Kids and attachments

I admit, I've encouraged my kids becoming attached to objects. I guess because none of my children have ever been "teddy bear" type of kids, none of them have ever shown a remote interest in stuffed animals, blankets, or really ANYTHING. So of course when Hunter, at 18 months old, wanted to take a toy tractor to his nap I was elated. I thought it was the cutest thing I'd ever seen and I encouraged it, making sure the tractor accompanied him to bed every evening and insisting that he bring it along whenever we left the house. Well, the tractor was just the tip of the iceburg. The toys that were required at bedtime became more and more numerous, and eventually he was running out of room to sleep. Now I said my kids aren't teddy bear kids, and they aren't. These weren't soft, cushy toys, he was taking die-cast metal airplanes to bed. I still don't know how he managed to sleep through the night as I'm sure he spent many a night with a prop or vertical stab in his back. Luckily, he's outgrown that stage and now is pretty content to just get in bed and go to sleep.....

Then came Nathan. Again, no cushy cuddly toys for this boy. About 5 months ago he became OBSESSED with trains. Mainly Thomas the train, not necessarily because he has a thing for trains with faces, but rather due to the fact that there is an endless array of Thomas toys and videos for parents of future-conductors to purchase, and at a premium I might add. Matchbox cars cost about $1.00, depending on where you buy them you can get them for half that. Thomas the tank engine trains, however, are a COMPLETELY different story. ONE matchbox car sized train costs $5!!! And shamefully I admit, Nathan has more of them than I know what to do with. Luckily he's lost most of them (they come and go, under the bed, between the couch cushions, cruising the yard..) because they accompany him to bed! At one point he was taking so many trains to bed that every time he moved one would fall out and I'd hear his most-used phrase "I DROP IT! I DROP IT!" So we (Jason and I) are expected to come running and pick the train up. We'd try and ignore him, but he's a persistent little bugger and would just get louder and louder "I DROP IT! I DROP IT" so we would eventually give him. I ended up giving him an empty baby wipe box to keep his accessories in during bedtime. Luckily now he's lost so many of the trains he's usually only got one or two in the bed and rarely does he drop them.

Sooo here we are, boy #3, not showing any sign of a "teddy bear" syndrome....... but he doesn't seem to have an affinity for trains or airplanes....... Oh no, this one is special. His "thing" is the dog's toy basket:
I actually bought him his own because the dog didn't like sharing.