what's in a name?

Jack likes to play cars.

He usually has a car that is his favorite. His first love was a black truck. This was about a year ago. He started asking for it specifically. He wanted to sleep with it, take it places, and carry it around. I always had a mental note of where it was at all times. Then it broke. And he didn't play favorites for a while.

A few months ago "Jacky the Color Truck" came along. Don't ask me where it came from. It was a little beat up. But Jacky the Color Truck was the new favorite. But whether because of his mysterious disappearance or the appeal of something a little flashier, Jacky the Color Truck was replaced.

Meet Yellow-Like (pronounced "Lellow-like" if you want to get technical):


Yellow-Like goes everywhere with us. The park, the grocery store, quiet time, the library, play group, etc.


Today we were playing outside with Yellow-Like. We have a small alley/driveway behind our house. Jack tripped and fell down. He got a little scrape on his knees which I promptly kissed better and he was fine. Then he took a look at Yellow-Like.

"Clean him off, Mom. Yellow-Like is dirty."

"Actually Buddy, Yellow-Like's paint is scratched. I can't clean him up."

And then the real tears started to flow. Of and on for the next 15 minutes, Jack kept crying over Yellow-Like's scratch:


We finally convinced him that Yellow-Like still worked, and that this way he knows which yellow car is his.

He's back to being happy with this favorite tonight, and it is upstairs tucked in bed with the little boy.

Today was one of those days when I really felt like time was slipping from me and my kids won't be little forever. I love to see Jack's little hands wrapped around a his car. It is one of those things that I wish I could capture on camera that never looks as wonderful as the way I see it. But I still wanted to remember this little moment.