# Chateau de la Tobler

## Friday, November 09, 2007

### November...that means it's almost Christmas!

LaDale, when you wrote about hearing Christmas music in Wal-Mart, I had to laugh. When I was driving through Las Vegas to get on I-15 to go home last Friday (November 2), I saw a Christmas tree lot being assembled. It didn't have any Christmas trees, yet, but the red and green striped poles, light standards, and chain link fence sort of gave it away. It gave me the shivers--half of delight, half of apprehension. Christmas?!?! Already??? But I'm still enjoying the fall--and Christmas is always over too quickly, and that means my baby will be ONE, and...but mostly excitement. Christmas this year is going to be really fun, with a brand-new Jayson, and visits from Mema and LaDale and possibly even Samuel and Caren, Grandma and Grandpa Ross in South Jordan, and a four-year-old who is old enough to REALLY get it this year. I'm probably as excited as he will be!
Speaking of Christmas, and toys (although I got my Christmas toy early!), have the recalls been wigging you out like they have me? Not that I have had to throw out any toys because of lead paint, tiny magnets, etc, but it still worries me a little. And then I have to be careful of latex now, because Gid-kid is mobile (not crawling, but rollin' rollin' rollin', get those dogies rollin'...), and everything he grabs go straight into his mouth.
So now I'm totally enamored of European toys. Sigh. Expensive, but totally awesome and not so...commercial. (Hush. I know I'm being unreasonable. Having Dora or Polly Pocket or Shrek or Batman products never hurt anyone. But gimme a break. I'm still in the dreamy phase of children's commercial desires, because my kids are so young yet. I can dream about them wanting non-branded, good solid hand-painted wooden toys made by little elves in a German forest, right? Right?) And the toys are so CUTE. And long-lasting, too. I'll have grandkids, someday, right? So really, I'm planning ahead. Or something.
Hmph. So I'm dreaming. But it sure is a lot of fun to dream. If you want to see some great examples of what I'm talking about, you should read this blog post at Mormon Mommy Wars. I love Tracy M's writing, and she gives great links and even answers questions in the comments. My favorites are these carved wooden figures from Ostheimer. Amazing! (As are the prices. Amazingly high, that is.) But what fun!
Lest you think I turn my nose up at plastic, check these out! My kiddos actually have several of the farm animals, because our local Cal-Ranch store sells them. (Mercy loves them. "My [Holstein foal, Lipizzaner foal horses! My [Holstein calf] cows! My [Bernese mountain] doggy!") Go ahead, I dare you to look at these toys and not want some for yourself! (Er, I mean your niece Mercy and nephews Ezra and Gideon.)
Okay. I've calmed down a little now. Sort of. But I have a suspicion that Mercy will be getting a few more farm animals to play with for her birthday. (I've already got her Christmas present--my old stick horse. She really loves horses.)

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