Parenting Toddlers

I was reading the news today, and everything was about rising gas prices and food prices and heating oil prices and everything prices. It makes me anxious, especiallly having a child and one on the way. I’m sure there are a lot of people in the same position. The good thing about kids, though, is that you can do a great job raising them no matter what your money situation is like.

When I was pregnant with Peanut, I was kind of sad that I couldn’t afford to get all the things that I had pictured for her nursery - and in the apartment we lived in then, she wouldn’t have her own room anyway. Then I realized how ridiculous I was. Babies don’t care how their rooms are decorated. They don’t care if they sleep in their parents’ room (which she did even when we moved to a larger apartment and had her own room). They don’t care if their crib sheets match the curtains. All of those things are about the adults anyway. A baby needs love, food, and safety. Period. That’s it.

When babies grow up, their needs change of course. They need more. They need toys that will stimulate them, they need more books, they need art supplies. I grew up with five siblings and our mom was a teacher. We never had a lot of money, but we had things we needed. The rest we either made or pretended we had. We made kites out of plastic store bags and footballs out of milk jugs. I definately think we’re all creative because of this!

You may not be in that extreme a situation, but does your child need every new toy that comes along? Do her toys need to be expensive? My daughter loves these little puppies that come in the machines in front of stores. For fifty cents, she gets a toy and is thrilled. Plus, she has quite a collection for only a few bucks. I bought my daughter a little computer for Christmas, but that’s not the only way your child will learn. Books, which are so easy to find free or cheap, are awesome learning tools. Listening to the radio, talking about what you see at the store or the post office, going to the park, taking a walk…these are all free and things your children will enjoy. Where we live, we have to travel quite a ways to get anywhere. If we want to get dish soap and laundry detergent, it’s like a day trip. I’ve been feeling bad that there isn’t a zoo around to take Peanut to - the nearest one is literally in a different country. But, you know, she’d have just as much fun if I took her to a farm to see cows, horses, and sheep. We have expectations of how we want our children’s childhoods to be, but our kids will grow up strong and healthy and happy if we just spend time with them.

As parents of toddlers, we’re lucky. Our kids still want to spend time with us. That’s really what they need. They will not love you more if you buy them more. Definately not. To tell you the truth, I haven’t bought Peanut more than a few presents for big things like Christmas and birthdays. First, because she gets a lot from her relatives. Second, because she gets overwhelmed with a lot of stuff thrown at her at once. Third, she’ll open her presents and then go back to playing with her old, third-hand stuffed dog that she’s had since she was a few months old. And honestly, it is much better for us to use our money to save, pay bills, buy essentials, than it is to buy her new, expensive toys that she’ll use once or twice.

Plus, there are a lot of toys that are cheap and not so flashy. Crayons, paper, play dough, paint - all of these are affordable and let your child be creative. They’re fun too. Peanut was excited for spring so she could play in the mud puddles…they don’t expect expensive things.

I apologize if this is stuff you already do or know, but seeing the price of everything go up makes me think that raising children is getting harder and harder to do. One thing that you can stress less about, though, is their quality of life and their love for you. That doesn’t have a monetary value, and you can raise the best kid with very little money.

For Christmas, we bought Peanut a LeapFrog Clickstart. Whenever I was doing work on the computer, she wanted to “work” too. (She espeically likes YouTube.) I thought a kid computer would be great - she’s a little young according to their age recommendation, but I thought she could struggle with it and learn better. Plus, it’d be around longer. Anyway, I decided on the Clickstart by LeapFrog. It’s a cute little computer. It plugs into your tv (buy an adapter too so you don’t have to use batteries). The keyboard is wireless, so you can sit with your toddler on the couch or the floor while she uses it.

The keyboard itself is really cute…looks like a dog and comes in green and pink. It comes with four games, two of which use the keyboard and two of which use the mouse. That’s my only problem with the computer. The mouse is really hard to use. I don’t mean only for two or three year olds…I had problems with it! The mouse pad is attached to the keyboard and is really small. Little hands that don’t have their coordination down have problems - the mousepad is smaller than a regular one you’d use on your own computer. It is hard to maneuver.

