01/03/2011
I'm so behind. I've been off of work last week so I've been busy doing stuff with the family and sleeping late. Not-so-awesomely I've logged in to work every day while purportedly on PTO - more than one email and a voicemail starting with, "I'm so sorry to bother you on vacation..." Sigh. Problem is, there IS no one else, and here I was hoping people would take a break between xmas and new year's so it would be the best time to take time. On the bright side I can deduct that time from my PTO taken this week.
Anyway, onward -
Xmas was good! The kids were a bit intolerable right up until 12/25 but things seem to have resolved themselves. They made out like bandits. Here I was thinking I had it all figured out by shopping early, but all that did was make me forget what I'd already gotten and so they ended up being spoiled absolutely rotten. Out of the gifts they got, though, the two big gifts are hugely popular and have barely been put down for even a second without much prompting (or unconsciousness), so that is a success in my book.
I was a little bit ashamed at the excess this year, but admittedly also a little bit excited for them :)
Kidlet *finally* got a 3DS this year. I figured 8 was old enough, though we're putting some restrictions on it so he doesn't turn into one of those kids with their nose in the damned thing at the dinner table or walking through the grocery store. Nuh uh, no way. For the most part it's going to stay home and it can only be used if he asks first. It's also a "family" toy, so while he will be getting the most use out of it, he understands that it doesn't belong solely to him. It lives on top of the washer in the charger when it's not in use. I went for the 3DS because technology is cool and this thing IS cool! I kind of want one for myself. I shall refrain because come on, I don't really need one.
(What I didn't tell him is that I had planned on getting him a DS for xmas last year but he was such a colossal pain in the fucking ass in December 2010 that I scrapped that idea at the last minute. This year he's been a bit more stable.)
The ironic thing - he doesn't like the 3D. He says it makes his head hurt so he turns it off. Ha. I got a couple of games for him, one specifically for the 3DS, a game for Margaret that can be played in the 3DS or my old DS, and Cooking Mama for me :)
In case you're wondering, here's what we've gotten and the reviews:
Pokemon Rumble Blast 3DS
I pre-ordered this when I bought the 3DS as I wanted to get him one new-new game that had just been released. Because new games are more expensive but it's nice to feel current. He really likes this (even though he turns off the 3D as I previously mentioned) - he loves the Pokemon card game and this is his first Pokemon video game. Big hit.
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
This is the sleeper hit of the season - I got this because I saw it as slightly educational and good for exercising his brain figuring out puzzles and it had great reviews on Amazon. Kidlet really likes this game a lot and has spent the majority of his time on the 3DS playing it. He said that the puzzles are hard but he's managing to figure them out. Very awesome. There's a whole series of Professor Layton games so it gives me some easy and inexpensive options for future gifts.
Scribblenauts
This game is wicked fun. I see myself playing it, that's how fun it is. We had a great time trying it out and throwing roast chickens at other characters. I'm going to keep an eye on the used game section at Game Stop to get Super Scribblenauts this Summer.
Smart Girls: Playhouse
The case art is pink and annoying but the software itself is pretty toned down. Best of all you don't have to know how to read other than figuring out the Back, More, and Quit buttons, it's made up of a bunch of mini-games that have you matching pictures, feeding hamsters, and playing music. Margaret has been playing with this on my old DS and has spent the majority of her time just on the coloring pictures. I'm severely limiting her usage of the DS but it gives us an option for car rides that I'm going to take advantage of.
Cooking Mama
This was for me. What? Don't judge. I really enjoy this game on the Wii so of course I wanted to get this for the DS. :D Even better than Mama!
Margaret loves her American Girl doll! She keeps dressing and undressing it and hauling it around everywhere. She also loves the pajamas that match the baby's sleeper, she wore them to daycare one day and when she got home she said, "Okay, I'm ready to put on clothes now!" and then ran around the house in underwear, rain boots and an earflap hat. That's my girl.
The baby doll came with a backpack and some extra outfits so she's been in heaven, emptying and sorting and dressing and putting things back into the backpack, then the baby fits into the front of it so she can wear the whole thing around.
Here are some cute pictures from the day itself.
I try to make the stockings one of the best things of the day, so I filled theirs with candy and little toys that I knew they'd like. They were very excited just about those!
(A week after xmas the kids were clamoring for their candy so we gave them their xmas candy and all of the stale Hallowe'en candy that's been stashed on top of the fridge and told them to go to town, eat as much as they want. The caveat was that once they were done, whatever was left over was being thrown out. They made an impressive dent, then both declared that they didn't want any more candy ever again.)
I got my husband some fancy-pants Prismacolor markers along with some other art supplies.
Kidlet made him some origami dinosaurs.
Best. Day. Ever. Just look at that slightly manic grin.
Ack! Grown up face! Begone!
Loved her baby so much. Her faces just crack me up :D
Matching pajamas FTW. She didn't even care that they were a little too big for her.
I think someday my son will be a golfer.
Last week was also a school vacation week for kidlet, so we spent a lot of quality time together.
It kills me seeing him, sometimes, so long and lanky and boy-like.
Practice makes perfect!
