A True Story!

In response to the many comments made by those of you who know of Quinn's talent to tell a good story I can back him up by saying that this story is in fact true. Quinn was the best Dad this Christmas as he searched all over the valley to find an actual trike and yes Emma did not like it at first but after warming up to the idea of Christmas she does love the bike. She asks Quinn to push her all the time as her feet don't quite reach the pedals yet. She also requests that Quinn push her stuffed animals around on the bike but we draw the line there.

On Christmas morning Quinn did not get the reaction he wanted out of Emma but he certainly got a good one out of me because he had told me he was not able to find a trike. So I was very surprised to see one Christmas morning.

We don't know the mystery behind the box of random stuff but if someone was trying to rip off the store and get their money back it didn't really work because the items in the box were all new and added up to about the same or more than the bike actually cost.

Oh well, we got the bike and now we have a great story to tell.

A Christmas Mystery

If you were shopping for a toy for your child, and you saw a box at the store with this picture on it:

...you'd probably expect to find this inside the box:

Right? And for all of you, this would be true. However, if you're Quinn and Lauralee, when you open a box with that picture on it, you find these:

What in the world? i'm sure you're asking yourself right now. Well, you have a right to know. So here goes.

The Fisher Price Rock, Roll n' Ride was on our watchlist for Emma for Christmas for several months. It can be adjusted as a child grows older from a rocking-horse-type ride, to a big wheel with parent handle, to a standard big wheel. We kept our eyes on sale prices, and then Laura found it at Smith's Marketplace, on sale, adding to it a coupon and buying it at a killer price. We kept it hidden until the 23rd of December, when I took it to my parent's house to assemble it in preparation for Christmas morning. When I cut open the box, however, I did not find a Fisher Price Rock, Roll n' Ride. Instead I found a green purse filled with lip balm, a doorknob and deadbolt set, a Swiss Army knife and wallet set, and a roll of pink duct tape. All items were new, in original packaging, with tags attached. The only shred of a connection to the actual trike was a solitary Fisher Price sticker meant to go on the handle bar.

Beyond bewildered, I called Laura to tell her what I found. Her main cause for concern was that it was 36 hours to Christmas morning and we didn't have the main gift for our daughter. My main concern was what in the world was I going to tell the lady at the Returns desk at Smith's Marketplace.

Me: "Uh, yeah, I ... uh ... bought this box at your store and when I opened it ... uh ... it, like, didn't have any of the stuff I wanted in it. Instead it had this (dumping the random items out of the box onto the Customer Service desk)"

Clerk: "Get the crap out of my store. (On the phone) Security!!!"

Me: "No, no, I swear. Somebody -- other than me -- took out what was in here, filled the box with a purse, some duct tape, lip balm, a wallet, a knife, and a doorknob, and put it on your shelf and then I bought it."

Clerk: "Uh huh."

Me: "Right, but then I opened it and as it turns out, I don't really want a purse, some duct tape, lip balm, a wallet, a knife, and a doorknob. I kind of just want the thing on the picture on the front of the box."

Clerk: (clearly stalling until security can arrive) "Okay, why don't you tell me about any other things you bought that weren't really what you bought"

Me: "Hmmm. I can tell that you don't really believe me. I know this looks weird, but (Security Guard arrives, interrupting)

Security Guard: "I'm going to give you five seconds to leave the store before I punch you in your face."

In actuality, the folks at Smith's were quite nice, and did, in fact, believe my story and take the box back. One employee even began putting the contents of the box back on store shelves, despite the fact that none of the price tags said Smith's Marketplace on them (one said Fred Meyer, but our Smith's hasn't been a Fred Meyer in about 10 years.)

Relieved at not being punched in the face by a security guard, I realized that we may have trouble finding a replacement trike a) at this store b) at any store for a comparable price c) at any store period d) at any store period before Christmas morning. And my fears were confirmed.

