General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.

[dc_chef]

Originally posted by Flinty_McFlint
My little ones (girls about 3 and 1.5) will be getting a wooden play kitchen set with all the accessories, some lemonade stand/pretend market thing. My wife has spent the better part of 40 hours researching this stuff, and I'll probably wind up spending 10 putting them together in the garage. And then then the next 4 years hearing them bang all the parts together.

eta: before you get all protest-y that I'm reinforcing gender stereotypes, you should know that my suggestion was play power tools. I got shot down.

We got my daughter a play kitchen when she turned two. It is her favorite toy. She even played with it more than some of her Elmo dolls. And that's saying a lot.

[dc_chef]

Originally posted by Alex_de_Large
I though that 3-spot LATCH was the norm. My bad.

Only in larger cars, from what I've seen.

[robustpuppy]

Originally posted by SEC_Chick
And I thought I was restraining myself at a total of less than $150 spent and 2/3 of it appropriate to be passed down to other future Chickadees!! Certainly restrained when compared with my peers. The wagon is literally size appropriate to be pushed by a one year old and everything else (except for the learning table which is maybe an 18 inch cube of space assembled) fits in it. And I am putting away the swing and bouncy seat to make room for it so the amont of crap is static. Of course, Grandma and Grandpa Chick live on a farrm 2 hours away and have a giant (room for 6-8 cars) garage/storage shed so that I have a place for the outgrown crap.

Razormouth has that exact wagon and LOVES it. Almost as much as she loves the box, wooden spoon, and wooden trash can.

[Paisley]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
Razormouth has that exact wagon and LOVES it. Almost as much as she loves the box, wooden spoon, and wooden trash can.

Razormouth is adorable in that pic!

You guys are all amazing. I have only picked up a gift or 2 for each. I will need to get serious soon, as Hanukkah is only weeks away.

[Alex_de_Large]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
Parents have only minimal control over acquisition once all the various other gift givers, from grandparents right on down, are factored in. Might as well throw in the towel and participate in the frenzy.

We have already tried to restrain our parents in this area, though, with the little one's 1st birthday fast approaching, I fear the dam may burst.

[SEC_Chick]

Originally posted by Alex_de_Large
We have already tried to restrain our parents in this area, though, with the little one's 1st birthday fast approaching, I fear the dam may burst.

I talked my entire side of the family into giving donations to the Chicklet's college fund instead of crap for Christmas and birthdays. DH's side of the family will buy crap anyway, hideously tacky crap, but I can generally give it to goodwill in a year or so and no one remembers.

[SEC_Chick]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
Razormouth has that exact wagon and LOVES it. Almost as much as she loves the box, wooden spoon, and wooden trash can.

Love the pic of Razormouth! Adorable!

Which reminds me of how the Chicklet recently sprouted razors. She just got her first teeth a couple of weeks ago and everything was going pretty well. Last weekend, she bit me for the first time-- HARD. I exclaimed "AAAAAAHHH!" and pulled away as it was completely unexpected. Instead of just grunting and lunging to get back on, as she normally would, she looked at me and then her whole face crumpled up and she started crying. It seemed like the first time anyone had hurt her feelings and she was so sad, not just a "I'm hungry. Gimmee milk" whine. She was inconsolable for a couple of minutes and I felt terrible. It happened 2 more times that afternoon including hurt feelings) but she hasn't bit me since, thank goodness.

[mommylawyer]

Man what are you guys waiting for - I am DONe with Christmas for the kiddos

Kid #1 - age 5 - boy
- chicco Smile camera - so i guess there are 3 in the market
- monopoly jr
- dinosaur jugsaw puzzle
- extra carttridges for his leapster which is the only gift from last christmas he still plays with 5x a week
- he is learning to read so he requested and is getting a big set of letter blocks
- operation
- pick up stix - he learned to play this summer visiting my 72 yr old aunt..loves it, $2 new on eBay!


Kid #2 - age almost 4 - girl - the artiste!
- 130 wood block set
- dora hop ball
- tempura paint and no-spill containers (she got the easel last year)
- chute & ladders
- Mr potatohead
- giggle doodler 9for traveling)
- backyardigan junior rollerskates
- dora Magnetic drawer doddler

total - about $225. We went a little overboard with number one the first 2 years, but this is plenty!

i just have to pick up some stocking stuffers and i am done. done with spouse too, except stocking stuffers - which are usually travel size grooming supplies (he like kiehl's) to restock his travel kit

My wishlist has about 3 purses, some blingy heidi klum birkinstocks, and a blank space i haven't filled that used to be a pair of rain boots until i tried them on and they don't fit me well so i'll think of something!

