Let’s do this together

It’s that time of year again. The annual sort out of old toys, ready to make way for those “must-haves” from Father Christmas (with a bit of help from the Smyths catalogue). Gifts that will no doubt end up gathering dust in the toy room, like the giant dinosaurs now going extinct in there for the second time.

Last year, top of The Lord’s list were extra, extra large Jurassic World dinosaurs – a T-Rex, brachiosaurus and something called a megalodon.

So, when one of the big supermarkets announced their super toy sale, and I saw they were there, I knew it was time for battle stations. Literally.

I’d been the year before and felt like I was in a real-life nightmare, trolleys coming at me from all directions, hysterical mums grabbing games and My Little Ponies, even though their children were probably 15, just because they were half price.

So I prepared for battle of the dinosaurs. Cool clothing, trainers for the initial sprint through the door, rucksack. And wine chilling in the fridge for when I recovered.

And it was just as I imagined. Hell on Earth. At one point, as I was trapped in the middle of an aisle by trolleys, evil glares everywhere. I even saw two mums having fisticuffs over the last PJ Masks character. But I did it.

After what felt like two days, I checked out with my trolley overflowing with dinosaurs – that wine was well needed. And on the big morning, The Lord was thrilled with his pile of goodies.

“Just what I wanted!” he exclaimed.

My heart melted and the warzone I’d gone through to get them disappeared from my mind.

But fast forward a week, and The Lord hadn’t touched them. They sat in the toy room, on their sides, gathering dust quicker than the wine was drunk a few weeks earlier.

“But they don’t make noises,” he shrugged when I asked him about them. “But they’re what you wanted,” I said through gritted teeth. “I thought they’d move,” he sighed, rolling his eyes.

So they’re definitely on the way out in my clear out and I had visions of suddenly having more space, a tidier room (and tidier mind as a result).

But then, what did the kids see at Smyths when we passed the other day?

“Mummy!” Issy squealed. “The catalogue’s out!” Before I knew it, they’d run in and were clutching a copy each, already folding down corners.

“Look at that giant squish-mallow!” Issy cried. “And they’ve got a giant stegosaurus,” The Lord beamed. “That’s going on my list!”

With a sinking heart, when I got home, I googled “toy sale” and made room for two bottles in the fridge…

That’s all for me for now! As always, it’s been a pleasure – hope to be back soon.

Yours, Clare