I'd rather be splitting hairs!

Most people would do anything for their children.  We wipe dirty butts and clean up baby throw up and that is just the beginning of the lengths we, as parents, go for our kids.  So, when I laid all 180 pieces of the wooden train tracks down on the activity table I was prepared to put it together.  It was a snow day and I had the time.  Although I completed the track, after two attempts and several hours, I can name a list of things I would have rather been doing: splitting hairs, watching paint dry, root canal all rank above the building of these tracks.  And, yet, I've done it again, and again, again...for my kids.

 

t

When Chase and Ryder were almost two I debated whether or not we wanted a train table.  At other people's homes and at stores with such a toy, they played with it all of the time, but I had a feeling it would be yet another thing for Ryder to climb and, ultimately, would become a collect all for the all the other shit in the same room.  I opted out, with no regret.

As we neared Turner's first birthday we spent some time with the Klaus'.  Jackson, who was 22 months at the time, had a slight obsession with trains and his train table was his favorite toy.  As all three of my boys stood around the table with their buddy I thought "perhaps a home with three boys should have a train table!"  I continued to debate it in my own head and watched as Chase and Ryder played nicely with the mini train set and the Geotrax.  I also noticed as Turner pulled the tracks apart.  But, he was only 10 months.  He did not know any better!!

So as a gift from special friends I chose the table and the tracks.  But, here's the thing about it.  Not only do you need a BS in Engineering to put it together, and not only are the instructions incorrect, or at least seemed to be to the likes of a lowly BA in Journalism, but the damn thing falls apart every time you play with it.  One slight nudge of the block which holds the elevated tracks and they crumble, like dominoes.  Well, that's another idea for the use of the table I suppose.

As I write this, after my patience ran out with the tracks last fall, all of the pieces are tucked inside the table's one drawer, minus the several that did not fit.  Those are scattered about messily on the table's top.  I am told glue dots, or Velcro strips will help the track to stay together but do I really want to put the whole thing together again? No, I'd rather be splitting hairs..., of course, I will do it anyway.  For my kids.  Just after I wipe a dirty butt.