Sunday, my boys were “exposed” to the Webkinz “craze” through their cousins. Soon, I was asked daily if they could go and buy a Webkinz of their own. I promised my 7 year old that we would go one day after school. The temperatures dropped bitterly, so it took a few more days of being asked daily before we ventured out. My sister told me of a discount coupon for one of the stores on Webkinz web site – so of course I logged on. Little did I know that I’d be calling 5 local stores to be only told that they were waiting for a new shipment. Hmmm, could Webkinz have possibly become the beanie babies of my daughter’s younger years I wonder? So I expand my search for store locations and called a store not too terribly far that received a shipment in today!

My son takes his birthday money and proudly places it in his wallet and snaps it on a belt loop – which sends my younger son in to a search for his wallet and a request for “money”. I try to explain that it is Max’s birthday money and soon his birthday will come and he’ll be able to buy a Webkinz too – that didn’t work out too well and Max being the sensitive one – offered to buy one with his birthday money for his younger brother. So I said – how about if I buy one for each of you for Valentine’s Day! Problem solved and we travel on.

We arrive at Nicky Nicole’s -- a store of all “girl items” and I soon have that little yearning in me to parent a girl and dress them – I remind myself that I have a beautiful little grand-daughter to dress and no sleepless nights and move on. Max goes in knowing that he wants -- a lion and quickly picks him out. Logan looks around and sees the pug and picks it up and tells me it is “ugly” and then proceeds to love him up and say it is “who” he wants! We arrive at the counter and Max insists he wants to pay – I tell him to save his birthday money and he says – no, no – just buy me another one for Valentine’s Day! The woman was so nice and asked him his age and he tells her – so Logan goes up and has to “pay” too – when the woman doesn’t ask him his age – he is sure to tell her – I am only 3. I smile – I wonder if Max does see how much his brother looks up to him – Logan is the “tough” one in the family and can make Max cry so easily – but Logan does love him and look up to him.

Please read on to part II for the connection to adoption.....