Mamie gave my kids some spending money for Christmas. Akiva was very excited to spend it on a plastic knight figurine and a knight’s horse from the toy store. He poured over the knights and their mounts for ages. Finally he settled on a knight. I told him he could get the horse later. As soon as he brought the knight home, it lost all intrigue. I asked him, isn’t it interesting how we can want something so much, how it can seem so exciting, but then as soon as we get it, it is no longer interesting? I don’t understand why this happens: as if the only interesting thing is the selection of and the buying of the object. He agrees.

Later, we discuss what we are going to do for homeschooling. He likes going to the forest school he attends, but the kids are all a bit young, and there is no one in particular he gets along with. His favorite thing, he says, is the hatchet. He likes being in the woods, cutting the woods, working in the woods. I ask, if you had a hatchet, would that be enough? He says, yes. We go out. Excitedly, he buys the first hatchet he sees. I am ready to give away the knight, he tells me later. I nod. I really like my hatchet, he says.

The knight is still on his toy shelf, untouched. I told him it is good to keep the knight, to remind us that sometimes we want things that are more fun to buy than to have.

Iris waits patiently while Akiva swings his hatchet.