The other day I was at the Superstore and there was a dad with his two very young sons in the lunch-stuff aisle. The boys, about 2 and 4, were excited to have found Thomas The Tank Engine cups, featuring Thomas AND Percy. The dad was helping them pick one out and the youngest, in particular, was cooing “Tom-as! Pwer-cee!” and I was so touched. Once we had a train-lover too.
Then I came home, and got out the Captain’s Thomas sheet-and-blanket set, which hasn’t seen the light of day in a couple of years, and I put it in the donations pile. And then I took it back out again. Then I put it back in again. Then out, then in…then, in. I’m pretty sure it’s staying this time. He won’t use it again and we don’t have space to store it and some other little boy, maybe that boy from the Superstore, might end up with it and love it as much as the Captain did.
So it’s a good thing, but a sad thing.
The other day the Little Miss pulled her stuffed Iggle Piggle out of the bottom of the toy bin. We got out her Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka action figures and played In The Night Garden all morning, a show we haven’t heard mention of in at least two years. She remembered a surprising amount of detail, and asked if we could watch an episode or two. So I went to the PVR to set up a timer, and it wasn’t on anywhere, on any channel, at any time.
In the Night Garden, just gone. Except for memories of the Tombliboos riding the Ninky Nock and having their pants fall off (HILARIOUS), and the goodnight Iggle Piggle song. Cable TV is telling me it’s time to move on.
The other day the Little Miss and I were at the Agriculture Farm, and it was us two and about a dozen other moms with really young kids, toddlers and babies. Little Miss Sunshine and I were doing our own thing while the other moms shot us apologetic smiles and tried to corral their kids. I knew the look they had on their faces, the look that says I’m sorry, but also, aren’t you proud of me for getting out of the house with kids? I am MAKING IT HAPPEN.
And I have been there, and I know what a triumph it is to take three kids under 5 out to a museum for the afternoon, but you know what? I was kind of over it. I just wanted to read the displays in peace and help the Little Miss make a butterfly out of apples and carrots without having it be sneezed on or snatched by toddler hands or eaten by someone else.
And then I realized that although I love my kids and love being a mom, I am, at heart, not a Kids Person (voted most likely to never have kids, or worse, leave them behind in a grocery store, by my own mother). And now that my kids are getting older and aren’t interested in Thomas and have grown past the time of Iggle Piggle and can make their own apple-and-carrot butterfly, I’m regressing.
Or possibly moving forward.
Either way, times are changing.
TurtleHead 
Lynn, you have an amazing talent as a write to always make me FEEL something.
and I can so relate to this post. it is kinda sad when these stages are left behind, but there is always another wonderful stage awaiting. and yes, once we get through the baby/toddler years there is no going back… and that’s not a bad thing either!
I used to think I wanted that baby stage to last forever – and they really are so, so adorable when everything is new and fresh and delightful. But I’m happy to say that the following years are great, too. It’s all good!
Nice post. Sometimes it seems that in some sense every day is the same when you’re a parent, but as you’re showing there are subtle changes always happening and over time they add up to something big without you realizing it.
On the other hand, I feel quite confident that our younger son will still be clutching his blankie when he leaves for college, goes for job interviews, gets married, has his own children…
Ugh, I hear you – our middle child STILL sucks her thumb. We’re hoping she can keep it out of her mouth for her high school grad pictures, at least. GAH.
Wait, you guys had In the Night Garden on TV in Canada?? T fell in love with it on our vacation to Ireland last year and the only place I can find it is YouTube. She still talks about drinking the pinky ponk juice. (Or wait, maybe that’s my husband and me!)
Honestly, I’m not a kid person either. I am pretty strict about “restaurant behavior” with 3yo T so it still drives me batty when other kids are running around and screaming. I know I should be more understanding, with 2 kids under 4, but I’m not, sigh.
Wait, you didn’t have In The Night Garden in the US??? That’s tragic! It’s totally delightful. I just ordered some DVDs from Amazon because I refuse to let the memories die. I will cling to the Tombliboos FOREVER.