What is “Santa” bringing your kids this year?

Posted on 08. Jul, 2011 by Toy Expert.

My husband and I have decided that my kids have WAAAAAYYYYY too many toys! Plus all their aunts and uncles and grandparetns will be buying them toys. We are buying each of them 2 really nice toys and the rest of the presents will be things that they need like shoes, PJs, Socks, Camisoles…etc. What are your kids getting?

My 2 1/2 year old is getting a "Kid Tough" digital Camera and a Train Set.

My 14 month old is getting a ride on jumping zebra and a V-Smile interactive game that hooks to the TV.
Gypsy…I guess it’s a video game in a way…but it’s got a comtrol board on it with colored shapes, it’s for interactive learning…things like shapes, colors and sounds! I do not think she will become a video game junkie because of it!
Sophie’s Mom…Just the normal V-SMile, I didn;t know there was a Bailiy Bear one, sounds cute! But I already bought it and I hate returning things!

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So is Thomas not a train?

Posted on 04. May, 2011 by Toy Expert.

My two year old just said…"MOM! Stop calling Thomas a train. He is a tank engine"… He looks like a train to me 0.o

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Does anyone know where I can find good info on PBS?

Posted on 26. Apr, 2011 by Toy Expert.

I have to do a research project on PBS and its funding for my Modern Media class. While I found a good deal of info on the network itself, I can’t for the life of me find anything on how much money it makes from merchandise, (Sesame Street in particular)

My mom bought Tickle Me Elmo for my brother way back when. We had a bunch of Sesame Street and Barney toys as kids. I personally had a buttload of Thomas the Tank Engine toys, and so did my train loving neighbor. They have to be freakin loaded by now. Why can’t I find this info? Better yet, where can I find it?

Any help would be of utmost appreciation.

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A few pet rat questions I'd like answered.?

Posted on 19. Apr, 2011 by Toy Expert.

I got a rat as a birthday present less than a week ago. He is male, but I’m not sure about the age because the giver bought him from an out-of-town pet store. He seems smaller than other rats I’ve seen, but I don’t know if thats due to age or genetics. The giver also gave me a cage, but its rather small (11 x 15 inches), and it contains a food dish, an igloo, a hanging wooden parrot toy, and a small litter box, with a drip water bottle on the side.

The rat is rather skittish and would rather hide under my pile of stuffed animals rather than sit in my lap, or let me touch it at all. It’s not aggressive and hasn’t done anything worse than exploratory nips when I do hold it, but he is anxious to get away. My room is rather small and a bit crowded with bookcases and I want to let him free run, but not until he is willing to come when I call him in case he disappears under one of the bookcases or the bed.

First question: How do I get the him to bond with me if he won’t accept treats, scratches, massages, or any of the similar things I’ve read about?

Second question: How do I get him to come when called? I know rats can do it, but I don’t know how to train him and for his own safety I don’t want him to free run until he does.

I live with my parents, and my dad has been against me getting a rat, though my mom has been up for the idea. But because the rat was a gift, my dad accepted it. Problem is, I’m not allowed to get another one to keep the first company. I’ve read a lot and most of what I’ve found says you should have at least two rats of the same sex. I’m willing to do it and am saving up money to buy a bigger cage to house two of them, but both my parents are against it. As a side note, I want to buy the second rat from a breeder to avoid non-socialized or sick rats.

So, third question: does anyone know of any actual articles that say rats are healthier both emotionally and physically if they have a buddy? Anecdotal evidence won’t be enough for either my father or my mother, especially if the statement comes from a non-breeder. My mom owned individual rats a decade ago, but only one at a time and her rats bonded to both her and I extremely well (part of why I’ve wanted a rat my whole life). But because hers bonded so well, she doesn’t believe that they get stressed by themselves. Shes also one of the people that believe that multiple rats means each one will bond with the owner less.

Also, I know the cage is painfully small, and I want to let him out often to burn off energy and feel loved, but I’m not confident in our relationship yet. The way it is now, I take him out once before school for about twenty minutes and pet him until he hides under the stuffed animals, and then take him out three or four times when I get out of school for 10-20 minutes, depending on how skittish he is being. I bought him a ball, but later learned that rats don’t actually like them and he is no exception.

It normally starts off with me trying to hold and pet him and he’ll crawl down my arm and investigate the area. But halfway through, he gets crazy and starts hoping and running to and fro, jumping and hiding whenever I move. I’m hoping that it is because he is young and he’ll mellow out as he gets older, but I’m not sure.

