We were at our friends’, the Taylors, house the other night. The Taylors have a 5-year-old boy who understands all things awesome like Batman, and trucks, and dinosaurs. Evan was playing amongst all these new found toys with a look of shock and awe, like “where have these been all my life?” He picked out a tiger, and a moveable Batman, which he sat on the tigers back, and soared through the house as Evan made sound effects of galloping and flying. He was so happy! And that was how Evan discovered boy toys. The next day I went to Target and roamed the aisles with no clue of what to buy, so I left empty handed. Well, wait a minute, not empty handed obviously. Who would go to Target and not leave with a car load of stuff. But none-the-less, no boy toys for Evan. Without even mentioning my failed attempt at toy shopping, Eric sailed through the door at 5:30 with a Target bag in tow, and two new boy toys for Evan. We were clearly on the same thought process. Eric had carefully navigated 3 aisles of boy toys, considering every detail. Truth be told, he was in toy heaven.

So Eric wrapped them and presented them to Evan. Both boys were very excited. Evan unwrapped two boxes, one with a Ninja and another with a Samurai, both complete with weapons, armor, and war horses. Eric helped Evan open the boxes, get them all decked out…and then…Evan was is little boy heaven. He galloped them all over the house making “pshtu pshtu pshtu” sounds, and “neigh” sounds, and the occasional “whoosh” (of a horse taking flight) and “bbbrrrck” (of the horses colliding). It was amazing!

He screamed through his entire bath that night because he had to put his toys down. Mind you, we had them set-up on the sink so that he could see them the whole time, but he wanted them in his kung fu grip. He slept with them that night. Each horse with rider fully intact within his little white knuckled grasp. That continued for 48 hours. No sharing! Even the suggestion would send him into a tailspin. No weapons falling out of place! He would immediately yell “BROKE” and need me to fix anything that got out of line. But also, No touching! So that would make every problem twice as tricky as he needed me to fix it, but was furious that I was touching his new boy toy.

It was hilarious! I can say that now because, fortunately, his passion has simmered. He still loves them with all of his heart. And yes, they still go with us everywhere we go. He holds them in a little velcro barn. He plays with them all the time – in bed, in his room, in his car seat. Probably the best $14 we’ve spent on the little guy. Poor kid has been playing with Emily’s leftovers his whole life. And that includes tea sets, strollers, stuffed animals, purses, baby dolls. I mean, this kid has been a TROOPER.

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