I hate to beat a dead horse, but I can't stop thinking about the issue of toys. How many is too many? Is there such thing as not enough?
My friend Virginia asked this question recently on her blog.
The other day I interviewed Kristen and Norman Six, the owners of Lovitt Restaurant, in Colville, Wash. What a great couple. They moved here from Chicago, where they owned a tiny version of their restaurant (which had been written up by the New York Times and others). At Lovitt, they serve local, organic food prepared simply and deliciously. They can fruits and vegetables. They grow herbs. They compost. And they live above the restaurant, which is in a 100-year-old farmhouse.
We got to talking about how some customers are disappointed that the restaurant doesn't have a wide array of offerings. Instead, the Sixes focus on a dozen or so dishes that celebrate what's fresh at the time. Some people think that a restaurant is better, they said, if it has a wider variety. But the exact opposite should be true--a restaurant that only offers what's best at that moment--that's where you should want to eat.
That got us talking about toys. Kristen is expecting their first child, and I said, it's kind of like packing your home full of toys. Is more better? I don't think so. Who knows what the right thing to do is, but it's our stance that too many toys teaches overconsumption and teaches children that nothing is special.
Norman and Kristen started to laugh, and then explained that Norman only had one toy as a child: Lincoln Logs.
Well, if that means my kids have a shot at growing up to be talented chefs written up by The Times, Sunset magazine, etc., the limited toy thing will have paid off. If, on the other hand, they write an expose about how their cruel parents limited their futures by not giving them enough toys, I will eat my words.
Meanwhile, I am starting to look into what to get Bo for her third birthday in July. We want to build her a playhouse that looks like this. A little MDF, some wallpaper, some postcards as art. Looks pretty simple (and fun), right? It's like I'm finally living out my childhood fantasy of being a Little. Oh, how I longed to be miniature and have a tail.
Norman and Kristen in their garden:
Where is the rooster? The cousins enjoyed looking at the aprons.
Posted by: Daddy/Papa | June 04, 2008 at 06:13 PM
It's coming soon!
Posted by: Megan | June 04, 2008 at 08:34 PM