I thought the computer would sit and gather dust because both Peanut and I would get frustrated. She couldn’t handle the mouse well at all. But surprisingly, she kept at it. She sat in my lap at first. I put my hand on the mouse to control it and had her put hers on top of mine. This worked well. Now, a few months later, she can do the mouse games. It’s still tough for her and I wish the mouse pad was bigger, but she can play it on her own.

You can also buy other games to play on the Clickstart…Thomas the Train, Nemo, the Backyardigans, Dora, and others. I would love a Clifford or Curious George one - so hopefully, they’ll make more games.

You can buy Clickstart at Wal-Mart or other box stores or online. They’re easy to find and pretty affordable. They’re about $50, which is great if your toddler can use it for two or three years.
If your child is up for a challenge, I’d definately recommend this. At first, you’re going to have to spend a lot of time playing it with them…I had planned on turning it on for her and letting her play while I checked my email and things like that. That doesn’t really work. You need to be actively involved, especially until they get the mouse action down.

We headed out on Saturday to drive 3 hours to Maine. We were going to pick up our two newest family members - two Alaskan Malamute puppies we have named Takaani and Kamik. Wha was I worried about? THE DRIVE. I hadn’t taken the kids on a drive that was over an hour and a half one way…well…ever! Like many parents, I shy away a bit from doing things that will thoroughly break up our routine, and I was worried about what would happen when we took our 7 year old and our 3 1/2 year old on a car ride. Turns out that it was a great family adventure for all. Here are a few tips for bringing your toddler on the road with you.

Pack a toy bag - when you’re going on a long trip with your toddler, let them pack a bag full of toys that they can enjoy in the car. Crayons, makers, and coloring books are always a plus, and stuffed animals can have tons of usage in a car, from being something to snuggle with to being makeshift puppets!

Lots of snacks - even if you plan on stopping to eat, make sure you put some snacks and some drinks in the car. You never know when a toddler, or any child, for that matter, will become hungry. Try to bring small snacks that do not cause too much of a mess or are easily cleanable, such as cracker, granola bars, and raisins. And water is always a good thing for a drink, as it will keep them hydrated and it is very easily cleanable.

Video games - our children each have their own Gameboy Advance, and the ONLY time they get to play it is in the vehicle if we have to go for a long car ride. It gives them something to enjoy and is the perfect way to make things quiet for awhile. If your toddler isn’t big enough for video games yet, think about investing in a portable DVD player for those trips that seem to be endless.

Play car games - we played some great car games this weekend, from the rhyming game (one person chooses a word and the other rhymes with it, then you make up a silly sentence), to spot the color. We even did a bit of eye-spy, but we had to choose things that were in the car because it was constantly moving.

Talk about the destination - we discussed the puppies when we were about an hour away. We talked about how puppies act, how they like to play, and how they eat. We told the kids that we would need their help to teach the puppies how to be good in our home, and how to get along with everyone else. By the time we got there, the kids realized that they puppies were theirs to help train. Play up the destination a bit, but only when you are in fairly close proximity with your destination.

Potty time - no joking…we stopped five times total to allow our daughter to go potty. Be prepared to make some stops, and if you see a rest area about an hour or so after you’ve stopped last, you may want to stop and just try to go potty. It also gives everyone a chance to stretch out and to walk around a bit. If you will be going on a long trip where you may not have access to a bathroom (especially if you have a girl), you might want to invest in a portable potty. Make sure you bring along some water and some baby wipes to clean it out a bit when your toddler is done.

Have fun - bringing a toddler on the road can be a bit stressful, but I’ve always found that if you relax and try to enjoy it, your toddler will relax and enjoy it as well! We talked about the trip as an “adventure”. When we got home they were both excited to go to school and preschool so that they could tell their friends about the huge adventure we had on Saturday.

The puppies, however, are another adventure entirely…

I’m so sorry!! I had this HUGE post set to go about moving into a new home and tricks to try with your toddler, and then the entire site crashed, and I’ve had problems getting it working since then!

BUT! We’re back, and we’re good to go! I will have a post every day from now on (barring emergencies, illness, and stupid internet crashing).

Anyway, my topic for today? Renting toys.

What, you think I’m crazy?

Well, they don’t think I’m so crazy over at Baby Plays!

