Oh The Toys We Will Find!

The other weekend, I got a glimpse into my future as a father. And let me just say this, the future looks fun… We dropped off a gift for a very pregnant couple who also happen to be parents of a three year old boy. Walking in, my buddy led us to where his wife (congratulations guys!) was parked on the couch. I made a serious attempt at adult conversation when I felt a tiny hand grab mine and lead me to a spot on the floor. Okay. My eyes swept over the barrage of toys in the corner. The radio flyer tricycle parked by the closet door. A train set, the race cars, the--Oooh! Is that a pirate ship? 

Toys R Us Wish list

“Do you want to play?” 

Absolutely I do kid. Plopping down on the floor, it took some self restraint to keep from  bouncing and pointing as the boy returned with his first presentation: Two pirate ships, on wheels, floating across the Gold Coast of hardwood flooring with their bows high and their cannons level. 

“ Okay, you take this one.” 

I was given a ship and gave it a once over. And then my mind was blown. The cannons shot little projectiles.  We took turns battering each other's ship while my son watched from a distance, drooling over the cool toys that I cannot wait to buy for him. (Okay, it may have been his regular drooling, but still). 

The toys at our house are simplistic and boring. Primitive, bland instruments designed to help build motor skills. These toys were built for boys, and brought memories of GI Joes and He-man, attaching smoke bombs to remote control cars for….Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself. We battled over the stormy seas and manufactured winds of air conditioning, and in the end his Schooner proved to be too strong. This was his home turf, and the kid was a sea dog. I hoisted my white flag and was commandeered. 

I was still admiring the fleet of pirate ships we were onto our next adventure, a jungle safari, only with batman…and a rabbit. I didn’t get hung up on technicalities; we were having too much fun. A three year old’s mind works fast, and as I caught my breath I glanced over to find that Simon was getting into it too, squeezing a stuffed monkey into a slobbering submission. We were all on the floor, my friend, his boy, and Simon and I, just swimming in toys. It was righteous. As we raced cars and motorcycles, stacked giant legos for the sole purpose of knocking them down, and at some point hijacked a school bus with a giraffe, I looked over to my friend, the same guy I used to meet at the bar at the crack of noon

“This is awesome!” 

He nodded with a knowing smile.  “Isn't it fun being a dad?"

Yes it is...