WOODEN TOYS...

My good friend posted a memory on her blog recently about her father and his love for making wooden box cars. The fun had with those cars is something to behold.

That post prompted a memory of my own...

I never really had a grandfather. My maternal grandpa passed away 7 days before I was born and my paternal grandpa passed away before I was even a thought. When I was about 15 years old my paternal grandma remarried. His name was Ken. He was a quiet man who loved to work with wood. He didn't really get into playing with kids but I think he wanted to at times. He had a crooked sort of smile. He was my only "real" grandpa.

Years before he died he began making dinosaurs of all things. For no particular reason all different kinds of dinosaurs began making their way out of his woodshop. My boys got a kick out of them but I wouldn't let them play with them for fear that they would break. I should have let them while he was alive. After his death they were handed down to our boys but again I placed them in a closet to be forgotten...until last week.

As I was talking with my Brian in the kitchen I heard a "GASP!" from the hallway. It was Daxx. He came running to tell me something but our poor little one has terrible speach at this point in his life and as he was speaking so excitedly I couldn't figure out what he was saying. Then another "GASP!" came from the hall and a loud, "DINOSARUS!!" Our Kole had gone to see what had caused Daxx to become sooo excited and spied the forgotten wooden toys in the hall closet that Daxx had decided to inspect.

Now I should interject here to let you know that our children have LOTS of toys. Hoopty Doo battery operated toys, riding toys, cars, toy men, a rocking horse blah blahh... They play with one sort of toy for maybe 15 minutes before their on to another one.

That day I decided to let the toys Live.

Daxx and Kole "ROARED!" and "ROARED" down the hall, through the house, in their room...all evening!

What is it about wooden toys? They are magical, imagination magnets. The boys have slept with the dinosaurs ever since. What a hoot!

(the marks on the wall are chalk marks, lest anyone wonder. The paint on the twin's walls is chalkboard paint.)