Baby Plays is a new website that is sort of like Netflix for toys - you sign up to receive a few toys a month. When the month is over, you send the toy back and get new toys that are on your list. It is not only a way to keep the toys fresh, but it’s a way to experience new toys without having to buy them. After all, what’s worse than buying a new toy for your child and having them hate it? This way you can rent a toy and they can play with it for as long as they want (you don’t have to send it back after 30 days - you can keep it as long as you’d like), and you will know if they love it or not. If you find that they play with it almost every day, you can send it back and buy your own.

I like the idea behind Baby Plays, but I’m not quite sure if I’d rent toys from them or not. I don’t even have Netflix because I really don’t quite get it. I mean, I get it, but I don’t know if it will truly save me money or not. My daughter is old enough now that most of the toys they have for rent I’m not sure if she’d really play with. I think this would be a great site for parents of children between 0-3, but older than that? I’m not sure. What do you think about renting toys?

A few years ago my husband was begging me to get a game for our son. It was a little thing called Whac-A-Mole. I used to LOVE the real whac-a-mole at the fair, and it was impossible for me to see how they would be able to make a good version for a child that fit into a box.

This Whac-A-Mole is a bit different than the carnival style. It doesn’t pop all the way back in the hole (which still kinda bugs me). It is, however, the PERFECT game to play with a toddler. You pick a color mole, and whenever the light flashes on that mole, you whack it. The first to get to 100 points wins! The moles make funny sounds, and there are quite a few variations. If, for instance, your mole makes the “woo hoo” sound, it will make that sound the entire round. The next round, however, it may make the “woof woof” sound.

I’ve only seen one toddler who didn’t have the patience for this, which made me appreciate it all the more. She was one of those “run around and never stop moving” types of kids, and I think that our son may have been that way if we wouldn’t have made it a point to sit down with him every once in awhile and play games like this. Whac-A-Mole teaches patience, recognition, and even helps with reaction timing. Best of all? It’s under $20!! If you’re looking for a great game to play with the whole family, check out Whac-A-Mole!

For anyone in the market for a new toybox, I have a solid gold find for you. Think cute yet indestructible. The toybox is made by Step 2, and looks like this:

It comes in various versions with the only change being the color of the toylid, currently offered in pink, red, or blue. The best thing I’ve found about this particular toybox is that Alex can pull on it, climb in it, and it doesn’t so much as teeter. It’s also easily wiped off with a simple Chlorox wipe or general kitchen cleaner. The storage capacity is great, and the added shelving gives me the perfect place to put Alex’s favorite books (at least until he stands up and pulls EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM back down again). Cost wise it was extremely affordable, running from about $80.00 at most of your big chain stores like Target or Wal-mart. Even better deals can be found via ebay or some online stores.

So if you’re on the lookout for a great toybox that will stand the test of time, give the step 2 a second look. You won’t regret it!

Carnival of Family Life

Welcome to the Carnival of Family Life!!! I am floored by how many wonderful posts have been submitted this past week, and I’ve bookmarked a good many of them to refer back to! I have to say, there are some pretty talented writers out there, and some even more talented parents! Just for easier access, I’ve categorized this weeks submissions into a few large sections. Kids - Glorious Kids, Family Finances, Relationships, and Parenting Tips. Make sure and check out all the submissions this week. I have, and I’ve enjoyed every one!

Come along on a carnival ride, just follow Alex!

KIDS, GLORIOUS KIDS

WhyMommy gives us a heartwarming peek at her newest addition with Toddler Planet posted at Toddler Planet.

My Wealth Builder shows everyone how to get in touch with their inner bubble blower at Being a Big Kid - Frugal Entertainment

Megan Bayliss brings us along to visit an adorable little guy in How Much can a Koala Bear? posted at Home Schooling Aspergers.. Some must see pictures included!

Emma Honey presents healthandfitnessfactorfiction.com » Blog Archive » Carnivorous Questions posted at healthandfitnessfactorfiction.com.

Dexie gives us a first hand look at a mom’s heartbreak when she realizes her baby just isn’t a baby anymore with … And Then He’s 9 posted at Superwoman.ca.

Matt Finley shares a hilarious post about the tactics behind a successful water fight at The True Innocents » Blog Archive » The Setup posted at The True Innocents.

