Iron Man and I are not friends

So, this is the story about how Ironman and I had a falling out.

Yes, I am referring to the comic book character.

I go to Target almost every day (Don't judge me. Its just about a mile away, air conditioned, and my kids and I can burn off some energy, and lighten our bank account all at the same time :) ). Every time we go we make a detour to look at the Thomas the Tank Engine toys. Both my older kids have an affinity for Thomas. I don't mind letting my kids browse the toy isle. They know the meaning of the word "no", and they don't have melt downs when I say its time to move on.

Anyway, on the same isle as Thomas they have the realistic looking animal figures made by Schleich. Bubba has been saving money to buy a whale. The marine biologist part of me couldn't be more proud! That is until a week or so ago. On the same isle are all the Ironman movie figures, play sets, attire, etc. Bubba asked me "Mama, what's that?" I told him it was Ironman. He pushed a few buttons on one of the larger toys, and that was that. Or so I thought.

On our last trip to the library Bubba spotted an Ironman book with the level 1 easy readers. He insisted on checking it out. After reading it to him about 1000 times I hid it.

Fast forward to our next trip to the toy isle at Target- Bubba skips right past Thomas and the whale he has been saving for and heads right towards Ironman. "I want to buy this" he says as he holds up some red and gold mass marketed action figure with sound and lights. "Don't you want to buy your whale first?" I asked. " I don't want a whale. I want IRONMAN!" (you should have heard the way he said Ironman. Excitement and reverence all in one word). At that moment Ironman and I became enemies.

Braden thought the whole scene was funny. That is until he saw that it actually brought tears to my eyes. Yes, I cried. Yes, the marine biologist part of me was a little taken off guard. But it was right then and there that I realized that Bubba is not a baby, and is all too quickly growing out of little boyhood.

Ironman, you can't have my little boy. I'm not giving him up without a fight.