These past few weeks I’ve been a shopping fool picking up new baby toys for Monkey. So what that Monkey will only be 6 months at Christmas… He’ll have a lot of presents to open… well, make that a lot of presents that Tarzan and I will be opening for him. :) It’s his first Christmas & I want to make it memorable, if nothing else but to put a smile on my face (& Tarzan’s too)!
I know that Monkey won’t be able to open his presents, but I’m excited about the endless photo ops that will be present. I know that I’ll be wrapping all of these gifts & then unwrapping them as well, but it doesn’t matter. I’m over the moon about Christmas this year & it’s all because of my son. You only have your first Christmas once!
This is just the start of many Christmas traditions that will take place each year from now on. I’m so excited!
Many of you have asked what we’ve bought for Monkey for Christmas, so I’m going to post everything that we’ve gotten here. I’ll admit that I went into the room that I’ve been storing all of these gifts the other day & I was slightly amazed (& maybe a little embarrassed) at the amount of toys that I’ve bought so far. I know that we’ve gone overboard, but it makes me so happy to know Monkey will have a TON of new toys for him all of us to play with. (I often wonder if Tarzan is more excited about the new toys! I have to keep him away from them!)
Of course we got mostly toys that Monkey can grow into so that we can wait until his birthday to get older things (that’s the plan anyways). Along with toys, I’ve also got him some BabyLegs for his stocking, a duck that quacks, squirts water, & lights up, & a scuba swimmer that kicks, both for bath time. I also made him a “Baby ABC Book” from Shutterfly too.
So, here’s what I’ve bought for Monkey for Christmas after a TON of research….
Monkey’s New Baby Toys
1. Vtech Move and Crawl Ball – This colorful playmate keeps baby on the move and teaches with lessons that mom will love! This ball’s captivating light-up buttons introduce numbers and shapes to curious fingers.
Busy babies will also learn animal names and sounds from six, cute animal buttons. Just as the little one’s got it all figured out, this self-rolling ball gets baby moving.
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2. Take-Along TV Toy – Toteable TV is perfect for toddlers on the go. It plays “Old Mac Donald”. Wind up the TV and watch the farm scene gently roll around.
On/off switch puts little ones in control. No batteries required. Ages 9 months and up.
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3. Winkel – Engage and amuse your baby with the fascinating Winkel.
Babies will have a ball playing with this tangle of bright colors and fun textures; or parents can refrigerate the Winkel to turn it into a cooling and soothing teether. Measures 4.5″.
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4. Playskool Busy Basics: Busy Poppin’ Pals – This hands-on, pop-up activity toy introduces your child to different shapes, animals and cause-and-effect play, and rewards discovery with colorful critters! A lever, beeper, key and switches are easy for little hands to activate. As your child presses, turns and twists, she’ll be building fine motor skills and having fun as the colorful animals pop up to the corresponding action. There’s even a built-in carry handle for on-the-go play.
5. Fisher-Price Baby’s First Blocks – Ten bright blocks are ready for baby to drop into the open bucket or through the shape-sorting lid. Baby will love filling the bucket with blocks, dumping them out, then starting over again. Great for eye-hand coordination and other early skills. Then baby can move on to sorting and stacking and learning about identifying and matching shapes. Includes plastic shape-sorting box with take-anywhere handle and ten colorful blocks.
6. Fisher-Price Go Baby Go Crawl and Cruise Musical Jungle – This durable, plastic play station is set up as an arc, with a slide for balls wrapping around the center support and a bright orange monkey sitting above the slide. The monkey’s hands are cupped so that kids can practice balancing balls in them, and his arms move. Each time your child uses a ball or their hand to move one of his arms, he breaks out in song and stimulating, colored lights on the front of the jungle flash.
7. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Farm – Crawl through the barn door to start the fun on the farm – feed the friendly cow, flip the light switch, and meet all the farm animals. In the Learning Mode, baby learns early academics through each activity. In the Music Mode these same activities play music and encourage baby to play along. And in the Imagination Mode these activities teach baby experiential learning through fun role play and realistic sound effects. The alphabet, counting, opposites, animals, colors and more will be provided through this two sided role play toy. Farm comes with 3 shaped pieces for shape sorting and 3 eggs for chicken coop drop.