As of yesterday, he’ll take a yogurt drop from my hand but he’ll go off and hide to eat it.

I’m not sure this entire thing made sense, I know I did a lot of ranting. If you do understand what I’m trying to ask though and decide to answer, thank you in advance.
Thanks for the link. Now, the main thing is convincing my parents to let me get another rat. Does anyone have any scientific studies or articles from legit magazines?

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Why do my husband feel that he has to curse and yell at me, at any given time?

Posted on 25. Mar, 2011 by Toy Expert.

He is a truck driver and not home but twice a month. It is always when he is on the road, never when he is at home. He is a driver mentor, and some of the guys he has trained, have expressed to me that they feel sorry for me and apologize for his actions. I dont yell or curse back, unless Im to the point that he has really pushed my buttons. There are a couple of other issues that are serious. I dont believe he is cheating, but I do know, that this is the way his dad treated his mom before she passed. This is not normal! I’m a good woman. I do know that he needs help. Is this a sign of Bi-Polar or Selective Abuse?
When he is home he treats me like gold. He is very mannerable. We go out, he pays the bills, he spends time with our 2 teenage children. This behavior is only when he is on the road. He will not do this while standing in front of my face.

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Should I get rid of my parakeets?

Posted on 12. Mar, 2011 by Toy Expert.

Ik the thing is long but still read it plz
Idk how to take care of them I seen videos of ppls parakeets who have alot bigger cages than mine do I don’t know what im suppose to feed them cause I have been feeding them only the regular birds seed u get from a store or anypet store and spray Millet
And on one of the vids on YouTube they say it bad for them the seeds

they only have 1 toy 2 wooden perches the crapy one that comes with the cage when you buy it a swing cuttlebone and a holder food and water dish and that’s it my parents can’t afford to buy alot for them like the ppl who have like 10 toys for their birds and a play gym outside the cage and I don’t know how to train them they don’t like to come out of the cage I barely spend time with them cause I’m always on the computer online I Have an addiction D: but it’s fun I don’t even think they know their names Skitzo and lotus

I have never had birds before First time birds and my mom won’t buy me a book for How to take care of them she keeps saying look it up online and I do but it doesn’t help my mom thinks that my birds are distracting me from doing good in school
Were always fighting ALWAYS more than normal I have no one to talk to besides my bf and most of the time I talk to her my mom gets mad cause were talking about how she’s mean rude immature how unfair she Is u get the point and im getting so stressed out I can’t focus on

Taking care of my birds I have had them since December 23 2010 I wish I could take better care of them like the lady on YouTube user expert village her bird seems happy I can tell mine arent they are still kinda afraid of me only have interest in each other and I just don’t know wut to do can anybody give me some tips cause I’m thinking of getting rid of them I really don’t want to but if I have to I have to can some one plz help me and skitzo and lotus

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My dad is arrogant and bratty?

Posted on 24. Jan, 2011 by Toy Expert.

It went into full-swing when he was unemployed, but it was still there before that. He was the youngest child in his family (10 years behind all his siblings), and he ALWAYS thinks he’s right. He got a job briefly before quitting because he didn’t like his boss. He stays home all day, never does a thing around the house, while my mom works two jobs (full time) and another part, and shovels snow, washes dishes, laundry–everything. My brother and I help, but my dad complains when he’s asked to pick us up from school. He blows up about the smallest things:
1) He was taking me to xc practice, his truck door was locked so I yank the handle to let him know to unlock it. A few minutes in to the ride, he goes, "Well, don’t you think that was RUDE?" me: "Uhh, what?" "are you too high and mighty to TALK to me to tell me to open the door? that yanking on the handle was RUDE and disrespectful. you are so unappreciative. you’re just too good for you dad, huh?" me thinking: wtf..? "you know, you’ve just been so prissy. do you make it your life goal to irritate me?" i knew nothing would affect him, so i said "yep, its my goal." he made me walk.
2) Brother and I cleaning basement, and I found a box w/ train in it (my dad has a railroad set) so I set it next to him on the couch. A second later, he picks it up and screams at me, "WHY THE FUCK DID YOU PUT THIS HERE? WHAT THE HELL." me thinking: …? He gets right up next to me and screams, "YOU NEED TO GET OFF YOUR DAMNED HIGH HORSE." And put the train set into the toy room. Me: "Look who’s talking…" He went off to cuss and scream in my face more. after he left, my brother looked at me and said, "Dude, what the fuck?"
3) He had to pick us up from school, and half-way on our way home he says, "Your mother was too lazy NAPPING to pick you up. I married such a ditz." He was dead serious. My mom gets up a 3am to work, so I just sit there, shocked. My mom is so nice to him, whenever I complain about him she just starts to say something, but stops herself and says, "He’s my husband. I shouldn’t be saying stuff about him."
4) My toilet is broken and leaks everywhere when flushed. I asked him to stop using it, he said no. I left on note saying he had, in fact, NOT fixed to toilet and it was molding up the cabinets. HE still uses it. I duck tape toilet closed, he takes it off and keeps using it, refusing to fix it.
If I call him out on something, he just says "Shut the fuck up, (my name)."
How can I make him stop being such an… ass? He’s self-centered and completely ignored every ones feelings. I’m a great kid (straight A, quiet, no drugs, alcohol, hardly ever have friends over) and he criticizes me whenever he can. What can I do to make him realize how much he’s hurting our family? Or at least realize that screaming at me 24/7 has resulted in me losing all respect for him and he needs to stop?
Thank you so much, because I don’t know how much more I can take. For my mother, not me.
Aha, as great as Wyoming would be, I have a feeling that’s not one of my options.

