ok it may be early, and for the record, i've never bought a damn thing for Christmas this early. in fact, if you tell me you're even starting your shopping already, I'd have to drop you as a friend. 

But Al and I have been looking for a train table for our 2.5yrold son, who is totally train obsessed.  We were going to buy him one for the heck of it, but this close to the holidays, we thought we could hold out.  Toys RUS has been jerking us around....every time they have on in their sunday circular, we'd dutifully run our tushes out there...about 5 times now...to find them sold out.  I'd given up ---they are Toys R Somewhere Else.  We'd found a Buy it Now source on eBay, and were going to get one there as time got closer, and the Christmas Club check rolled in.

Tonight my daughter and i went to ToysR SomewhereElse to get a bday present (and I had a coupon).  There, in the aisle, were 2 of the train tables loaded with the extras that we wanted to get DS.  tinkle tinkle...are those jingle bells i hear?

Of course, I had my daughter with me...she is 5, and a FIRM believer, if you catch my drift.  SO...I threw her a bone and sent her to the Barbie aisle, as I cornered a salesgal, and made my pitch.  It went something like "I need that train table, been looking forever, but can't buy it right now b/c it'll end our Santa believing years permanently"  Amazingly enough, this woman totally understood where I was coming from.  She stashed it at customer service for me, and I finished my shopping, which included bodily removing Eve from the pink hued aisles of Barbie/Princess Bacchanalia.

Came home, and oops, realized I left my license at Toys R US, so oops, Mommy had to run back there quickly, ALONE, where the accomplice elf sold me the train table extraordinaire.

jingle jingle all the way baby.......I've just accomplished the coup of Christmas.  Now to equal this coup in Barbie/Princess-dom.........