8. Push Around Buggy – Perfect for walks around the neighborhood or park, the Push Around Buggy is a colorful, comfortable ride-on for your little one. Parents control this cute coupe with a sturdy handle that can be removed and conveniently stored underneath the buggy. Beginner drivers “start” this buggy with a pretend click-start ignition key. Store additional supplies or goodies in a special compartment under the front hood. Includes a seat belt for extra security and a steering wheel with honking horn.
9. LeapFrog Alphabet Pal – Alphabet Pal has a silly giggle, flashing antennae and comical walk and he’s sure to tickle your child’s funny bone Four learning modes introduce letter names, letter sounds, colors and music. Pull Alphabet Pal’s string to hear the ABC song Parents can connect to the online LeapFrog Learning Path for customized learning insights and ideas to expand the learning.
10. LeapFrog Spin and Sing Alphabet Zoo – Animals go ’round and ’round while little tots learn their names and sounds. Whizzing motions, sparkling lights and cheerful songs introduce kids to the alphabet, from “alligator” to “zebra.” Three engaging modes help them learn: Letter, Animal and Music. In Letter Mode, the wheel stops on a letter and sounds out its name. Animal Mode lets little one discover 26 animals, along with their names and noises. Music Mode plays the alphabet song while little ones spin and play.
11. LeapFrog Learn and Groove Counting Maracas – Shake it up,1-2-3! With these LeapFrog Learn and Groove Counting Maracas, little movers and shakers can move to a learning groove. Sing, dance and count with these colorful maracas that engage your child and encourage interaction. Lights, sounds and music accompany your child as she learns counting, colors and music in both English and Spanish. Requires 3 “AAA” batteries, included. Each maraca measures 7″ long.
12. LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table – Provide a world of learning and musical fun for your child with the LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table. Designed for children ages six months to three years, this innovative toy is chock full of learning and musical activities designed to provide visual and auditory stimulation and motor skill development, as well as opportunities to learn about colors, the alphabet, and opposites for older children — and much more.
13. Playskool Busy Ball Popper – Get silly with poppin’, droppin’ colored balls! Pump the plunger and drop the balls onto the spiral track. When they reach the bottom, look out – the balls pop out the top! Giggles are guaranteed with wacky sound effects and 8 lively songs to help keep the fun rolling along. The Playskool Busy Ball Popper has won numerous toy awards, including American Baby’s Best Toy, Child Magazine’s Best Toy, and the NAPPA Gold Award.
14. Vtech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker – With a barnyard of friends to cheer baby on, your little one will love learning to walk with the Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker. Start her out with the easy-to-remove play panel for floor play or fun on the run. Then step it up with the fun-to-maneuver walker. A medley of fun awaits — with 3 spinning flowers, 5 piano keys, colorful rollers, 3 light-up shape sorters and a telephone handset. And the Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker keeps baby on track teaching shapes, colors, animals, music and more!
15. Baby Einstein Bendy Ball – Brightly colored ball is easy to grasp and roll. The soft, flexible plastic makes this ball easy for little fingers to bend and squeeze. It has recognizable Baby Einstein caterpillar character on center band. This has colorful rattle ball inside for additional sounds and visual stimulation. lay, rattle and roll! The colorful Baby Einstein Bendy Ball is flexible and includes sections that allow you to mix and match red, blue, yellow and green.
16. Baby Einstein Takealong Tunes – Promote music appreciation by introducing your little one to baby-friendly versions of classical masterpieces by Mozart, Vivaldi, Chopin and Rossini with the Baby Einstein Takealong Tunes! A large, easy-to-press button allows your baby to toggle through 7 high quality and enjoyable classical melodies at home or on-the-go! This baby’s version of an ”MP3 player” has colorful lights that dance across the screen to enhance each entertaining melody. Imported. . 7 baby-friendly classical melodies. Volume control. The colorful and easy to grasp caterpillar handle ensures that baby can ”takealong tunes” anywhere!
17. Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube – Fun, creative, and inspiring, the Magic Cube teaches how sounds combine to create eight Mozart masterpieces. With a touch of a button, this interactive cube lets your child add or subtract from any combination of five different instruments, including harp, French horn, piano, flute, and violin. Each selected instrument button flashes along to the beat of the music. An orchestra button even plays all the instruments at once.
