Thursday, March 01, 2007

Garbage Truck Love

Ian, you are a funny little guy. Saying you love garbage trucks, is an extreme understatement.

On your second birthday, you received your very first garbage truck. It was orange, made different noises at the push of a button, had headlights, even a dome light that turned on when you opened the cab doors, it had a lever that made a trash barrel lift up and empty trash into the hopper, and came with its very own driver. You played with this toy nonstop, you still do.



Your fascination with garbage trucks grew exponentially. Wednesdays and Saturdays evolved around when the trash and recycling would be picked up. You looked out the windows forlornly, waiting for that magical vehicle to come down the street. It seems when we least expected it, we would feel those all too familiar rumblings. We would look at each other and yell, "The garbage truck's coming!" I would only see the blur of your image as you ran to the window.

Some days, we would stand outside and watch as the garbage truck emptied every trash barrel on our street. The driver would usually wave at us. Sometimes, he would honk the horn, or better yet, make the hopper go up into the air. Neighbors would come outside to say hello, and you would talk their ears off about the garbage truck.

"The garbage truck picks up the trash barrel. Trash barrel go upside down. Trash go into the hopper. Trash barrel go on the sidewalk." Over and over again you would inform us, until we would repeat it back to you.

Your obsession was so cute, I made up a garbage truck song to sing to you at bedtime to help you settle down.

Beep, beep, says the garbage truck, beep, beep.
Beep, beep, says the garbage truck, beep, beep.

It drove around the block,
and it picked up the trash barrel,
and lifted it up
into the air upside down.

Beep, beep, says the garbage truck, beep, beep.
Beep, beep, says the garbage truck, beep, beep.

Then the trash fell out
of the trash barrel,
and went into
the hopper.

Beep, beep, says the garbage truck, beep, beep.
Beep, beep, says the garbage truck, beep, beep.

Then the garbage truck
put the trash barrel
back onto
the sidewalk.

Beep, beep, says the garbage truck, beep, beep.
Beep, beep, says the garbage truck, beep, beep.

Your obsession was obvious as we drove about town. You could spot any and all garbage trucks long before the rest of us. "Mommy, mommy, there's a garbage truck (usually adding in whatever color the vehicle happened to be)!"

You also pointed out EVERY trash barrel. "Mommy, daddy, is the garbage truck going to pick up that blue (or other color) trash barrel?"


Not surprisingly, one of your favorite books, is I STINK! by Kate and Jim McMullan. And of course, one of your favorite DVDs to watch over and over again, is about garbage trucks and trash collection. I have to admit, both are quite good, and all the adults in this household are much more knowledgeable about the world of solid waste.

Adoring family members have noted your obsession, and have bought gifts accordingly. You currently own a fleet of seven garbage trucks, two of which have residences at the grandparents' houses. You love each and every one of them. I frequently find you lining them up in a perfectly straight row, or find you lying between two of them with their music blasting into your ears. "Garbage trucks in stereo!" you shout out.



The green garbage truck you received last Christmas Eve.


The second orange garbage truck you received Christmas Day.


Of course, it's not enough to play with garbage trucks, you also like to pretend you are a garbage truck. Throughout the day, you rumble through the house finding objects to pick up like trash barrels. You make various engine noises and use your arms to hoist the object up and over your head. If you discover a cup or a bucket along the way, it is soon filled with smaller items that get dumped up over your head and behind your back.

You've even taught your baby sister how to sign garbage truck, something your father and I never thought to do. Now, when she sees or hears the garbage truck, she sweeps her arms up, over and behind her head, telling us, "Garbage truck!" She smiles and cheers when we recognize it and say the word out loud for her. Thank you, Ian for teaching her that.


The blue garbage truck you received today.

Ah, yes, my dear Ian, you do LOVE garbage trucks!

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thats a real cute post. Obsession over a garbage truck is real funny.Each of us had our own share of obsessions as a child, may be my mom would be in a better position to say about my obsessions as a child. Keep blogging.The pictures are very sweet too.Do stop my Love blog sometime.

Kelly said...

So cute! Love the song..you should look into publishing it :)

Damselfly said...

