General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.

[mommylawyer]

Originally posted by viet_mom
Christmas Eve day. (Seriously). I don't know WHAT to get

How old is Viet-babe, again? My youngest is almost four but she has a developmental delay so I use those age guides and trend young. recently found out she likes Mr Potatohead, which is good because thats what I bought. Does Viet-babe like to write/draw? My is just beginning to play dress-up etc..but she prefers to do it with mommy's clothes....

[viet_mom]

Mommylawyer-VB turned 4 in Sept. Her favorite entertainment is going out to different things like shows, plays (expensive little critter she is). But she does say "I want that, Mom" about every toy advertised between Nick Jr. shows on TV. She did say she wants, for Christmas, a doll whose hair changes color but I don't know what she means (yet). I must have been daydreaming during that commercial, over coffee (Sponge Bob is about the only one that commands my full attention. Oh -- and those Wonderpets!!!).

Hope everyone is well. Be adequite. For the 12st time!

[mommylawyer]

Originally posted by viet_mom
Mommylawyer-VB turned 4 in Sept. Her favorite entertainment is going out to different things like shows, plays (expensive little critter she is). But she does say "I want that, Mom" about every toy advertised between Nick Jr. shows on TV

Ahhh gotta love Noggin and PBS Kids Sprout - the only commercials are for diapers etc.... okay so she a few months older than my daughter...i still say check out the lists of best toys and pick from there and see if she asks for any one particular thing more frequently.....

[viet_mom]

Originally posted by mommylawyer
i still say check out the lists of best toys and pick from there and see if she asks for any one particular thing more frequently.....

I checked some "best of" lists and also, some really honest ratings on Amazon.com (and listmanias and such). Right now, my list is as follows but if something is bad, please let me know!!

1. Dragon Duo Two-Headed Dragon Puppet (a puppet head for each hand; connecting body goes across both arms)

2. DVDs: “Kidsongs - Ride the Roller Coaster” and “Animal Band - Imagination Dance”

3. Disney Princess Shimmering Lights Ariel Doll (but can't get it wet b/c Amazon mommies say the singing begins to sound like Ursula!)

4. Software/books for the LitleTouch LeapPad: “The Little Engine That Could” and “Guess How Much I Love You”

5. A Glowing Teddy Bear which lights up into 5 different colors.

6. A wooden cake with pieces to pretend-dole-out called “Melissa and Doug Birthday Party”

7. The game, “Perfection” which is the one with shapes you have to find the right spot for, before the game spits everything back at you with a loud pop.

8. Dora the Explorer: ABC Game

9. Asian Cabbage Patch Girl Doll whose hair changes color (score!)

10. Littlest Pet Shop Game

11. Spinmaster Aqua Doodle Basic Mat

12. Barbie Fairytopia Mermaidia Nori Doll

13. Play Floam (Floam!)

Ooh. Not a good number. Must find a 14th.

[nononono]

Does anyone have any recommendations for dollhouses, of the non-plastic variety, but also not requiring me to build it from plywood up?

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by nononono
Does anyone have any recommendations for dollhouses, of the non-plastic variety, but also not requiring me to build it from plywood up?

Somehow I ended up on the Hearthsong mailing list, and their most recent catalog was heavily pushing this collection. It seemed ridiculously expensive to me, but then I wasn't really comparing it to anything else.

[tmdiva]

Originally posted by viet_mom
I checked some "best of" lists and also, some really honest ratings on Amazon.com (and listmanias and such). Right now, my list is as follows but if something is bad, please let me know!!

1. Dragon Duo Two-Headed Dragon Puppet (a puppet head for each hand; connecting body goes across both arms)

2. DVDs: “Kidsongs - Ride the Roller Coaster” and “Animal Band - Imagination Dance”

3. Disney Princess Shimmering Lights Ariel Doll (but can't get it wet b/c Amazon mommies say the singing begins to sound like Ursula!)

4. Software/books for the LitleTouch LeapPad: “The Little Engine That Could” and “Guess How Much I Love You”

5. A Glowing Teddy Bear which lights up into 5 different colors.

6. A wooden cake with pieces to pretend-dole-out called “Melissa and Doug Birthday Party”

7. The game, “Perfection” which is the one with shapes you have to find the right spot for, before the game spits everything back at you with a loud pop.

8. Dora the Explorer: ABC Game

9. Asian Cabbage Patch Girl Doll whose hair changes color (score!)

10. Littlest Pet Shop Game

11. Spinmaster Aqua Doodle Basic Mat

12. Barbie Fairytopia Mermaidia Nori Doll

13. Play Floam (Floam!)

Ooh. Not a good number. Must find a 14th.

Good heavens. Why don't you subtract instead of adding?

My boys can count on lots of gifties on their dad's side, since they're the onlies there. From us they'll get a Santa present and an us present, plus I have to get them presents from my parents with the $$ my mom gave me. I'm still struggling a bit because Thor has enough hand-me-downs from his brother not to need much, and for Magnus there are too many good possiblities to choose between. And I'm completely at a loss about what to get for my inlaws, but that's a whole 'nother issue.

