Bubba's Fantasy Birthday Wishlist, 2nd Ed.

Bubba is going to turn two in a week and a half. How on Earth did THAT happen??? I can't even pretend anymore - my baby is so not a baby anymore. After some thought and discussion, we decided to skip the big party this year. He's two, and I'm sure as long as he still gets cake he'll be okay with it. Actually, since his birthday falls on a Monday, we've decided that we'll just have his cake and singing at his Godparent's house the day before. We gather there every Sunday with our oldest friends to watch football, so it will be nice and simple while still being surrounded by people who love him.

This means that the time has come to start thinking about what to get the boy for his birthday. Here are some ideas that we've tossed around:

Phoenix Zoo Membership

Now that the weather is cooling off, I think I'd really like to take the boy to the zoo. A lot of the moms in our playgroup go all the time, and we have yet to go once! Admission isn't cheap, but membership is pretty reasonable. If you go four times, it pays for itself. Bubba's free for the next year anyway. This is my number one thing that we're thinking of doing for him. Best part - no clutter!

Radio Flyer Deluxe Steer and Stroll Trike

The boy is starting to show interest in wanting to ride on things, so I was thinking this could be a lot of fun for him! We could use it to go on walks with me pushing him until he learns to pedal on his own. While I'm not crazy about the plastic on this (this was my original choice) I do like that this one has a metal frame and I know he'll get a lot of use from that little bin in the back. Also, the seat on this one looks more comfortable!

Green Toys Cookware and Dining Set

Bubba got an awesome play kitchen for his birthday last year. As you know, I made him a bunch of play food to go in it and he does pull it out and pretend to eat it. He also got a set of pots and pans that he uses to pretend to cook. What he's missing, however, are dishes. I really really really hate plastic when it comes to toys, so I looked everywhere to find some that were not. Ikea does have some nice ones, but they're ceramic and I don't really think it's a good idea to give a two year old breakable things like that. There were some wooden ones on Etsy, but they were super expensive and therefore not an option.

These play dishes are made from 100% recycled plastic, which is awesome. If they have to be plastic, at least they're a little bit more environmentally friendly by creating a demand for some of that recycled plastic! They're also made in the USA.

Radio Flyer All Terrain Steel and Wood Wagon
How awesome is this wagon??? Okay, I'm guessing by now you're catching on that I really do not like plastic toys. Seriously, is there anything more hideous than the stuff Step 2 makes? No offense if you like it, but I look at it and think "Giant Hunk of Plastic for the Landfill." Ugh. But this? This is classic! I love the wooden slats. I love the big tires. I love that it's metal and sturdy. I'm pretty sure we had one like this when I was a kid, and that makes me happy. You can even get a nifty canopy or a clip on umbrella to go with it.

Ty Pluffies - Pokey the Cheetah (aka K'y Cat)
That's right folks - the boy has finally settled on a comfort object, and it is K'y (pronounced KEY) Cat. He loves that thing but here's the deal - K'y Cat kinda is starting to smell. He needs to be washed. I'm smart enough to know, however, that if anything ever happens to this thing we're going to need a backup and if it's not similar in wear and smell to the original, it's not going to work. The one he has was a gift, and I haven't seen these in stores in ages. Amazon is on crack if they think I'm paying almost thirty bucks for one either.

Too bad he didn't get attached to the Lion. I have a second one of those from my sorority days!

Board Books for a Foodie-in-Training

I am so in love with the idea of these books. We have a lot of books in our house, and even more importantly, we have a lot of children's books in this house. I worked with kids for many years and was an elementary education major, after all. However, what I never really collected was board books. We've gotten some since the boy came along, but I'd really like more. I came across these on Amazon and was instantly smitten. I mean, gee, I wonder why? It's so important to me that the boy not only be exposed to lots of different foods, but foods from other cultures as well. What a great introduction for him to have these in our library.

Obviously, he's not getting ALL of this. We love the boy but we're not crazy and don't want to spoil him! These are just ideas that we've been tossing around for gifts. :)