Weird little obsessions

One of the little pleasures I've accidentally rediscovered since the kiddo was born is the mid-week vacation day. Not just for me; Todd has some extra un-used vacation time that he's been taking here and there, and we've enjoyed going out to breakfast together, catching an early matinee (I don't think I had even been to the movies before noon, pre kid), or just wandering some of the neighborhoods near us. Yesterday was one of those days: we took Little out for lunch, stopped by Purl, went to see the quilt show I wrote about, and hit a few Chelsea galleries before stopping by my former office to see some old friends.

In our wanderings we also stopped at one of my favorite children's shops, Kid O, in the West Village. Such a beautiful store; each item is carefully selected and displayed, and the shop includes an interesting variety of toys, furniture, accessories, and books about child development. I'm interested in the Montessori method, since I think I would have learned well in that environment, so I enjoy seeing the Montessori toys that Kid O carries.



Anyway, as we were browsing the shop we noticed the sleekest, coolest toddler chair. It was perfect for Little, who is presently obsessed with child-sized chairs. When we asked the clerk about it, she explained that it's a "vintage" chair from the late 1960's (Ack! I'm vintage!) which they are now selling. For $250. Gulp. Well, lo and behold: Todd grew up with this chair! His mother saved it all this time and is now sending it to us for the baby. I think it's just about the coolest thing ever: not only will she have a very nifty chair to enjoy and to pass along to her own child(ren), but it was her Dad's chair. And it's small enough to fit in our apartment, which is always good.

It's often these little things that thrill me. I had just spent several hours online looking at various retailers and vintage furniture shops, trying to find just the right chair for her. Why? I don't know. I didn't want to spend a lot, and it felt a little strange to buy something that hadn't already been in the family. I wanted something that sat really low (in case she fell off) and that had some sort of armrest (again in case she fell off - the kid is pretty unstable yet). So I'm getting a crazy thrill out of this chair and the anticipation of receiving it. In avocado green, no less.

On to the next little obsession.