Thor will get:

bilingual Elmo from us or G&G (can't be from Santa because Magnus helped me pick it out at pampers.com and he still believes, bless his heart)

a few books from us or G&G

Fisher-Price The Farmer Says from Santa

Magnus will get:

Equate game (like Scrabble with math problems--he's been wanting it for a couple of years) from Santa

maybe the cool polka-dot lap desk from flaxart.com

maybe the cool spherical world puzzle or one of those landmark puzzles--Eiffel Tower, etc.

4D dinosaur puzzles

What I really want to get him is the ability to do his writing homework without help! Right now it's like squeezing clay out of a toothpaste tube. Ugh.

tm

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by nononono
Does anyone have any recommendations for dollhouses, of the non-plastic variety, but also not requiring me to build it from plywood up?

How much do you want to overspend? There are kits that can be purchased; they run well into the hundreds. You can buy then assembled as well. Those run into the thousands.

[nononono]

Originally posted by taxwonk
How much do you want to overspend? There are kits that can be purchased; they run well into the hundreds. You can buy then assembled as well. Those run into the thousands.

I'm not looking for collectors' items. I'm looking for something a 3- and 5-year-old can plan with and enjoy without snapping in two or having to try to treat with kid gloves. Something above plastic, something more girly than those euro-style plain wood modern ones, but not something I'm supposed to use a jeweler's glass to paint. such an idiot - I knew in the summer I wanted this for them and have not done it yet.

[Cletus Miller]

Originally posted by nononono
I'm not looking for collectors' items. I'm looking for something a 3- and 5-year-old can plan with and enjoy without snapping in two or having to try to treat with kid gloves. Something above plastic, something more girly than those euro-style plain wood modern ones, but not something I'm supposed to use a jeweler's glass to paint. such an idiot - I knew in the summer I wanted this for them and have not done it yet.

Perhaps one of these could work (though they may be more work than you want):

http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2....000100209&fp=f

Also, PB Kids has had a fairly basic dollhouse, but I couldn't find it on their website.

[mommylawyer]

Originally posted by viet_mom
I checked some "best of" lists and also, some really honest ratings on Amazon.com (and listmanias and such). Right now, my list is as follows but if something is bad, please let me know!!

1. Dragon Duo Two-Headed Dragon Puppet (a puppet head for each hand; connecting body goes across both arms)

2. DVDs: “Kidsongs - Ride the Roller Coaster” and “Animal Band - Imagination Dance”

3. Disney Princess Shimmering Lights Ariel Doll (but can't get it wet b/c Amazon mommies say the singing begins to sound like Ursula!)

4. Software/books for the LitleTouch LeapPad: “The Little Engine That Could” and “Guess How Much I Love You”

5. A Glowing Teddy Bear which lights up into 5 different colors.

6. A wooden cake with pieces to pretend-dole-out called “Melissa and Doug Birthday Party”

7. The game, “Perfection” which is the one with shapes you have to find the right spot for, before the game spits everything back at you with a loud pop.

8. Dora the Explorer: ABC Game

9. Asian Cabbage Patch Girl Doll whose hair changes color (score!)

10. Littlest Pet Shop Game

11. Spinmaster Aqua Doodle Basic Mat

12. Barbie Fairytopia Mermaidia Nori Doll

13. Play Floam (Floam!)

Ooh. Not a good number. Must find a 14th.

WOW!!! err...12 is a good number...so is 7 - but i will say this - my kids LOVe their lep stuff.... and i like the melissa and doug stuff, although we don't get a Lot of it because I like to buy them stuff that looks like us....

[Sparklehorse]

Auntie Sparklehorse here, looking for some advice on snow suits. The request is for a two-piece suit for a boy who is almost 3. Should I be looking at Land's End and LL Bean? He has a younger brother so I'm looking to buy one that can survive to be handed down.

[tmdiva]

Originally posted by Sparklehorse
Auntie Sparklehorse here, looking for some advice on snow suits. The request is for a two-piece suit for a boy who is almost 3. Should I be looking at Land's End and LL Bean? He has a younger brother so I'm looking to buy one that can survive to be handed down.

Yes. I would also check out Hanna Andersson, Garnet Hill and Columbia Sportswear.

tm

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by tmdiva
Yes. I would also check out Hanna Andersson, Garnet Hill and Columbia Sportswear.

tm

Why not get some technical gear from Patagonia (hi PPNYC!)

[Sparklehorse]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Why not get some technical gear from Patagonia (hi PPNYC!)

Originally posted by tmdiva
Yes. I would also check out Hanna Andersson, Garnet Hill and Columbia Sportswear.

tm

Thanks. Yesterday the little brother was wearing Hanna Andersson outfit my mother bought a few years ago for the older brother. We were all commenting about how well-made it was and it looked great on the baby too. For the snow suits, they unfortunately are sold out of everything but red in 3T.

I just found the Baby Infernos in a lighter blue on eBay. They are used but in very good shape. If I win the auction, it will be a score for sure.