Christmas Gifts

H and I went toy shopping for christmas. He knew what he wanted to get for a boy (a garage set) but he didn't know what to get for girls so he asked me to choose for him, saying "What did you want when you were a kid?" - BAD IDEA. Because I wanted it all.

I wanted a Barbie, her playhouse, her pink corvette, a complete wardrobe and a boytoy - for her, of course. I also wanted a robot like Irona in Richie Rich. I wanted Star Wars action figures, Muppet plush toys, Fisher Price whatevers, a tiny kitchen, a dress like Snow White's, RainbowBrite's horse, a toy train like I saw on Silver Spoons, a human-sized Voltes-V, and a Sony Walkman. I wanted everything they stacked behind Uncle Bob, and I wished I was part of the Lucky 7 Club. And if you're a 80s kid from the Philippines, I bet you wanted pretty much the same things too. Materialistic na kung materialistic! Je m'en fous!

I had a hard time choosing for his niece, but I hope she likes what she's getting. I would love it if i were her.

But while we're on the topic of spreading cheer through toys, I just found what is, quite possibly, the saddest toy any child can get judging from the box it comes in.

The toy that zaps all happiness from childhood...

That reminds you of dreadful things (like why you're 30 and still single)...

It's completely joyless... 

It's KAPLA!

These were the only boxes that were untouched in the whole store. I bet touching them was like the dementor's kiss, which is a pity because Kapla reviews on Amazon were very positive. Kapla has been to the Louvre, the Cite de l'Architecture of Paris, and the Children's Museum in Manhattan - and French schools use them for instruction.

Kapla should just... really... rethink the box, or not market it as a child's game at all. I know some nerds who would love this. 

As for mahself, I'm getting the Jane Austen video box set with a gift card I got for my birthday. 

Colin Firth! Squeeeeeee!!!!