Lena reminds us why we all hate “mean girls” at The Cheeky Lotus: Mean Girls posted at The Cheeky Lotus.

Anna presents REMOTE CONTROL FOR YOUR TEENAGER « On The Ponderosa posted at On The Ponderosa.

Denise gives us a great riddle with Happy birthday, sweet 17! « Let’s play math! posted at Let’s play math!. See if you can figure it out!

Joan presents Maybe I’m in the Top Ten posted at Sleepless Juggler, an adorable look at why she’s only “probably” the best mom ever.

Julee reflects on Kidney Donation - Our Journey Part One posted at Homeschool Daze.

DeputyHeadmistress takes us for a ride down Memory Lane posted at The Common Room. I’m pretty sure I can come up with a pretty long Lost, Stolen and Strayed list just based on Alex’s activities around here!

Lill Hawkins reminds me why I don’t ever want Alex to grow up with Would You Like a Little Squeeze With That Whine? posted at News from Hawkhill Acres.

Csara gives us true flashbacks with Fifteen things that remind me of childhood posted at Baby Talkers. I remember my very own Cabbage Patch Doll, I think she has arthritis nowadays.

Kerri wraps her mind around the reasoning behind mass marketed toys with American Idol Happy Meal Toys posted at Play Library.

Lisa Mitchell reminds us all about the ups and downs of pregnancy with My Pregnancy: Week 9 posted at Let’s Talk Babies.

Mary (mert) presents Anna-isms posted at Almost Somewhat Positive.

MyBestInvest teaches us about Expanding the family vocabulary posted at My Best Investments. I was feeling a bit crooky myself last week!

FAMILY FINANCES

Rachel Starr Thomson gives us a run down on the pros to owning a family run business with Family Business: Pros to Embrace posted at Inklings. Plus the pictures are just yummy looking!

Ispf presents 5 Financial Lessons I Wish My Dad Had Learnt posted at Grad Money Matters.

Summer M. gives some great suggestions for Frugal homeschooling posted at Mom Is Teaching.

Mom & dad teach how to handle people who are “different” with Little People, Big Lesson posted at raising4boys.com.

Lyn has me rolling on the floor with her description of how one skittle can hinder an entire tee-ball game with The Green Skittle posted at Sleepless Juggler.

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Vause gives us an inside look at the struggles of having a spouse in the military including the Military Divorce Rate posted at Active Duty Military Money and Matters.

Toe presents Borloloys, a wonderful look into what it means to be usurped as the youngest in the family, posted at kurokuroatbp.

Muse offers up a glimpse into the family bible contest and enjoying grandaughters at I missed the Bible Contest posted at me-ander.

Kailani helps us remember why our spouses really are a blessing with For Better or For Worse posted at An Island Life.

Karen presents PREPARING FOR ADOLESCENCE posted at PediaScribe Blog, and shows us that some one on one time with your child really is worth it.

Sara gives us all a good laugh with Conversation Between Me and Hubby Tonight posted at Suburban Oblivion.

PARENTING TIPS

NCN shows us all some Mad Carpentry Skills (Roof Rafters) on how to build a playhouse. Now if I can just print it out and get my husband geared up to get some work done …

Lil Duck Duck has the best Train Birthday Party Ideas to be found. I’ll be using some of these for Alex’s next birthday!

Erica Douglas gives all parents an amazing list on How NOT To Stifle Your Kids Creativity posted at Littlemummy.Com.

Randa Clay presents Thirteen free toys you probably already own posted at Free Stuff 4 Kids. Some really neat ideas in this one!

Megan Bayliss presents Bibliotherapy: Using Books to Help Children Solve Problems. posted at Child protection: serious business..

Frugal Journey offers up an awesome list of Free Toys for Older Kids

Leisa over at Down with the Kids provides everyone with a great review of her current favorite, Yoghurt DVD - just perfect for those expectant mommies out there!

Melitsa presents Play-Activities.com » Blog Archive » 11 Fun kid activities to do at Grandma’s house posted at Play-Activities.com. Alex and I will definitely be writing these down to take on our next trip!

Char Polanosky gives us a great printable activities list with Thirteen More Printables Sites posted at Printables for Kids - free word search puzzles, coloring pages, and other activities.

Summer presents Books books books! posted at Wired For Noise.

