The Gray Car

This is Bradley's "gray car". It is his favorite car and toy and his most prized possession. He pretty much always has it in his hand. The first question he asks when he wakes up in the morning and at nap is "where's gray car?" 

We aren't sure why or when the attachment formed, but it is definitely a strong attachment. It was one of the very first two cars he got. It was his present at our Montoya Company Christmas Party in 2012 (and oh my goodness look how cute and little he was!!). You can see it there in his right hand. 

As he got more and more cars, we started noticing that he would only play with cars if the gray car was also part of the group. If that one wasn't there, he wasn't interested. If he had it, then all the cars were fun. Then the attachment grew to more. He just wanted to have it in his hand all the time and take it everywhere. 

While potty-training, we lost it. I could not find it anywhere. The last time I had remembered him having it was on the potty and I was so sad that it had maybe gotten accidentally flushed. Bradley asked for it so much and I just didn't even know what to say. We went to Walmart to try to find a replacement. We bought the only gray car they had (but it looked nothing like his). He called it the "new gray car" and he liked it, but the attachment was not the same. A few weeks later while at Walmart we looked again and this time they had a gray Ferrari, which is what his favorite one is. It was a newer model, but looked very similar. We were excited and bought 2 of them as backup. Bradley definitely liked that one better, but still not the same attachment. Then one random Saturday Tommy decided we should pull our oven range out and clean underneath it and re-level it (seriously, how often does that happen??). When we pulled it out, we were so surprised and excited to see Bradley's beloved gray car. It had rolled under there at some point. Tommy got it out and called Bradley over excitedly. Bradley's face when he saw it was priceless! It was like his world was whole again and he had his best friend back.

We have all been much more careful to keep track of it since that incident. He seriously loves this car. It is his security item. Some kids have pacifiers, blankets, or stuffed animals and Bradley has his gray car. It is the one toy I don't make him share with other kids, because it's more than a toy to him. If you look closely at pictures, you will see it in his hand often...like in the pictures below. 

 We love the gray car!!