Spare the Rod . . .

This past week I either became the worst mother ever or the best mother ever, depending on who you ask.

I was out shopping on my lunch hour and happened upon the most adorable Playmobil zoo set for kids 1.5 years and older. I immediately ran back to work and emailed my husband to tell him all about it because:
a) it was adorable
b) our kid loves animals right now
c)Playmobil is usually for the 4 years + crowd so I was excited to see a set for younger kids
d) although we'd finished our Christmas shopping for the kid, we only bought him three things: a book, a superman cape and a potty. That's right, a POTTY - which is only one step up from a lump of coal on the Official Kids' Christmas Gift Scale® so I'm thinking it wouldn't be that crazy to get him one actual toy for Christmas.

The husband was equally excited about the zoo so the next day I picked it up. That night we tore it open like two hyperactive six-year-olds on Christmas morning. But wait, that's not the pathetic part. This is: we were so in love with the zoo (and apparently made of stuff no stronger than marshmallow fluff) that we broke down and gave it to our son the next morning. ONE MONTH BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

It's all my husband's fault.

"I'm not the kind of parent who gives a present for no reason on a random day, one month before Christmas no less," I said.

"I am" he responded flatly.

We are either embarking down a very bad road or setting our kid up for some major disappointment in the future.