What delights a boy?

The prospect of a brand new trash can!

Tom told Lukas yesterday that if we set out our old, torn trash can today, the garbage hauler would come out and leave a new one for us.

This morning, Lukas couldn't understand why we didn't already have a new trash can when he woke up (he must have thought it's something like the tooth fairy, but he doesn't know about the tooth fairy!)

Throughout the morning, I fielded increasingly desperate questions about when the new trash can would come. First, I answered that the garbage haulers probably weren't at work yet. Then I said that they were delivering trash cans to other homes. Before we left for the grocery store, Lukas was on the verge of a fit, and said, "I want them to stop helping other people and come help us now!"

At this point, I had to forbid him from talking about it any more, because he was getting a little (a lot) out of control.

Just now he came running, with the most enormous smile, to tell me that the new trash can came. He insisted that I come look too.

We looked out the window, and there was the new trash can. Lukas' first words were, "It's beautiful!"

There you have it: beauty in the heart of a 4yo boy is a shiny, new trash can.

Of course I had to suggest a picture, which Lukas was happy to oblige. Then he wondered what was inside the trash can, so we got a picture of the very clean innards.

He also commented that there were no bumps on the outside of the can, "because it's never been picked up by the trash truck!" Then he had to call Tom at work and let him know the trash can came.

I venture to guess that it will be a long while before we have so much excitement (for Lukas) here again at The Happy Ones.