For the Love of JuJu and Her Zhu Zhu

This  DVD post has a bonus feature: commentary from me, Zhu Zhu Granny aka Tiffani, mother to JuJu.  This story should be told with fair perspective because yes, this time with Amber was both thrilling and terrifying all at the same time.  So, I'm the voice of reason in the red text.


I had a mission. Mission seems like such a dull word to describe the fire in your belly, my dear.

And a girl doesn't back down when her homegirl gives her a mission.  Um, good thing this was done safely over the internet or I fear a toy store brawl could've easily ensued with Mrs. Rascal Raiser ending up in cuffs.

Especially when the mission involves a curly top princess.

She does look awfully cute and Zhu Zhu needy in that sleigh, doesn't she?!


Seeing as she is my future daughter-in-law, I decided that I must give that darling all that her precious heart desired.  Even if it was one of these.

Meet the Zhu Zhu Pet. The $8 retail insane phenomena known as, even...

Apparently it is the hottest toy to walk the shelves since the Tickle Me Elmo and the Kids that grow in a Cabbage Patch.  Grown women elbowing and shoving their way to a Zhu Zhu.  You betcha. See above statement.

So....Tiffani texted me and instant messaged me all in a tizzified panic:  Julia.Must.Have.A.Zhu.Zhu....Help.Me.Find.One.Pronto. Of course, I believe I was much less tizzified and making simple statements such as:  "Girl, people are nuts for these things....but maybe your Wal-Mart or Toys  R  Us has them"

She checked her stores.  I checked my stores.  We shopped online.  And she made phonecalls.  This is all very true because I figured the closer to Christmas I got the less of a chance we'd have to get one..and I mean G-O-N-E.... like limits on how many you can buy, GONE...

No Zhu Zhus.  Nada. Zip. Zilch. Waiting Lines. No One Answering Phones.  INTENSE.  This is when I definitely was thinking this Zhu-love is GINORMOUS and little JuJu may NOT be receiving such a fun non-pooping hamster for Christmas.

So tonight we started shopping around on eBay.  Um, browsing, BROWSING is what I was thinking was happening...

Now....let me just interject here that I haven't shopped on eBay much.  And the times that I have shopped on eBay it has been "Buy It Now."  I haven't ever been apart of a bidding frenzy.....

Until tonight.

It all started with one little bid.  Just one teensy tiny bid.
And then another bid.
And another bid.
And before long I had a string of bids on Zhu Zhus stretching from Philly to L.A. She ain't exaggeratin' people.

Poor Tiff couldn't even type "Stop.Bidding.Now." on IM fast enough.  Click.  Another bid. Seriously, I've never been closer to a coronary in.my.life.

She had to excuse herself for Oreos to calm her nerves. Oh.YES.I.DID. and would've medicated with something stronger if I had it!!  I was shaking and BEGGING her to back away from the computer.

But 3 hours, 36 minutes, 11 bids, and 38,472,938,472,938 page loads later.....and one bestie collapsed and needing oxygen on the sofa

Miss JuliaBelle has herself a Zhu Zhu Pet sitting pretty under the tree this Christmas.  And all thanks to her Auntie Amb's insane spontaneity and her mama's near nervous breakdown due to Auntie Amb's insane spontaneity.

Yes.  I did it.  I fought the good fight that is eBay and won that ding dang toy.  This Mama is actually thrilled even though I was trying to talk her off the risky ledge and she was trying to talk me off the "you ain't gettin' it for $8 we gotta do this now" ledge

And if that isn't good news, then knowing that I won TWO might just be better. Great, Amb, now your READERS have collapsed....

Yes. Two. Praise the Lord she didn't win the other 720 bids that were still pending or every child from Philly to LA would be getting one of Auntie Amb's famous Zhu Zhu's including the Rascals!

Because I happen to be eBay ignorant.  I mastered the whole bidding thing.  But I failed to master the whole knowing when I won something thing.  And while Tiff and I were bemoaning the continual loss of the Zhu Zhus, I just happened to scroll down my page and noticed where I actually had already won the dern hamsters.  And still had bids pending.  Oh.Dear.Me.

But no worries.  (Hear me, Tiff.  NO WORRIES.) I hear ya, girl, but tell that to the nubs where my fingernails used to be.

Miss Julia is getting herself a very faincy Mr. Squiggles.  Who happens to be our fave!  And the other Zhu Zhu....that I accidentally totally on purpose won is going back up on eBay.  And I'm thinking I'm going to make a fortune.  Honey, you experienced first hand the madness....it.will.sell.

Because people are going NUTS for the Zhu Zhu. 

And I happen to have an extry.   Go me.


**A Note To the Husband:  I WILL NOT BE GETTING ON EBAY EVER.EVER.EVER. AGAIN. I PROMISE.**   Kirk, I swear, I tried with all my Christmas might to pry her fingers from the keyboard...but I really think you should add eBay to the parental control sites where she is NOT allowed to visit...just in case! OH, and FedEx has my kidney, I overnighted it to help defray the cost.