Yes, our first purchase of 2010 is none other than this Graco Pack-N-Play. And no, it is not for us!

We had a little New Year’s Eve party on…wait for it…New Year’s Eve. Our friends Michael and Anna brought their son Matthew, who is 18 months old. The little guy obviously needed to bed down before the night was over, so they also brought their Pack-N-Play and set it up in our spare bedroom. At the end of the party, Anna carried sleeping Matthew downstairs while Michael ran to get their car and they left the Pack-N-Play to be picked up the next day.

While Mike and I bussed the party dishes, we did not notice Abbie the Cat sneaking into the spare bedroom. Nor did we notice her hopping into the Pack-N-Play for a catnap. So little did we notice her that we actually shut the bedroom door on her before we went to bed, leaving her locked in the room until 10 a.m. when we got up and noticed she didn’t come out for morning treats. She was in there for 8 hours. Suffice it to say, the Pack-N-Play evolved from cozy napping spot to litter box over the course of her (unintentional) imprisonment. And she must have been more than a little anxious and angry, because she did more than your average “business” in there. It was completely saturated.

So little Matthew is getting a brand new Pack-N-Play! I only hope that he (and his mom) like the new design they picked out as much as they did their previous one, which is no longer being sold. So sorry, Matthew!