I want a Green Doggy! I can hardly blame Juniper for wanting one, too. And damn you for linking to Design Within Reach...now I'm toying with ordering a couple of those kids' chairs they're selling.
Ahahahahahahaha, just wait until she hits the teen years and she's one $250 pair of jeans away from total social failure. Thank god I have a boy who was never a "gimme" kind of kid (although he is saving his money to get dreadlocks on his middle class, band geek, white boy head). Good luck for your future, I'd take one look into those big Juney eyes and give her the moon.
wow, i am impressed that juney knew it was a doggy! (vs. another four legged-creature). i am also willing to admit that i give in to the incessant demands more often than i thought i would pre-kid days. it just wears me out!
so far my proudest moment as a parent was last week when the lady doing the activity at the library asked the kids "who knew who dora was?" and my kid was in the "Huh?" crowd.
so.very.proud!
and btw, this:
"Just order the damn thing. It's not like you've ever bought her anything that wasn't a germ-infested piece of crap you discovered on the floor between aisles of kid's clothes at the Salvation Army."
might be my most favorite SJ quote of all time.
thank god my kid has a birthday coming up so i have a reason to give my own tightwad husband to get her some new stuff. i'm not showing her these pictures, though!
Well played, parents.
Oh, poor Wendell.
Don't worry boy, you will prove to be the more interesting playmate in the long run!
"That day we went to Eastern Market, a collection of old-school shops that sell fancy cheeses and free trade coffees and lots and lots of pork ribs."
I had no idea that Heaven was located in Michigan.
My parents were sticklers about giving in to toddler (and whiney teenager) requests. Now that I am older, I'm glad that they did. Juniper's toys are so much cooler than the toys of other kids her age.
It's clear Juney loves the green doggy, but somewhere deep inside, I think Dutch loves the green doggy even more than Juney.
My wife became a Salvation Army fan the other day. She found a ton of second hand jeans for $15. She explained they were summer play cloths that they can thrash. She said she didn't have any old drapers or "Do Ray Me Sew" time to make play cloths.
The green dog is pretty cool, but with my luck the kids would have only played with the box.
a bit off topic (OK a lot off topic) but are/were you concerned with your staircase? It has no risers, and the railing seems to be a bit miniminalist. I'm looking to buy a house asap, and am 8.5 months pregnant -- the staircases I am seeing are freaking me out... not sure how toddler-safe they are?
Juniper doesn't go up or down the stairs without one of us. She has always been an excessively cautious child.
Juney has good taste! that's a mighty cool green doggy. Way to go Juney! Keep up the good work.
Dude you can get that at IKEA for twelve bucks!!
But Juniper would probably know...
Love the green doggy, but love even more the pictures of Juniper's excitement. Those pics are the best, thanks for brightening my day!
Ah Ah Ah !!! 
Very funny.
It's very nice for Juniper... but Dutch you're a sucker !... but don't worry, we [parents] have all been there at one stage!
Message for Juniper: "I love your dog, babe. Great choice. You're a mastermind ! well done."
You know, with all the hits that Design Within Reach is gonna get from this post, they should give you that green doggy for free!
Of course my nearly 4-year-old is sitting next to me as I read this and he exclaims "I want a Green Doggy!" as soon as he sees the pictures. And then "Why doesn't that dog have eyes?" Great minds... or something.
I got suckered into the f-ing Dora the Explorer Magic Castle. DAMMIT. Wish I had known about the green doggy.
Hi there! Delurking because I am laughing to hard that my Chai Tea is now a splat on my computer screen, LOL. You have a great site; I've been reading for a bit now, through Kate at Sweet-Salty. Love this entry. That green dog rocks; it definitely beats the Diego Rescue Center currently perched on my kids' toybox in the living room!
I think you got quite a deal. Juney is going to enjoy the green dog for a long long time. (Although I feel for Wendall--it is hard to deal with a younger, greener, dog. I can see him lying in the corner for weeks listening to "Yesterday"-- "But now it seems the Green Dog is Here to Stay").
On my way to work I pass some blocks of new, 'modern' yet anonymous flats, but someone has this dog on their balcony rail. It's the only spot of colour out of three walls of balcony. Yay for Green doggie!
Seriously if that's the first thing you've given in about I would not worry. I cave...instantly. All the time. It is a terrifying flaw in my parenting module.
I've probably bought my kid $60 worth of ice cream so far. At least a green doggy won't make her fat.
That is SO CUTE! And goes much better with your decor than the large springy ride-on horse in my parents' basement would, LOL.
I loved this post, although Wendell's expression in the last photo is kind of heartbreaking. Maybe you can justify the expense by using the Green Doggy as a foot stool when Juney gets tired of it.
Thank god matchbox cars are small and cheap.
I love how she totally played you. That technique is the reason why there is a very large white stuffed Husky in my house, as well as a Breyer Pegasus.
Poor Wendell.
As a fellow cheap, ahem, THRIFTY person, this was my favorite quote from this whole hilarious post: "She seems to have located a vulnerability, a chink in my armor of cheapness. The dog used to be $99, and now there is free shipping."
The "massive discount plus free shipping" kills me EVERY TIME.
I also love that Juney calls her room "her own room."
