The advantage and disadvantage of the android is that the software coding is open source. So anyone can basically write an app. Now that means I suspect in the futures that there will be more apps. My concern is that the quality might not be so good.
There are already Apps out there that are bad apps. Such as apps that simulate a cracked screen on an android phone that can not be removed!
I also think that many of the apps for the android will be trendy, gimmicky things developed by young techy geeks that don't see the value, or even consider early learning.

The Ithing apps are much better in quality it seems and there are many that are geared at young children and early learning. I don't have either an android or an Ithing. I really want the ipad but I think that the price point it painful and it not going to happen. Androids are cheaper. But I am so hesitant to get one because all the early learning apps I want are still Ithing only.

I am putting together a craft box for my son's second birthday. Crayons, dot paint, more pom poms etc.

I am getting him the I can cut, I can paste and I can fold First Kumon books. With some safety scissors.

He will also get some more montessori stuff, like montessori bells, a set of knobbed cylinders, and a nuts and bolts set. Well will make what we can.

We will get him some more duplo (double sized legos) they are smaller and stay together better than the mega blocks. My son has a few and he loves them.

He also loves his wooden fruit and veggies, especially the ones that he can cut. My son's are plan toys and haba. But M&D make a version.

He has a few of the Mini Masters books an I will get him the rest of them.

My son has a balance bike, but my husband wants to get him a trike.

A help me dress doll or monkey that has snaps, zippers, shoes to tie, buttons etc.

My son has a birthday within 10 days of Christmas so I have to split these toys between the 2. So it seems like more than it is.

Update: My husband can run it just fine using firefox on his computer, it is fast, no slow loading times. My laptop is currently connected via WIFI. Being unable to load this up has now convinced him to go and get me a cord so that I can connect directly to the modem. Once I have that I will let you know if it runs off my computer using chrome. And I will be stoked to find if Live.com runs a lot faster and smoother for me.  Sorry I haven't been able to get anymore of it done the last few days because we have been without electricity due to AEP overloading. 

Roadrunner has times when it runs better than others. The service is ridiculous but that is the best that they can offer us. I run youtube and hulu in 240p or 280p and let them buffer for a while. So it is manageable.  Brill kids is pretty slow and I always have issues with the pop down options in the top taking a while. I just thought that was the site. I knew I didn't have fast internet but I never realised how slow it was.

I will speed test again when my husband isn't on the computer, that slows things down. I will take a screen shot if you like of what I see. When I retry the Reading Bear. And give you the stats at that time.

I still can't load it on chrome. I have road runner and these are the speeds that the speedtest.net gave me. I figure that is what the issue is and I don't have option to fix it. 

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1398301755.png

www.starfall.com is another really good resource. It isn't a DVD though.

I am very very picky about TV. My son had no TV until he was 18months then I introduced him to baby signing time to help with a speech delay. He learnt a lot more signs from that then what I had been teaching him for well over a year.

I have recently been reviewing the Preschool Prep series and they are very very good. Like TMT said, the only words spoken are the names of the colors, shapes, letters et al relevant to the DVD.  The way that they word are said over and over again constantly reinforces.

Preschool Prep

Meet the Letters
Meet the Numbers

I can't get the reader to work at all. I am not sure if it is a Chrome thing, I will try it on IE later.

I did most of the short I pictures last night until I fell asleep. Will work on more tonight when kiddo is in bed.

I second ladybug magazines, I had forgotten how good they really are. They are great for reading practice as the text is simple and the font large and clear. My son has some from my nanny days and I plan to subscribe for his birthday as a gift.

I am just about to read the article in a moment but something that my son (19months) and I do is act out common stories. Mostly nursery stories like The Three Little Pig, Chicken Little, Little Red Riding Hood, 3 Billy Goats Gruff and many more.

We dress up in an assortment of things and act them out with various props that we find around the house. The other day we were acting out The Tale of Johhny Appleseed and we were wearing pots on our heads and 'planting' beads as seeds all around the house.

The only TV my son currently watches is baby signing time. He is 19 months old. I am a lame mum and he gets it as a treat after helping tidy his room in the evening before we read our books and go to bed. I have done the same DVD everyday for a month, and he has just started to pick up most of the signs. I plan to do another Baby Signing Time DVD next. My son has speech delays so these signs are a break through for us.

Once he has done the baby signing time DVDs I am going to start him on YBCR or preschool prep as a replacement once a day for a month in the evening. Or until he shows that he has picked up a lot of it.

My son and I just have drawing time together. We both grab a crayon and I draw a line and I see if he will draw a line like mine. It is 'follow the drawer' kind of game.

This is GREAT!!

Just a side note:
Australia has 6 state and 2 territories.

Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia are states.

The Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory are the territories.

There are external territories like Norfolk Island and Christmas Island also. There may be more but I don't remember learning them in school. 

Continue reading aloud to her and talk about the books as you go. Especially the more challenging books.
I would also dial it down a little and read some books to her that might not challenge as much, but discuss them and have her draw picture stories of what you read.

If she is starting to write have her write a sentence or paragraph about what she is reading. Or have her dictate her own little condensed version of the story as you write it out, then let her illustrate it. Have her include her opinions and feelings of the books too.
Eventually she will have her own little abridged versions of some great books. Which is really nice to have when you are a big reader. That way she can go through her homemade abridged versions to remind herself what the book was about and what she thought about it. It is interesting to see how opinions about books change as you get older.

Reading and acting out stories is another option. My son is only 18 months but we love to act out the Gingerbread Man, Little Red Riding Hood, Three Billy Goats Gruff, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Hen, Chicken Little, Three Little Pigs and more. 

 It sounds like you are doing a great job and your book selections are really good. I will admit I am envious of your American Girl option. I have a son and I HOPE that I can get him to like these books, but I won't count on it.