Twinky Love

The twins were just four years old in this picture.

It says so much about their relationship.

I had this framed and it hung in our bathroom when we lived in Michigan. Now it is among the others on the wall of fame.

I think it's wonderful to snap away pictures and never knowing if THIS one will be the one that captures the true essence of:

happiness

a relationship

a bond

love

innocence

a time that stands still for all eternity.

This is what I see when I look at this picture.

Although it is dated, it never gets old.

These little souls will linger around each other for all of times.

Dollar Store Extravaganza

The dollar store is a magnificent magical kingdom full of incredible rare gems just waiting for the picking from my kid's hot little hands.
He loves the dollar store more than his parents.
Well that may be pushing it.
He loves the dollar store more than pizza and ice cream in the same sitting.
He may love the dollar store more than Spongebob.

And he gets on these kicks where he starts to crave the dollar store like some junkie needing his next fix.
Can we go to the dollar store? Can we go to the dollar store? Can we Can we Can we?
I don't know Joey, maybe this weekend. And he never lets up, asking randomly here and there with great anticipation of the answer yes.
And the mere thought of a possible trip to the dollar store is an itch that can be scratched by nothing other than the coveted dollar store.
So the weekend comes, "Can we go to the dollar store? Can we Can we Can we?
I don't know Joey, we're kinda in the middle of such and such.
BUT YOU SAID WE COULD GO TO THE DOLLAR STORE!!!

Well crap!
If I don't take the kid to the dollar store, he's going to go into hysterics, convulsions, right here on the kitchen floor, coughing, sputtering, screaming, holding his gut in agony and pain. It is quite a sight to see.

It's not pretty.

But it happens.

And not just because we deny him a trip to the dollar store when he doesn't get his room cleaned after we've asked him like four billion times.
But also if we say, no ice cream, dude, it's a half hour PAST your bedtime! Here we go...

Or no you can't go to your friends house, can't you see I'm plating up a delicious delicacy I've prepared with lots of love and cheese?
That creates quite a ruckus too.

The dollar store is pleasure and pain all wrapped up in one neat little bundle.
The pleasure part is for my kid, who gets to go into that fluorescent lighted wonder world with those brightly colored items from floor to ceiling all begging to be bought. There is as much stuff stuffed onto those walls as there is poppyseeds on a bagel.
And they all scream, "Buy me buy me, I'm only a dollar!"
And it's pleasureable that I get outta there with only having to spend a dollar on each kid.

I'm kinda cheap like that sometimes.

Of course I spend ten more dollars on random things such as napkins and paper towels. Paper plates, disinfectant wipes...those are good to buy there too. I may pick up an occasional gift bag and/or tissue paper.

And my kid gets to pick out ANYTHING he wants!
Oh the joy!
And with the responsibility of picking out whatever he wants, here comes the pain part,
it takes him FIVE HOURS to pick out the crappy little plastic toy that will probably break within two hours of getting it home.

He has to pick up all the squishy balls and squeeze them.

He inspects each little plastic wrapped piece of crap.

He asks, what's that?

What does this do?

Can I see that one way up there?

Should I get this?

How about that?

What does this one say?

Does this really make a loud fart noise?

Can I try it? Yeah- get that one, like I want to hear that all day! And of course that would be the ONE that NEVER breaks or gets lost.

It's a dollar store for crying out loud! Just pick one before I start picking out strands of my hair one by one. I will be bald before you finally decide on something! It would be more fun to stick that giant dollar store pencil in my eyeball that to still be here!

Finally he chooses THE ONE! It's usually some type or sword, or dagger, or hatchet, or butcher knife, maybe a bow and arrow set. But he's got his hands on it and he's the happiest kid on the earth for the next ten minutes! He got his fix and he is ready to consume this little junket of a toy with all his concentration and might.

So the toy is finally picked and he can breath again.
The itch is finally scratched.
Now if he can only get it out of the plastic fast enough. We hope that the toy will at least make it through the car ride without breaking. Some haven't, most break within a twenty four hours, and a mere few still exist today at the bottom of the kid's toybox.

This has been one of Joey's favorite things to do since he was about five or so, a good couple years thus far. I wonder if he'll end up buying napkins and paper plates when he's a dad and his kid is begging him for a trip to the dollar store?