Droopy Departure

A hot destination is the Pennsylvania Train Museum. None of us are particularly into trains (see Durango, CO post), but we thought it'd be fun to take the 45 minute ride and eat lunch. It was exceptional, the only train of its kind still in operation. It was a simple ride through Amish farm country -- no electrical wires to obstruct the view!

The actual train museum was a bore for all of us, but especially me. The docents talked down to the kids and the interactive center was essentially broken. No one can dispute the collection of restored trains as phenomenal, but they must be observed from afar which takes away all the fun.

We had much more fun doing Farm Chores. One morning Jim asked if the kids wanted to milk a goat. Unanimous cries of, "Yes!" After feeding them, Jim grabbed a goat's hind legs and backed her up to the fence. The kids' hands reached

right up to her teets and they milked her to uproarious laughter, milk spraying all over them. I'd never seen anything like it -- Vermont farming seems ot be a tad more humane than here in Pennsylvania Dutch Country! I just kept imagining someone grabbing me by my legs, turning me upside down and popping out a boob to milk. It was really too much.

Our last morning at the farm was sadder than I'd expected. The kids were heart broken that we had to leave. First Little Man's friend left. The next day Doodle's friend left and her family took the favorite orange kitty with them. Now it was our turn. One last ride in the big farm truck, one last time feeding the sheep and goats and one last time gathering eggs, hoping for more green than brown.

Thankfully, we managed to avoid another trip to E.R. while staying here although there were numerous opportunities: trampoline covered in frost, climbing pear trees, racing on big wheels or surprising me with shouts from on top of the barn!

The saddest part of our final morning was Doodle puking all over me at breakfast. Then she continued to puke and puke and puke. Poor, poor baby. Thankfully, we were the only guests there as I practically took over Mim's kitchen floor, and after she'd just made us a Shoofly pie for breakfast!

After loading up, Doodle napped in the car while Grandma and Little Man did laundry. Peanut and I went to the post office and the bank, and back to the farm to pay our final bill in cash. Doodle managed to get an hour and a half nap and was feeling a lot better so we decided to make one short stop in Lititz to visit the Wilbur Chocolate Factory.

Five minutes of shopping, with me carrying her, she got that look and started to drool. I ran to the counter, passing hordes of people, "Excuse me, I know you say you don't have a bathroom. But do you really not have a bathroom? My daughter..." suddenly a horrendous choking gag and she puked all over me at the counter. It was awful. I managed to save the counter, catching all of it into my sleeve, my neck to my bra to my waist. It was pretty bad let me tell you. With much concern, someone ushered us to a tiny bathroom in the back, and we waited it out to the background of hammering and clanking chocolate making.

This time we drove straight to the hotel, where Doodle went to bed, I jumped in the shower and Grandma, otherwise known as Laundry Mistress, went at it again for the second time that day.