My Little Bargain Hunter

When we were looking for Amelia's Easter dress we went to the local children's consignment store, chock full of toys and baby gear in addition to used clothes. I have found many great puzzles and other things there, so I let Amelia play in the toy corner while I browsed dresses. Finding nothing appropriate (I was really hoping for something with a hat), I gave the toys and puzzles a once-over to make sure there wasn't something that Amelia needed. I didn't see anything special and was ready to leave so I turned to Amelia and told her to put the toys she was playing with away. She took her Tigger and Pooh to the counter as if she were going to buy them, which was cute, but not what I intended. I took the Tigger back (since he was the first to go up on the counter) and realized it was the Bouncing Tigger AND that it had the red dot for 50% off of a ridiculously low markdown. Tigger cost only $2.50. Who could pass that up? Go Amelia!

Not only does she like Tigger in general, but this version retails for about $25 - I had seen it about 18 months ago and considered it for her but decided that was too much to spend on something she may only play with for a few minutes. At $2.50 there was no way I was passing it up.

He had no batteries and she was still thrilled with him all the way home, riding right in her car seat and being talked to, etc. We pulled into the garage and when I opened Amelia's car door she said, "Take Tigger wif us!" When we got upstairs I put batteries in him and she discovered how he bounces. She was so delighted - and almost a month later he's still a favorite toy and has made several trips out of the house, which is not something that usually happens with her as far as her other toys are concerned. And she often will (still) tell anyone who listens, "Mommy put new batteries in and Tigger goes bounce, bounce, bounce!" Sometimes she will even continue and say, "Good Mommy!"

Of course, she is starting to think that everything is supposed to sing or dance. The other day she picked up a small stuffed lion Daddy gave her for her 2nd birthday and was pressing its various appendages before offering it to me and saying, "Lion needs a new battery. Mommy fix it!" I tried explaining to her that he doesn't sing, he's just a stuffed animal. So she looks at him and quietly says, "Just a stuffed animal."

[pictures dated 3/29/08]