Year 1, Day 44

I vaguely remember an a public outcry a few years ago regarding a particular child's toy. It might have been a speaking Elmo, or something else with a voice, but I recall that the words it uttered sounded more like foul language than the sweet, non threatening phrase it was intended to be. Of course the toy police took it off the shelf immediately and reworked the voice. But somehow they missed the talking blender that Jackson completely adores, and has since the day of his birthday party. Jackson plays with a talking kitchen gadget, and it is more interactive than one might assume.

The idea of a toy blender is a great gift for a boy, like Jackson, who is into food and cooking. The blender spins when he pushes the buttons and throws in assorted fruits of all shapes . . . he inevitably reaches in the blender while it's spinning and takes the shapes out to repeat all over again. When the toy manufacturer was creating this toy, did anyone at the round table that afternoon say "hey, it might not be a good idea to encourage young children to stick their hands in running food processor?" Apparently, that was overlooked. And, from there it only gets worse. The voice inside the blender is extremely creepy, as it says in a disturbing, macabre chant "Join me now and we'll have fun - we'll whip up something tasty! Hurray your drink is ready. ***Creepy laugh***. Add a banana and then add some shapes, and I'll whip you up a nice drink!" Nowhere does it say "I'll whip you up a nice breakfast shake or a smoothie." Nope, the blender is definitely for mixed drinks, perhaps some pina coladas or frozen margaritas. Maybe the toy was made for the moms, like me, who listen to talking toys with catchy phrases during car rides home . . . these get stuck in my head all day, and I start to sing "Happy hands, it's fun to play! Count to 3, clap away! 1-2-3, happy hands, hooray!" After 10 times of that in the car, it's time for a drink.

What I learned today: Toys that sing, and speak are captivating, and completely mesmerizing. If you have the toy blender, you might want to put it away until he's of legal age to consume. Cheers!