FLASHBACK christmas 1992

"a sack full of toys means a sack full of joys..."
the boys  wake me up with giggling and squealing. it's 5am, christmas morning. not only has santa been by and loaded them down with presents, but the grandparents, and their uncle, have sent a box full of gifts. they rip through all the paper, sticking bows on each other's heads. "oh! wow!! this is cool!!". "this is mine!! i love it!!". "look at this mama!!". then, they open them. large packages from my lil bro. machine guns. machine guns that make LIFE~LIKE noise. machine guns that, upon inspection, have batteries that CANNOT be removed. ack! all christmas day....BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!! early the next morning...RAT A TAT TAT TAT!!! on...and on...and on...and on...and on...ugh
FLASH FORWARD today
i am perusing the internet and notice an article about unsafe toys this holiday season. what makes a toy dangerous? lead paint continues to be a problem. phthalates, used to soften pvc, are known to cause changes in hormone levels and birth defects. extremely strong magnets can pinch fingers and are a choking hazard. obviously, small parts pose a choking hazard. and, the surprise to me...noisy toys! did you know that there is a limit of 65 decibles for toys? if a toy exceeds 85 decibles, prolonged exposure can cause gradual hearing loss! i am NOW blaming my lil bro for the hearing loss in my right ear...instead of rock concerts, blaring my stereo, the scarring on my ear drum (caused by a combination of q~tip and jumping toddler), or the ear canal that is smaller than it's supposed to be. nope...it's all lil bro and those stupid NOISY machine guns...

so...what toys should you avoid this year? the 2012 trouble in toyland reports the following:

• dragster cars (toys 'r us): small parts, choking hazard
• bowling game (dollar plus store): small parts, choking hazard
• toy food (walmart): choking hazard
• dora backpack (target): contains phthalates
• morphbot (dollar tree): contains lead
• snake eggs (dollar tree): choking hazard
• dora guitar (target): noisy, exceeds 85 decibles
• car wheel/horn (toys 'r us): noisy, exceed 85 decibles

happy shopping!!