I gave this toy a 3 because it has some deficiencies. If I was rating solely on Tre’s satisfaction it would be a 5 definitely! Let’s start with the good things: Tre loves this toy, it is quite possible one of his favorite things to play with and has been for quite some time now. It’s also aided his walking and running abilities, with this toy the faster you go, the more bubbles come out. So it’s taken him from being a wobbly walker to a pretty fast runner. Okay so what’s wrong with this toy? The bubble blower can become clogged frequently, which will require cleaning. Also, straight out of the box you’ll hardly get any bubbles at all. We were all but ready to take this toy back until after about 30 minutes of play bubbles actually started coming out. The bubbles do not fly very high in the air, as the blower is facing horizontally. Finally, if it’s tipped over or raised off the ground the bubble liquid will spill out very rapidly, not the best thing if you have carpet.
My recommendation: Buy it; your kid will love it. Just be prepared to do a little extra work.
I absolutely enjoy introducing my favorite childhood experiences to my kids. This ranges from games to cartoons, or even crazy traditions that my parents did with me. Sometimes the ideas go over really well and the kids love it, and then there are those times when things don’t click just right. Yesterday was one of those days. I introduced Ty to the game of “Hot or Cold” and it was a disaster.
Ty really likes this double sided easel. He gets more use out of the marker side than the chalk side, but still uses both pretty regularly. We use it to leave him notes and pictures for when he wakes up in the morning and he loves it. This toy really allows him to express his creativity and requires minimal supervision. I did not give it 5 stars because the writing apparatus was sold seperately, and for the price I felt at least a few markers or a piece of chalk could of came bundled along with the product. Also, it comes with tiny magnetic alphabet letters, becareful if you have small children around as these pieces can easily be swollowed.
As you can see, Ty likes this toy & his only gripe is the fact that screws from his other tool sets won’t fit in this workbench. I really like this tool bench because it has mulitple activities for your child to enjoy. The power tools make real sounds and move as their real life counterparts. With the provided plastic “wood” pieces your kid can use the workbench to cut wood, drill holes, and piece together a toolbox. This gives them the feeling of actually achieving something and they’ll love to show it off.
This weekend we did the unthinkable, we ditched our kids and hit the road for a weekend of fun and excitement. We were childless parents and it felt great! No diapers to change, no monster trucks to play with, no responsibility what so ever. There lies the problem, its been so long since we’ve had the opportunity to look after only ourselves that when it came, we didn’t know how to act. That’s why I have come to the conclusion that parents need kids, it keeps balance in our lives. We regulate their actions and in return regulate our own because we know in the morning, they’ll be there and they’ll be ready for action.
Anybody that knows me will tell you that I’m a big kid at heart. So the majority of the time, playing with the kids is more of a treat than a choir. I love creating goofy, crazy games to play with Ty & Tre. The kids love it; they’re naturally silly anyway. With that being said, bare witness to our super awesomely cool blues band: “Blue Pans & Bang Bang”.
So yesterday was a true testament to why I love my family. A lot of people ask me: “Keith, how do you remain so enthused about being a family man?” The answer is quite simple when you have a great family & are willing to push the negatives that come along with having a family out of your mind. Yesterday, I was having a hard time pushing those negative thoughts out of my mind. Not negative ideas about my family (they hadn’t done anything to piss me off yet), but negative ideas about life in general. Well they all flew out the window the minute I walked thru that door (actually before I walked thru, I’ll explain later) & saw their faces.
Tre had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and in terms of smoothness, I’d rate it a 2. Typically, he enjoys going in for his checkups. Why wouldn’t he enjoy a trip to the doctor’s office? I mean, he gets to play with new toys, has a nice doctor who’s great with kids, and gets stickers and a pencil after the visit. What’s not to love right? Oh wait, I left something out, those pesky little things called SHOTS. Yup, that’s it, they’re enough to turn any office visit into a monstrosity.
Tre has a best friend in our house; you would think it’d be one of his parents, more likely his older brother, all of the above are WRONG. His best friend is the stupid dog, Tank. Don’t get me wrong, Tank is a good dog at times but come on, to choose the dog over your own kind? It kind of makes me question the kid’s loyalty.
This past weekend we took our first “real” family vacation together. We went to Wrightsville Beach in Wilmington, NC and stayed at the Marriott in continuation of Fefe’s birthday celebration. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve gone on family vacations before but it’s always been to visit friends or family. This is the first time we’ve gone to a destination specifically for the purpose of visiting an event or attraction at that location.
