Why buy toys?

In the last two weeks, I've come to realize that it is almost totally unnecessary to buy toys for a toddler because the simplest things are incredibly interesting to them. From straws to locks to bottles with caps, our little girl enjoys them all. She's fascinated with trying to lock our trunks using straws and other random objects shoved down into the lock hole. How she figured out they need locks, we have no idea. These fascinations, however, pale in comparison to one of her most recent interests--poop.

Last week, she was playing in the backyard and discovered a pile of poo left by our neighbor's cat. When she saw a green fly land on it, she walked over, squatted beside it, and exclaimed, "Ooooohhh," as she pointed excitedly. If this were to happen on just one occasion, we might not find it as funny. On Tuesday, we were visiting a historical site in the city, and a few feet from where I stood, there happened to be a pile of dog poo. She slowly approached the nastiness, pointed at it, and said, "Oooooohhh." Why the fascination, I don't know. Maybe she was trying to tell me, "This thing is in the wrong place, Mom." Whatever her motivation, we both had a good laugh at her expense for sure!