Irony

So back a year and half ago Munchkin was driving me BANANAS with his inability to entertain himself for even 13 seconds. On someone else’s advice (sorry, can’t remember who you were, but Cruise bless you) I stalked Craigslist for a few weeks looking for the obligatory train table with some track and trains. Most of the entries looked something like this:

Train table with Thomas the Tank Engine trains. Trains include regular Thomas, Birthday Thomas, 2 Percys, Toby, Edward and coal tender, 2 James’ with coal tenders, Emily and coal tender, Molly, Rosey, Sodor Chicken Cars, Sodor dairy cars, Cranky the Crane, the Breakdown Train, Aquarium Cars, Giggling Troublesome Trucks, Musical Caboose, Annie & Clarabelle, Express coaches, Hector, Diesel 10, Hank and coal tender, Might Mack, Tidmouth Sheds roundhouse, Quarry Mine Tunnel…..and on and on and on.

I remember reading all that thinking, “Good GRIEF, people!” So a listing for the perfect train table appeared one day for $100 and included about 80 miles of track and a handful of trains. I called the woman, told her I would PayPal her the $100 and kiss her on the mouth if she would promise not to sell it to anyone until I got there. She agreed. We got it home that night and Munchkin went into a train-induced trance that he has yet to come out of it. Best damn $100 I’ve EVER spent, hands down. Here is where the irony comes in. That night while DH and I were settling in, I announced, “We are NOT going to go crazy and buy every Thomas train available. That is just RIDICULOUS. I mean, NO child needs all those trains. We can get him Thomas and MAYBE Percy for his birthday, but we are NOT getting any more than that. He will be perfectly fine with a couple of trains and he can pretend he has the rest. I mean it’s SOOOO much better for his imagination and will teach him to appreciate what he has and blah blah blah blah.” I think I also said something about national security and the downfall of society, etc. Oh, I wish you could have HEARD the sanctimonious tone with which I proclaimed all of that. Currently – 53 trains and counting. So much for single-handedly halting the downfall of society.