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How can I take the video off of my Panasonic camcorder and put it on my computer?

Posted on 17. Jan, 2011 by Toy Expert.

Okay so I have a camcorder, Panasonic, and my mom said it’s about ten years old. Doesn’t look it, but I guess it is. Whatev. Ok. So we went on a Polar Express train ride and I wanted to upload the video onto my computer and do stuff with it. Now, my computer is newer, not brand spankin’ new but it isn’t as old as this camcorder. At least the program runner isn’t. So everytime I hook the camcorder up, I can’t find the file on my computer. It says something about the software needed, but the camcorder came with no software. What do I need? And he’s solution two:

Okay, so we have a DVD recorder which is hooked up to our Dish Network box. So anytimewe want to record something, it always records what we’re "watching" on the Dish Network thing. So even if we’re watching a VHS or DVD hooked up to the TV, it will still record what’s playing from the Dish Network or.. yeah. SO, if I hook up that recorder to the TV instead of the Dish Network box, will it record what I’m actually watching on the TV? Example: I hook the VHS up and watch a tape; will it record the tape instead? If you took the time to read this, God bless you. Please help? Thanks so much people!

God bless,
-Max

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Gifts for mom: what are you getting?

Posted on 14. Jan, 2011 by Toy Expert.

I am trying to think of some ideas for my mom.

Here are some things she likes to get an idea of her personality. She likes the polar express train (but too expensive), home decor stuff but she is a little picky, liked an ecosphere I got her one time.. uh ya.. i already ran out of stuff.

She isnt materialistic so she really doesnt enjoy all the stuff i would. I dont know her taste in purses, she doesnt like her nails done, or massages.

My ideas were to get her a faux fur throw, if i can find one that is really pretty. But, if i dont find it.. ill be at loss as to what as to look for.

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Should i trust his step~mom OR am i reading too much into this?

Posted on 09. Jan, 2011 by Toy Expert.

short version. i dated this guy (18 mos), had a baby with him, and broke we broke up. He has a son with another chick (4yrs old).

ok.. So I’m confused, i’m in real good with his family. Supposedly this chick is a piece of work, she’s evil,doesn’t take care of her kid, causes drama for him, family despises her. Then there’s me, good girl, does everything for him, takes care of my kids.. yada, yada, yada. So can someone tell me WHY??? They threw her a baby shower, not even offering one to me. They gave her 350 for a circumcision(that was spent for, well let’s not dispose her business), i didn’t get offered that kind off help. They run gave him 200 dollars for school clothes, i still have a baby, but i never got ANYTHING not even diapers. O yeah there was this time when i was in the dollars store with the mom. she says, "here let me get the baby something" she picked up this monkey shirt!! Whatever.. it’s not about the money, but If this little boy has a room full of toys and an electric train set, Y o Y does my son get umm.. A DOLLAR T-SHIRT… supposedly like i said i’m their long "lost daughter" and all that BS but WHAT GIVES???
Did i mention she is NOT even allowed in their house but i have been taken put on trips with them and i stay there every weekend to visit.

Sorry so long.. Wat do ya think… am i being a "B" for thinking of these things???
You guys are ALL sooo helpful thanx for ur help:X

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