OK. I know you all are going to think that I'm a great big meanie here, but this is the stark truth: I hate Thomas the Tank Engine. There, I said it. It is a confession that I feel ashamed to make. Josiah has loved Thomas since he was 18 months old, so it has been a long, long love affair for the two of them. At first, I loved Thomas too. I loved presenting Josiah with a new train to add to his collection. I loved getting new pieces of track and new buildings to expand his railroad. I loved putting together new, challenging and convoluted railways for him to delight in. Hmmm, maybe in the beginning, the love affair was partly mine. Somewhere along the line, though, Thomas began to get old. There have been times when Josiah seemed to show some interest in different playthings and Thomas seemed to gather dust. But lately, Thomas has been back with a vengeance. Josiah sings Thomas songs all day, stages elaborate railroad accidents all day, sleeps, eats and breathes Thomas. ...