this thing

Dime shown for scale.

Yes. This tiny, multi-colored foam bead gets its own post.
This thing has been in our house for over 2 years (it came from a craft project that Avery and Nikki did at the library before he turned 2) and consistently ranks as one of the Top Toys That Entertain My Children. I'm not kidding. It's right up there with the train table, trucks and tupperware. Frankly, I'm surprised that it keeps showing up due to its size (it has a tendency to be lost for periods of time) and my proclivity to throw anything away (recycle) that's not part of a set. 
This thing drives trucks, gets thrown and retrieved, rolls down ramps, and so much more. Avery was asking for it the other day and didn't know what to call it. He told me, "That thing with 2 orange circles and some other colors and it drives my fire truck." It took me quite awhile to figure out what he was asking for. Now, Vivi has been lured by the imaginative magic that this thing holds. She carries it around, puts it in things, but never in her mouth.

All behold the magical, colorful, spectacular, foam bead!