dude, I had this building blocks (best way to describe it) set as a child that let you build towers for marbles to travel down... i played with that thing for years! it was awesome:


you need to start encouraging her to be a little engineer early on!!


hmmm, now that I look at the date on the pic, I was almost 4 when I got that present. Which goes along with the manufacturers warning not to give it to kids under 3 years old....

but STILL! next year!!
http://www.oakridgehobbies.com/index.php/quercetti-transparent-marble-run.html
http://www.constplay.com/cgi-bin/constplay_cgi.sh/WService=constplay/constplay.com/family/product.htm?stateInfo=knIlcdEbcdWkliap2857|3&dept_id=23&pf_id=KFV-815L&parent_id=
http://www.nextag.com/marble-run/search-html
http://www.growingtreetoys.com/category/marble-run-toys

[Edited on December 11, 2008 at 4:06 AM. Reason : links]

12/11/2008 3:56:41 AM

yet another age inappropriate toy, but another one I had that I loved and played with all the time (it was kinda link this):
http://www.growingtreetoys.com/product/magnetic-pattern-blocks-set

omg omg omg, it was actually more like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Pattern-Blocks-Boards/dp/B00006JZCG/ref=pd_sbs_op_5
[link]http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_op?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords="pattern+block"&x=0&y=0[/link]

more age appropriate:
http://www.growingtreetoys.com/category/2-year-olds?gender=&price=&category=28&brand=

[Edited on December 11, 2008 at 4:25 AM. Reason : remembering these toys makes me more amazed my mom was shocked when i decided to go into engineering]

12/11/2008 4:21:13 AM

^those are excellent. But the bubbles may be the best idea yet. They make some awesome automatic bubble machines. Kids fucking love bubbles.

And since the bubble machines are pretty inexpensive, you can get some other things too. Like a bounce house or one of those inflatable water slides from little tikes.

12/11/2008 7:32:32 AM

make her an animal at build a bear

12/11/2008 7:52:04 AM

when I was 2/3, my dad gave me my teddy bear...and I still have it, and it still sits on my dresser

THIS is what you're going for

i recommend a teddy bear

12/11/2008 8:29:09 AM

I highly recommend the largest cardboard boxes you can find. I loved building forts

12/11/2008 8:54:44 AM

Get her an American girl doll!!!

They have a book series (for older girls) that she can have for later, but I used to read them cover to cover. Granted she's 2, I know she could care less about stories like that.

Also they come with some much shit that you can just add to the collection every birthday/holiday! You can even make a doll that looks like your daughter. I know the little girls I babysit adore their dolls and they take them everywhere. They even have a carrier so they can go on trips with the dolls haha.

http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/static/home.jsf

12/11/2008 9:03:28 AM

has she really not told you what she wants for the past 2 months?

12/11/2008 10:17:21 AM

^she's TWO.

my son is four and this is the first time he's asked for anything but candy and/or "surprises"

12/11/2008 11:09:08 AM

^^I've been deployed since the end of September...I've only talked to maybe a half dozen times in that time (between her mother being uncooperative, the time difference, and the internet here being too sucky for Skype to work lots of times)...

and she's two.

12/11/2008 11:11:44 AM

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geek-kids/1-3-years/

Thinkgeek has a new kids section with neat stuff.

12/11/2008 11:11:48 AM

^ checking it out...page is taking a few minutes to load

12/11/2008 11:15:13 AM

lol, "Baby's First MP3 Player"

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geek-kids/1-3-years/b15d/

12/11/2008 11:17:08 AM

Quote :

"i thought about getting her a little life jacket and a little aviation headset to take her boating and flying when I get back, but I don't want to stir the pot with her mother and have her be more of a pain in the ass than she is already likely to be about me bringing her up to NC for visitation."

i think this is the best idea in the thread

getting her something she can associate with you and use with you is probably going to stick around longer than a random toy, which you already indicated she had tons of

and of course, be sure to take lots of pics when you spend time together

12/11/2008 11:19:08 AM

Most 2 year olds are working on basic stuff like counting, colors, etc. The game "Candyland" or that one where you're counting cherries would work. My daughter started playing simple games like Candyland and Cootie when she was about 2 and a half. A size 3 soccer ball, too - it isn't hard to kick a ball, and it's funny to watch.

