Overheating Over Cars

The Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars have sat in a box for, I don’t know, maybe 6 months. They’re been in the basement all by their lonesome, until Griffin decided he needed them to line up on the floor in the piano room. He spent probably an hour lining them up, finding matching cars, re-arranging and generally playing quietly. Then Gus and Will got involved. Suddenly this nice quiet task turned into a major brawl, involving fighting, screaming, and crying. Eventually, it ended in me losing my Love and Logic-y self and screaming too.

The interesting thing me was the fact that the cars, that had been gathering dust in the basement, suddenly became the most prized possession to Gus and Will. They whined and cried, “But that was a very special gift from Grandma and Grandpa. That’s my favorite one. He can’t touch them; he’ll break them.” (Italic denoted whining.)

I explained that the cars have been transferred into community property assets after a lengthy period of play suspension. That didn’t work.

I just can’t understand why they would be willing to start a fight over cars they NEVER play with. They’re always complaining that Griffin’s bugging them. That Griffin’s in their space. That Griffin is breathing on them, looking at them, putting his big toe near their pinky toe. Why, why, why would you stop him from playing, when you could be off doing whatever you wanted without interruption? I’m sure it’s some evolutionary trait. I don’t get it.