18. A Hatful of Seuss – This collection of five complete, illustrated Dr. Seuss classics is a “hatful,” but you’d have to have a Cat-in-the-Hat-sized chapeau to contain all the treasures in this hefty book. Within its pages you’ll find Theodor Seuss Geisel’s exuberant creations Bartholomew and the Oobleck (1949), If I Ran the Zoo (1950), Horton Hears a Who! (1954), The Sneetches and Other Stories (1961), and Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book (1962). In Bartholomew and the Oobleck, a non-rhyming Seuss story, prepare for an eyeful of green goo.
Whew! It looks like I have some wrapping to do! But I’m excited about wrapping presents, listening to Christmas music, writing in our Christmas cards, decorating… this is my favorite time of year!
And I have a feeling that it’ll be Monkey’s too. :)
So I’m wondering, which of these toys did you get your little one? Also do any of you own any of the above? How does your child like it?
You might also want to read:
- Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Jolly End of December
- Ho, Ho, Ho: Christmas Traditions
- Furniture shopping on Christmas Eve: A tale of two monkeys
- Cloud B Sleep Sheep Review: The ultimate toy that puts Baby Monkey right to sleep every time!
- Want more free baby stuff? We’re giving away baby products (totally free) until Christmas!
= a post from Mommy Jane 
= a post from Daddy Tarzan
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Ummmm… where in the heck are we going to put all these toys Jane?!
My brother has the Alphabet pal toy for his 16 month old DD. There is a setting where the worm pronounces the letters phonetically… Let’s just say that after much experimentation we discovered there is no way to get the worm to say bad words. For example, pressing F-U-C cause the worm to say “He-he that tickles”.
Of course, we only attempted this to make sure that our children wouldn’t be exposed to such vulgar language…
The Busy Ball Popper… AWESOME! We have that toy and you’ll find the big kids racing to put the balls back in too
All kids have loved that toy. I also saw there’s a new one out that pops the balls onto the floor to promote crawling. I can’t wait to buy that one also for the new baby on the way.
The Walker… We don’t have that exact one, but we’ve had 2 different ones now and they are so great for learning to walk. Both my kids loved them for walking. Ours now is a wooden one that’s full of blocks. So after learning to walk with it, they just push it around and play blocks and build towers.
And the MP3 player… This got WAY more use than I expected. The kids would just walk around with it, pushing it over and over. And of course when they were younger they’d take it in the car and push it repeatedly.
And finally… The first blocks… This toy got used to learn to put the blocks in at first, but now it makes a MUCH cooler way to just carry other toys around
haha They love this little bucket.
You have lots of great toys!!
We had a push around buggy for our son too and he LOVED it. Spinning the steering wheel, “honking” at people – it was hard to get him out of it at the end of the walk!
Wow! They all look like great toys but the attention span of a 6 month old-1 year old baby may disappoint you. As a mother of three, soon to be four, we used to do that and quickly realized the realities of over stimulation. He may grow out of a lot of those things before he’s spent more than a few minutes with them. But anyway, have a great Christmas and perhaps it’s just me with kids that latch onto one thing and ignore the rest.
To be perfectly honest, my pediatrician always told me not to even buy my kids anything for Christmas at this age. Not that I listened to him, but there are so many relatives that are willing to buy things for your baby, not to mention they have no clue what’s going on at this age. Sorry to disappoint you, but at this age, most likely he will end up sitting and playing with the wrapping paper and ribbons more than the toys themselves. I think you got a lot of great stuff there, but I’d return half of it, or save them for his birthday when he’s a little more aware and wants to actually play with it all!
Wow that is a helluva lot of plastic!! be warned he’ll be much more interested in the wrapping paper!
My baby will be 7months for Christmas. She is getting some wooden blocks, a set of stacking cups, a soft photo book where you can put your own pictures of family in, some more board books, and some clothes. Hehe – and I thought I was overdo-ing it!!
Thanks for commenting, everyone! I am totally aware that I bought too much & that Monkey won’t care about it.
I just couldn’t help it being his first Christmas. I also know that he probably won’t even open his own gifts, but I still did it. What can I say? I’m a sucker for these “firsts”. LOL. I hope that he is at least interested in the paper, like some of y’all said. That will be fun to watch!! & all of these presents will be good for him to grow into… so that we don’t have to buy much until his 1st birthday. Perhaps that’s just wishful thinking though. 
