toy insomnia

We happened to catch a brand new show on TV this morning: Transformers Rescue Bots. I didn't tell him I saw it on the listing, I just happened to turn on the correct channel before it came on. Oh, boy, did that spark a new obsession! We've been seeing the Rescue Bot toys at Walmart but didn't know what they were about. Now we do. I'm glad there's a Transformers show that isn't about fighting bad guys (less violence is GOOD). By the time David came home from his lunch break, Dennis had lined up Transformers all over the place and had been conducting imaginary rescues for hours. With David's arrival came the mail, and in that was a card to Dennis with some Christmas cash. He knew just what he wanted to buy and I could not get the boy to Walmart fast enough. I'd point out a house that was decorated on our way and he'd say "if we keep looking at Christmas lights, we'll never get to Walmart!". I'm proud that when we got there, he wanted to put all his money in the bin for needy children, but I let him know that even though that was the right instinct to have, he could spend his Christmas money on himself if he wanted to. He carefully examined each Rescue Bot set (we had to return to the toy section twice), but he got two Rescue Bots and the action figures that go with each one, and he has a little bit of money left. Those toys has been his entire focus for hours. I just had to go into his room and make him turn off his light (it's 11:00!) because he was so busy arranging and rearranging his toys on the pillow beside him in bed. The joy on his face was unbelievable. No one loves a new toy like Dennis does! He had to show them to Gran, Gigi, Uncle Denny, Pop, and Daddy, and each had to play with him with the new bots. He's too happy to sleep. And it's not even Christmas yet.... This makes me wonder if we ought to give one toy a day so he's not so overwhelmed. But I guess being overwhelmed is part of the fun.

In other news, Dennis caught Neely rearranging the star on top of the tree. Gran made a new sleeping bag for Neely today, and Dennis happily put him in it tonight. And, while in the car together, Dennis and Gran apparently sang a whole repertoire of "poop carols". I hope I don't hear them at the Christmas Eve service...