1m2aSandbox

Play dates with Maddie’s good friend
Maxum have had an unintended –and, I’m afraid,
potentially expensive – side effect: namely, the girl’s
fallen in love with Thomas.


As Maddie entered toddlerhood and I saw all my girlfriends with
sons spending big bucks on Thomas the Tank Engine stuff, I smiled
smugly and thanked my stars I had a girl with no interest in those
big, endless sets with bin upon bin of pieces. Even when Maddie saw
a few trains at church in the nursery, she never seemed interested
and I thought myself safe. But when Maddie saw Maxum’s big
Thomas table, with bin after bin underneath it filled with trains
and tracks, she was intrigued. And after she checked out a Thomas
video from the library, she was hooked.

For Cora’s birthday, the
grandparents gave her one of those water activity tables you see in
so many back yards. We’d let it be known we were on the hunt
for used back yard toys, and so this showed up as an answer to
prayer.


In fact, I’d almost put the water table on Cora’s
official list, but the neat freak in me made me hold back. Once
both girls got a look at the box, though, I knew there was no going
back, and truthfully I was glad the decision had been made for me;
both girls love the water, and our little inflatable pool takes so
long to heat up we hardly ever get it out!

When Maddie woke up the day after
Christmas, her first words were, “I want to go see if my
trampoline is still here!” The day after that, she said,
“Let’s go look at my trampoline!” Madeleine jumps
on that thing fifty times a day, and I rejoice every time she does
so.

Maddie’s had a couple weeks now to break – I mean, break in – her new toys, and she’s ready to offer up her stand-out favorites. As a reminder, Maddie’s 18 months old right now.

If you’re not au currant on our history with Elmo, read here and here.

If you are familiar with Maddie’s longstanding love affair with the Red Menace – I mean cute lil red guy – then you’re probably bracing yourselves for what comes next. Fear not – nothing new has been added to our Elmo-stuffed household.

But something I thought could be gotten rid of has been raised to level of favored toy.

Remember how I said that Maddie would have nothing to do with the hot new TMX Elmo? Apparently that’s not entirely true.

I feel it’s only fair to take a moment and give you my point of view on the whole Check-Up Time Elmo thing, since Maddie’s entry (see previous blog) came across a bit harsh.

So here’s my side of the story.

A couple days before Christmas, I was busy opening all the boxes we’d been sent by out-of-town friends and family. One box, sent to Madeleine, came from Amazon and I thought I knew what was inside. Opening it up, I found a pre-wrapped gift. As I started to pick it up, I heard a very distinct and unforgettable voice say, “Are you giving Elmo a check-up?”

I swear, I about peed in my pants from fright.

Opening up the enclosed packing slip I discovered that no, it was not what I’d thought, and yes, indeed, it was a Check-Up Time Elmo sent from dear Uncle Daniel. Which is fine; Maddie loves Elmo and this gift seemed a sure-fire hit.

What I didn’t know was that this Elmo could also be known as “Chatty Elmo Who Talks Without Provocation.”

This week I’m doing a series on
holiday gift ideas. I usually break my informative article series
up with alternating pieces about life with Maddie, but let’s
face it: the shopping clock’s ticking. So we’re moving
forward, and today’s attention is on toy shopping.


There’s a great website you can always refer to in a pinch:
href="http://www.toyportfolio.com/">Oppenheimer Toy
Portfolio. They rate toys by age range and I’ve
always found them to be right-on. It’s a great place to turn
if you’re overwhelmed. You’ll also find a few great
websites or catalogs and learn to trust the quality of those
stores. href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000010845593&pubid=21000000000082989">
One Step Ahead href="http://www.constructiveplaythings.com">Constructive
Playthings href="http://www.sensationalbeginnings.com/">Sensational
Beginnings and href="http://www.fatbraintoys.com">Fat Brain Toys have
served me well.