This weekend my husband and I decided to do some major spring cleaning. With four kids we have a tendency to collect a lot of stuff. Okay I must also admit I am a pack rat. I like to keep everything. I get very sentimental and have a hard time letting go of things.
The kids are getting older and collecting more of their own stuff. Our house is just not big enough to keep everything. It was time to purge some items from the playroom. My husband of course would be happy if all the toys disappeared. I do believe I get more attached than the kids. Today we determined it was time to get rid of the train table. My heart dropped. I started to freak out. I realize that may sound silly to some people. My oldest son was obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine as a toddler. He got the train table when was 2 years old. Of course he has collected many trains over the years. We have moved that train table so many times to make it fit in their bedroom and recently the playroom. The last few years my oldest has outgrown his love of trains and moved on to Legos. I kept trying to push my younger sons towards the trains and although they played with them a few times they never had much interest.
Before I could change my mind the boys put together a fun track so that I could take a picture and place the train table on Craigslist. Within minutes I had several calls on the table. Obviously Thomas is still really popular. The first person that responded asked me to hold the table until she got off work. Secretly I was hoping that she wouldn’t show up. But early this evening she arrived ready to take the table to her children. I am not going to lie, I got a little teary eyed. It was bittersweet. It was the end of our Thomas Era and a sign that my boys are growing up. But at the same time two other children will be happy when their Mommy brings home this table with trains and tracks.
As I was putting the kids to bed tonight we found Engine No. 1. Somehow Thomas had fallen out of the drawer and was left behind. Now I have a reminder of the train days to put in my son’s memory box. That has brought a smile to my face.
So I am curious does anybody else have a hard time letting go of their children’s toys?
Marisa 4.0 
Apr 25, 2012 @ 20:33:34
Same here, Marisa! I am not a pack rat, but it is difficult to let the objects go, because it’s the last tangible thing that links us to the ___ – year – old we no longer have…. I think it gets easier as they get older, because it is easier to purge Aubrey’s room than Carson’s. It’s not as hard to donate dresses as the ‘My Little Pony’s were! I smiled at this particular post, though, because Carson was a HUGE Thomas buff, and we had to get rid of his Thomas toddler bed as well as the train table… now, he is unmoved by trains and rolls his eyes at us when we ask him a question about one of them. So sad! 😉 Last week, while working on the side of the house, I found Rosie, buried and caked in dirt, and tears sprang to my eyes! If you ever need a cathartic moment, call me and we’ll sing the theme song together and have a good cry. They’re two, they’re four, they’re six, they’re eight, shunting trucks and hauling freight! Red and green and brown and blue, they’re the really useful crew … sniff! ;D
Apr 25, 2012 @ 20:35:34
Ok, I reread that post, and it reads as though Aubrey had dresses to donate and Carson had My Little Pony. Not so. I lost my train of thought and compared 11-year-old give-aways to 7-year-old give-aways, and the 11 y/o’s is easier. That is all. As you were.
😀
May 28, 2012 @ 08:34:14
Just read on vB that you’re going to be moving…I bet your husband is glad there will be not train table to move. It’s great that one little train got left behind…your son will love the reminder of how fond he was of his trains.
May 28, 2012 @ 20:29:16
You are correct Becky! My husband is glad that we don’t have to move that train table again. I am having a yard sale this weekend to see if I can get rid of a few more items. Although I don’t think it will be the kids toys this time.
May 28, 2012 @ 12:14:19
My son loves Thomas and we just got the train table this Christmas. His second birthday was a train theme. I feel sad even now thinking about the day when he won’t love it all anymore! At what age did you oldest start showing less interest?
May 28, 2012 @ 20:34:08
My son started showing less interest right about the time he started 1st grade. It is amazing how fast they grow up once they are in school.
May 31, 2012 @ 17:13:10
We received a second hand, well loved train table from an older boy. I think it will be hard when we eventually say good by to it ourselves!