boxes, tags, and... Legs!

Ah... time for Christmas shopping, already. As I peruse the toy aisles and glossy catalogs with my children, I am in awe of just how many choices there are. I don't think there was such variety, or such fancy gizmos when I was a kid. I'm not that old, mind you, but it seems that toys just get more elaborate and busier to compete for attention. Our Adult Sunday School teacher was recently discussing this to make a point, and he illustrated it with the lyrics to the Marvelous Toy, a John Denver song that says, "It went 'zzzip' when it moved, 'bopp' when it stopped, 'brrr' when it stood still. I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will."

Yet, it is often not the fanciest toys that are the best. My Mom has often told stories of how her and her brothers cut windshields in cardboard boxes, put them over their heads, and steered them with pan lids... the predecessor to Power Wheels? I remember saving a lifetime of wooden popsicle sticks (not from the craft store, but ones half stained purple, red, and orange from eating the popsicle). My brother and I used them to lay out elaborate roads, driveways, and campgrounds for our Hot Wheels cars that stretched from one end of our ranch home to the other.

So, what are some of my kids favorite things to play with? Well, many days, Dylan aspires to be an inventor. He loves boxes. Any kind of box. He has many imaginative ideas for simple cereal boxes. Here he is pictured with his latest creation. To me it is a flattened cereal box. To him it is a "Magic Board". I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but you stand on the Magic Board and twist at the hips. The Magic Board glides over the carpet and the twisting motion actually propels him forward. He has been propelling himself through the house on his Magic Board for the past few days. I tried it and was able to move about a little, but I am not as proficient as he. It is great exercise and very imaginative. He has an outdoor prototype ready to test in our next snowfall. To me it is a flattened cereal box wrapped in a plastic shopping bag... to him it is a waterproof, outdoor, "Magic Snow Board". I love imagination!

Lily is a collector of trinkets. I am not sure what the fascination is, but she is enamoured with tags. Whenever a new product comes into our house with a dangling tag, it is her goal to acquire the tag. Yes, she has "real" toys, but they don't interest her half as much as tags. She likes to put them in little boxes, her little purse, or her Dora bag, and carry them around the house. Several times we have been away from home and she pulls a tag out of her pocket and shows me, "see, Xiao Xiao's". I find it cute, but maybe a little sad at the same time. I am not sure what the fascination is with the tags. My theory is that it represents "newness", and perhaps life in an orphanage rarely afforded her anything new. Nonetheless, they make her happy.

And, then there is "Legs". This character was an unnamed, mediocre, military action figure that originally belonged to Dylan. After his horrible accident, Zachary acquired him (at least this much of him), named him "Legs", and has completely rehabilitated him. I am amazed at what Legs can accomplish with just... well... legs! Legs can drive cars, trucks, and bulldozers. I've seen him battle pirates, command ships, and spacecrafts. He is currently one of Zach's favorite toys, and with the aid of a little imagination, there isn't much that Legs can't do.

So, as we head toward the store aisles and catalogs, into the land of glitz and things that go "zzzip" when they move, "bopp" when they stop, and "brrr" when they stand still, I want to give my kids things they will love and enjoy. But, in the long run, can I really compete with boxes, tags, and... Legs?