I got sucked in....Santa Gift #2

..and fell hook, line and sinker.

Last night, being Wednesday, I met some friends for dinner and a beer, then came home exhausted at about 7:15. I had no energy, was still not to the walking further than 20 feet at a time phase in the endo pain recovery cycle, so collapsed on my bed.

My plan had been to journey out to B&N after dinner to get our new book club book "Away" by Amy Bloom and read, but it was cold and rainy, and B&N would involve walking more than 20 feet at a time. Plus, we had dinner less than a mile from home. Maybe not even a full half mile.

There was NOTHING on TV except the debate which I had to tune out because a recovering political hack/senior executive policy advisor/hired political gun (depending on your perspective) from my era MUST tune such things out to save our sanity, and baseball, and being a Cub fan, well, you understand.

Anyway, I ended up watching Jon & Kate + 8 for a few hours. I am not a reality TV fan aside from HGTV (who can resist Carter Oosterhouse???!!) and anything KTP might have produced, but their "little kids" are slightly older than Jax and about the same development stage, so once I turn it on, I have trouble leaving.

As part of the show, there was blatant product placement - the Tonka Bounce Back Racer. Their kids loved it, had lots of fun with it, made them late for preschool because of it, etc.

Jax had coveted a remote control car since right after his birthday. When he had his surgery, my friend/boss Kim and her daughter/sometimes Jax babysitter Emily, picked out the Lightening McQueen car for him because Em thought it would be perfect, which it was.

BUT I liked the "soft, squishy body and oversize rubber tires, which means kids can take this speedster for a spin without hurting your walls, feet and floors" part of the description, the ease of operating, Jon said the littles had no trouble with it, so I had to check it out today over lunch at The Red Ball Store (Target) - which also sucks me in. (I do feel better today; the house is TRASHED but I DO feel better.)

It was not in the Tonka section. Not in the remote control car section. It WAS in the toddler toy section - shout of thanks to the nice Red Ball Store clerk who helped me figure it out. My thoughts on 2-4 being considered "toddlers" will have to wait for another post.

I found it. THE. LAST. ONE. It is squishy. It is colorful. It is a Tonka for goodness sake. It is ALOT more expensive than some of the other cool characters' cars.

But what if it is the hottest toy of the year? What if it is the next Cabbage Patch Kid or Tickle Me Elmo? What if I waited for it to go on sale and then might not be able to find it like with Jax first Christmas special gift? The Racer is being featured on Jon and Kate + 8 for goodness sake. (I did eventually find that Dinasauer after spending an entire tank of gas - it NEVER went on sale - BUT he still plays with it for his Hot Wheels cars.)

I had to get it. Surely he will LOVE it.

But I can't help but wonder, how much of my $34.99 went Jon and Kate and their 8.......?