We bought our son the Fisher-Price Baby’s First Blocks for Chanukah one year. He is 2 1/2 and still plays with it to this day. I have heard amazing things about the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Farm. We have the older house version from when our now six year old was little. Both of the boys loved it and the Farm only looks better. We bought the LeapFrog Spin and Sing Alphabet Zoo as a gift for my niece (now 2) last Chanukah. She loves it and so do my boys when we go to visit. You really can’t go wrong with Leap Frog. We had the original LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table for our oldest. He loved it. We never brought it down for the little guy (oops) because there was something wrong with it and batteries did not work.
All of the other items looks great as well. We never bought the boys much early on because our family bought them a ton for Chanukah and birthday presents. I hope you and Tarzan enjoy exploring them alongside of Monkey.
Wow… that is a lot of plastic toys. Maybe you might want to think about some other kinds of toys, too? And also, not everything needs to flash lights and make music. Quiet toys or toys that inspire imaginations can be very nice, too.
Jane,
Well, we know who’s on Santa’s “nice” list don’t we? Awww…I think it’s sweet that you are excited for Monkey and the fact that it will be his first Christmas and you and Tarzan’s first Christmas with a baby!
I’m very excited too, but I have no clue what to get my little one…She’s pretty happy with what she’s got now. I’ve discovered that her highchair can convert to an infant/toddler seat which allows her to sit up. I’m sooo glad because now I don’t need to get her the swing. She loves her rattle and this thing called the Bright Starts Play Place. It converts from a play mat to a mini play pen and play tunnel with tonnes of hanging toys/rattles.
I have yet to get into the Christmas sprite. I just managed a wreathe on the front door. Need to put the tree up next. Make a list, write cards and then….Go shopping!
Is it just me or are the holidays coming way to soon?
I think you’re working for the company! trying to sell some merchandise for the toy companies, eh?
Ha.
Oh my gosh… what a huge amount of toys it must of cost you a small furtune. We are only getting our girl one big present and some clothes and some small things to put in her stocking our house is tiny we have out grown it already so there is no way we would buy that much for her hehehe
it will still be an amzing first christmas I also want to buy a new tree as our christmas tree is crappy
Wow. Just wow. And not a good wow at that.
This is my first child, but I work with kids and have used several of the toys you chose (busy ball popper and the moracca’s (sp) to mention a couple). We also have the little Baby Einstein radio that we got secondhand at a garage sale. All are very entertaining toys. You actually gave me a few ideas!
As for me, I’m aiming for stuff he can use here in the next couple of months…some stacking cups/rings, possibly the kick ‘n play piano and a few items that he can work with his hands. We’re also getting him a walker as his ‘big’ gift. I think it’s perfectly within your rights to go a little nuts on Monkey’s first Christmas. I’m not a Christmas person, but get excited thinking about traditions and sharing that day with my son…and on the bright side, you’ll be set on toys for a long while!
We have the Winkel (is that what it’s called?) and the B. Einstein takalong tunes.
The Winkel is AWESOME. You might just want to give it to Monkey now. It won’t hurt him if he brings it to his mouth too quick since it’s soft and rubbery. It’s one of the few teethers out there that my little guy’s small fingers can grasp. It goes everywhere with us and he’s always holding onto it in his carseat. It’s his favorite toy, plain and simple.
The takealong tunes are nice. But my little guy will probably like it better in another month or 2. It’s kinda heavy for him right now.
We’re getting our son some sort of walker. I like the Playskool one. And some little stocking stuffers. He’s got so much already and he’ll likely get a lot of nice stuff from grandparents and aunts and uncles.
About all the gifts. Good for you if that’s what you want to do to celebrate Monkey’s first Xmas. But beware of setting up a precedent for LOTS of gifts every Xmas. Great if you always have lots of money (and space) to spend on your kids. But it could be tough on them if you have a rough year someday.
I’ll get these two out of the way first…
@NMN … Personally, I’d really love for you to explain your comment.
@Bella … Working for the toy companies? I wish we were. I have some great toy ideas that I’d love to have them design!
OK…
To everyone else – thanks for your comments
It’s Monkey’s first Christmas. Did we go a little overboard? Sure. But I know we’re not the first parents who did and know we won’t be the last. 