There have been several movies made that chronicle the efforts of a parent, scrambling about on Christmas Eve, trying with all their might to find a popular last-minute Christmas toy for their child. None of them are funny, though, and now I know why. I spent a very long lunch break on Christmas Eve travelling across the valley, visiting all Wal-Marts, Shopkos, Targets, and K-Marts in my path. A total of 6 stores, to be exact. And by the time I checked the last one, I was not having fun. I was looking to hit somebody in the groin with a football. In a last, desperate attempt, I went to a Toys R Us, knowing very well that the item I wanted may be in stock, but also knowing that it would probably cost eight hundred dollars more than we paid for it at Smith's. But me, a broken-down and tired dad, shuffled to the back of the store, found the trike, and -- admitting defeat -- slowly signed my life away at the Toys R Us register, relying 100% that the look on Emma's face on Christmas morning would be my ultimate payoff and instantly restore in me the spirit of Christmas.

Christmas morning, bow on the steering wheel, miniature personalized "Emma" licence plate hanging down, video camera at the ready, I waited for Emma's reaction when she came down the stairs. Grumpy Emma, whose only words were "Watch T.V.?" wouldn't even look directly at the trike. When I tried to put her on it, she started screaming.

I should have just given her the purse, the lip balm, the wallet, and the doorknob. Probably not the knife.

Quinn

Oh, and by the way: I'm dying to hear what kind of explanation any of you can come up with for the box with the random contents. Leave your thoughts in the comments sections.

Bellies!

These are my three best friends from high school who I still see on a regular basis and yes we are all pregnant at the same time. What are the chances? We are also all due with in 6 weeks of each other. From left to right: Jessica 29 weeks, Brooke 36 weeks, Melissa 34 weeks and myself 29 weeks. Its going to be real fun at our playdates this summer with all theses babies. We may have to meet outside from now on with so many kids between the four of us, there will be 10. WOW!

Snow Day!

We finally got enough snow to go out and play in the week between Christmas and New Years. This was Emma's first time playing in the snow and she had a blast. Quinn was so good to spend the time out in the cold with her. See how cute they are. They wish it had been good snowman making snow but it wasn't. Oh well, maybe next time.

Christmas!

It's time to post all those Christmas pictures finally. Emma is down for a nap, I finished my book this morning and the playroom has been painted (more to come on that). We had a great Christmas. Here are some of the highlights.

Christmas Village in Ogden

Mom, Quinn, Emma,Taylor, Anne and Cousin Jenny

Christmas Eve with the Lavenders

Diane, Loren, Angie and Aunt Pat

Nicole, Sarah, Lauralee

Fireman Tanner helps out with the retelling of the Night Before Christmas from a fireman's perspective.

Uncle Jim and Shawn

Quinn telling the Nativity story

Christmas Morning

When Emma got up that morning all she wanted to do was watch T.V. She was very upset that I would not let her. As I have mentioned Emma is not a morning person and she was up late the night before so she was very tired. Even as we came downstairs and turned the corner and saw the presents she still asked to watch T.V. until I gave her her stocking and she found some fun things to play with in there.

She went straight for the candy of course.

Checking out her new trike. She loves to have Daddy push her as her legs are not quite long enough. She also wants Daddy to give her animals a ride but he draws the line and makes her do it. It is so cute.

Quinn opened this and said, "Look what Santa brought US Laura. Isn't it great?"

Quinn made me a blanket!!

Quinn got a new MP3 player!

Grandma and Grandpa Lavender stopped by to see what Santa brought.

Emma's favorite toy of the morning was a Sesame washcloth. Go figure.

Christmas Afternoon with the Van Bibber's

Carly

Daniel, Hannah, Taylor

Emma knows just what to do!

Quinn, Jeff and Carly

Play food!!

The Day after Christmas with the Lavenders

A piano!

Emma spent the whole day going back to the candy dish!

More presents!

Playing peek-a-boo with Aunt Angie!

What a Christmas. Thanks to all who made is so special. We love you!!