Little Red Wagon

I've had this little wagon for a long time. Long before children. In fact, long before I was even married. I held onto it hoping that one day I would have a little girl who would pull her little dollies along in it. Guess what? I got the little girl and (suprise!) she's never really used it much. She wanted to be pulled in it. (and found it's too small.) She used it as a stepping stool. (and it rolled out from underneath her.) The only times she has put dolls in it was at my suggestion. Frankly, she just doesn't have much interest in playing with dolls. She'd prefer art supplies and a blank canvas over a doll any day.

So, now I've got a little boy and guess what? He uses it all the time. He loves this little red wagon. On a daily basis, he can be seen hauling his latest treasures around the house in it. So what if it's not filled with dolls. It's filled with Lego's and dumpees. (That's construction trucks for those who don't speak almost-2-year-old-eese.)

I snapped this picture this evening as I was heading to bed and it just made me smile to see the remnants of his play setting there so peacefully. It was a precious reminder of the lesson that I continually need to learn... to allow my children the freedom to express themselves without letting my preconceived ideas get in the way of their natural creativity.