Here's another thing that she loves: Critters.

These little fellers are called Timber Worms, or Ponderous Beetle Larvae.

3 or 4 of these little grubs make a pretty decent meal for a family of 3.

Steve worked on that plane.

Unfortunately, being as the plane was always full of politicians, the toilets could never keep up to all the bullshit being spewed out.

That is probably why the wing fell off, too.

Steve has been having a powerful influence.

Get her one of these.

Should of gotten an Airbus, the wing would of stayed on better.

I'm all for Legos. My son, who's seven, and I build all kinds of things using Legos I had when I was a kid, and new ones I've gotten him. We've been sticking to Star Wars and Super Heroes. Epic battles have consumed our upstairs.

Another thing we do is get large sheets of butcher paper and draw/color cities, maps, or cartoon scenes. My kids enjoy doing this and creating stories that go with what they want to draw. They can use action figures and such to help create their stories. It's been a lot of fun for the whole family.

My son has also been really into Pokemon. As dumb as they are, the cool thing about this is we've made him learn how to play the card game, not just collect the cards like most kids. This has helped him with his reading, math, and strategy planning which helps with cognitive development. It's been fun watching him.

That is cool... Same kind of thing that I like for kids, but too collectible for my little Balrog.
I'm imagining the generation that grew up when that toy was brand new.

I waffle about this... I think it is an excellent idea, but I am also a believer that our financial system is in for a "reset" for a couple of reasons.
Will stock in even a solid company survive a trillions in debt crisis that may be around the corner? Am I being a sucker for doomsday scenarios?

One kind of stock that has good dividends (some) and market resilience is a conservatively managed utility.

Many years ago a "stock guy" told me a young man would do well with part of his portfolio parked there.

I did OK with Potomac Electric for quite a few years. Their market includes many gov't building in the D.C. area and I figured that they were indispensable so might be extra insulated. At the time it was a modest price and a fair dividend. Don't know how they have been since I sold the stock, but you could probably find similar values now.

As for other gifts for children: things you can do WITH your child will enable you to keep giving her the best gift of all: your time together. (which I know/can see you appreciate now)

My daughter (and I) used to love to paint and draw (together). I used to bring home scrap panels of 1/4" plywood from work and they would become "canvasses" for her (our) masterpieces and still have many of them floating around here.

Books, as has been mentioned are great gifts and provide opportunity for the nightime/bedtime story ritual to become staple.

If you can harness your inner Thespian, stuffed animals are great! But if you start giving them character and voice you will be called upon to perform with regularity!

Musical instruments. Harmonicas, guitars, drums (your spouse will love you for that) keyboards, rhythm sticks, tamborines.

How about going to goodwill and getting a 45rpm record player and a stack of 45's? (cheap)

A mirror.

With a mirror, your child will always have a playmate.

Unlike musical instruments, mirrors are silent.

Can play games like Candyman and Bloody Mary.

That's a good call. I know that she has an artistic bent. She has found important papers now and then and added her signature. We were going through a file cabinet and left a stack of vehicle and trailer titles on the desk without thinking about it. I now have about a dozen titles that are pre-signed by what looks like a John Hancock on a steroidal rage. The State does not replace those free- not even close, so either I change my signature to match the steroidal rage and start scratching over whole pages, or I have to pony up several hundred dollars for that trick.
Reminds me of this.




I hear the voice of experience in your words.
Someone in my family gave her Pony Pals. "Make them talk! TALK!" The dialogue that these ponies and unicorns engage in is not the type that you read in the Pony Pals books. I often get disapproving glares from The Missus.
It was the GD pony pals that was the real impetus for this thread. As soon as her attention wanes, acrid smoke from the woodstove.


I did that to my sister. Gave her son a drum set for Christmas when he was 4.
Some sisters hold on to a grudge for a long time.


You and I agree on that.

Its almost Christmas time and trains are pretty cool for adults and kids! Start her out with a basic Lionel set and she will be hooked. Then in just a few years you will have a whole room of nothing but HO scale layouts!!


As for LEGOs, Im not a lego fan. My nephew has been given legos his whole life. Every time I go to my sisters house he corners me and then it starts, "Look at this mabobber thingy", "Check out my dohicky carship" etc. None of it is actually the shape of ANYTHING. Just blobs of legos stuck together. No actual creativity, just things stuck together in random fashion with no actual process that you could identify.

Now the problem with this is that the kid is like 14 not 6.


I feel to a large degree that we are not raising "kids" but training/teaching small adults. Sure you can have fun at the same time, but Im a fan of toys that relate to reality and teach real skills.


Teach a kid to play wizards and legos and video games and you may end up with a 40YO in your basement waiting to attend the next commicom. Give a kid some tools, lincoln logs, models, RC things and you may end up with a contractor or engineer.