Christmas Extravaganza!

We started letting Benjamin open presents a week before Christmas because we and his grandparents went overboard this year. The finger paint opened on the 23rd was a flop. It was returned to the store yesterday. (I probably wouldn't have known Benjamin was so against the finger paint had it not been opened independently. He tried to put it back in the wrapping paper and told me he needed a different present and then was really sad when I wouldn't give him one. I explained that he was a really blessed little boy to be getting so many presents and he should be grateful for what he had.) I have a recipe for homemade finger paint, so I'll try it out on him in a few months.

Benjamin really wanted Luigi and the Ferrari matchbox cars from the Disney "Cars" movie when we were at the BX. (I'm thinking we already own about $100 of matchbox "Cars". It really adds up...) I was wary of buying them after getting him so many presents, but then Ryan reminded me that the cars could be an exchange for the finger paint. We do need to start getting him things he really likes instead of things we think he would like. I was thinking we should get Benjamin a tricycle for his 3rd Birthday, but now I'm thinking he'd really like a Fisher Price camera a whole lot better.


Benjamin just made me watch the attached video ~10 times and is still begging to watch it again. Hopefully this is a teaching moment. It does make me laugh when he grumbles about not getting what he wants. He started doing that about a month ago.