Stop, Drop and Blog

BigBrother will turn three this month! I know. I’m just as shocked. Even more shocking was how I finished shopping for him (and LittleBrother) in mid-October. If you’re wondering what to buy a three-year-old boy for his birthday, why don’t you consider one of the items on our list below.

1. African Plains Jigsaw Puzzle by Melissa & Doug. BigBrother started with Melissa & Doug’s wooden jigsaw puzzles earlier this year when we gave him the dinosaur one as his starting preschool gift. He still needs help but he really enjoys putting these together. As an added bonus, when LittleBrother grabs one and chews, it doesn’t melt in his mouth like cardboard pieces!

2. Brown Bear-Panda Bear, What Do You See? Game. We thought this would be a good way to go since he likes the book, is good with his colors and is starting to enjoy playing games with us.

3. Food Groups toy food by Melissa & Doug. What? Your three year old boy doesn’t have a kitchen? Why not? My boys love playing with their kitchen set. We’re trying to build up their food sets and love that this set came with little wooden bins, healthy options that BigBrother will recognize from the four food groups and the fact that, once again, as they’re wooden, LittleBrother can’t eat them whole. Win!

4. Toy Story DVD. While I’m sure BigBrother won’t quickly neglect his love of Disney Pixar Cars, he has shown an interest in Buzz Lightyear and, as such, the movie Toy Story. He’s gotten to see it once or twice at my parents’ house and owns two pair of Buzz Lightyear underwear as well as a hand-me-down set of pajamas. This is one gift I don’t know if he’ll love as much as some others but I think it will go over well in the end.

5. Books! I Love Hugs, Underwear!, How Do Dinosaurs Go To School?, and Flashing Fire Engines are all in his “book gift bag.” To be fair, I ordered all of these from his Scholastic book orders and got them for a very reduced price. (WIN!) I read through each of them on my own before putting them in the bag. I think he’ll like them but, of course, I’ll have to let you know after we read through each together. He’s always been a book lover and he knows what he likes and what he doesn’t! Reasons for each pick? I want BigBrother to hug me. Underwear is funny. He is falling in love with dinosaurs. And we’re a fire family, of course! A fire book is always a must!

6. Disney Pixar Car’s Mack Truck Transporter with the three “bad” cars. (The link will take you to the one with McQueen, Chick Hicks and Leakless.) This was the first thing BigBrother asked to receive for his birthday. Ever. In the history of birthdays. He’s just now understanding that a birthday means that you get presents and, as such, he has been asking us, frequently, for MACK. I found the one with the three not-so-nice cars from the beginning of the movie. He should love the addition of those three cars to his growing set of Cars cars. I’m so excited to watch his face light up as he opens this present.

7. Molly the Train who is part of the Take Along Thomas line. BigBrother already has a whole slew of Take Along trains and hadn’t been asking for new ones for quite some time. As such, this is not one present that made my initial birthday list and was only one of two last-minute add-ons as I began my shopping. Right before I made all of our purchases, he started asking for Molly. Apparently one of the videos we borrowed from the library featured a Molly storyline and he’s been hooked. When asked what he is getting for his birthday, he now says “Mack and Molly!” Any of the Take Along Thomas line trains would be a great purchase for your three-year-old!

8. And a pair of Thomas the Train sneakers in size 9. No link available. They are velcro, which will be easy for him to maneuver. They are white and navy blue. I chose these sneakers over others because I don’t like overly dark sneakers. While Walmart had a pair of fire truck shoes, they were black and red and we just don’t “do” that here!

BigBrother will also have a Lightning McQueen cake (which he asked for), McQueen cake plates and some family over to the house to open presents the day before his birthday. Yes, the poor child is getting cheated out of a big-big birthday party due to the fact that LittleBrother is getting the typical (and necessary!) big first birthday party. Next year? They’ll both be cheated and share a party. Such is life!

I expect Mack and Molly to be the two favorite presents. The books, of course, and the movie will probably, in the long run, receive the most use. The shoes will hopefully last until summer barring yet another growth spurt. The game should be great fun for us to continue learning with one another (and I expect that he will want to read his Brown Bear, Brown Bear book a bit more). I have instructed grandparents and family/friends to buy: pajamas, non-noisy toys and some clothes. He isn’t really in the need for clothes (except for pajamas) but new clothes are always welcome.

In the end, I’m excited about this birthday. He finally is catching onto the concept. When asked, he tells you that he will be three on his birthday. I’m kind of worried, of course, as I told him he couldn’t have Mack until his birthday in November. I neglected to say the date. And so when he goes to school this coming Tuesday and they tell him that the month is now November, I fully expect him to come home and say, “IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!”

Almost, buddy. Almost!

Do you have any suggestions for a three-year-old boy? Let me know as I’m finalizing that Christmas list!