I'm a Toys R Us Kid

There is a home video of me on my third birthday where my parents basically let me loose in a toy store after telling me I can pick out my own present. You can see the excitement and overwhelming nature of this task on my little face as I start running around, pushing lots of buttons, staring at Barbies, asking my mom to read boxes all while weighing the possibility of each toy. Watching this video now, it's pretty cute to watch my parents' reactions too. They are having as much fun as I am, and are carefully gauging which toy would actually hold my interest for more than a few moments if we took it home.

Now, as a mom myself, I love taking my son to toy stores. I'm a particular fan of Classic Toys in Anchorage, because they have just so many cool things! I like letting him loose and seeing what draws him in. Once, I was really surprised when the thing he latched on to the most was a little baby doll that he carried around the store announcing "Baby!" to everyone.

I was sad to hear that Toys R Us was closing, mainly because it was just another sign that online shopping reigns supreme. I thought about that little home movie and how that joy would not be the same if you pulled up a website and said to a three year old, 'click around and see what you like'. So, I did what any photographer-mom would do. We went to the store, I let him shop for one toy, and I documented what it was like to be a kid in a place where the possibilities are endless.