Toys!

I'm finally learning that less is more: the simpler is better, especially when it comes to toys.

First of all, toys are always so much more appealing when they are at someone else's house. I should have learned this over 8 years ago when my oldest (and then only) son was infatuated with trains. He'd spend hours playing with trains anywhere there was a train table.

I had to buy him a train table.

Because he loved it so much it was worth the price tag. There wasn't a great place for it but he HAD to have one, right? Of course, he never said that. He never asked for one but I just knew if he loved it so much at Barnes and Noble or at the Children's Discovery Museum, he'd spend hours on it at home.

Wrong! He still preferred laying on the floor to build his elaborate wood tracks.

I still have dozens of Thomas Trains and several feet of track and it still gets played with, now by my youngest.

The things I feel they "need" they hardly play with. Truly sometimes the cardboard box offers more time-consuming fun than the object it contained.

Yet my kids still love toys.

Sunday was Easter. This year I finally kept it simple and was amazed by their happiness. I still gave them some candy and each a small toy. My oldest just got money. (he's 10) The middle (6) wanted a very specific Bakugan set. My youngest (5) wanted another Zhu Zhu pet. (for the fortunate that don't know what Bakugans or Zhu Zhu pets are, I will refrain from telling you; you don't need to know and I'm not sure I quite understand what Bakugans are or their appeal)

I'm learning.