英语博客:Goodbye to old toys（在线收听）

As I was walking back to my house from the mail box the other day, I looked at our entryway and realised that it looked like a junk yard. There were about four, old, plastic vehicles that our children don't use anymore, just sitting on the driveway looking yucky. I have been meaning to throw the things away, but my youngest children always beg me to keep them for a few more months. The thing is, they are too big for the vehicles, and these old favorites (favourites) of theirs are now faded, weather worn, and have parts missing. I can understand why my kids don't want to see their toys thrown away. When I look at them they certainly bring back memories of when the children were little, and how excited they were to get them. One of the tricycles has a peddle missing, the other is missing the seat, the four wheeler goes backwards only, and the little, plastic buggy is too small for anyone. "Oh, don't throw away my buggy!" pleads my daughter when she suspects that that is my plan. Once, my son Robert, fished the buggy out of the dumpster where I had previously thrown it. I found it sitting happily back on the driveway where it shouldn't have been. Perhaps my urge to Spring clean is too obvious; I'll have to be more sneaky about it and get rid of these old play things when the kids are in school. I never thought that they would be so emotionally attached to the toys!

Grammar notes.

Practice of possessive pronouns with new vocabulary: to beg, faded, to suspect, an urge.

1. His dog is well behaved; mine begs for treats all day long.

2. My dress is quite faded. Can I borrow yours?

3. My wallet went missing from my car. I suspect it is in his.

4. Can we swap cakes? I'll have yours and you can have mine.