TRU is short for "Toys R Us" & last Friday, they had a party for all the employee's kids of the Corporate Headquarter.... There were over 550 kids there! Now, that's what I call a Christmas Party! TRU pulled out all the stops... At 9am, they had registration & served all the employees, plus employees kids/family a continental breakfast. They gave each child a nice (re-usable) cloth TRU bag & let them go shopping... In the cafeteria, they set up long tables with thousands of pretty cool toys. Each child was allowed three things. Aubree picked out a Teacup Piglet, accessories for the piglet & a pillow pet (unicorn). Preston chose a T-Rex, a ball (of course!) & a pillow pet (those were pretty popular & they had hundreds of them). Baylee, instead of getting gifts for herself picked out something for Aubree & Preston - what a selfless child! Hahaha... Anyway, she got Aubree a dollhouse furniture set (for the huge dollhouse she already has) & Preston, a Sponge Bob stuffed animal... She also got a souvenir "Geoffrey" stuffed giraffe... which, now belongs to Aubree & Preston because they already had one & they like to have all the same stuff. Anyway, the kids got smaller scale things... But, they even had the life-size "Fur Real" friends! Barbies & accessories... like the swimming pool for them, big baby dolls, etc. Very generous stuff!

So, after receiving their gifts, Aubree & Preston watched Christmas carolers and hung out with the main man, Geoffrey. TRU also provided many toys throughout the cafeteria for the kids to experiment/play with... Wii games, the FAO piano, bowling games, etc.  Garrick went to his office to work a bit & a little later, he came back & then we went into the big auditorium, where the CEO makes all his speeches & the kids got to sit on Santa's lap. We encouraged Aubree to ask Santa for what she had been wanting... since she has been wanting the same thing ALL year & guess what??? She pulled a quick one on us & told Santa Clause she wanted some Leapfrog Picnic set - Garrick was so upset & tried to find one last minute, but... Guess Aubs had to ask Santa for a hot item, the day before Christmas Eve... Oh well, Garrick told her that she can't confuse Santa last minute like that!

After seeing Santa, we headed back to the cafeteria where they were serving Santa's favorite food... Cookies & milk. The kids snacked on those while working on some Christmas craft projects they provided. Each of the kids got an ornament to take home. After that, we headed to Garrick's office - where I got to mingle with his coworkers (who I really like), & who also probably think I talk a lot.... But, you would talk a lot too, if all day - everyday you only got to hang out with a 4-year old, 2-year old & 3 month old!! :)

It's official... The Geoffrey mobile was there!!

 The toys...

 Garrick's boss (??) Hahaha... j/k

Call me crazy, but I don't think Preston likes this "Big Red" as my Dad calls him...

 Awe.... One of all three, or four (depending on how you look at it) of the kiddos! :)

 So, this is the second year now that we've had this "Elf on the Shelf" - for my friends & family without small children... Let me tell you, this is the newest tool in trying to manipulate your poor young child into behaving during the month of December. Our sweet friends Kirk & Laurie gave him to us last year. You're supposed to give him a name right away (our guy is Marcus) & then every night he "goes up to the North Pole to report back to Santa on if the kid was good, or bad, etc". So, naturally he finds a new place to hang out every day. Thank God for Garrick always remembering to move this guy - because I get a big fail in that department.

Although the kids had a good time searching for him everyday... They didn't necessarily change their actions too much around him. But, that would only make sense - Aubree doesn't believe in anything we try to sell her on (ie Santa Clause, Easter Bunny).

Anyway... here's one of the places Garrick put this guy... It made me laugh, oh this Marcus - such a playful fella!

Hahahaha!!