25-Jun-08 - Striking the Match

Every once in a while we rotate the toys. Last night, Damian decided to put away the new large Jeeps and forklift and tractor and trailers and bring back the Matchbox cars which the boys have not seen in 2 or 3 months. Of course, we both know that what he really wants is to have the Jeeps down in his office for himself!

So the boys got up to find 50 old favorites spread on the play table. Park, as usual, was the first up. When he first caught sight of the table, he laughed with glee. Then he slowly approached and carefully picked up each car one by one, drinking in every detail. "Dis is orange van," he would whisper. "Dis is a fire truck!" He pointed to the aqua VW bug convertible that Damian is fond of. "Dis is Daddy's!" Still whispering, he made his way one by one, picking up and putting down, until he reached the unquestionable favorite: the UPS truck. "Dis is a PS truck!" The UPS truck somehow stayed glued to his hand while he continued the rounds.

When Liam came down, his approach was entirely different. He dove into the cars and came bobbing up with his own announcements. He was not awake enough to really shout, but he does tend to live large and speak loud. Granted, Parker was already there, his mere presence suggesting the threat of rivalry; but every time Liam picked up another car, he simply added it to the handful he was already clutching. Pretty soon he was starting a personal pile on the floor, while Parker craned his neck with a concerned little frown.

The squabbling was not long in starting, over - you guessed it - the UPS truck. Fighting over the cars was the reason we put them away in the first place. Actually, they were put away because Liam had a major disciplinary need at the time, but the fighting was the reason we did not bring them back for so long. Even now there is some whining and surreptitious snatching going on. My attitude has always been, if you boys can't work it out and share together, then I take the offending article away. If the UPS truck is out of the picture, they have traditionally found some other vehicle to fight over, although that one truck really does have an exponentially greater hold on their little hearts.

I trust plenty of time away from the cars has instilled a new appreciation for them that will inspire an attitude of comaraderie.

Why do I feel like a match has been struck?

*****

I know you're on pins and needles, so I'll tell you. The UPS truck lasted about an hour. It now resides out of sight on the mantle. Except for the occasional, whined, "Can I have a PS truck? WHEN can I have a PS truck?" from Parker, peace has an ostensible reign.