At least it's design-ey and cool. Maggie's last "I must own this or I will DIE" thing?? That her father fell for ike a ton of bricks? A used Tickle Me Elmo. The thing haunts my dreams.
Well...if Juniper ever gets tired of awesome green doggie, it should make a nice conversation piece in the corner (or a nifty hat and coat rack)....
Its really cool to see how happy she is though...
d @:^)
Juney clearly needs a sibling. And you can make one from scratch with no shipping fees.
Great post. No regrets. Well done.
Wendell looks so sad. Poor guy. But his replacement is very stylish and I'm with Wood, it's much better than Dora the Explorer anything.
Here's something even more dangerous to know there is a Design within Reach store in Birmingham.. I go there and pretend it's my house and the salespeople are annoying people that will not leave my house..
Oh I would so blow 60 bucks on that toy. I love it. Poor Wendell.
Gosh that dog is fantastic. What does Wendell think? Is he completely jealous or making friends? I bought my children Candeloo's recently and felt bad for the splurge. But every once in awhile, what the heck?! And the green dog is something many kids would not have.
"She seems to have located a vulnerability, a chink in my armor of cheapness. The dog used to be $99, and now there is free shipping."
BWAH HA HA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SO true. I empathize because it sounds like me.
$60 green doggie = no vet bills.
Wendell will prevail over time.
If she's only hitting you up for $60 you got off cheap, my friend. I somehow got roped into a $200 inflatable jumping apparatus that barely fits in our yard using similar methods.
I think it's adorable that you, with all the self-proclaimed thriftiness, purchased a brilliant $60 Green Doggy. Juniper is one lucky kid. Does the doggy have a name or does she call it "Green Doggy"?
Dang! Now I want one.
While Wendell seems despondent over his rival's arrival (snarf), it's the look in the shark's eyes that have me really worried in that one picture. He looks so manic, he might not notice Juney in the way when he goes in for the green doggy kill. Make sure she's out of the field of attack.
Poor Wendell ... snubbed for a green faceless quasi pooch.
Love these photos. She loves it, she really loves it!
Snort.
You guys are suckas...
I kid, yes, I kid.
Well played parents, Leah?
I say well played, Juney.
Wait a minute, that Alexander Calder shark pull toy is like $200 bucks! Spending $200 on an artsy wooden toy used for only decoration seems more uncharacteristic then a $60 green doggy she gets to actually use.
Although the shark is super cool looking and I like how you can see it in the background of the pictures.
DWR scratch and dent sale, Monica. It cost less than the dog. Don't you people have any faith in me?
sweet! i blogrolled you for my father's day blogroll + made you a button/badge from your banner title. i'm going to listen to your parents magazine goody blog podcast! i was on the podcast last month + their featured blog of month for april
Oh, ok, I shouldn't have doubted...
Just thought it was funny that the Dora the Explorer castle was on sale, too. So, maybe if she asks for IT now....
I love the green doggy! It's funny, sometimes there are things they latch onto and just need, need, need, no matter how silly - and then they love them wholeheartedly despite all your feelings that they'll get tired of them, etc. etc. Poor Wendell must love his Juney to look so saddened by the interloper, though.
I showed the DWR page to my 26-mo-old son and asked him what it was. He looked for a moment and said, "Puppy." Either there's something intrinsically prototypical about that shape (maybe the tail is the key?) or my kid can read.
Please know I was a little afraid to do this experiment, lest I end up with a $60 green doggy of my own. Luckily, he enjoyed the pics of Juniper more than that of the dog - I hope he doesn't pester me for her!
It is funny to me how children can immediately identify that shape as "puppy."
There were so many things that were funny about this entry that it took me three days to comment and I still don't know what to say, except that I keep LMAO.
I love the green doggy and I totally would have bought it b/c it was on sale and had free shipping! The last picture with your brown doggy is adorable. It looks like he isn't sure about this new addition to the family.
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If you do choose to blog about Maya & Miguel show or episodes on the DVD, please make it clear how you received the information. Our goal is to be open and honest with everyone we reach.
Kerri Roberts, BoldMouth
Hee, giant terrifying Maya and Miguel puppets showed up during the pledge breaks on our friendly local PBS station today. Maggie was fascinated: "What's THAT? What's that??" and decided that they were named Maggie. The kid does have a giant head but not THAT big.
my neighbor just saw juniper for the first time in awhile and he was like, "wow, her head is GIANT!"
I adore your blog, and this post illustrates why perfectly. For almost 2 years I've been trying to explain to my partner why I read blogs. Today, I handed him the laptop and made him read this post, and even though he struggled mightily not to, he laughed out loud. Thank you for helping me make a point.
My dogs would have totally peed on the green dog by now. Wendell is a champ if he hasn't.
Wendell looks like he only has two legs in the last photo. That photo just cracks me up.
I love a girl who knows her mind. Her very own dog in her very own room, indeed!
She talks so much compared to my guy (who's the same age). Such a bright girl, in so many ways.
It looks to me like Wendell's plotting revenge. :^)
I am loving that green dog and feeling the urge to have one of my own to straddle.
Nice Herman Miller storage module holding the shark pull toy.
Of course your kid would have great taste in toys... and deals. That dog was a steal!
And Wendell deserves some extra love. He looks distraught.
Why you didn't just find a nice lime-green unitard for Wendell and call him Green Doggy I just can't figure out.
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