The giant legos (Duplo?), Play-Doh...

12/11/2008 11:20:13 AM

holy shit get her that marble thing in the pic

I LOVED THOSE when i was that age

I'm Big Business and i approved this message.

12/11/2008 11:20:55 AM

when she gets a little older a cool idea could be to buy stock in a company like disney. they offer the fancy certificates which you could frame. you can use it as a basis to teach her about finances and business and make sure she's smart enough to handle her ownself so she doesnt follow in her mothers footsteps

12/11/2008 11:25:05 AM

http://www.iwantoneofthose.com

12/11/2008 11:36:07 AM

^^ yeah, she's working on all that. she counts to 10 with some assistance (well, as of a few months ago...she might do it on her own now). She can say a bunch of colors, but doesn't really have a concept of which one is which just yet. She's starting to learn to count in Spanish, too.

^^^ Oh, I agree, except that she was a year and a half old before I finally managed to get her into a car with me without her mother...a boat (and especially an airplane) will probably be even worse. I mean, I didn't really force the issue as much as I could (and probably should) have, because I was trying to be patient with her mother and work things out, but now that I've given up on that, it's a different ballgame. Still, I'll just get her that stuff later. It'll need to stay at my house, anyway. I don't even have a boat yet (but will buy one when I get back home...I was just going to get another jet ski, but I figured that I ought to get something that my daughter could enjoy with me, so I'm going to get a boat, too.)

I'm making a list of good ideas that come to me for things I want to do with her when I get home and have her with me...some obvious stuff like the beach, swimming pool, kid's movie(s), etc, and some kinda cool stuff like camping, boating, flying, going for walks outside back where I grew up (she lives in an apartment, and doesn't get to play outside much, especially out in a rural area with unlimited space. I doubt she's ever walked through the woods, for example). I want to take her to the aquarium in atlantic beach/morehead city, too.

snow skiing, waterskiing, and SCUBA will have to wait a few years.

12/11/2008 11:39:52 AM

I still love the doll idea I love seeing a little girl carrying a doll with her

12/11/2008 11:43:04 AM

its really a fucking shame that a mother would try to force out a father who wanted to be part of his kid's life

12/11/2008 11:43:14 AM

my daughter ain't carrying no dolls and shit.

she gonna be tuff and kick yo ass

12/11/2008 11:44:03 AM

seriously though, get her the marble thing

I'm Big Business and i approved this message.

12/11/2008 11:44:49 AM

Listen...let her take her doll with her to boxing lesson ok?

12/11/2008 11:49:56 AM

ah ok

and it is aikido, juijitsi, hapkido, ninjitsu, judo, karate, kungfu, taekwondo, muy thai, wushu, AND boxing

12/11/2008 11:52:27 AM

i understand the system is against you (and basically males in general when it comes to family court) but clearly something can be done to find out what your daughter wants other than asking on tww

if you can't ask her then simply ask yourself

it seems you want to get her something meaningful and memorable - you're the only one that has the father-daughter bond - not your friends and especially not some random tww kids

12/11/2008 12:00:03 PM

Reserve a TWW screenname for her

12/11/2008 12:33:45 PM

^x5 the marble thing is a bit too much for a 2 year old... but, maybe next year!
seriously though, I agree, that was one of the toys I actually remember playing with as a child (probably because it was entertaining for several years)



these would give Rachel a heart attack, and arent really for kids, but whatever!


[Edited on December 11, 2008 at 2:34 PM. Reason : .]

