Now is the time! They are heeeeeeere, the winter doldrums we all longed for during the non-stop chaos known as December. And they are not that exciting, hence the name, doldrums. I don’t know about you, but it sure has forced me to “dig deep” to find something to do while is downright freezing with sundown at the ripe old hour of 5:30 PM or so, just in time for the Blue Plate Special. And right now Sam’s “special” is not so special — pirates’ booty, more pirates’ booty, goldfish, animal crackers and anything in the cracker-with-no-nutrients family. It is a wonder he is growing so ridiculously fast, like a weed as they say. Maybe there is something to that high fructose corn syrup that makes preschoolers grow taller while adults just grow fatter.
All I can say is thank God for the modern marvel known as preschool. I truly can’t imagine life without that carpool line drop-off as a destination. So what else have we been doing? Since receiving enough toys at Christmas to supply every child in Botswana, Sam has decided upon one as his ultimate favorite toy — the couch. We got it back in the day when we first got married, so it has seen better days to put it mildly. Seriously folks, why invest in a new couch when you have a rambunctious three-year-old in the house forever covered in God-forsaken stickiness with a penchant for writing on everything, including himself ? We’re holding off at least until he hits junior high.
So back to the favorite toy — the couch. Every days he rips ALL of the cushions off and gets downright ornery if you try to put any back on to use it for its intended purpose — as a place to actually sit down and relax. That is because he has transformed the couch into, among other things, a boat sailing to Madagascar, a cement mixer (using Christmas wrapping paper as pipes), a train from which he bellows out “ALL ABOARD!” and “Woo Woo!” every twenty or so seconds. Oh, and it is often his “conductor’s office.”
Thank you, couch, for being the ultimate Transformer, way better than anything from Hasbro or a McDonald’s Happy Meal (not to knock the Happy Meal which has saved Sam’s happiness and therefore mine countless times.) I don’t know what I’d do without you, and I sure don’t want to find out anytime before spring hits. Hopefully all of your cameo shots for the Transformer movie will take place during a streak of sunny weather. Just please come back!
I’ll fluff your cushions, I’ll give you a bath in Febreeze, whatever you want!
LibbY