Friday, July 25, 2008

Treasures and Toys

I just went and ran Sissy out of her older brother's room. If he leaves his door open by mistake, she is back there pilfering for whatever trinkets she can grab before she is caught.

Today, as I was doing a few quick bathroom cleaning measures (toilet swish, first line of bathtub cleansing - i.e. fill tub with bleach and let soak for a bit), I heard her in his room rooting around. When I found her, she had two footballs snugly grasped with both little arms.

I told her to put them back and get out of Bubby's room. In her haste, she dropped one football and I didn't have the heart to make her put the remaining one down. She looked so panicked by dropping the one - turning in circles, frantic.

I let her leave the room clutching just the one.

She came down the hall and promptly dropped it on the floor in the den (that's living room or TV room to anyone outside the South). Then, she grabbed a fistful of crayons and moved on to her one true love - coloring in her coloring books.

She has one that is Mickey Mouse. This child loves Mickey so much. It's one of the main reasons we're planning that trip to Disney. Everyone keeps advising me to "let her see the Princesses" (sp?), but I know all she really wants to see is Mickey himself - or as she sometimes calls him, "Woo Mouse". Why? We don't know, either.

She has three stuffed "Beanie Baby" type Mickeys. Two are hand me downs from her big brother and one is a "Please behave" toy I gave her at WalMart once and ended up buying at the end of the shopping trip. She sleeps with all three and often carries one or more with her whereever we go. Two are just regular Mickeys. One is Mickey in his wizard costume (ala "Fantasia").

I guess we'll have to watch some movies before our trip too.

Anyway, she finds all kinds of treasures in her brother's room - even though her room is chock full of a metric boat load of hand-me-downs from him (when he was her age) and plenty more that was bought specifically for her when she was born, and for every birthday, Christmas and random holiday since then.

We've been incredibly blessed by all the friends and family in our lives who think of our children and get them little treasures.

When I think of all the people who have my children's happiness in mind, it just really floors me. And even though I realize my nieces, nephew and the children of my friends are also abundantly gifted, I do try to pay it forward and give out little treasures I think those children would like to have.

At times, it's as easy as knitting an outrageous fun fur scarf for dramatic little girls or a box of Matchbox cars for a little boy.

It gets trickier as they get older. A good friend of mine has a son who will be 15 on July 31 (the same day the Evil Twin turns 49).... It seems impersonal, but I think her son likes to get cash for holidays and he can save it or spend it on things he enjoys. Seems fair enough - and easy to write a check....

Why do they have to grow up?

14 comments:

  1. LOL... when you described the toy heist I could picture Sissy making her run for it :) How cute!! Don't you know the forbidden toy is twice as fun as one that is sanctioned by a parental unit! Happy Upcoming B Day to the Evil Twin!

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  2. All the sixteen and seventeen-year-olds I teach all want gift cards....especially for iTunes. I imagine Christmas shopping is pretty darn easy for their parents!

    Even though it's a pain in the rear shopping for all the toys when they're little, I know I'll miss it when they are older. They do, indeed, grow up too fast.

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  3. You are so right about how easy it is to find little things to please and surprise little kids - it's much harder when they're teens and you're right, cash does seem impersonal, but I've learned not to fight it. Although, I always try to include a "little something", like a baseball hat, or cd, or whatnot. Even with gift cards - like if I give a Blockbuster card, I add popcorn and movie candy.

    My daughter used to do the same thing with her brother's room - and both of them have always been THRILLED with hand me downs - like the items reached icon status because of who they came from.

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  4. I'm with ya, ETW. Shark will be 14 on Sunday - where has the time gone????

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  5. "Woo Mouse" is priceless! Both of your kids are so adorable who could help but want to put smiles on their faces?

    I didn't want to say anything yesterday, but was that the beginnings of some stache fuzz I saw growing above Buddy's upper lip? I figured he would be embarrassed to death if I mentioned it.

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  6. I hear ya. 'Breaking into' her brother's room to play with his books & toys is a real treat for my daughter. Occasionally, I let her stay, only to be discovered by him. Then I can watch them from the door, just being nice to each other (for about 2 minutes). Its so sweet!

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  7. You should hit up the Big Lots in Kanawha City, they have a lot of toddler 'Clubhouse Mickey' toys. But maybe you arent as neurotic as I am, I'm already buying stuff for Christmas presents.

    Lindsay

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  8. Awww....you truly have been blessed with two beautiful babies!

    As for the cash thing, I agree -- don't fight it. As my nieces and nephews get older, that's all they want. And I always get a big "Yes! Money!" when gift time rolls around.

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  9. I grew up in Parkersburg - and we called the favortie TV room our "DEN". Moving just 100 miles northwest and to Ohio - they looked at me like I was an alien. Here, they call it the "sitting room." Go figure. ** still a den to me.

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  10. Ron - I just don't understand the forbidden toy thing. She has plenty and gets to keep most of what she drags out of his room.

    Laureneer - yep, lots of kids like the Itunes cards. I think I'll just send money to my friend's son.(he does have an iPod, though).

    K -I like your ideas!

    T - everyone said it would fly and they were right!

    BB - yes, he does have some lip fuzz (and unibrow fuzz - that I talk him into letting me razor off!).

    Gigi - enjoy the sweet times!

    Lindsay - I'm saving up my OCD on buying until we hit Disney World!

    Laura - thanks! You know, it's just that times have changed so much since we were kids!

    themom - we have two "dens" in this house and we love it. I don't care if people give me the stink eye for saying it! :-)

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  11. Are you guys talking about James Woods's TV show "Shark"?

    I love James Woods.

    PS: On the money thing, as Sugar Bear started to age, she could tell you every person who's ever given her money as a present's name. Seriously. They're too young for jobs and we live in a capitalist environment. They crave the stuff.

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  13. Sorry, my post burped, so I deleted the second.

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  14. I have the same problem around here with my brothers. I usually end up getting them a baseball cap. In that same vein, my father once had over 40 unique ashtrays. Who knows how many ball caps the boys will end up with!

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