Collecting

I'm not much of a collector, really. I don't have the space to do much collecting and I've just never been all that into it. Recently, I've discovered these Schleich toys and have decided to starting adding to a collection for my kids, one by one.

They are hand painted and, as you can see, very realistic (this little lion is even anatomically correct!). I also really like that they are made with materials that keep them from breaking. There are certainly cheaper versions of the same thing, but I decided to collect the Schleich brand because of their quality and durability. I figure this will be one of the few toys I can keep for my grandchildren. It's unfortunate so many toys now wouldn't last that long. I love the box of old toys at my in-laws house.

I always love when we go to a play place and they have boxes of play people and animals. My kids sit and play with them forever. It's so precious to watch their creativity. It's becoming more prominent with my son as he gets older. I have videos of him making stuff up while playing with his toys, it's hilarious.

I'm trying to train my son to listen and obey the first time I tell him to do something. We've started a sticker chart. When he fills it up we are going to the toy store and picking out one at a time. There's a toy store near us that has a large collection and sells them individually. Most range from $3-7 a piece, with a few larger ones that probably go up to $30. Taking Beemer to the toy store was like watching a kid in a candy shop. He probably picked up and decided he wanted/didn't want about 20 different animals before we finally left with the lion (which is what we set out to get). 

 I can't wait to see what he picks next! Of course, I really want him to pick another Safari animal (because I'm OCD like that). But, he has his heart set on two puppy dogs. I guess we'll see when we get there!