Best Toy Ever

 I was racing around Ikea the other day, A in tow eating an ice cream, trying to find and pay for a few things for a friend's birthday before I had to pick up N at the ball-pit playground, when I saw THIS:

I have ALWAYS wanted one but in my vague searches have only ever come across metal ones that had way too many gadgets (candle-holder, book rest and clip for a wine glass on one!) and that slipped too easily into the watery depths of my tub. The one time I thought to search for wooden ones online they were all made from exotic wood that cost a small fortune.

Then I spotted a bin of these sitting off to the side of the "as-is" section. $6.99. Perfect. I snagged one and A held it all the way through the rest of our shopping. Then N pounced on it when we picked him up and HE carried it like a treasure out to the car.

When we got home I put it in the tub and kind of forgot about it. THEN I prepped the bath for the kids and told them to get in. They have never hustled into the tub so quickly! And they stayed in there for nearly an hour. That little piece of wood was a drawbridge, a ferry, a ramp and part of a spaceship.

The next day I found it in the living room atop a tower of blocks, a wobbly precipice from which our hero had to escape. For the past five days it has been the best toy I have ever purchased......except I SHOULD have had the foresight to buy two three. We really need to learn to share around here ;)