cars

I have few toys at my house that span the ages as well as Matchbox cars.  We probably own close to a hundred.  Some live in the labeled toy bin in the toy room on the tidy toy shelf.  Some live in the van with the empty french fry wrappers.  Some live in the sandbox, wheels no longer turning from the sand packed axles.  A few live in the lawn and are hit by the lawn tractor every few weeks sending them spinning through the air to a new destination.  Some live in the garden with the watermelons and under the sofa and in the bedroom closet.  One seems to have moved into my purse.  I keep meaning to take it out and never get around to it.  Yesterday I found Tommy spray painting a few in the garage.  They’re everywhere. 

So of course when we went on a recent long weekend out of town a few cars accompanied us.  When I say a few, that means about three.  Just enough to make sure we can fight over them.  Each of the boys wanted one and with four boys, we were short.  So Scott made a trip to Target to buy a value pack of Matchbox cars to satisfy the boys and make an attempt at resolving the three day Matchbox war that was sure to continue all weekend.    

Matchbox cars end up everywhere.  They are cheap, not cheap enough to be considered disposable, but not precious enough that I take inventory of them every night before bed either.  So I can relax while the little boys play, even if there appears to be a strong possibility that a car could be in danger.  Petey was intrigued by this sewer grate and played for about an hour maneuvered all around it.  As with so many blog posts, in reviewing them prior to posting I realize that I look less responsible than I actually feel.  I am fully aware that most mothers would not really allow their children to play, even supervised, near a sewer grate, at nine am while still wearing they’re footy pj’s.  But none the less, he was happy as was I and so we played sewer grate Matchbox cars. 
 
Situations also seem a bit more predictable when reviewing photos.  Petey picked out was designated the orange car.  It zoomed up and down and around and in and out and…

right into the sewer.  Luckily Finn, the keeper of the cars, didn’t see what Petey did with his orange car and was quickly granted a replacement model without many questions. 
Matchbox cars will probably be a part of my life for many years.  I am thankful that they are relatively cheap and portable and entertaining.  I wish they were a little less painful to step on but will over look that the next time I see a  Zip Lock bag of used cars at the thrift store for $1.00 and probably buy them anyway.