Michael and his dad, out to lunch one afternoon.
Another cell phone pic, this one I call "Michael of the Epic Nostrils".
An older picture off fo my phone, I just love Margaret's concentration face.
Now gw'an, you - go find something better to do than hang around here :)
Anyway, onward -
Xmas was good! The kids were a bit intolerable right up until 12/25 but things seem to have resolved themselves. They made out like bandits. Here I was thinking I had it all figured out by shopping early, but all that did was make me forget what I'd already gotten and so they ended up being spoiled absolutely rotten. Out of the gifts they got, though, the two big gifts are hugely popular and have barely been put down for even a second without much prompting (or unconsciousness), so that is a success in my book.
I was a little bit ashamed at the excess this year, but admittedly also a little bit excited for them :)
Kidlet *finally* got a 3DS this year. I figured 8 was old enough, though we're putting some restrictions on it so he doesn't turn into one of those kids with their nose in the damned thing at the dinner table or walking through the grocery store. Nuh uh, no way. For the most part it's going to stay home and it can only be used if he asks first. It's also a "family" toy, so while he will be getting the most use out of it, he understands that it doesn't belong solely to him. It lives on top of the washer in the charger when it's not in use. I went for the 3DS because technology is cool and this thing IS cool! I kind of want one for myself. I shall refrain because come on, I don't really need one.
(What I didn't tell him is that I had planned on getting him a DS for xmas last year but he was such a colossal pain in the fucking ass in December 2010 that I scrapped that idea at the last minute. This year he's been a bit more stable.)
The ironic thing - he doesn't like the 3D. He says it makes his head hurt so he turns it off. Ha. I got a couple of games for him, one specifically for the 3DS, a game for Margaret that can be played in the 3DS or my old DS, and Cooking Mama for me :)
In case you're wondering, here's what we've gotten and the reviews:
Pokemon Rumble Blast 3DS
I pre-ordered this when I bought the 3DS as I wanted to get him one new-new game that had just been released. Because new games are more expensive but it's nice to feel current. He really likes this (even though he turns off the 3D as I previously mentioned) - he loves the Pokemon card game and this is his first Pokemon video game. Big hit.
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
This is the sleeper hit of the season - I got this because I saw it as slightly educational and good for exercising his brain figuring out puzzles and it had great reviews on Amazon. Kidlet really likes this game a lot and has spent the majority of his time on the 3DS playing it. He said that the puzzles are hard but he's managing to figure them out. Very awesome. There's a whole series of Professor Layton games so it gives me some easy and inexpensive options for future gifts.
Scribblenauts
This game is wicked fun. I see myself playing it, that's how fun it is. We had a great time trying it out and throwing roast chickens at other characters. I'm going to keep an eye on the used game section at Game Stop to get Super Scribblenauts this Summer.
Smart Girls: Playhouse
The case art is pink and annoying but the software itself is pretty toned down. Best of all you don't have to know how to read other than figuring out the Back, More, and Quit buttons, it's made up of a bunch of mini-games that have you matching pictures, feeding hamsters, and playing music. Margaret has been playing with this on my old DS and has spent the majority of her time just on the coloring pictures. I'm severely limiting her usage of the DS but it gives us an option for car rides that I'm going to take advantage of.
Cooking Mama
This was for me. What? Don't judge. I really enjoy this game on the Wii so of course I wanted to get this for the DS. :D Even better than Mama!
Margaret loves her American Girl doll! She keeps dressing and undressing it and hauling it around everywhere. She also loves the pajamas that match the baby's sleeper, she wore them to daycare one day and when she got home she said, "Okay, I'm ready to put on clothes now!" and then ran around the house in underwear, rain boots and an earflap hat. That's my girl.
The baby doll came with a backpack and some extra outfits so she's been in heaven, emptying and sorting and dressing and putting things back into the backpack, then the baby fits into the front of it so she can wear the whole thing around.
Here are some cute pictures from the day itself.
I try to make the stockings one of the best things of the day, so I filled theirs with candy and little toys that I knew they'd like. They were very excited just about those!
(A week after xmas the kids were clamoring for their candy so we gave them their xmas candy and all of the stale Hallowe'en candy that's been stashed on top of the fridge and told them to go to town, eat as much as they want. The caveat was that once they were done, whatever was left over was being thrown out. They made an impressive dent, then both declared that they didn't want any more candy ever again.)
I got my husband some fancy-pants Prismacolor markers along with some other art supplies.
Kidlet made him some origami dinosaurs.
Best. Day. Ever. Just look at that slightly manic grin.
Ack! Grown up face! Begone!
Loved her baby so much. Her faces just crack me up :D
Matching pajamas FTW. She didn't even care that they were a little too big for her.
I think someday my son will be a golfer.
Last week was also a school vacation week for kidlet, so we spent a lot of quality time together.
It kills me seeing him, sometimes, so long and lanky and boy-like.
Practice makes perfect!
Michael and his dad, out to lunch one afternoon.
Another cell phone pic, this one I call "Michael of the Epic Nostrils".
An older picture off fo my phone, I just love Margaret's concentration face.
Now gw'an, you - go find something better to do than hang around here :)