A case of two 3-year olds

Brian and I have a three-year old niece and a soon-to-be (tomorrow) three-year-old nephew. When our niece's first birthday party was coming up, I started to panic. What on Earth do you get a one-year-old these days?

A colleague at work told me about this place nearby called The Learning Tree. I went there and the staff was incredibly helpful. All I had to say was, "I need a present for a one-year-old girl," and they took me to that particular section, answered all my questions and even gift wrapped my selection for no extra charge.


Needless to say, this has been my store of choice for all birthdays and Christmas presents since then - and it isn't just the service. I love this store because it has some pretty unique gifts that I don't see in other stores. (And by "other stores," I mean Target as I have yet to step foot in a Toys 'R Us or Babies 'R Us)


Anyway, now that Brayden and Olivia are getting older, and developing their own tastes and opinions, the pressure is on for gifts! Especially Olivia, who has very discerning taste.


So, for Olivia's 3rd birthday, we decided we weren't going to get clothes because we had no idea if she - or her mom - would like them. We didn't want to get books, because I don't have a complete inventory on what she already has. To find her a proper gift, we headed back to The Learning Tree. We were in the for at least 90 minutes agonizing over a decision. Should we get this or that? Would she like that? Is that too flimsy? Too heavy? Etc. Would she be interested in this particular item for more than a week?

We ended up settling on a wooden castle that folds out. It had pink paint and clearly stated it was a "Princess Castle." It has a retractable draw bridge, and on the inside it has a stable for the animals and a dungeon, among other rooms.


This past weekend was Brayden's third birthday party. We went back to the store and were in there a total of 5 minutes before deciding on his present - a giant semi truck with a flat bed trailer hauling a bulldozer.


Boys are much easier to shop for than girls. For boys, all you need is something associated with trucks, trains or tractors and they are happy. Of course, when Brayden opened his present, we thought he would love the big semi-truck with the trailer. He didn't even notice it. All he saw was the bulldozer on top of it and he was happy. So, maybe when he's tired of the bulldozer, he'll be excited about the truck?


We're just happy that both Olivia and Brayden liked their presents and that neither can be catagorized as "noisy" toys - something we hope their parents consider when shopping for McNugget. :)