Do You Zhu Zhu?

The call has been put out. Someone in my circle of family and friends wants, wait should I say, needs a Zhu Zhu pet. In case you don't have a person under 10 years old in your life, Zhu Zhu pets are this years "it" toy. You know, this year's Tickle-Me-Elmo, Wii, Princess Unicorn or Cabbage Patch Kid (okay I am dating myself here). Every year there is always a toy that is impossible to get, yet somehow it ends up on every kid's list. And parents go nuts trying to find that toy, paying 2, 3 even 10 times the value to get the item for their precious to open on Christmas Day.

Oh I mock because I have been there. One Christmas when Snake was 4 years old, all he wanted for Christmas was "Black Buzz". It was a special edition Buzz Lightyear Figure, that wasn't really black, it was silverish, kind of a plastic shiny chrome color but that is what he called it. He saw one in the Disney store and it was all he talked about. So of course, by the time I got to the Disney store to buy it , they were out of stock. It was hard to find. So I put the call out to the network of sisters, aunties and grandmas. And California was searched up and down the coast for a "Black Buzz". It was searched and it was searched hard. I tried to manage Snake's expectations. "You know sometimes you don't get everything you want for Christmas, but there is always your birthday just a little over 2 months away", in my cheerful it-doesn't-really-matter-if-all-of-your-Christmas-dreams-are-dashed, right? mom voice. I started to panic but Snake never did. He kept telling me "don't worry, Santa will bring it". Oh right, I forgot.

So I have been searching for Zhu Zhu pets. I have searched every store in about a 15 mile radius from my house looking for the toys. I can tell I am not the only one. The store clerks are just a little snippy. "Do you have---", I don't even get a chance to finish my question before several of them have cut me off "No. We don't have any Zhu Zhu pets. No. We don't know when we will get any in. No. We don't have any idea of when any kind of toy shipment will come in." (Apparently these boxes just appear like magic in stock rooms everywhere.) So I have taken to having them show me where the Zhu Zhu's will be, if and when they are ever in stock. So I know where to look without disturbing the toy department clerks who are too busy and important to answer my questions about . . . toys. And when I find them, because I have every confidence I will, I will buy as many as I can. And distribute them to my family and friends who need them. At cost. Because I understand.

Oh and yes, Snake did get the Black Buzz for Christmas. It was found about 2 days before and made its appearance under our tree on Christmas morning. Snake just said "See, I knew Santa would find it" and he was right. Then Kiki dropped it about two minutes after he opened it and his little shiny chrome foot broke off. We spent Christmas morning buying Scotch tape at Walgreens to tape Buzz's foot back on. And to all a good night!!