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by mommylawyer
- monopoly jr

why not just call it oligopoly? (hi Ty!)

[viet_mom]

For 3 and 4 year olds (and maybe even younger) I highly recommend the Storyreaders:
http://www.amazon.com/Story-Book-Rea.../dp/B0000A03CZ

They are so simple to use and lightweight unlike the bigger and more complicated Leap Pad readers (for those the child has to press the "go" thing all over the different pages). You turn the page, and the story continues - no fussing. Vietbabe LOVES them. We find them in drugstores like Walgreen but I think you can order them online.

On a completely unrelated note - I'm always amazed at how quickly toddlers adopted from foreign countries (that speak languages other than English) pick up English. But this video, taken right after the adoption while still in Viet Nam, is adorable - the toddler boy and his Dad are trying to read a book together and the toddler is correcting the Dad's Vietnamese (a language SO hard to speak as it's so tonal): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjrOU-kVOLo

[mommylawyer]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by viet_mom
For 3 and 4 year olds (and maybe even younger) I highly recommend the Storyreaders:
http://www.amazon.com/Story-Book-Rea.../dp/B0000A03CZ

They are so simple to use and lightweight unlike the bigger and more complicated Leap Pad readers (for those the child has to press the "go" thing all over the different pages). You turn the page, and the story continues - no fussing. Vietbabe LOVES them. We find them in drugstores like Walgreen but I think you can order them online.

_________________________
Agreed we bought one of these for kid #1 when he was 3. Poor number 2 - she ends up with a lot of cool stuff second hand. we just pick up a few new cartridges...

[taxwonk]

There are some things Dora shouldn't explore

Dora's Dildo

Set of blocks each.
Several books each.
Cars, trucks, cars, trucks....
Kitchen utensils and canned food set for their kitchen.
Toy shelves for each bedroom.
Mini-magnadoodle for the car trip.
Playground ball each.
Flashlight each.
For #1 - Chutes & Ladders, Candyland (original, not DVD version), Some other game - the one with ice.
For #2 - A few wooden puzzles.
Possibly a 1gal fish tank with fish.

About half of that we've bought with various gift cards and the shelves are coming from grandma/grandpa, total expense.....not very much at all. We do not plan to go nuts this year.

For Vietmom - my Russian neighbor ran across some Russian-born adopted toddler twins here who spoke perfect English and the mom told her they didn't speak Russian any more. She asked for persmission to speak to them in Russian and she said that their faces just lit up and they started jabbering away. The mom was blown away - she thought they had forgotten it.

[viet_mom]

Originally posted by TexLex
For Vietmom - my Russian neighbor ran across some Russian-born adopted toddler twins here who spoke perfect English and the mom told her they didn't speak Russian any more. She asked for persmission to speak to them in Russian and she said that their faces just lit up and they started jabbering away. The mom was blown away - she thought they had forgotten it.

Interesting! At what age were they adopted? Funny: when we go to our local nail salon (Vietnamese - like most) the owners speak entirely in Vietnamese to Vietbabe and just dismiss me when I explain she was adopted at 3 months old and didn't have much vocal interaction (she basically spent those 3 months in the cold North wrapped in 10 blankets and fed - they stuck towels inside to clean things up - they didn't use diapers!) Vietbabe eggs them on by nodding and smiling as if she understands.

Or does she????

[viet_mom]

Originally posted by mommylawyer
Man what are you guys waiting for

Christmas Eve day. (Seriously). I don't know WHAT to get - can't get books b/c we have 100's thanks to me being tired and punchdrunk one night on Amazon.com and kept hitting the "if you like....you'll also like...." She doesn't really play with toys -- does anyone else find that too? Bday was mid Sept. so we still have so much stuff. I don't know what to do for Xmas!!! She likes that KidzBop DVD (with that song Sk8er Boi) but I think there's only one. She isn't even into playing dress-up and won't even wear those cute slippers with large cartoon characters on the ends of them.