How One Toy Becomes 70

Last week I went to Going Bonkers with 4 little boys that really are going bonkers. I love this place. I find it interesting that we as parents keep buying toy after toy for our kids when they are really at their happiest running around like chickens with their heads cut off. I made all the boys clean up all the toys before we left... I'm mean like that. Gabriel is my best picker-uper by far. I find that it works well if I give everyone a recyclable grocery sack and send them around the room to clean up. This brings me to my point. We seems to have fighting over toys all the time. But, when they are allowed to run and play with no toys everyone is blissfully happy. And, it astounds me how one simple toy can become 70. For example, I bought a fishing game for Morgan. It has a base, about 25 fish and 4 fishing poles. The heads have come off of most of them and most of the poles are in pieces. The boys like to throw all the fish in the pots and pans in the play kitchen and cook with them. Therefore, my one toy is now 70. So, let's think about this. This is just one toy of many like this. If Morgan receives a stuffed animal dressed in a shirt, pants and shoes this is not one toy. Nope, I'm immediately looking at five toys. Also known as five different opportunities to fight over something and five different opportunities to not clean something up. I can see where I'm heading with this. I'm going to give more toys away to charity and head out to Going Bonkers and Paradise Pond more often!