Back in the first week of November we asked the boys to make up their Christmas Wish List. After a few days of them tossing ideas around in their heads and with each other, Trent and Kolby made their Christmas Wish Lists. I was eager to see what they wrote down because Don and I really had no idea what to get them for Christmas this year. Their lists were almost identical and had listed: dog, dog house, dog food, Guinea pig, guinea pig house, food, and bedding, turtle, turtle house, turtle food, DS, and a happy family. The only difference between Trent's list and Kolby's list is that Trent also wanted a personal computer and Kolby wanted a ghost costume. Now would someone please tell me what on those lists I can buy at Walmart, Target, or ToysRus for under $40??? We don't DO DS's or personal computers! We don't have a fence for a dog! and we have been considering the guinea pig, but come on, surely that can't be the only gift under the tree.
So with my lack of enthusiasm for their Wish Lists, I suggested to Don and the kids that for FHE we head down to the local ToysRus, equip each child with a notebook and pencil, and let them devise a list of TOYS they would like. HA . . . I must seriously have lost my mind! Who in the world lets 4 kids loose in a toy store? Ya, that would be me, the brainiac, lol. The stipulations were that they could write down 6 things and they had to be $50 or less, and we had 1 hour and 15 minutes in the store and then we must go. It was interesting how each child responded to this task.
Brooklyne was hilarious to watch. She was busting from the seams in pure heaven in the girly departments. Anything that was Princess, pink, baby doll, purse and make up, or musical (but pink) she was over the moon in love with. She was particularly entertaining in the doll area. She could not decide WHICH doll(s) she wanted most. She would pick one up, then put it down and grab a different one but then go back to the ones she picked up to begin with, ha ha ha ha. We could not keep that child contained, she was a total hoot!
Tanner was more particular than I had anticipated. Although he was interested in a hundred different things, he was very specific as to what he actually wanted to be ON HIS list. His current infatuation is centered around Disney's CARS as well as GO DIEGO GO. If we even HINTED at something aside from those 2 areas of interest he was simply disgusted that we could consider anything other that CARS and DIEGO.
Kolby was much more of what I "expected". He took allot if pride in the freedom he had with having his own notebook and pencil to write down almost anything he wanted. We weren't in the store for more than 90 seconds and he was already writing stuff down. Within 20 minutes he had 5 of his 6 lines filled with this that and the other. He would have had all 6 lines filled on his Wish List if I had not insisted I needed to use his pencil for a while, ha ha ha ha ha.
Trent was the one I found the most interesting of all. As we went through the store looking at all sorts of things, he never wrote anything down. Whenever I would offer suggestions he would kinda shrug his shoulders and say he didn't want to put that on his list. He finally came alive when we got over to the GUN and STAR WARS area. Yup, he was holding out for the "good stuff". He scanned and evaluated the Nerf Gun section, reading the packaging and comparing what each gun had to offer. After about 5 minutes he narrowed it down to a specific gun because it had more power, more bullets, and more BANG for the buck. He also decided he wanted the 100 Nerf bullets with container because he needed new bullets and the container would allow him a specific place to store them. In the Star Wars area he evaluated things the same way, comparing product, cost, functionality, etc. He finally decided on the Clone Wars Trooper Blaster gun thing, with foam bullets. Imagine that, a GUN, ha ha ha ha ha. He also picked out a new light saber he wanted. After that he really didn't care about anything else and just picked a couple random items to complete his list.
Over all, the experience was pleasant, amusing, only a little stressful, and rather enlightening. We moved through the store rather quickly and efficiently especially with the 4 kids in tow. What was even greater, was NOW we actually had an idea of what or kids were interested in - that of course made it worth it completely! I do declare a spark of brilliants in our crazy Christmas Wish List excursion and will most likely do the same thing next year.
3 comments:
I think that was a GRAND idea!! Now that my daughter is almost twenty, she emailed me her list with pictures, stores, and even links so that I could order everything online. Yes, she still lives at home, but now "I" have a list and it makes it soooo much easier.
Hmmm, that really WAS brilliant! I just might have to steal your idea for next year.
I think that's a great idea!
Post a Comment