We went to Sam's Club tonight and lo and behold the gigantic canister of Tinkertoys! David and I told the kids that maybe they can have something like that for Christmas. Since that is an eternity away, the kids begged please, please, please can we have that? Although dh and I were glad that they had good taste in toys, we were not going to buy them this gift. So the boys had a huddle and decided that they think they have $40 at home in their piggy banks and wallets...we relented in the hopes that we would not have to return this purchase due to a lack of funds on their part.
Now, it is a little odd for my 4yo and 6yo to have more money in their wallets than I do in mine! But I guess that's what happens when I make them put most of their gift money away and then they forget about it. We raced home and I was very relieved to find that they did have the money (and some to spare!). I'm also pleased to report that they've been creating and inventing in their rooms all night. 
You know, they have spent hours and hours playing and creating with cardboard building blocks, their wooden train set, and now these Tinkertoys. All the battery operated toys, however, get very little play time and usually sit at the bottom of the toy box or carelessly tossed under the bed...remote controlled toys, little robot dog, and my nemesis-- hot wheels race tracks!
I hate those things! They have actually been banned as gifts in our home...and yet the grandparents or aunts just can't seem to pass them up for b-days or Christmas. I will pay my sisters back one day. Their future children will be receiving lots of battery-life-draining tracks with 6 page instruction books and track that doesn't quite snap tightly together enough...and where the entire set is completely useless if you lose or break a single part of it. Watch, they'll probably have girls who aren't interested at all in this kind of stuff. And I'll probably be nice and forgiving and give those cool National Geographic toys instead...*sigh* It's not easy being me...
9 comments:
I am right there with you! Though, you are, in a way, one step ahead of me. I never thought to actually BAN Hotwheels with well-meaning family members. I'll have to pass the word along before Christmas comes.
You sure are right about the construction of those tracks. They usually last for about an hour here (after 2 hours of assembly on my part!). Then they're broken and we never use them again - ugh! Have you heard of the Darda racetracks? They're actually really fun. No batteries required & the tracks are well-made and snap together perfectly.
I enjoyed your post - thanks!
I, too, have a love/hate relationship with hot wheels tracks! But DS has lots of hot wheels. I think good old Santa may have to leave one of those town rugs made with wide streets for hot wheel/any toy with wheels play. I really like those, and they're only about $20 at Home Depot or Lowe's. Sure beats tracks! Not only your gripes with them, but STORING the stupid things!
I'm glad you got repaid for the tinkertoys -- and got a side order of peace'n'quiet as well! Thanks for sharing.
Tinker toys. My personal favorite is Legos. (I mean my kids personal favorite...) I..uh.. I mean they love legos. (and Mr. Potato head) :-D
You will have to post some pictures of their wonderful creations. Have fun!
Blessings,
Amy Beth <><
We've also found the battery toys to be a waste. I remember Nathan had wanted Mr.LightYear so bad years ago, and then once he got him, the novelty wore off and he never did actually play with him much! Now he's 9, and he and his sis beg me for, and have more fun picking out just one more "cool box" from Sam's, which they use as buildings (upside down), doll cradles, or stuffed animal dog pens. But he and his sis even have always spent way more time playing with their "building toys" than with all the other fancy stuff... N was thrilled to get a set of linking logs for his last b-day. And right now, his fav. is his bionicles, which he's constantly taking apart and repiecing into new creations... those, good, old-fashioned wooden blocks and K-nex are favs. around here, even with my daughter!
yes they do and as a former Starbucks employee (for 6 years i slung coffee) i feel that i have a right to order my drink just as i like it (7 pumps not 8 too sweet...not 6 not sweet enough)...plus i order it in the "correct" starbucks order so it at least makes it easier for them to decode it :) but as a former coffee slinger there were some weird ones...a customer used to order a grande 1/3 decaf bone dry cap...still others the grande 2 sweeet'n'low mocha with half whip....still others a 1/2 decaf 1/2 hazelnut skim no foam latte....i have heard them all and i can usually guess what people like too...we used to play a game called "guess the drink" and we are usually right....although you do get the occasional muscle bound weight lifter who orders vanilla lattes with whipped cream...and the housewife who orders a black americano extra hot with a gazillion shots....oh wait that's me too.. :) and you should see the size of my coffee mug....i can fit my face in it...and i usually do :)
that is very cool. how neat that you are teaching your kids the value of a dollar and the rewards that come when you save (and then can use it on something you really want!).
We used to have a whole RoughTote full of it and one day I decided to bag it and donate it. When my firstborn was little, I got into a very bad habit - I'd buy him a Hot Wheel every time we went to Target (we did overcome this habit!). We still have some of the originals, but did sell lots at a garage sale last year. I like the CARS, but despise the other "stuff" - city pieces, track, etc. Junk!
Glad your boys are enjoying the Tinkertoys! Are they the wooden or plastic kind? I like the wooden for nostalgic reasons, but they kept breaking on us. Maybe it's just us? Take some pics of their creations!
Wow, you all have been busy since I last checked up on you. I wonder if you are talking about those large Tinkertoys? Hmmm if you are beware! My kids end up using them as swords---and I dislike that. Yes they do build cool things out of them, but then most of the time they are playing Star Wars in the back yard and some one always gets hurt. Well--just my little ole' opinion.
It's nice to hear about your first day of school. I have heard of Sonlight and so will check it all out. We are using FIAR for Janelle--she is 3 yrs old, and so far that is almost too much--but then again I am also using a little Letter of the Week as well----hmmm maybe I do need structure, as we aren't getting to far into either.
Let me know how your first week went with school.
Deb
LOL! Grant's first christmas we took all of the batteries out of the toys! He never knew any different! :)
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