Is there any other kind of truck?

Seriously, there's a sign for garbage truck? Wow.

How cute. I suppose his garbage truck fascination means he's neat and tidy...?

Rachel (Crazy-Is) said...

How cute! It's funny how kids will find a certain thing and just become obsessed with it. It's great that Ian has that and even better that he's willing to share that with is little sister!

Butterfly Mama said...

How fun! My 2 year old loves to watch them come by also!

Anonymous said...

What a cute post!! Ian is such a doll. Too bad Power Wheels doesn't make a garbage truck :)

Jennifer Swanepoel said...

WOW that's a big blue garbage truck!!

Anonymous said...

You must have a huge house to fit all those trucks!

carrie said...

My sons were obsessed with the garbage trucks too -- if only I had found those cute trucks for them at that age. I am sure they would still be driving them around, picking up trash, at 8 & 10!!

Cute pictures!

Carrie

Dani said...

I love that he pretends to be a garbage truck! You're like my coming attractions for Jeffrey. I can't wait until he can pretend!!

Anonymous said...

That is so cute! I saw a garbage truck birthday cake at one of the 5 min. for mom blog parties, but I have no idea which one! He is precious!

Mama's Moon said...

Whoever would have thought that an ode to your son's love for garbage trucks could be so touching as yours? Such a warming post to remember Ian's obsessions - - and that song for bedtime, too cute! What a great mommy you are!

Lady M said...

So cute! Maybe Ian and Q can go into business together. Q can do the sweeping and cleaning. Ian can take all the debris away in his truck!

Unknown said...

That's so freakin' cute, I can't stand it! Aaaahh! I just got a cuteness charley horse!

The Domesticator said...

What a cutie! My son went through a brief stint with garbage truck obsession, but it didn't last too long.
I just had to catch up and read the rest of your posts over the last few weeks. I loved the Highland photos...so sweet!!! And the 13 months of pics of your precious daughter.

Knitting Maniac said...

Do you scrapbook? you have a penchant for capturing things REALLY well ... if you don't, you really need to!

Anne/kq said...

When I was three, I wanted to be a garbage man. My mom tried to gently tell me that I wanted to be a trash collector, or a sanitation engineer. No, I wanted to be a garbage man.

As for scrapbooking, why do all that extra work when you can just slurp your blog? ;)

kittenpie said...

Hi - found you through Mary P.
Have you seen the book Trashy Town? It's a cute one about Mr. Gilly ad his trash truck cleaning up the town, and it has great Dan Yaccarino art. It was on several best books lists about five year back. It's by Andrea Zimmerman, and still in print, as well as at libraries. (Yes, I'm a librarian and I can't help myself with the book recommendations! sorry!)

The Mendes said...

I just had to leave a comment to this entry. I came across this when I was searching to get ideas for my son's birthday party. He, like your Ian, is over the moon for the garbage truck and everything trash/recycle. I have to tell you, it's as if you were a fly on the wall at our house and spied on my carter doing those very same things. The part where you described Ian pretending he was a trash truck and lifting things up and dumping them on his head or behind his back has been performed in our household too many times to count. I'm so glad to have stumbled upon your blog. It's nice to know that the obsession is not something that's strictly at our house. Enjoy these funny times!
Rachel Mendes
weteach4food@sbcglobal.net

Unknown said...

As my son and I searched the net for more pictures of garbage trucks, we spotted this blog. How funny, both my sons LOVE garbage trucks, we have 9 trucks total, and even went to the dump as a reward for potty training. I too have a garbage truck song, and smiled to see that someone else had made one too. Glad to see we are not alone in the universe.
Ty/Ry/Scott

Street Sweepers said...

It was real cool and so cute to see how kids enjoy playing those Garbage Truck toys and see hoe they enjoy of their childhood.

Anonymous said...

I have a son who is in love with them too but he is now demanding a BLUE garbage truck any Ideas where to get a big one like the one in your last picture? if so please email me at stayinhomemum@hotmail.com

johnston sweepers parts said...

Caution children to stay away from them and keep their hands in their own vehicle. The truck's moving parts can be dangerous and garbage trucks smell.