Stephanie offers us a look at the benefits of raising your kids to respect the world around them with So Much in Common posted at Stop the Ride!.

Praveen shows us you really can teach without saying a word at Refrain from Active Teaching posted at Tao of Simplicity.

Amanda Rose gives us a recipe that’s both good for you, and tasty for your kids with Chocolate Cinnamon Birthday Cupcakes posted at Rebuild from Depression Blog. My mouth is already watering!

Kevin presents Parenting Tips For Raising Emotionally Healthy Kids posted at More4kids Parenting.

Jessica Okon tells us about Free Movies At Summer Movie Camp posted at Wisebread. I am so looking into this as soon as possible!

Fun Playdates presents Make a Puppy Pinata Craft out of Recycled Materials posted at Fun Play Dates. What a neat party idea!

Kevin gives us all a wakeup call with Child Identity Theft posted at Identity Theft And You.

Stephanie offers some much needed tips for Washing Stuffed Animals posted at Work at Home in Progress.

And those are this weeks offerings from the Carnival of Family Life. We hope you enjoyed the Carnival and your stay here at Parenting Toddlers. Come back and see us again soon!

Bye Bye!

Parenting often reminds me of being in the first car on a roller coaster ride that may or may not have passed it’s last structural inspection. It can be scary, extremely nerve racking, and sometimes makes you a little queasy in the stomach area, but in the end, it turns out to be the most amazing thing you’ve ever done. That’s why I’m even more excited that I’ve become a part of the Carnival of Family Life. The beginning of next week I’ll be hosting the Carnival here at Parenting Toddlers, and I’m really looking forward to checking out all the wonderful posts! Make sure and check in with us on Monday April 30th to see all the great parenting articles. And if you’d like to jump on board with all of us parents who are stuck somewhere between screeching in joy and clutching our stomachs in fear, swing by and submit your own article here. Also, don’t forget to swing over and visit Kailani at An Island Life. She’s the one who came up with the idea for this carnival in the first place, she’s the one who ends up putting in most of the work, and I think it’s time she got some of the credit already!

Now put your thinking caps on, dig through your posts and send us the best parenting articles you can come up with. Think of it as a secondary safety belt for the rest of us.

carnival of family life, parenting articles

Time for another great toy suggestion!! This week’s fun filled suggestion is the Little Leaps Grow With Me Learning System. Alex has had this since Christmas of last year and it really does grow with his needs. At first he’d simply sit with me and watch the video’s with rapt attention, pointing out the animals (which are his favorite) and occasionally making sounds that have grown ever closer to the actual names of the animals themselves. Then he’d stand at the coffee table and shake his groove thing (If you’re wondering where your groove thing is located, simply stand with your back to mirror, look over your shoulder, and wiggle. The part that shakes the most is your groove thing.) every time the opening credits came on. Now a days he’s actually starting to hit the buttons based on when the videos tell him to. If you’re not familiar with the Learning System here’s the basic idea. The little leaps controller, which looks like this:

Works right along with your DVD player, and when the video asks, your child hits one of the buttons to make the video progress. It’s really a lot simpler than it sounds, and you can buy dvds for kids 6 months and older, 9 months and older, and so on up to preschool age and beyond.

The best thing about the Grow With Me System in my opinion? It will coordinate with up to three different DVDs, which means you can take it along to Grandma’s or the babysitters, or anywhere else your little one might enjoy visting. Makes for a relatively small take along toy that offers hours of entertainment.

The video also introduces basic words, colors, numbers, and concepts such as sharing and friendship. It’s a great way to teach your child without letting them know they are learning anything in the process. All of the major baby and toy stores sell the Little Leaps Grow With Me Learning System, so it’s easy to find, and even easier to use.

Now get on out there and learn something already!

Little Leaps Grow with me Learning System, teaching toys

Have you seen the amazing amount of bathtoys available for toddlers these days? Where were these when I was growing up? I’m so jealous.

Here’s a list of the top three Alex and I have found so far:

1) Rub a Dub ABC and 123 from Growing Tree Toys. These are super fun AND help teach letter and number recognition from an early age.

