As most parents know, toys have their own lives. They have their own stuff, and a lot of toys — especially as you get into toys for older kids — need that stuff to really work properly.
We don’t have any Legos around here yet — one advantage to having girls over boys, I guess. But believe me, more Littlest Pet Shop accessories have disappeared than actual LPS toys owned.
When you are, as DearDR and I are, a little OCD, this life of toys can be problematic.
One of the things we own right now is the Scholastic DVD set, which we love. Its packaging is very attractive. The problem? The colors. I feel compelled to put all the slim DVD cases in proper rainbow-hued order. To wit:
The first DVD in that set gives me fits. “Snowy Day” is light blue, and try as I might, I simply cannot put it with the other blues, because it interrupts the progression from green to blue.
Yeah, I know. I have a problem.
The last DVD is actually easy. It’s black, and has no where else to live but at the tail end.
One of the other toys in our collection that drives us crazy is this one:
She looks innocent enough. But when all her other little sisters are out to play? It’s kind of a nightmare.
For scale:
This toy, I am sorry to say, gives DearDR fits. Bun loves it. She calls them all her baby. I can’t believe we actually still have both halves of them all.
One of the worst toys for OCD parents like us? I’ll tell you in a second. Before I do, just let me say, it’s an excellent toy, and I love that my girls each has her own set. They love them, especially Monkey, who really grasps the possibility of them. She loves to make a square yellow sun. It flies.
And I asked for it, literally. Someone asked me for suggestions for the girls, and I mentioned this one, a favorite of mine when I was a child. They had just released the “original”. Monkey and Bun each got her own for Christmas.
It’s awesome. Hours of fun. Except for the part when OCD mommy tries to get everything back together. The price we pay to boost our kids’ imaginations.
The toy? Colorforms.
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| From Non-OCD Toys |
Oh, well, it’s a love/hate thing. I think we’ve already lost a couple smaller forms. As I said, I asked for it, and it’s a great product. I just wish Monkey had as much fun putting all the forms back as she does creating her square sun.
Red Pen Mama 
Wow–maybe I have a touch of OCD myself. I would be doing the same thing with the Scholatistic set. I am also driven to distraction by the girls’ nesting dolls. We have a Pittsburgh Pirate nesting doll that is missing parts and it makes me BATTY. Genna sleeps with the “baby” in the Russian nesting doll that she has. I just know she is going it eat it.
Just wait until your girls start getting Barbies–and before you get all,” My girls aren’t going to have Barbies blah blah blah!” just erase that thought form your head right now. They.will.have.Barbies. You will soon learn, however, that the Barbies aren’t the problem. It’s their shoes. I so wish they would paint the shoes on their feet.
V’s birthday is this month and you’ve given two GREAT suggestions for her! Thank you!!!
Also: The rainbow thing would give me fits as well.
MH: I never thought I would fight the Barbie thing. One of them is bound to want them in any case. I’m just hoping that I don’t have to buy twice the amount of stuff. My sister was the one with all the Barbie stuff in our house, and I remember those shoes. Based on my record with the LPS accessories, Barbie’s going to set a new trend of mis-matched footwear.
I can’t believe I haven’t had to fish the baby nesting doll out of Bun’s diaper yet. Trust me, I know.
JoC: Glad to help!
Thanks for the comments!
rpm
I am all over the colorforms and scholastic DVDs. Little man needs to broaden his horizons.
Love the photos!
[…] up: Colorforms. We built houses, and a city skyline, and a man holding a bunch of balloons. It was pretty fun, […]