My 5-year-old recently presented me with this drawing – her depiction of Christmas morning:

She said the girl in the drawing is doing a celebratory dance on Christmas morning because of “all the presents.” It’s possible she didn’t use the word “celebratory”, but still, I think this is going to be a little difficult to live up to. As a self-proclaimed toy expert, I try really hard not to make bad purchasing decisions this close to Christmas. I also try not to let my emotions get involved in my toy buying decisions because that’s how we ended up with “Fluffy” the giant stuffed horse that has taken up an entire corner of my 8-year-old’s bedroom since the age of FOUR.

Let’s relive the “fluffy” debacle again for our listening audience.

Fluffy was the culmination of two of my daughter’s dearest loves – stuffed animals and horses. Though she’d never been on an actual horse, she’d devoted all of her 4-year-old being into worshipping them in the form of movies, drawings and many many stuffed animals. Here is a rough depiction of “Fluffy”

This particular horse, manufactured by Melissa & Doug, stands about 43″ tall – about the same height as Fluffy. When my daughter was 4, she stood eye-to-eye with it. Of course, we don’t actually have the Melissa & Doug version. We have the Sam’s club version which is not quite as detailed and also sings “Home on the Range” when you press one ear and makes neighing/galloping sounds when you press the other. At least, it used to. Now it just makes disturbing shrieky noises that vaguely resemble the neighing of a horse when you press one ear, and does nothing when you press the other.

On Christmas morning, Fluffy was a hit (after my 4-year-old got over her initial terror of its sheer size). She hugged it, she laid across its back and squeezed it’s ear. Over and over and over again. She refused to part with it. In fact, I had to drag it from room to room for the next two weeks. It got particularly difficult when I had to drag it up a flight of stairs into her room because while the outside is nice and soft, the internal structure of thing must be made out of steel or something. After a month of lugging it up and down the stairs, I began to loathe Fluffy. No amount of Christmas morning joy was worth the next 11 months of Fluffy’s ever-present visage in our family room. Now it’s four years later and the maniacal stuffed horse still stares at me with its evil little eyes from one very large corner of my daughter’s room.

So, this Christmas I will be strong. I will not get anything larger than a throw pillow for either child. I will not buy a “set” of Polly Pockets or Littlest Pet Shops that has 50 pieces and comes in a huge box because the kids LOVE to open the large gifts on Christmas morning. I WILL BE STRONG. As such, here are a few of the things I’ve selected.

8-year-old

The LARGE gift = LEGO City Coast Guard Patrol Boat and Tower

Yes, it’s a lot of pieces and yes, the models are rather large when together, but the beauty of Legos is that they break down into teeny tiny pieces that fit into one bin. It’ll keep her busy for a while, then she’ll move on, then she’ll rediscover the Lego bin and make something on her own. Chew on that, Fluffy!

5-year-old

The LARGE gift = Playmobil Garden Center

Legos are really too much for my 5-year-old at this point. I got this set at a local toy store. They also have it on Amazon for considerably more money, but you get the idea. The thing I like about Playmobil is that after the initial set up which involves me sitting on the living room rug and cursing for 45 minutes, the toy is very self-sufficient. Or, rather, my 5-year-old can be self-sufficient in her play. Playmobil is very detailed and really excellent for imaginative play. It also breaks down into very small lego-like pieces perfect for storing in bins.

I have lots more up my sleeve this Christmas. More later..

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