True Love

A few months ago we got Ben a little train set from Ikea. It isn't impressive or extensive, but Ben had started to show an interest in trains and this was a cheap way to nurture that. He struggled with it at first. He really wanted to do it, but the train parts connect with magnets, which he didn't understand (stupid poles), so rather than giving him something fun we were giving him a source of frustration. He'd run the train around the track shouting "choo choo!" then a part would come off, he'd hand it to me and say "uh oh"...this went on for quite some time. After a few days of frustrated tantrums, we put the train in the closet. He whined for a couple of days, then he seemed to forget it had existed.

I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but somehow he ended up completely obsessed with trains. It's not like he watched Thomas, it's not like he'd ever actually been on a train. But it happened anyway. So we brought the train set back out. Not sure how he'd figured magnets out in the interim, but he seemed to understand how to do it this time. Around the same time we also got our Netflix Wii disc, which allows us to stream Netflix through our Wii and watch movies. So I snagged an episode of Thomas to see if he'd like it. Elmo, we never knew thee. It was love at first sight. Now when he wakes up in the morning, he pops up and says "choo choo!" He struggles as I change him, trying to break free so he can watch the choo choo. Once we get into the living room he climbs on the couch, points at the TV, and says "choo choo!" Of course, during the week he doesn't get to watch it in the morning because we have to go to school. Which means that when I arrive at Molly's to pick him up after work he smiles and says "Mommy!" gives me a hug, then says "choo choo." So we drive home, saying "choo choo!" the whole way. When we get home he climbs on the couch, points at the TV, and says "choo choo!" Once the episode ends, he cries and pitches a fit. Then I take him outside with his truck and he forgets all about the choo choo. Until we go back inside. This has been our routine all week. At least by Thursday he stopped throwing the tantrums when the show ended. Instead of screaming, he simply slipped off the couch, got his truck, then stood by the door. Growth, people.


So yesterday we took some of our tax refund money to Ikea for some home upgrades. We swapped out a hand-me-down bookcase that we kept Ben's toys in for a classy Ikea one that matched the rest of his furniture. And we got one of those rugs that has streets on it so he can play with his cars (his other new obsession) and a toddler table so he can color and play with play dough (more favorite activities). We also got an extra couple of sets of tracks so his train set wouldn't be quite as sad and pathetic. The result? The boy has hardly stopped playing with his "choo choo" since we got home yesterday. We have had three meals since bringing the tracks home, and he has refused to eat all of them. When I say "lunch," he throws himself down on the tracks, wraps his arms around them, and cries "no!" When I pick him up and bring him to the kitchen anyway, he cries and squirms and fights to get free, throwing his food all over the kitchen. Nap time? Same story. Bed time? Same story. Time to go run a couple of errands? Yes. Same story.


We didn't get to have our date night on Friday or go to church last night because Ben is sick. I'm thinking, though, that we could probably just go on our date, leave him here alone, and not worry about it. He doesn't even really notice whether anyone's here or not. So if we went on our date, when we got back he'd probably either still be playing (and not even look up when we came in) or be passed out in the middle of the tracks, probably with his face on the bridge.

This boy loves him some choo choo.