12/11/2008 2:10:56 PM

http://www.learningexpress.com

Fairly Land Playhouse:


Counting Cookies:


String A Farm:


Bathtub Symphony:


Color N Cuddle Pony:


If she's past the stage of putting small things in her mouth, you can go with Calico Critters. They're really popular with girls about 3-5 years old, and there are hundreds of them you can get.

12/11/2008 2:38:42 PM

I think all girls are past the stage of putting small things in their mouths

12/11/2008 2:42:10 PM

tww is really slacking,

there should be a "Where to get a 2 year old girl for christmas"

I'm Big Business and i approved this message.

12/11/2008 4:37:22 PM

A big ol' bag full of crystal methamphetamine.

12/11/2008 4:38:12 PM

bathtub symphony!!!!

12/11/2008 4:46:51 PM

seriously the giddy up and go pony looks freaking fun

am i the only one that thinks so?

it looks amazing to me.

http://www.littletikes.com/toys/giddyup-go-pony.aspx

i mean it probably isn't that fun in real life but the commercials make it look really fun!!

[Edited on December 11, 2008 at 4:48 PM. Reason : k]

12/11/2008 4:48:03 PM

The Barack O'Bama 'Yes We Can' Opener

http://www.stupid.com/fun/OBCN.html

12/11/2008 4:50:53 PM

US Savings Bonds

12/11/2008 5:49:24 PM

12/11/2008 5:53:37 PM

i know it sounds kind of silly, but my two year old niece's birthday was last month, and I sent her a bouquet of balloons and a teddy bear. it was a huge hit because they were delivered to her, and she was thrilled.

it's not a huge present, but you can do Christmas balloons and a teddy bear or something to go a long with it. she'll be excited to get something delivered just for her.

12/11/2008 6:13:24 PM

box from the liquor store...kinds love boxes from what i've seen on tv

12/11/2008 6:13:59 PM

my niece just turned 2 and I got her some Barbie Doll Princess thing. I don't think it is to play with though, I think my sister is trying to start a collection for her.

12/11/2008 6:19:47 PM

i still say go to build a bear! that place is awesome

12/11/2008 6:20:20 PM

We got my nephew a sit-n-spin. It was a winner.

12/11/2008 6:35:57 PM

does she like puzzles? melissa & doug have some great wooden puzzles and i dont think they're too expensive at toys r us. i love wooden puzzles for my kids

12/11/2008 6:38:35 PM

I don't know if she's really old enough for puzzles...

I want to build her a nice hardwood toybox, but obviously that won't be happening in Iraq. Maybe for her 3rd birthday or next Christmas. I'll have to find and post some pictures of the wooden name sign I made for her a while back.



i kinda like the idea of an easel (http://www.littletikes.com/toys/double-easel.aspx?Ne=5&N=26+18+9)

or an art desk (http://www.littletikes.com/toys/hideaway-art-desk.aspx?Ne=5&N=26+18+9)

12/11/2008 7:57:25 PM

12/11/2008 8:05:38 PM

Do you want to make her mother's life a little more painful/less enjoyable?

12/11/2008 8:06:30 PM

Art supplies are always a big hit!

Just get her all kinds of stuff that her mom can fill up a shelf with. Foam shapes, construction paper, glue sticks, yarn, fabric scraps, crayons, markers, paint....all sorts of stuff. Oh and HUGE pieces of paper where she can just draw and glue anything to it.

12/11/2008 8:09:14 PM

this cardboard playhouse that you can color/paint/whatever

http://www.target.com/gp/search/187-6022862-8931253?field-keywords=cardboard%20playhouse&afid=google&CPNG=Toys&LNM=cardboard_playhouse&LID=1770924&ref=tgt_adv_xsgt0268

12/11/2008 8:11:23 PM

^^^ no. i'm just interested in minimizing how much she makes mine less enjoyable.

[Edited on December 11, 2008 at 8:12 PM. Reason : asfasdfad]

12/11/2008 8:12:00 PM

set em up

12/11/2008 8:12:21 PM