Ugh. More toy recalls have been announced this week.  This round we escaped unscathed, I think, but last time we had to pull several toys - including some we’d had for years.  Queenie is still asking when she can have her Barbie pooper scooper back.  And the Little People animals are shivering in the cold.  So many people I know are panicking, and buying only natural wood toys.  Which sounds like a good idea, until you start thinking about how the wood is probably exotic hardwoods that they sprayed with pesticides and soaked in asbestos juice and rubbed on their testicles to achieve that natural patina.  Time to go back to letting the kids play with sharp sticks and mud.  But then somebody will poke an eye out and we’ll find out mud is made of dirt.  Maybe toys should come with warning labels.

Ironically (don’tcha think), I spent today shopping for new toys, and other Seasonal Gifts.  Feeling virtuous and prompt, I spent $270+ on Amazon.com, and finished at least 2/3 of the shopping I need to do for the season.  About 90% of my order is guaranteed to arrive by the day after Christmas.  Peachy.  I guess there’s a reason they put out the Christmas stuff on July 5th.  I just hope the toys I purchased get recalled in time for me to cancel the order and start over last minute.  Because that’s always fun. 

One gift idea continues to elude me - what to get dear old Dad.  If anyone has a suggestion for a 61 year old farmer with too many clothes and diabetes who doesn’t have time to read or watch movies and gets a half ton of nuts every birthday and holiday, let me know.  He does love popcorn in a can.  And fruitcake.  So much so, that he buys them for himself. Maybe if I step it up a notch.

FREEBIE OF THE DAY: Too scared to let your kids play with toys these days? Maybe they need a good old fashioned hobby.