will give of myself because I choose to. I have the freewill to love or not and to sacrifice or not. Thank you, God for leaving it up to me. It makes the love greater. The sacrifice more meaningful. I will choose to continue to care for the child you entrusted me with.