The Christmas Review

With Christmas over and all the toys out of the boxes, I thought I'd give my quick review of the kids favorite pressies this year and the ones that didn't quite live up to their expectations.

Older kid first:

The IPod Shuffle - Jazz is really enjoying this pressie from us. She has put all her new CD's on it and is loving the slip covers that change the color. A bonus feature is that she is learning to multi-task! She IPods and watches TV, empties the dishwasher, gives the her sisters a bath (Dad put the kabosh on this activity), and even IPods while she's sleeping! My only fear is that she'll need perpetual noise in her ear to be productive at anything.

The Gift Card - Probably your best bet when shopping for a tweenager. She got cards to clothing stores, music stores, Wal-Mart, even one to get her hair done! Sweet!

Middle Kiddo:

Stuffed Things of Various Creed - Lila is very hot on sleeping with stuffed animals and dolls. It's a big decision each night about who makes the cut, and who ends up in the closet. Her new favs from Christmas are a huge horse she named Stella, a small pink poodle named Rose, and a Strawberry Shortcake Pillow Buddy that even smells like strawberry! I can tell you from experience that artificial strawberry scented dolls thrown in my face first thing in the morning are enough to make me puke. But she doesn't sleep with me, so she can stay. Lila did have one gift that didn't live up to her expectations. The Barbie and Me doll. This is the toy she asked Santa to bring her. It looked soft enough to sleep with and has pretty clothes. Santa came through and even brought one for her baby sister so there wouldn't be any fighting. But after removing the doll from the box, it was discovered that her fingers were sewn together and she was a little "weird" looking. Baby sister could not care less about hers, either. Barbie did make the cut and is sleeping on the bed, but I fear a life in the closet is in her near future.

Little One -

Babe received lots of pressies that she adores. Baby dolls, Teletubbies, noisy Wiggles stuff, and a couple of Elmos. However, my favorite is something that I bought for her. In the end, it means less scrubbing for me which is always a good thing. The winner is the Aquadoodle Coloring mat. A water filled pen that only works on the special mat. As you may know from previous posts, Violet is quite an artist around the house. This thing draws with water! Can it get any better? I submit that it cannot! I'll leave you with a picture of my budding Picasso. I hope everyone had a nice holiday and you have my best wishes for a great New Year!