Grandparents are for Spoiling

1. 

Sunday afternoon...inlaws are over for a visit, Baby C is looking through the Toys R Us Sunday ad and spots these walking/swimming puppies in the ad.  Next thing you know, they are all loaded in the car on the way to Toys R Us and come home with 2 new puppies for $50 (on sale!  Geez!)  This is the first time the inlaws have bought them toys, and I guess it's good to spoil them sometimes...i just hope Baby C is not expecting to get a new toy from the Sunday TRU ad everytime they are over! =P

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Balance Bikes

We are shopping for a balance bike for Baby C's 3rd birthday. It's a cool concept that is popular in Europe, but catching on here in the U.S. What's a balance bike you might ask? Here is a short description off the www.littlerollers.com website:

"Two-wheelers with no pedals, otherwise known as balance bikes, run bikes, or strider bikes, allow kids to learn the basic fundamentals first (balancing, leaning and turning). Kids learn naturally how to ride, and going from a strider to a real pedal bike happens in no time."

We were first eying the "Skuut" (rhymes with hoot), but a couple moms in my mother's club turned me on to the "Strider" bike...and there is a distributor here in CV, and I could go over to her house and "test drive" the bikes in her culdesac (she only carries 3 models). So that's what we did! We test drove the Strider and KaZam bikes.

Here are some pictures of our test drive. Baby C's only request was that it was pink. She did not really have a preference to which model, they both fit her fine since the handlebars and seats are adjustable. I could not decide so I checked in with Daddy J and then went back that evening to buy a pink Strider. More pictures/videos to come as Baby C masters her new bike! Very exciting!!!

Baby C modeling the KaZam Bike.

Baby C modeling the Strider Bike.

Baby B's New Toy Stash

In an attempt to keep the toys that Baby B chews on safe and BPA-free, I went shopping for some new loot for her. Baby C was not much of a drooler/chewer, so I did not really have many chew toys for her.

I shopped online, so I did not really get to touch a feel the toys first. Most of the toys were not too pricey (so I would not really care if she did not play with them much), but two of them were a bit pricey (IMO for um, plastic!), and I really hope she likes them, otherwise I would feel real ripped off! LOL! I have not tried all the toys on her yet, but so far so good...

Look At Me! I am So COol!

OK, so I am not ashamed to say that I am a Star Trek fan. I used to watch the old school Captain Kirk ones...plus TNG (The Next Generation) with Jean-Luc Picard, and even some of the Voyager series. BUT, I have not seen any of the movies (weird), but am excited about the nexw Star Trek movie that just came out. Unfortunately, we will probably catch it when it comes out on DVD because with the kiddies in tow, we just can't get away...

Check out these kick ass glasses we got at Burger King. They also have cool kids meal toys that say something geeky like "Beat me up Scotty". There are like 16 of them and there is no way we are eating that many fast food meals before this promotion is over. I will have to see if I can just buy them without the meal. I know, I am such a nerd, but they are SO cool! LOL!

Sophie Giraffe

Now that Baby B is starting to reach for things and chew on them, and with all the news about toys that have harmful BPA, Phthalates, etc, I would like Baby B to chew on some safe toys. Now, I am not going to switch out our whole toy repertoire (because we have A LOT of toys that I was hoping to be used for BOTH kids), but for the ones that she chews on, I want them to be safe. I am also going to be switching out our whole stash of sippie cups.

Here is a picture of Baby B chewing on Sophie Giraffe (Thanks AW!). She is made of 100% natural rubber and food paint, I can be assured that Baby B will not be ingesting bad stuff. Baby C was not really that much of a chewer/sucker, etc, so at least I don't feel like a total bad mommy!

My biggest worry right now is to keep it away from the dog. Every time he hears Sophie squeak, he goes nuts and is constantly stalking it! One bite from Max and Sophie is toast. That would be a very pricey dog chew toy! YIKES!