I went shopping for a new arrival in the baby department, and saw the cutest stuffed toy lamb. Remember Lambchop? It looked like Lambchop. I loved that puppet as a child, so of course I had to buy that little toy. It is funny how happy things like that can make you feel. I don’t know if it is the combination of fuzzy softness and likeness to baby animals or what.
My husband was with me and chose a stuffed dog- it was so ugly it was cute. I bought both since it was for a first baby. New parents don’t have anything… and it is an old pro like me who looks for machine washable toys š
My own children are all past the stage where they haved stuffed toys high on their list of gifts. Sometimes when I shopped for their Christmas gifts I felt I was buying the toys and dolls that I had wanted as a child. I don’t think that is bad… I think we extend ourselves into giving in that way… an odd combination of being happy because someone else is happy and a memory of what we were like at that stage, or an imagination of what we would like if we were them.
I always sort of prided myself on getting gifts that others really liked. I have to admit that it is much harder when the recepients are teens. Especially teen boys, when my wallet isn’t especially fat. But basically being thoughtful and paying attention to the detail of what someone is like as a person is enough to guarantee success.
But with babies and little children? They are so happy with what you give them and that you love them, usually. And Lambchop must still be capable of inspiring smiles – still does it for me!
