Christmas Arrived Early: Amazing Amanda Is One Present I Won’t Be Wrapping
First off I would like to say I really don’t go overboard with Christmas. I give my daughter some presents but that’s it. The commercialization of the holiday is amazing, and I don’t want to be a part of that. Yesterday Amazing Amanda arrived in the mail. I left it outside until Aiyana was distracted and then took it down to the basement area. Ms. Aiyana had no idea that it had arrived. She also didn’t know that she would be receiving it, although she wanted it. I don’t always give her what she wants. She does have what she needs.
When my daughter took a nap last evening , I thought this was a perfect time to check and verify the doll actually worked. Amazing Amanda is an interactive doll. You actually have to program it if you want the child to interact with it. Programming is done by setting squeezing her right hand, and answering yes or no to the questions Amanda asks you. Amazing Amanda takes four C batteries, and it does not come with the doll so if you have landed on this page looking for information about Amazing Amanda stock up on the batteries.
Amazing Amanda passed the test. She actually awoke. I ran her through the various things she does, She eats, sleeps, plays with you, and yes she will go potty using her potty chair. I’m very impressed with Amazing Amanda. Well guess who woke up and found me working on Amanda in the basement. Yes, you got it Ms. Aiyana. She was excited about Amazing Amanda and to her Christmas is not a big deal. That has a lot to do with mommy. Aiyana received her playmate early. Come Christmas day there will still be gifts for her, coloring books, books, and clothes, and as I mentioned in a prior post I’ve made matching gowns for the two of them.
I’m happy to say that Aiyana loves Amazing Amanda. After a few hours of playing with her (much of the playing involved Aiyana reading to her “daughter”) she told Amanda to “Go To Sleep”! Amazing Amanda wasn’t ready to go to sleep much to Aiyana’s annoyance so she got tired of being the mommy and passed that lovely task onto me.
Me: Now you see what it feels like don’t you?
Aiyana: Why do you say that mommy?
Me: There are many times when you don’t want to go to sleep, right?
Aiyana: Yes
Me: Well now it’s happening to you. It looks like Amazing Amanda doesn’t want to go to sleep either. [smiles]
Aiyana: [Sighs] I never knew parenting could be so frustrating.
I had to laugh at that and assured her that although it can be challenging I love being a parent to her.
I’m not disappointed that she has her doll early. I don’t think it “spoils her Christmas.” It might “spoil her Christmas” if I told her it did. Christmas, for me, is more than just getting gifts also now since she does have the doll she’ll be able to take it with her, if she wants, when we visit my brother and sister-in-law on Christmas Eve. Do I think having a hi-tech toy stifles her imagination? Aiyana doesn’t have too many tech toys and the amount of time she plays with them compared to blocks, drawing, and writing is minimal. There is a happy medium and I do believe we’ve found it.
[tags]Amazing Amanda, bonding, parenting[/tags]
on December 20th, 2007 at 10:29 am
Heh heh…busted! ;) No, it doesn’t matter and she will have other things to open. Sounds like an interesting baby. Did you know there is a dog toy out there that actually pees? :) I was like…whoa! :roll:
Beth Ellen’s last blog post..Snow Play
on December 20th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I used to search the house for my presents when I was younger, find them, sort through all of them and then put them back. My mom still doesn’t know I did this. :lol:
AntiBarbie’s last blog post..Facing a Harsh Reality
on December 20th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
We have decided to not wrap any of the kids’ presents this year, but to display them around the Christmas tree just like Santa would have.
It was one fo my husband’s side of the family Christmas traditions, and I find it very environement friendly, therefore good to adopt!
For the presents for other family members, I used canevas tote bags. Eco-friendly and hopefully educational… ;-)
Thanks for the inspirtation your blog provides to me, and Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Tricotine’s last blog post..~ Sticky Post ~
on December 20th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Im so glad the doll was a hit! I have a question, can you give her your choice of names, or is she programed as Amanda? I know I always enjoyed naming my dolls.
Calamity’s last blog post..who?s that knocking at my door??
on December 20th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Opal, I would have loved to have one of these dolls for Christmas. Even today. I collect interactive and mechanical dolls so I know my husband is making a list. I hope he has this one on the top :)
Aiyana must be so happy to get her doll!
Sharon’s last blog post..This Holiday, Give Your Man An Adventure Of A Lifetime
on December 20th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Beth Ellen,
Yeah, I’m actually glad she discovered me. ;-) I can send you a Shih Tzu that does that. ;-)
AntiBarbie,
I remember we discovered our presents one year. It didn’t change the happiness we felt at Christmas. It was something to look forward to, lol. :-)
Tricotine,
I like that idea also. My parents kept the few presents we did receive in their shopping bags. They were being kind to the environment and they didn’t even know it. :lol: I’ve been thinking of making cloth bags for the few presents Aiyana will have. All that paper waste drove me nuts.
Calamity,
No it won’t recognize another name. In doing so it would have to have some type of “record voice” function to override the prior name although she’s very impressive in regards to her capabilities she isn’t that advanced. I bet you would like it. Even I had fun playing with the tech gadget when my daughter would let me, lol.
Sharon,
I rarely played with them as a child but I collect dolls now and like you I love the interactive and mechanical dolls. I would love to get my hands on the (Thomas) Edison Talking Doll but that still evades me. It was issued in 1890.
on December 21st, 2007 at 3:18 am
What a beautiful story Opal. Thanks for sharing with us. I felt all teary reading it.
Merry Christmas to you and Aiyana. My fondest thoughts are with you both. Mxxxxx
Megan over at Imaginif’s last blog post..WINNING Child Safety Tip
on December 22nd, 2007 at 1:50 am
What a great gift. It is great they are introducing this type of technology to girls at an early age. I am looking forward to reading further about Ms Aiyana and her new Amazing Amanda.
Nicole has recently started babysitting a neighbor boy that is about 1.5 years old. Gabriel is very cute, and after the first time on her own, she came back with a very similar attitude to Aiyana. Oddly enough Nicole never really liked dolls, but has always enjoyed little kids.
Thomas’s last blog post..1,000 Commenter Deserves Recognition
on December 22nd, 2007 at 7:10 am
Megan,
Merry Christmas to you and your family. I think of you often. :-)
Thomas,
I think so to. I have read some posts specifically about this doll where the parents were thinking this would stifle the kids imagination. I definitely disagree I can see how technology has enhanced Aiyana’s thinking process and has encouraged her to do more not only with technology but with simple things also.
That has to be fascinating for your daughter and what a great way to learn how to care for someone that is completely dependent on someone older. I bet this will be an excellent learning experience for her and I imagine it will make her appreciate her parents even more. ;-)
on December 22nd, 2007 at 7:43 pm
My husband actually just asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said *Amazing Amanda*, but come to think of it now, he’s a man of sheer ingenuity….. he just might find that Thomas Edison talking doll.
Sharon’s last blog post..This Holiday, Give Your Man An Adventure Of A Lifetime