Looking back at photos of my first Christmas, I had a TON of presents as well.
We needed to stock up a little. We really don’t have a ton of toys – and this was a good time to stock up on items he’d play with down the road.
I’m a VERY, VERY big believer in allowing one to use their imagination. Large logo type blocks, wooden blocks, and eventually action figures that don’t make any noise are the BEST toys. I’m an only child and growing up I had to use my imagination a lot because most of my toys didn’t require batteries! So believe me, Monkey will get a LOT of time to do that.
So again, thanks for the nice comments from nice people above.
And to the other ‘not so nice commenters’ above and those that we had to delete for use of bad words or people being idiotic, BAH-HUMBUG to you! LOL! I swear, the Holidays bring out the best or worst in people. They’re the type of people who will steal your parking spot at the mall on Christmas Eve and flick you off because you looked at them funny. They’re the types of people who will cut you in line, thinking they deserve to be ahead of everyone else. Well, someday they’ll find the true meaning of Christmas… and when they finally realize it, they’ll look around and see what they truly took for granted and missed out on.
Christmas to me holds some of the best memories of my life. My family. The food. The laughter. The games. The presents. Christmas is what you make of it – and for our first, we’re going to make it the best we’ve ever had. It’s our first and we want to do everything we can to make it the most memorable for Jane and I. Monkey of course will just have to watch the videos and see the photos years down the road to see what went on unless he has a REALLY good memory.
Tis the season to be happy. You only have one first Christmas with your new baby like Jane said. It all comes down to doing what makes you happy. And for us, that just so happens sitting under the tree unwrapping all the presents we wrapped for Monkey. But truly, it doesn’t matter if we got him 492 presents or 1 present – or even none. It’s not the presents that matter, how much you spent or didn’t spend, or any of that. What matters is being with your family, being happy, and knowing that many years of happy Christmas family traditions are to come.
I just realized that I make too many
’s in my replies. Eeks. It’s almost like connect the dots!
Well Put Tarzan its not about the present or the money spent its about creating memories – Maybe some people and my self included are just a little jealous because we have not been able to for what ever reason get so many toys for our little ones – I wish I could afford all the toys in the world but I cant my little girl is not with out thou and she always comes first but a part me was jealous when I saw all the presents that little monkey will be getting
Still I love you guys and your blog I think you are both wonderful parents and Monkey is one very lucky little boy
Bravo Tarzan! I loved your explanation on the not so nice commentators, because you are exactly right. And the sad thing is most will never realize the fact that everyone has the right to live their lives the way THEY want to, not the way OTHERS think they should. This is your first baby, and the first for family traditions and pictures to keep to show your son later on in his life. I think you two are so cute! I will be just as excited when I have my first child. Have fun this Christmas! I love reading your posts!!
Put yourself out in the open and people will of course attack you. Very rude!
I am 7 months pregnant with our first child and I keep thinking about how her first Christmas she’s going to be a year old… and how my husband and I absolutely can’t freaking wait! Our baby isn’t even here yet and she has a ridiculous amount of things- mostly bought by my mother.
This is a great page for me to bookmark so I can refer to it in the future- thanks!
I think the enthusiasm for his first Christmas is sweet, reminds me of the toys my Mom will likely send for our baby who will be about the same age, I’m hoping to find a toy box to contain all the stuff that comes his way.
Wow. So much plastic! You’re gonna be kicking that crap around the house until your summer garage sale! Lol. Talk about overboard!
Wow. At first I felt bad for you not having maternity insurance and having to pay for Monkey’s birth out of pocket, but you could obviously afford to do so. I guess there is a reason you got turned down for all the programs that would have made it cheaper! They knew you could afford to pay for it.
We got a lot of stuff for our oldest sons first Christmas, some of it we put away and brought out later. Some of it stays at Grandmas. Maybe Monkey will only get a few months play out of some of these things, but what about all the little siblings? they’ll have lots of fun sharing all Monkeys toys when they come around!
Good lord. People, give it a rest!
Jane, THANK YOU for taking the time to post all the toys you got for Monkey. It gave me a lot of great ideas. I know you all will have a great Christmas!
Normally I think NMN is very brash, but I kind of agree this time. 18 presents for a 6 month old?! Seriously, 18!?! All of the complaining you did about having to pay for Monkey’s delivery out of pocket, how you couldn’t afford it, blah, blah, blah, and you buy 18 presents for a 6 month old who won’t even remember all this junk. Jeez, I could understand a few nice gifts for memories but WOW!
