My baby days are over. I have relished my children's births and infancy, inhaled their sweet baby breath, swayed them to sleep in my arms and whispered loving lullabies. For the last five years I've been either nursing orchanging their diapers.

But those sweet baby boys are now a rowdy toddler and wild preschooler. My diaper freedom is on the horizon —and it looks glorious. Doors are opening into "big-kid land," and it's awesome. We're finally at that place where they are old enough to do cool stuff and enjoy it and its either free or super cheap for them to participate.

My big boys and I recently jumped (literally — they jump a lot) at the opportunity for a railroad adventure to Bellows Falls to stay with our friends for the night. They have both been train enthusiasts from the first "choo-choo." We've watched the "Thomas and Friends" movies hundreds of times.

The diaper bag and gear are lighter now, and the trip by rail is only slightly longer than the drive would have been (three hours). At $54 each way, riding the train cost more than we would have spent on gas, but traveling this way allowed the boys to move about the cabin safely, while I checked out the amazing October foliage. And, better yet, when you're on a train there's no need to pull over to let off steam, grab a snack, change a diaper, take a potty break, deal with an itchy carseat or stretch your legs.

My husband dropped us off at the Essex Junction train station on a Sunday morning. Our bags packed, we hugged and kissed goodbye from the platform, like in the movies, with tears in our eyes.