Never, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever Try Wrapping Christmas Presents With A 2 Year Old

In preparation for a Plank family Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration this week, I wanted to wrap a few presents. As Josie likes to help me with pretty much everything I do, I thought we could do it together. You know, we like to cook together, fold laundry together... what's different about wrapping presents?

I'll end the suspense and just tell you: 50 YARDS OF RIBBON.

I thought Josie would busy herself with looking at the actual gifts I was wrapping. Instead she wripped 3 different gift bags, crumpled paper, and unwrapped and walked on several different roles of wrapping paper. Then I tried to distract her by giving her a marker to draw on some of the gifts, "writing" her name and wishing them Merry Christmas. Instead she got marker all over my pants. But this was too much:

I left the room for two seconds to get some more tape, and Josie had begun to unroll my jumbo pack of ribbon. That's right folks- 50 yards of ribbon.

I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or cry. Or call Russ and beg him to come home and help me. Or strap her to a chair. Or.... this could go on and on.

I finally just tried to be cool and go with it. My family will probably think the crazy looking presents are cute because she "helped." And the ribbon.... well, I can always buy more ribbon. Besides, she looks so proud, doesn't she?

A Free Train Agreement?

Yeah, I know. Bad pun. But I guess I'm sick of thinking about trains, and got a little desparate. Which brings me to the topic of my new poll, and I really need everyone's help.

I am very excited about Christmas this year because Josie is so excited about Santa. And this year she will actually play with the toys she receives, rather than the past 2 years when presents were basically just things to shake. Oh, so boring.

This year Josie has declared she wants a dollhouse and a train and train tracks for Christmas. This is all she will talk about. Just like with her Halloween costume, we don't know where she came up with the ideas, and we can't change her mind. We even brought her to a toy store to show her all the amazing other options, but she still wants a dollhouse and train set.

Well, we found her a dollhouse on the cheap which was a miracle. We bought it used from a second hand toy store (don't judge!) and were therefor able to afford the whole kit and caboodle. But now I'm looking for trains and coming up short. There are none to be found on Craigslist, and they are EXPENSIVE to buy new. I mean, come on! One train- not the track, not even the whole train, but one car- is $14.99. Ouch.

So I have a dilemma. I really don't want to buy a train set. So let me review my list of pros and cons:

CON:
1) I am not convinced Josie will even play with a train. I think she saw something about it on Barney, and now thinks she wants one, too. Josie tends to play with more traditional girl toys, and I have never really seen her play with things like cars and trains.
2)I really don't want to spend a fortune on presents for a two year old. I sort of feel like at her age, I could spend $5 on a new container for her rock collection and she would be in heaven.
3) Train sets take up a sh*tload of space. I'll probably spend the next year tripping on trains.
4) If we get her everything she asks for, are we creating a spoiled brat?

PRO:
1) Russ thinks- and he's probably right- that because she is so obsessed, on Christmas morning she will say "Where is the train?!?!?!" For anyone that knows Josie, she can be totally OCD (just like her Mommy, how sweet) about things and I'm sure she has it burned in her brain that she is getting a train.
2) Since she has only actually asked for two things, Russ thinks there is no harm in getting them for her. (But see my point #4 above...)
2) I found a generic train set for $30 on sale at Target...

So, this my not be as interesting a problem for all of you, but it is bothering me. So if you could offer some insight and, even better, a vote on my poll, it would be greatly appreciated!

Obama Rama!

Needless to say all the Johnson's are VERY excited about the recent election. With the big Obama rally in Grant Park in Chicago, just a few blocks from where I work, I didn't have to go to in to the office that day. So Russ, Josie and I all headed to the polls to vote together!Josie gets into the spirit before voting by dressing patriotically and kissing her Obama doll.

Since we voted in mid-morning, it was pretty much us and a bunch of old people. One woman in her 70's was so excited about voting for Obama that she asked us to take her picture in several different locations. She said she wanted to be able to prove to her grandchildren that she had voted in this historic election!

Josie was very patient while she waited for Russ and I to vote. Except for when she kept yelling "Where is Barack?!" and we had to explain that he wasn't actually there, we were just voting for him.On our way out, the older woman- who was still busy snapping pictures- took this of us with our "I voted" stickers.

Yeah, Josie's first election!

Worlds Biggest Frog

Happy Halloween!

Josie was determined to be a frog this year, so Russ and I went old-school and created a frog costume out of green clothes and felt. I was mildly humiliated, but as long as Josie could hop and say "RIBBIT!" she was psyched! Josie takes off for some intense Trick-or-Treating! Note felt "frog feet" cut out and taped on her shoes by Mom.

What a difference a year makes-- last year Josie could barely talk and could hardly get up the steps. This year she ran up to everyone's door saying "Trick or Treat! Ribbit!" She corrected a few people who thought she was a turtle, but otherwise her frog costume was a hit.

Temporarily distracted by some cool rocks...

In this picture Josie is oblivious to the HUGE trick-or-treating blunder she has just committed. Some crazy neighbor was actually giving out FULL SIZE candy bars. She had a whole bowl to choose from of king size Reese's peanut butter cups, Hershey bars and butterfingers. There was also a cup of pencils. Josie chose the PENCIL and walked away, leaving Dad and Mom in tears.

One last action shot. Josie was a trooper and made it around two full blocks! In this picture you can kind of see next year's second Johnson trick-or-treater...