Thanks for the positive comments everyone! Well, minus a few not-so-nice comments above. Jane and I can only laugh about how people jump to conclusions. Who said we paid for each and every toy ourselves? Who said we didn’t use any gift certificates to get these items for Monkey – instead of buying things for ourselves?
Not that I feel the need to stick up for ourselves, but I want to prove a point here to the no-to-nice comments…
Take a guess how much we spent for the LeapFrog Alphabet Pal? It retails for $20.99. Any guesses? We got it brand new for $0.49. Yes, 49 cents! Jane used a combination of coupons, a flier, and her good charm at the checkout.
She actually bought 2 of them so we can give one as a Christmas present to a family member who has a baby.
And what about the LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table? Retails for $34 or $39. Jane got it for $19 – plus free shipping.
And BabyLegs… Instead of $12, Jane got them for $3.00 plus free shipping. And that was right on the BabyLegs website.
So really? You want to make your rude little comments – go right ahead.
You also don’t know that Jane spent DAYS researching all of these toys, prices, searched for the best deals, drove to many stores, etc. You just made assumptions – whatever those may have been. Reminds me of someone who we used to have comment here on our blog awhile back. She was a crazy commenter. She finally stopped after a reply comment I made to her – our readers may remember her. LOL!
Anyway, I really want a video ipod touch. With the Amazon gift certificates I have, I could have bought one. But instead, I decided to get my son presents for his first Christmas. Jane could have also used some of the money in her PayPal account to buy herself some new clothes or something else she wanted. Instead, she got Monkey some presents.
It amazes me how fast people jump to conclusions. Don’t these people have anything else better to do? I don’t know if it’s jealousy or what.
The comment about us not having maternity insurance… That was over a year ago. If you go way back and read those posts, you’ll see what we went through and how hard times were – not to mention some of the most stressful times in my life. Yes, they denied us because we make more than $1200 a month or whatever it was. But again, a year has passed. Sorry I forgot to post how I worked 20+ hours a day 7 days a week in order to pay the bills. Sorry how I forgot to mention that I had to sell a LOT of things I really loved. Sorry I forgot to mention how a couple of weeks would go by without me leaving the house – working around the clock to ensure Jane could stay home with Monkey and to get us back on track. Oh well. It’s probably something you’ll never understand…
Jane and I have worked VERY hard over the last year to better ourselves, our lives, finances, etc. Why?
Because we have a baby. Our priorities have changed. Our motivation increased 100 fold.
Now that we’re getting back on our feet and because we chose use gift cards, paypal $$, etc. to buy things for Monkey instead of ourselves and even each other (Yes, Jane and I will be just getting each other little things for Christmas because this one is all about our little Monkey) we are very happy with our decision. Jane saved a ton of money by being a very smart shopper. You have to be in this economy, you know?
Huh. Err. And Grrr.
I’ll have to be honest. Blogging about pregnancy was so much easier and more fun.
People didn’t attack you or your wife for various things.
Awhile back I was floored how Jane was attacked here by multiple people while she was going through her postpartum depression. (Go back a couple of months and read some of those posts and you’ll see what I mean.)
Now that we have Monkey, we have to turn off the little voice that makes us second guess what we write. That’s no fun… especially when you are anonymous on your blog so you can freely share everything, the good, the bad, etc.
Now believe me, I know. The negative comments come with the territory if you choose to blog about anything going on in your life. We knew what we were getting into – but I’ll admit, I never expected it to be like this once Monkey was born.
There are some who have their VERY strong opinions and decide to share them. That’s fine – that’s what blog comments are for – and we of course welcome comments. We just don’t welcome attacks or people who try to put Jane down for whatever reason. (Usually to make themselves feel better… and they often comment on many blogs a day with negative comments in order to make themselves feel better. Sad.)
Now don’t get me wrong. There are a LOT of you – especially those of you who have been around since the beginning of this blog – and Jane and I appreciate your comments more than you know. 99% of you have been so helpful. We love you guys!!!!
But on the flip side, dealing with the other 1%, and a a husband, it’s no fun having your wife come up to you a few times a week second guessing a decision we made or something we got for Monkey because of a rude comment. (And believe me, some people go way past the line in their comments that you never see.)
