A Toy Story for you

Buzz and Woody
Eric was about 2 and Ryan
about 4 when this picture was
taken. Eric is wearing Ryan's
old Buzz costume. He wore
it so much that it literally fell
apart and we had to throw it away.

Both of my boys absolutely completely loved Toy Story. Ryan started watching it when he was about 3 years old and he idolized Buzz Lightyear in much the same way my husband idolizes Ken Griffey Jr. Ryan was Buzz Lightyear. He could quote lines from the movie, he dressed in costume daily, he played with his Toy Story toys as if he were Andy himself.

Eric caught on a little quicker. I have pictures of him at 18 months old wearing the Buzz costume. And Eric adored Woody. Adored him. Ryan had a Woody doll that Eric claimed as his very own. It was to the point that we bought 18 month old Eric his own doll, but the one we bought was "sturdier" for a baby. Eric wanted nothing to do with that Woody impostor and we ended up buying another Woody, just like Ryan's, which Eric dragged around with him for what seemed like forever. In about 3 weeks time Eric's Woody looked as beat up and worn as Ryan's 2 year old version.

Eric had just turned
3 when he received
his Buzz Lightyear
lightsaber

Both boys stayed in this Toy Story phase for a long time. Buzz is every little boy's first super hero and there is something about that story, the characters, the animation....

I have to admit I was really sad when it finally became clear that the boys had outgrown Toy Story. Buzz Lightyear is so sweet and innocent when you compare him to Spiderman, Venom, and Optimus Prime.

Honestly, I don't think those toys have been touched in any way in close to a year.

There are no words....
I think this is one of my
all-time favorite pictures
of the boys. Words can't
describe how adorable 3
year old Eric was, with
his Woody doll dangling
from his hands. That
doll was permanently
adhered to Eric's hand
for a good 6 months.

About 4 days ago I had a thought. I did not say it out loud to anyone. In my head, just between me and me, I had a thought that it might be time to go through the rather large Toy Story bin and decide what to save and what to toss. I fully intend to save a Buzz and Woody for each boy, but we have so much Toy Story paraphernalia, it just seems silly to save it all. So I had this private thought, to myself.

That very day, I kid you not, Eric announced to me "hey--it's been a long time since we've played with our Toy Story toys! Can you bring them downstairs for me?"

That child, that almost-5-year-old-I-heart-Venom-kid has been watching Toy Story and playing Toy Story for 4 days now.

Clearly there is a lesson to be learned here. And that lesson is this: I have magical powers and I must learn to use them to my advantage. What thoughts can I have that will coerce my husband into sweeping the kitchen floor? How can I subliminally convince Ryan do his homework? Maybe if I think really really hard, I can cause "Todd and Margo's" blow-up atrocities to explode.

And how does any of this relate to knitting? It's as if Eric has been given a brand new box of toys. The child has never been so delighted. The movie is being seen through almost-5-year-old-eyes and now he can understand the deeper meaning in the complex relationship between Buzz and Woody. I suddenly have all the time in the world to knit. Knitting in the middle of the day has never been so easy.

Anna isn't going to know what hit her when I show up tomorrow!