Confessions…
I have a confession to make. I know, you’re shocked that I’ve ever done something that needs confessing, what with my angelic demeanor and all, right? But none the less, a confession it is. Are you ready?
I have a little bit of a competitive streak. Against others, against myself, it’s merely a teeny, tiny, hardly noticeable NEED TO WIN OMG I HAVE TO BEAT THE GAME competitive streak.
I know. You’re shocked. I’ll wait while you recover. Better? Moving on.
You see, while we were waiting for our copy of Neopets to arrive, I received another package in the mail, with two DS games and a Wii game inside. I hadn’t expected it, but wasn’t about to snub my nose at such wonderful offerings. Sure, I don’t HAVE a Wii or DS, but that was just a minor technicality, right? Right! Besides, I have friends and family who have one or the other gaming system that I can steal borrow for the testing of these games. I’m sure you see where this is going…
First off, we have the Wii game, Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor. Instead of taking it over to my sister’s house and competing with HER, I discovered the online version at GameHouse and downloaded the trial version for my PC. After all, it’s a game for kids! I can beat it easy in 60 minutes, right? Right.
Wrong.
Remember going to the doctors office and dashing for the copy of Highlights Magazine, skipping all the pages to get to the item search puzzle, only to be ROYALLY upset that someone had dared actually CIRCLE the items already? Well, Spooky Manor is a huge, colorful, ghostly messy version of the search puzzle. It’s far more challenging (and all us mother’s who have been stumped by Highlights groan..) as all the items to be found have been smashed into at least 3 different pieces, and SOMETIMES you have to replace an item where it belongs in order to move a ghost, or use the hack saw to cut away the chains around the boards to find the doorway to the next level beyond. And the things you have to replace are not always replaceable in the same room they’re found!
There’s a map, a guide book, and a certain number of hints you can use as well to help you find your items, and solve the puzzles as you search for the pieces of the Ghost Machine hidden about the house. When you put the ghost machine all together, and chase the ghosts from the house, you win.
After an hour, I had only finished two levels. I am not ashamed to admit I then forked over the cash to buy the full version so that I could spend the next three and a half hours NOT sleeping, but instead finding every last blasted piece of the ghost machine because the game WILL NOT BEAT ME. At 4am that morning, I’m pleased to announce that the Spooky Manor is ghost free. At least, on MY game under MY name it is. The girls, they’re having fun playing it now, as well. So – Mortimer Beckett and the secrets of Spooky Manor? WIN!
Included in the package were two DS games – Sally’s Salon and Tropix – your island getaway. Sally’s was also available online, and thus I spent 60 trial minutes doing my best to wash, color, cut, perm, tan, tweeze, manicure my way through as many customers as I could. I’ll have you know I’m an EXPERT virtual stylist. It told me so, when I managed 15 customers before closing, without turning away or losing a single one. Beat THAT, hm? (my competitive streak is showing, isn’t it?)
I also found a way to test out Tropix, which has 11 games in one. You play the games – swinging on vines, bowling with coconuts, popping bubbles, etc – earning sand dollars with which to buy other islands or buy food and comfort and fun things for the Island your Monkey is stranded on. It’s a lot of fun to bounce between the games, go shopping, and play around on your island.
I have a feeling my youngest – age 9 – will LOVE Tropix, if I ever get her a DS. She’ll probably like Sally’s Salon too, but it’s my older daughter – 14 – who’s eyes lit up while she watched me test the online version of that one. As for me. Well, I’m the expert. And I promise not to steal their thunder too often.
Oh, Who am I kidding – I can’t WAIT for them to start playing them so I can be smug about having already beaten them!
…stop looking at me like that. Competition is good for the soul! Right?
Neopets Puzzle Adventure Review!
When the ever lovely Melissa (Plugged In PR for Capcom) contacted me about reviewing the brand spanking new Neopets Puzzle Adventure, I expected fun, squeals, and squabbles from my girls. What I didn’t expect was the shockingly unusual sight of my daughters working TOGETHER. The laughter, the helping, the excitement, and the groans – it was all there.
I love my life!
So, as I mentioned before, the Neopets Puzzle Adventure is out now, just in time for Christmas. You might think, with a name like “Neopets” that it’s for the younger ages, but this is no easy-peasy elementary puzzle… or is it?