It just amazes me how things have changed here now that we’ve had our little Monkey. People are strange sometimes. As soon as some people have a child, a small percentage change into “weird adults”.
You see those types of people comment on this blog from time to time.
We’ve had friends over the years who turned into “those” people. People who forgot what it’s like to be their selves. People who forgot to let loose and live a little. People who forgot to laugh, how to have fun, and not take everything so seriously. All they talk about is how so-and-so raises their kid, and how they shouldn’t do this or that. They feel they are superior and their life soon revolves around what other parents are doing right or wrong. (Know anyone like that?)
And in the process of that, they lose touch with their selves. Their true selves. The people they used to be. Becoming a parent changes people. That’s for sure. Some for the better and some, well… let’s say they went to the dark side.
Jane and I are from from perfect. We don’t think everything we do or have done is perfectly right. We obviously know having a public blog will attract an attacker now and then. That comes with the territory. But before you attack, do some homework and take into consideration that you don’t know all the facts. Because if you attack or get nasty, both myself and many other readers may have to set you back down of off your pedestal. (And some of our readers aren’t so gentle, some may just throw you down! LOL)
But hey, when it comes to raising our little Monkey, what we buy or don’t buy him, we do the best we can with what we know and what we can do. Isn’t that what being a parent is all about?
I’ve never commented before but have been a longtime reader of this blog. I felt like I had to comment after so many people ragged on you guys. People will say rude things because they are jealous. Point blank. Misery loves company – Remember how many people were there when you were about to lose your house and needed to pay for everything out of pocket. I think they could relate to you. Now it seems like you guys are doing a lot better and you aren’t on the same level anymore. Whether people want to admit it or not, it’s hard to see people doing good when you aren’t.
Anyways, I think it’s awesome that Monkey will have a great big Christmas. I wish that we would have been able to give my daughter that kind of first Christmas. I hope that it’s a magical time for you three and don’t let these negative people get to you. They don’t matter and don’t let them take away your happiness. Happy HOlidays!
@ Annie … Thank you for commenting. You need to come around and comment more!
You’re right. Misery loves company. It’s sad but true the number of people reaching out to us when we were going through some tough times – comparing the increase in negativity now. So sad. Fact of the matter is, in this economy it’s tough for everyone. My Jane has become quite the bargain hunter, which, well, she wasn’t one before she got pregnant! But I’m sure a lot of people have made that switch.
Anyway, thanks again and no worries, a few crazed commenters won’t spoil our fun day! Happy Holidays to you too!
Tarzan and Jane I am sorry if any of my comments offended you guys they were not intended that way. Like Annie I agree people are jealous that you guys are now doing so well for yourselves its hard to see people doing well when your own situation has not improved
I will admit i was shocked when i saw so many toys but who am i to judge we only get little snippits of your life and I think we feel like we know you but in truth we only get to see a tiny bit of your life.
We only have to see how little you post on here to know how hard you are working to make a better life for Jane Monkey and Yourself I wish my Partner was the same instead he is trying to find ways to get him self fired from his job because he do not like it oh well this is life it has its ups and downs.
Please dont stop blogging I don’t know what i would do if I did not have this blog it has been so helpful in many ways
Peta – You didn’t offend us at all; we love your comments! I know that it seems like a lot of gifts & I just tend to overdo it on all occasions & I’ll be the first to admit it. When T turned 30 yrs old, I bought him 30 presents & took him & all the presents to Vegas so this overboard kind of thing is just who I am.
No worries – We won’t stop blogging just bc a few people think we are insane for buying our son so many toys. Eh. But I do have to agree w/ my husband, blogging on here was a lot more fun when I was pregnant. Hope you have a good day
I think they are all great selections. I would say we have about half of them between our 2 kids. Also, the catepillar is very fun if you set it to the phonics mode and then try to put sounds together that would make a swear words. Just try it and see what happens.
Well, I’ll say I’m not jealous, and I wouldn’t presume everyone commenting that it’s a lot of gifts is “just jealous”. It’s a lot of gifts, no two ways about it. And there are probably a lot of readers who have more experience than you and me about raising children and they’re just trying to be helpful by letting you in on what they know is likely to be true .
