Muck

(Okay, so I guess technically Muck is a female. Just don't tell Mason. It would really take the wind out of his sails)

I really am not one to get caught up in kid show paraphernalia, but I just have to tell you about our beloved friend Muck. Recently, Mason plays with his truck all day long and I can't tell you how pleased I am about this. So much so that I went out and bought little sippy cups with the Bob the Builder characters perched on top (the Nap Fairy has never been so well received). Our boys generally don't watch much tv, but for Bob the Builder, I have been making exceptions right and left. Before you think less of me, here is why:

Around this time last year, we Siegs were enjoying a nice family shopping trip at our local D.I. (thrift store) when Mason happened upon a red and orange truck with little googly eyes. Our truck-lover was smitten. For the rest of our shopping adventure, he happily drove it around the isles with a huge smile on his face. It was only five dollars but we didn't think we should buy it for him because we didn't want him to think that every time we went shopping he would go home with some sort of loot. That, and the truck had a really annoying voice when he pushed it's button. Anyway, when it was time to go, he was beside himself at the thought of being separated with his truck friend. Since he normally wants to take home nearly everything he sees, this wasn't that unusual for our toy-loving son and we didn't think much of it besides that we weren't enjoying his tantrum. Then I remembered a trick my dad would do with us Vance kids when we were little and I said, "Maybe you will get him for your birthday."

Now, when my dad used to say this, it always did the trick in the moment and then we would quickly forget about the object and move onto listing other things we wanted for our big day. I figured our little man would be no different. Quite the contrary.

He quickly stopped crying, put down his truck and said, "THANK YOU, MOM!!!!" Then he continued to talk about it for the rest of the day and chattered about it for the following months. I still didn't really worry about it until he started singing about his birthday truck and including it in his daily prayers. Suddenly it occurred to me that my dear little trusting son had every expectation of getting that exact truck for his third birthday! What in the world was I going to do?! I had no idea what brand of truck that thing was or where I could get one. After many hours of searching for red trucks with ugly faces on the internet, I found out that her name was Muck and that she was a character in Bob the Builder. I also found out that even though the show was still a hit in America, they were no longer making and selling the toys (which still doesn't make sense to me). They sold them in the UK for a pretty penny but not in the US. Boo! Thankfully, I finally found the right truck for only three times the price that I could have bought it for at D.I. I was floating. 

By the time his truck came in the mail, his birthday was right around the corner. I was SO excited to give it to him that I could barely keep it a secret. Every birthday wish would come true and I would be the best mom in the world! Hot dog! As I reveled in my wonder, I asked him one more time what he wanted for his birthday. I smiled knowingly while I waited for his obvious answer but it never came. Instead he he innocently replied, "Thomas the choo!" What?!!!! Sure enough, by the time his birthday rolled around, our boy couldn't care less and found his other toys far more entertaining. Good times. James thought it was priceless.

 It took the better half of the year but out of the blue, Mason has started to show fondness for his perky truck again. Some moms push specific sports to stroke their ego, some moms encourage certain hobbies. Me? I push Bob the Builder. Not because I even like it, but because when I see him play with it, it means that all of those hours of searching the internet in a worried frenzy were worthwhile. Just call me Wonder Mom.

My boys rotting their brains with Bob the Builder. So sweet.