Friday, November 17, 2006
12:31 AM
Gracie's shopping for Christmas is done. We got a few things, but I think I am going to put one aside for a Tet gift. As far as big gifts, we got her a Animal Ark, Leapfrog Learning Table, and a 4-in-1 Ride On, which seemed to be like the "Tickle Me Elmo" of this year's infant set. It was SO hard to find. I was just going to forget it, but once I started looking for it, it became an obsession for me. I found one, and so that's her big gift. I tried to get things that wouldn't be gifts that she would grow out of too soon. We also got her some little pool toys (water scoops, mesh toys, etc.) for her stocking. The Ark came yesterday, and it was SO hard not to give it to her today because I think she's going to love it. But Tom put it at the very top of the closet so neither of us can reach it ;)
Funny story about the Ark... iPlay, the company that makes the Ark, also made Gracie's current favorite toy- her little roll around school bus. It was one of the first things I got her, and she still loves it just as much. Gracie LOVES her school bus, which is why I wanted the Ark for her. The school bus is the only toy she keeps together in one piece (meaning the pieces that go with it aren't spread all over the house), and she keeps with her all the time. She rolls the bus all over, moves the people in and out. It plays "Wheels on the Bus", which is her FAVORITE song (besides Ben Folds' "Rent a Cop", but that's a story for another day...) It lights up and beeps and has a motor sound and a sound of the door opening and closing, and the driver talking.
The funny thing is that each of the people are a shape, and when you put them into their "seat" on the bus, they say what shape they are. However, iToys appears to be a European company, so the people's accents are all VERY British. The little boy says "Skuh-wah" instead of "Square". The little girl says "Twy-ayn-gul" instead of "triangle". There's also a "Stah" and a "Suh-kle". It's VERY cute, and everyone notices. I think it's incredibly witty and cool, and I secretly hope that Gracie picks up on it. Anyway, I was kinda hoping the animals on the ark would do it, too, but they just make animal sounds. Oh well.
My snowglobe came. I am so glad to have it back. I will post some photos soon, and then I will place it high up on a shelf and there it will stay. The lady who sold it to me smokes, which surprised me. I don't know why it always shocks me whenever something I buy off ebay or whatever comes from a smoker. I guess I am still shocked that things can pick up the smell of smoke so easily. I mean, I know people who smoked, and my parents smoked when I was a kid. I smoked for a year or two (a bone infection when I was 18 kicked that habit RIGHT in the trash...) It just amazes me that you can tell so much about someone by the smell of something. Smoke is one of the few things that lingers like that.
After Tom and I lived in our old condo for a few months, we decided to replace the verticals on the sliding doors with some sheers. When we took down the YELLOW verticals, we were shocked to find out they were supposed to be white. When Tom was unscrewing them from the wall, smoke was literally pouring out of them. The guy who owned the condo before us was named Simon, and he was an old Greek sailor that smoke like a chimney. I know this because he owned the best damn Greek restaurant in town, and I always hoped his hummus making abilities might rub off on me after I moved in and cooked in his kitchen. No luck. But he used to sit right outside the kitchen and smoke all night.
Anyway. I guess the verticals got the brunt of the smoking he did inside, and then Tom got the brunt of the smoke coming back off them. They were that plastic-y aluminum, so they didn't absorb the smell so much as *store* it for a few years. You know something is gross when Tom gets so squicked out by the smell and the smokiness he decides to bring a 12 foot wide set of verticals down to the trash at 3am. (Yes, that's when we decided to hang curtains. When we were childless, we did things like that.)
Now the only thing we do at 3am is prepare a bottle or change a stinky diaper. Oh, how times have changed. However, I'd much rather be doing Gracie things than hanging curtains, ya know?
I cannot wait to be buying toys for Christmas presents!! I want our Lucy now.
Posted by Kelly @ November 17, 2006 09:30 AM
The British accents on the bus toy sound so cute! I'm sure she'll love her other gifts, too :) And the blind/smoke story - ACK! That's awful.
Posted by Amy @ November 17, 2006 11:58 AM
I know the feeling really well of wanting to give my baby her Christmas gifts early just to see the sparkle in her eyes. I have a secret in that for Chloe's first Christmas I was so excited that we slowly ended up giving her all her gifts BEFORE Christmas except one! I just wanted to see her expression.
Posted by melinda @ November 17, 2006 01:34 PM
I know what you mean about how you'd rather be doing Gracie things than hanging curtains. :) I know I'll feel the same way once we bring Adriana home. I would gladly trade away free time for my baby! :) Glad you got the snowglobe, though. What a great story to tell Gracie when she gets older!
Posted by Sandy @ November 19, 2006 08:59 PM
