Why bother?

Don't buy baby toys, it's a waste of money. And if you do hit up the local consignment shop and grab them for 1/3 of the original price. Your kid won't play with them anyway, she'll go for various kitchen items and drawers, laughing at you and the ridiculous toy you just bought.

We've been robbed!

HH: Bath time for Brooklyn!

Dump toys in water

DG: Where are the rest of her toys?

HH: What do you mean, they're all there?

DG: No, they are not. The penguin is missing, one of the starfish, the whale...

HH: Oh, really? Well I'm sure they are around here somewhere.

Start tearing bathroom apart looking for missing toys

DG: Wait, the maids were here today weren't they? The MAIDS stole them! They took them, can you believe it? I can't believe someone would steal from a child, that's just crazy. You have to say something to them Heather, because this week baby toys, next week, your $100 bottle of Coco Chanel dissapears.

HH: Nobody better touch my Chanel!

DG: I'll say something to them, this is ridiculous. I wonder what else they took.

HH: Yeah, that is crazy and I just can't believe it.

Moment of reality and reflection

HH: Hey baby, wasn't Brooklyn playing with those toys on our bed yesterday morning?

DG: Umm...yes.

Walks over to bed and pulls back the sheets

DG: Oh wait! Here they are, they got folded into the sheets. Whew, all toys accounted for.

DG: Maids did a great job today, house looks nice.

How quick we are to judge eh? Dom and I both felt a sting of guilt after that conversation realizing that we were the idiots who misplaced her plastic bath toys - worth about $3.00 I might add. I think I'm going to buy them their own set of bath toys as I know Anna Maria has a daughter a few months younger than Brooklyn. Maybe a batch of cookies too? I need some sort of secret peace offering since I wrongly accused them of theft!! Everyone likes chocolate chip right?

Blockhead

So I've already identified an area that could pose some serious conflict into my relationship, and that is the level at which we purchase things for our daughter. I'm guilty, yes, of wanting her to have lots of fun toys but Dom feels like with each toy we turn down we have taken something from her, denied her. Puh-lease. She's fine, "she has toys" I say. Now clothes and/or shoes....different story.

If I let him out on his own he will most definitely come home with something for her, the latest are a set of blocks from the Learning Express. I'm like "blocks? really?". Now I know every kid plays with a set of blocks at some point in their lives but at 6 months - what the hell is she going to do with these?

Let's see - she chews them, throws them, knocks them down, stares at them, LOVES them. These blocks even traveled via Continental airlines to Mexico and provided high valued entertainment most days. They have now landed in the bathtub. Something else that's amazing - we still have all six. So because I'm feeling very relaxed today I am going to go on record and admit defeat.

One day she'll appreciate her cute shoes...

New toy!

Okay so I hope we chose wisely when it came to Brooklyn's next toy. I swear I can already feel the pressure of "mom - Gracie's got a cooler toy than me!!!" And then Dom and I trying to determine if she needs it or just wants it before we go buy. In reality I think before kids turn 5 they should just play with old tupperware, cardboard boxes, pots, pans, and maybe a marker or crayon. But I can't have her not have the cool toys like the rest of the kids on the block. OMG what a nightmare. I blame the manufacturer's! There are a million baby toys out there, jumparoo's, exersaucers, walkers, blah blah blah. After much deliberation we settled on the exersaucer and it's adorable to watch her, she's just so happy to be able to stand!