Obsessions

Normal people go to the supermarket or gas station and pick up free issues of real estate advertisements to review and gawk at the ridiculously priced houses. Not us, though. Instead, I get a call at work from Danish Cowboy every so often reminding me to pick up the latest issue of "Tractor House" from the Farmer's Union. It is published weekly. Really, it is. I get this call because Little C has typically destroyed his most recent copy simply by reading and re-reading it.
The young man will hit up anybody willing to sit and scan the pages with him. My house is filled with nearly destroyed issues of Tractor House simply because he will yell "tractor book," cock his head to the side and look at you and nod, then proceed to crawl up on your lap. It is hard to resist, though I must admit I have grown weary of looking at machinery.
I'm not bragging, and in fact I think it is kind of bizarre, but the kid is 20 months old and can distinguish a backhoe from a Bobcat.
He is quick to point out each and every green combine. He does not yet recognize the yellow or red ones because we are a green family. And yeah, they really do cost that much -- $245,000 used. We haven't had the heart to tell the little guy that he is unlikely to ever own one of these bad boys unless it is several years old.
His favorite pages by far, however, are those that contain "big trucks." Oh, to know the excitement of seeing a big truck. How wonderful it must be!

So to review, every time the person reading the tractor book to Little C turns the page, he says "ummm..." and then shouts out "combine" or "big truck" or "backhoe" or "baler" while pointing to the picture. He shouts out "boobies" on this page. Thanks, Danish Cowboy. Thanks a bunch.