The Big Book

I remember when I was a kid, we used to get the BIG book from Toys R Us every year. It was as thick as the phone book (at least in my memory) and filled with brightly colored pages packed with more toys than my little brain could even imagine.

Do they still print The Big Book? I have purchased several thousands of dollars worth of crap made in China by children just a few years older than Isabelle, and I still don't receive The Big Book in the mail. What gives? Does anyone know if it even exists anymore?

In absence of the almighty toy catalog, I sat Isabelle in my lap tonight and accessed The Big Internet instead. We surfed the websites of Toys R Us, Target, Walmart, Kohl's, and K-Mart tonight. I wanted to see what Isabelle wanted for Christmas. I thought, erroneously, that maybe she would see something that really jazzed her.

And boy did she ever. She wanted every single thing she saw. And isn't that the way? When we were handed The Big Book as kids, we wanted everything we saw too. It was fun to "shop" with her tonight, but I still have zero idea what to get her for Christmas. We have a few things purchased already (I start early, since her Birthday is in November).

But we do need at least one show-stopper, and we have to fill the ridiculous stocking that Auntie Gail made her three-plus years ago. The stocking is almost as tall as Isabelle, it's super skinny, and it has zero elastic in the design so the only thing that would truly fit it a very tall, elegant umbrella. I don't think Iz would be too psyched about that gift, so we'll have to get creative. I'm thinking, a few newspapers to occupy at least half of it. Then some balled-up socks, she could always use new pajamas, and a quick trip to the dollar bin at Target -- that should do the trick.

Ed and I have date night at Target planned for Monday night...how romantic! I'm excited to "be" Santa Claus this year. Now if I could just get her to believe in the magic key that Santa will use to get into our chimney-less beach cottage, we might actually pull this holiday off!