You just have to realize that a lot of us felt really bad for you when you were experiencing your financial troubles. We gave you lots of advice about cutting costs, budgeting, etc. Then you proceeded to make a lot of decisions that seemed, well, that someone worried about their finances wouldn’t necessarily make unless they were in serious denial.
So, for me, you guys lost a lot of credibility, but at the same time this blog became really entertaining after all that.
If you only want nicey nice comments from people who pat you on the back and love love “love you guys”, then why even accept comments? Part of the interest is reading all sorts of perspectives, isn’t it? If everyone agreed, it’d be a really boring blog to read, frankly, and no one would want to pay you to advertise here.
Hey MVP – Thanks for your comment. I never said & don’t believe that people are jealous, but I do think that some comments are just plain rude at times. Yes, people are able to post whatever they want, but couldn’t it be done in a bit more tactful way? Perhaps I’m just thinking too much of puppies & rainbows though.
It’s touching that you & others felt bad for us when we were going through the worst & hardest time of our life & we did (& still do) appreciate any advice that was given. I’m not quite sure where we lost credibility though… We were in our lowest point, money-wise, & then we bounced back to a much better place. Certainly that doesn’t deserve “haters”, does it? I would think that everyone that felt bad for us would only be happy that we got back on our feet & some then.
I do not just want the nice comments. People are entitled to whatever they want to say, I just wish (& again, perhaps it’s just wishful thinking) that they were a tad nicer about how things were said, you know?
& ouch at the advertising stab.
I have to say that I also had the feeling that you guys seem to have a lot of money . And not only in this post. I remember a post where Jane talked about all your rooms and I thought, wow, you guys have a BIG house. But you never complained about being poor, just about paying a LOT on labor and maternity care when everybody should have insurance. And I totally understand that! Without insurance, I would have to pay 150k and no matter how much money someone makes, that hurts!!!
And if I had the money right now, I would go absolutely nuts on the toys! So go ahead and have fun and have a great first xmas with monkey. Next year he will probably get a lot less
Just a quick comment. I’ve worked in a nursery every Sunday for the past few years and I’ve seen children play with nearly all of the toys you’ve selected so I think Monkey should love them! Although I will say that the caterpillar wasn’t the best, kids rarely played with it and it was so heavy that it just ended up hurting kids when they would lift it and drop it. But that was in the 18 month room, so maybe its better for younger kids? Oh and don’t worry about buying too many toys, I’m sure when I have my first child I am going to the same exact thing, haha. Have fun on Christmas and have a great Thanksgiving!
WOW what a first xmas! I am so glad you can do this for your Monkey! My Monkey got the Vtech table for his 1st xmas too!
Vtech Move and Crawl Ball – My kids have this ball at their Aunts. The one thing about it is to MAKE SURE it is turned off when the kiddo is done with it, otherwise it sucks the juice from the batteries practically overnight!!
Winkel – we have several of this type of toy and they are a huge hit. Bonus is that they can go in the tub too!!!
Playskool Busy Basics: Busy Poppin’ Pals – My daughter has this and she didnt really start playing with it until recently and she is 21mths old
LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table – this is one WELL MADE TOY! My son got it for his 1st xmas, 6 yrs ago!! He played with it and now his sister has it. The legs come off so that littler kids can sit on the floor with it too!
Playskool Busy Ball Popper – This one is also a hit with cats and dogs LOL!! One thing though is that every so often a ball will go off in an odd direction and catch you off guard… or catch an unsuspecting grammy walking by in the shins LOL
thank you SO much for posting the toys! My little man will be 3 months in just a week and I have had NO Idea what to get him lol I do know the grandparents will get him lots but t his gives me a better clue about things he can grow into. I tend to get overwhelmed lol
As far as the rude commenters, just take it in stride. It’s YOUR life and you can do what YOU want with it! I’ve been receiving a ton of rude comments lately about my sons severe reflux and breastfeeding etc., and it’s beyond frustrating. But I know most are only trying to help, while the others are just goobers lol
Hopefully you guys can post some pics of your monkey and his excitement!! Much love!!
P.S. NMN, seriously…I still can’t figure out why you hang around and only insult Jane. It is truly baffling.
I have a seven month old but I’m not sure what I should get him for christmas. What is a good gift to get hime!?! Please help me if you have any Ideas!