Toy Story

What is it with toy stores and throw-away parenting revelations? Because I had another one standing by the wooden doll houses Saturday.

Anonybabe has been asking to go to the toy store a lot. We take her to one Anonyhub and I frequented well before she was born. They have a Thomas the Train play table that she loves, and balls, and books, and...well, toys. And I like taking her because she likes it so much. Although taking a 1-2 year old is not as fun as going alone. I can still remember wandering freely through the store and wanting this or that tidbit for my very own. Now I just spend my time making sure Anonybabe doesn't wing a Thomas across the crowded store and accidentally hit someone, or mouth the sippy cups emblazoned with kids' names, or wander out the door.

As I was leaning on a shelf and yawning lustily while Anonybabe was put a wooden doll to sleep in his wooden doll house bed (green wooden dollhouse, complete with little wooden recycling station and little wooden solar panels...I didn't know whether to cheer or roll my eyes), I realized it was my own damn fault I was bored. I was in a fucking toy store. So I willed myself to at least imagine - if I weren't watching Anonybabe and could play with anything - what I would play with. I didn't realize how rusty my own play wheels were until I felt them laboriously grinding into motion. It was really hard to think about which toys tickled my fancy, honestly. But being there was a lot more fun when I started trying to engage myself. And I thought of things I could play with Anonybabe. Things I actually want to do. Not that we should always be playing what Mommy wants to play, but having two people with differing but vibrant ideas about what constitutes fun has to be a lot better than one zombie deadbeat wishing she were watching TV instead.

But going to the playground still sucks. I was always more of a stay-inside-and-watch-PBS kind of kid. I don't like playing on the playground equipment. I like walking, which bores the shit out of Anoybabe. We'll have to meet in the middle on that one, but at least I am trying to think creatively about ways I, and hence we could have more actual fun.