Tag: wii

Aaw mom! Do I HAVE to blog?

On By Chris SoutherIn Dad Blogs, Family3 Comments

I feel like such a slacker for NOT blogging since…whenever, but there’s been just so much going on that I didn’t know what to write. And in truth, most of it is the very same stuff you’re all going through–pudge, too many gifts, gifts that don’t work, where the hell am I gonna put all this crap, etc.–that I didn’t figure you needed to hear it from me either.

Suffice it to say that life is slowly getting back to normal. And by normal, I mean as normal as it can be when you’ve been off with your hyperactive kids for a solid week with the worst weather ever that is keeping you from taking them outside to burn off steam.

But, I figured that if any of you were taking back toys that just didn’t quite do it, that I’d share with you the “Best and Worst Toys” my kids got this year.

Feel free to share your list!

Most played with toys of Christmas 2008:

  • Batman Cave Thingy (link)
  • Balls
  • The Box that a “Build a Bear” came in
  • Shake N Go! Crash Speedway (link)
  • More Lego’s
  • The Wii (mostly played by me I think)

Least played with toys of Christmas 2008:

  • Mini trampoline (quite a surprise here since they LOVE to jump on stuff)
  • Super Cool “Dark Night” BatMobile w/bonus Motorcycle(link)
  • SpiderMan Sit-n-Spin (link)

So there you have it. I’m always surprised at what the kids like and what they don’t, though I don’t know why. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about kids, it’s that just when you think you have them figured out, they go and find something else to drive you crazy with.

I look forward to a new 2009-worth of good blogging. If you haven’t posted lately, do so. We all need a diversion!

Playdate Follow Up

On By Chris SoutherIn Dad Blogs, Family, Fatherhood, Marriage7 Comments

pit children Since so many people have asked (like 3!), I thought I’d offer a follow up post to my “family affair” playdate this past Sunday.

Let me start with a free form word/thought association as the 2 hour playdate carried out:

  • Man, steep hill. Hope I can get the car back down
  • Whoa, flat backyard. Nice
  • Hi, good to see you. Thanks for the invite
  • Hmm, house layout is similar to ours
  • Man, a Sunroom?
  • Man, two fireplaces?
  • Man, a finished basement?
  • Damn, nice bar!
  • Dude, that’s gotta be at least $3,000 in top shelf liquor!
  • Man, this is a really nice place. Makes ours feel kinds smallish
  • (lightbulb coming on in head) You sold your house in Vinings for $700K? No wonder you can afford all the work you’ve done on this place!
  • Where are the kids?
  • Sure, I’ll take a Corona!
  • No really, we can’t stay too long.
  • Of course you have a Wii already? Doesn’t everyone EXCEPT my kids?
  • Um, spoiled much?
  • You’re fifty? Dang!
  • I smell poopy diapers.
  • Best get going.
  • Thanks again.
  • I can’t see a damn thing backing down this hill. I hope I don’t hit her green designer Target lawn bags!

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. We had a good time, and cut the playdate at about 2 hours right when the dad was talking about lighting up the firepit outside. I’m not sure how they saw the evening playing out, but we left at 5 p.m. Any longer and we’d have been cutting into dinner and baths and such and to my knowledge, there was no invitation to dinner.

Maybe it’s just me, but do you ever get the feeling when you meet new people that you’re being sized up as a couple for a potential “swingers party” invitation? While I’m not interested (much), I would like to think that CareerMom and I would be at the top of any swinger’s party list because we’re just THAT good looking. Much like, I’m not gay, but I would probably get all offended if gay men didn’t think I was boyfriend material (does that make me gay?).

People are funny though. CareerMom and I were both taken aback by their house, and their stories of yearly “Adult Only” trips, because one of the first times we met the mom, she was complaining about her daughter wanting a jumpy thing at her birthday party and the mom was saying how she wasn’t going to spend $50 on it.

I guess it just comes down to priorities. If it made my kid happy, I’d forgo the vacation to Aruba so I could splurge on his birthday party.

Anyway, it was good to meet new folks and their son is definitely good friend material, so time well spent.

Hey, in case I don’t talk to any of you before Thursday, have a fantastic Thanksgiving!