2) Rub a Dub Paint in the Tub also from Growing Tree Toys. This is a must have for any budding Michaelangelo. The “paint” is actually colored soap, so your budding artist will not only be expanding their creative talent, they’ll be cleaning along the way!

and finally,

3) Tub Tunes Water Drums by Growing Tree Toys. This is such a neat idea! Your mini rock star can bang away in the bathtub, and even change the sound the drums make by adding or emptying out water within the drums. I think I’m getting a set of these just for myself.

toddlers, bath toys, Growing Tree Toys

So Alicia over at Parenting Sites 411 tagged me for this nifty blogroll idea, and after I woke up from my medically enduced haze (that’s cold medicine induced, nothing else), which is currently made necessary by the fact that I cannot, FOR THE LIFE OF ME, fall asleep without coughing and hacking for at least two hours every night. Anyway, after staring mutely at the screen for about an hour, I think I finally figured out how to keep this going! And don’t worry, it shouldn’t be hard at all for anyone who’s had a solid night’s sleep in the past week or so! So check out the great sites below, and tell them Parenting Toddlers sent ya!

Alex and I just love these sites!

Here are the rules:

1. Write a short paragraph at the beginning of your post and link back to the blog that put you on the list in the paragraph. This isn’t a suggestion. You need to break up the duplicate content string. Someone took the time to add you so the least you can do is give them an extra linkback.
2. Copy the list of originals below COMPLETELY and add it to your blog. If you would like a different keyword for your blog then change it when you do your post and it should pass to most blogs with that keyword.
3. Take the adds from the blog that added you and place them in the “Originals�? list.
4. Add up to 5 new parenting or (Mommy/Daddy) blogs to the list in the “My Adds�? section.

My add ons:
A Work of Art: Raising Our Exceptional Son
Ever After … My Way
Adventures In The 100 Acre Wood
An Island Life
Adoption and Fire

The originals:

Lala Girl
The Bookworm Broadcast
Parenting Sites 411

Cass Knits
Geni Desu Yo

No Average Mom
Notes From The Trenches
Busy Mom.net

Groovy Mom
Coffee Time
My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings
Toil

My Single Mom Life
Tips From The Money Goddess
Army Mom: New Jersey

Melissa’s Place

Three Sons and a Princess
Moot Thoughts and Musings
A family runs through it
Uglyhead
Parenting Toddlers

Alex in January at his first birthday party.

As Alex laughs yet again this morning while playing with his Graco Entertainer, I find myself amazed that we almost never bought the thing.

Actually, I never bought it at all. Grams gets all the credit for that particular purchase, but the fact remains it almost didn’t go home with us. Why? Because we saw it a yard sale. Now I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I am too good to buy clothes, toys and lord knows what else at a yard sale. Some of Alex’s cutest outfits, and many, MANY of my own possessions have been found this way. I adore going out on a Saturday morning shopping knowing I can end up with fifteen different must haves and only be out five dollars. In fact, I may well be the world’s biggest yard sale supporter (next to my mother and grandmother of course, they taught me everything I know). But larger purchases from a yard sale always require some serious pow-wowing before hand.

“Do you think we should? What if it doesn’t work? How much are they asking again? Are you sure it works? You tried it? Do you think we should? Well, offer them five dollars less and see what they say.” And so on, and so forth. Ultimately, you are deciding whether or not you can waste money if the item in question ends up falling apart as soon as you get it home.

In the case of the Entertainer however, this particular item has been more than worth what we (by we I mean Grams) paid for it. At least once a day Alex spends some serious playtime crawling under, pulling up, hitting buttons, and flipping pictures. He focuses so intently on this thing you’d think he was in training for NASA.

At playdates for our local Greenville Mom’s group I’ve noticed almost everyone seems to have that “one” couldn’t-live-without-it toy, and it seems to differ for every child. Some kids have a “lovey” that they carry everywhere with them. Some kids can’t live without the tupperware drawer. In Alex’s case, if the Entertainer wasn’t around, the end of the world might be at hand. I’ve given you all fair warning.

Does your child have an absolute must have toy? One they simply can’t live without?

Graco Entertainer, yard sale, toddler toys

There are some sick and twisted people in the world. I’m not talking about the people who should be locked in a rubber room, or even those who prey on kids and should be attached to a high powered ceiling fan by their tender parts. I’m talking about people who tamper with products thinking its one giant joke. Remember the Elmo Potty scandal from last year?

