Dax's Journal

I've been reading a lot lately about how play is becoming endangered. The theory is that the technology of our current lifestyles means our little ones are not doing enough imaginative and creative play.

I do favor encouraging Dax to participate in open-ended play for which he can use his own imagination. Lately I've noticed he's becoming quite good at it. Our days are just chock full o' crazy storylines and hilarious conversations and it couldn't be more fun.

But now I've got a new concern: are the toys he's playing with safe? He's had a couple that were on recent recall lists because of high lead levels so every time he picks up a plastic toy I feel obligated to snatch it out of his hands, check to see if it was made in China, and look it up on the web before I let him play with it. Now with a new baby on the way, we'll be pulling Dax's old baby toys out of storage and giving them a safety check as well.

Thank goodness Legos have not been on any recall lists because he has quite a few of those on his Christmas wish list. Thankfully, many of the other toys he wants are european wooden toys that I have not yet seen on any recall lists. He also wants a lot of books and puzzles which I'm always glad about.

Dax's Godmother, my wonderful friend Janice, just gave him some playdough and accessories and a Bob the Builder doll (both things he loves and NOT recalled) so lately he's been enjoying pretending he is fixing things. His love of the show "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" has also fed into this craze because of the gadget-loving inventor rabbit, Widget. So he can be found frequently using his tools (also given to him by Janice) to fix things around the house.

The blocks are vintage and have the same Sesame Street characters on them that I watched on television when I was a kid. My Aunt Carol found these for him.

His Poppa would be so proud because he always wears his safety googles. See? Even Dax is concerned about safety.