Birthday-Mania Week Begins

A few days ago I wrote a post on this site asking begging for help in finding the perfect gift for Lu’s second birthday. Well, I took some of your advice and also added some of my own ideas. Here’s what I came up with:

Lu needed a new backpack for the preschool she will start in one (eek!) week. I spent a few weeks attempting to find one that wasn’t shiny, plastic and covered in photos of Dora the Explorer or Winnie the Pooh. I ended up falling in love with this one from Pottery Barn Kids, which was, admittedly, way more expensive than a backpack should be for a two-year-old. But it was too late, I was smitten.

I decided to fill the backpack with little toys I’ve collected here and there. Most were purchased at The Learning Tree in Leawood, Kansas.

The loot. A few favorites are highlighted below, though I pretty much loved everything I got her.

This blow fish was set up right next to the boy versions of the above backpack at Pottery Barn Kids. In fact, they had quite a few fun, little, gifts, but since they were all $15 each, I restrained myself. But I just couldn’t with this little guy. Lu’s obsession with bubbles has been well documented, and with her ongoing love affair with Finding Nemo, I figured I couldn’t leave the store without this little guy. (Sorry, I guess you can only get these in the store, because I can’t find it on the Pottery Barn Kids website.)

Books for kids can be a bit, um, stupid. After you’ve read about the love the mother doggie has for her puppy for the millionth time, you would do anything for a laugh. Hell, a chuckle would suffice. I mean, these are books for children, right? They should have a certain level of silliness. So it’s no surprise I’m a big fan of Sandra Boynton board books. They are all a bit strange and funny, including this one, called “Birthday Monsters.” At one point, the monsters tell the birthday hippo to go play hide and seek, and after 20 minutes he finds them cleaning out the fridge. I know Lu will love this. As she is a big fan of both hippos and monsters.

For Christmas this year, I bought Lu her first Ugly Doll named Ox. Currently, Ox has a permanent post at the foot of her crib, where he’s always on the lookout for monsters. I figured Lu should have another little guy to take to the new preschool, just in case she gets scared during the day. Enter Poe, the ugly dragon who dreams about ice cream and doesn’t like to fly because it’s too much work.

Even though I ended up spending a bit more than I wanted to, I think the gifts will work out great. And since we decided to have a small picnic (weather permitting, grrrr) instead of a party, I felt I could spend a bit more on Lu than I did last year. Because last year I spent all of zero dollars on her birthday gift, which I’m sure will lead to months of therapy in her teenage years.