We all know Elmo. Elmo is a such a toddler icon, he has his own world. Elmo’s World … Elmo’s World … you get the idea. Well apparently some doofus from the lower end of the gene pool thought it would be funny to tamper with some of the latest Talking Elmo books. Some of a specific batch of “Potty Time with Elmo” books say “Who wants to die?” rather than “Who wants to try to go potty?”

Obviously a huge difference, and not one that’s necessarily fun to try to explain to a toddler. I don’t know what, if anything happened, I never heard if they caught the creep responsible. The general direction I’m heading with this though is this … what type of person finds this amusing? Did these people have a twisted childhood to create their twisted sense of humor, or was this something that they just developed as adults?

What’s wrong with some people?

UPDATE: Well, never let it be said that I’m perfect. I went in search of the answer to what eventually happened with this situation, and it turns out there was apparently no tampering found. What actually happened was an audio file got compressed to a point where a voice saying “Who wants to try to go potty” ended up as “Who wants to die?”. So now, rather than lay the blame at the feet of one twisted individual, I have to wonder how this was not somehow caught during the months and months of development?

Elmo, Potty Time With Elmo, Elmo’s World, children’s books

Alex is a stuffed animal kind of guy. We have Bob, the Blue Monkey, Leo the Lion, and even Crush the Sea Turtle. But we are soon to add a new member to our stuffed toy family. We haven’t decided just yet what to name him, but we’re throwing around Oobi since we’re such a big fan of the tv show. Oobi is actually a “Snuggly Doll” , a handmade lovey that can (and will!) be personalized with a cursive or block “A” for Alex. He’ll look something like this …

Our Oobi will be blue, because, well, because Alex is a boy and blue is just where it’s at. But you can actually get Snuggly Dolls in Pink, Blue, Green, Yellow, or White. The sizing on these little guys are great. Big enough for your little one to carry around, small enough to fit in a diaper bag. Great for using as a makeshift pillow in the stroller, and no hard pieces (like stick on noses or eyes) that you have to worry about your toddler popping off and eating.

Snuggly Dolls are also great for newborns, as they work great for “propping” just under a shoulder, or against the side to keep a tiny one in the same place while sleeping.

If you’d like more info on Snuggly Dolls, feel free to email Amy at brycenamy1@yahoo.com.

And when Oobi arrives, we’ll make sure we’ll be sharing pictures with you all!!

Oobi, Snuggly Doll, toddler toys

In the interest of fairness, I thought it was high time I gave V-Tech a little love in the toddler toy arena. Don’t get me wrong, LeapFrog and I are the best of friends, we even been known to trade skin care tips on occasion, but V-Tech pulls up a close second in the “Keeping Alex Happy” category. And the “Keeping Alex Happy” category is the most important category of all around our house. Ask anybody.

Our latest V-Tech addition is the 3 in 1 Smart Wheels. It helps us learn our numbers, our letters, our shapes, our colors, AND the basic workings of most cars. I’m not talking how to replace an alternator exactly, but “the horn sounds like this” and so on. It also has WORKING turn signals, which is more than I can say for the majority of the cars currently cruising around the streets of our town. This is a great addition to any toy collection, and should be given extra consideration by any toddler who’s Daddy is a car buff. In our case for instance, Alex’s Daddy, Nicklas, is what you mainlanders might call “a car guy.” In reality, he bleeds transmission fluid, owns stock in GM, and is a firm believer that engine size REALLY DOES matter. Naturally, Alex believes Daddy is the neatest, most mega-cool guy on earth, (something I’ve been known to believe myself whenever he cooks AND does the dinner dishes), so being like Daddy is a must. With various car projects in the works, Alex also sees Daddy and his “big boy” friends working on different “wheels” quite often. Though we have taught Alex to pay very little attention to the Ford guys in this group (some people apparently just won’t learn), he nonetheless enjoys having his own set of “wheels” to tool around the kitchen on (and he USES his turn signals I might add).

So, next time you find yourself perusing the multiple offerings at your local toy store, don’t forget to give the V-Tech 3 in 1 a little extra attention along the way.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go stop my husband from strapping a junior dragster engine on this thing.

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