Fare Thee Well

Today's bag comes from a place that I really like to ignore.

The attic.

What possessed me to get something from up there for my bag-a-thon, I'll never know.  But I knew what I was looking for was up there and it is time to take action. 

{in a whisper voice} I have a confession to make.
I love toys.  I really, really love toys.  I especially love toys that encourage creative play. 

I loved toys when I was a child.  I loved my children's toys and I love my grandchildren's toys. 

I am also a stickler for making sure we have all the pieces where they belong before we are finished putting the toys away.  Due to this tendency, some decades old toys in my house still have every.single.piece.  There was a time when my preschool son had about 50 cardboard puzzles, each with 25 pieces.  Each puzzle was coded and each piece had the code on the back.  If there were puzzle pieces on the floor, I simply turned them over and matched them to the puzzle.  I'm sure you do/did the same...right??

When Mac Attack (oldest grandson) was just barely 2, I bought a wonderful peg type toy that has 36 plastic color pegs and a pegboard.  Rocket Man looked at me and said, "Those things will be scattered to the wind in 2 weeks."  {Rocket Man and I did not raise children together.  My youngest was 16 when we met, so he didn't know that compulsive tendency about coding the puzzles}  I looked at him, laughed and said, "Really?  Game on, Bucko!"

Eleven  years later, I proudly bring that toy out...in its original box...every time we have a small child come visit us.  I happily take the top off the box and think to myself {not say out loud}, "Oh look!  All the pieces are still here."  And I hope he is noticing. 'Cause that is just how I live inside my head.

Another purchase I made that year was a  used toy from a friend whose son had outgrown it.  The Fisher Price Castle.  It is a thing of beauty.  A real, honest to goodness, pretend medieval castle, complete with cannon and turrets and a drawbridge.  Black knights and red knights to fight and play.  I adored that toy.  So did my grandsons. 

Alas, they played with it less when they acquired video games.  Then we begin to need more space in their room.  So the castle was lovingly placed in a black garbage bag and taken to the attic.  In case we need it again. 

Because you never know when a castle will come in handy!
It has been there for at least 5 years. 

And as much as I love it, I think it is time to let it go.
I don't know that I will ever need it again.  Or that I ever really *needed* it. 
And I happen to know 2 little boys who I think will really love that castle. 
And I'm not even worrying about if their precious Mother is a piece counter.  Not much.

It is time to share that toy.  It isn't doing anyone any good in my attic. 

And, quite frankly, I'm having a hard time at the thought of letting it go.  You see, we had such fun playing with that castle.  Firing the cannonballs from the cannmon.  Defending the flag.  Raising and lowering the drawbridge.  Learning to shout, "Run away or I shall taunt you again" with an outrageous accent (Yes.  Yes I did.  I went there with preschool boys.  I don't think they are harmed for it and I was amused).

It isn't the castle itself that I hold so dear.  It is the memory of play with my grandsons during some mighty hard times.  It was an escape for all three of us into an imaginary world where the Princess was fair and the Good Knights and Handsome Princes were defending her honor. 

If I'm honest with myself, I know that I don't need the castle to treasure the memories.  And I know some little boys who just might make some new and wonderful memories of their own.

Farewell, Ye Castle.  Fare Thee Well.