I’m so grateful that in the past two years there hasn’t been a single must-have toy that the under 5 set desires at any cost to their parents. We all remember the Tickle Me Elmo craze – thankfully I had no children at that point. I can’t imagine the anguish of parents actually going out of their way to obtain one of those red muppets so it could torture them with his maniacal laugh.

Remember the Cabbage Patch Kid craze of the early 80’s? Yeah, I was one of those kids. And I remember my grandmother went out in the pre-Christmas crowds to fight for one of those moon-faced dolls. I’m amazed she didn’t get trampled by the more aggressive parents – who knew grandma was so tough? At Christmas I unwrapped that yellow box, and got to hold my first (of many) Cabbage Patch dolls – her name was Madeline Eva. I still have that doll, and she still holds a place in my heart, even more so now because I know my grandmother put so much effort into making sure I got that special toy.

Would I do the same should that must-have, hard-to-find toy come along that captures Cordy’s attention? Of course! After all, Aaron and I have plenty of experience, after hunting down the rare PS2, Wii, and the Furby. (What? Can’t a woman in her mid-20’s want a Furby? They were cute!) Aaron has also been through his fair-share of doorbuster deal crowds the day after Thanksgiving. We can deal with the crushing crowds, the line jumpers, and the store-to-store searching. It’s the thrill of the hunt, right?

Sure, that toy might soon become some trinket tossed aside for the next obsession, but it also just might be the doll that still brings back warm memories every time she looks at it, 25 years later.

This post is part of the blog blast for the Parent Bloggers Network and sponsored by Hasbro and their Hot Summer Toy Event. Join in by writing a post before midnight tonight for your chance to win Hasbro toys and games!