Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Exit Sign Saga

So for Christmas, I found these really cute road signs made out of wood for Jonathan. There were 14 of them to the pack, with signs that were miniatures of real signs - Stop, Yield, Parking, etc... He adores them. Plays with them everyday, makes sure there all there in the morning. Sets them up on the kitchen table and makes "roads." I figured it was only a matter of time before he was going to want more.

Sure enough, about a month ago, he started. "Mommy, how come I don't have any exit signs?" Hmmmmm, what to do. I hit the internet. Hard. Came up with....nada. Let the matter drop. He didn't. "Mommy, can I have some exit signs?" Explain to a 4 year old that THEY don't make something you want.

Then I got to thinking, how hard could they be to make? I called my parents. Grandma suggested all kinds of things - popsicle sticks and green construction paper. Not bad. But his other signs were these cute wooden things. I was thinking he'd probably like something similar. Poppy had a few ideas. He said he'd work on it. I said I would paint them if he could make them. Well, a few days later, we got a package in the mail. Poppy had raided a very old bin of tinker toys that were still down in basement of my childhood home. He made the bases and the posts out of tinker toys, and then cut the little signs by hand, and drilled holes in the bottom.

When they arrived, Jonathan and I had a painting party - then we used white crayon to make the numbers and the arrows. Voila - exit signs.

I keep telling my dad he should go into the toy-making business.

Thanks, Poppy. You made a little boy very, very happy!

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