We waited eagerly for our PC copy, since I’m a horrible, awful, terrible mom who hasn’t let her kids have a DS or Wii yet. (Inorite? SO MEAN! Auntie got HER kids a Wii! (so go play over there, ya ingrates!) GOSH!) It arrived today, and we set about installing it for the girls. Minor problem as we tried to put it on the computer without internet access first, and it complained about it, so we moved it to my computer. Inorite? If I’m such a mean mom, why did I let them take over MY computer for the evening?!
We got it installed, figured out, and I let the girls at it.
And I left. I had to go into town to take some cash to one of my ‘other’ kids, as well as deliver a forgotten phone to my son at work, get my Diet Crack, etc. You know, mom stuff. Including being shocked at spending less than $50 to fill my gas tank for the first time in months. Yay me!
I returned, expecting to find that the girls had already beaten the game, or their arguing had ended in copious amounts of bloodshed. What I found was giggling girls, frustrated yet determined. It seems that they’d been trying to beat the second puzzle, and weren’t doing so well. The Girl, 14, was growling, as her little sister watched wide-eyed and tried to be helpful. They passed it finally, and OH! the CHEERS! And then? They tried another puzzle.
Finally, the Pup, 9, asked if she could try, and The Girl was all. FINE! And you know what happened next, right? Right. The Pup beat that game, and crowed in delight as The Girl? She stared, slack-jawed. And then banged her head on the desk.
Sure, they went on to try some more, working together, with good-natured competitive banter bouncing back and forth, but oh, I’ll never let her forget that her sister beat her in a game she said was too hard. Her YOUNGER sister.
Somedays, it’s FUN to be the mom!
So, I said all of that to tell you this – Get Neopets Puzzle Adventure for your kids – DS, Wii, PC. It’s fun and entertaining, and challenging. I love any game that makes you think, that makes you work at it, and heck, it even brought the girls together without arguing to work out the puzzles together. Anyone who has kids with 5 years age difference knows how very rare that can be!
Besides – it gives you moments like this: Hey, girly! You realize your little sister is better at that game then you, right?!
Man, I LOVE my kids!
PS. Stop gasping, Nana! I have NO idea where she learned such a thing. Honest. And the rest of ya’ll – no comments about the mess that is my desk. Kthxbai!
PPS. I just spent an hour trying to beat tha second puzzle battle too. Too bad the Pup is asleep – bet she could do it!
Get The Kissing Disease for Christmas!
We talk about sex around here. A lot. Mostly because I’m as bad as the kids and have the mind of a 16 year old boy, but whatever. Some folks think I’m nuts for the way we talk and joke and laugh about the “sensitive subject” but I just counter with the fact that at least MY kids ARE TALKING. Not only that, they’re talking to ME, and trust that I can give them the information they need, or at least point them in the right direction. And well, the teenagers – they are FUNNY.
Take today, this instance. It seems it’s time for the 9th graders in health class to dive into the Sex Ed sections of their book. Yay! The girl came home today, and crowed in mock excitement that covers the real ‘omg’ness of having sex ed:
The Girl: GUESS WHAT WE LEARNED?
Me: About SEX!
The Girl: Yes. Today? Today was Boy Parts!
Me: ooooh. ye olde Dangly Bits Chapter!
The Girl: Yup, and guess what we’re learning TOMORROW
Me: Where they PUT THEM!
The Girl: Wait, what? They put them in their pants! This is SEX ed, not FASHION!
Me: (collapses in laughter)
See? How can you NOT love these random conversations?! In fact, I’ve decided that for Christmas, I’m going to give each of the teenagers in my house an Sexually Transmitted Disease for Christmas. No, I’m not kidding. Wait, come back! I don’t mean LITERALLY! I mean in Giant Microbe Style. Check them out:
That’s Mono, Herpes and Chlamydia. Aren’t they cute? (Yes, I’m aware that Mono is different – but LOOK at it! It’s so CUTE! And it’s the Kissing Disease!) And hey -if it helps the teenagers laugh, as well as makes them THINK when they see an STD just sitting on their bed, then I’m all for it! Besides, how many times do you get to tell people you’re giving your teenagers the Kissing Disease, and/or STDs for Christmas and have it be a GOOD thing? It’s one hell of a conversation opener, for sure!
SOB!
So, yesterday, after a fabulous dinner, while we were stuffed to the gills, and the girls were cleaning up, and I deboned the turkey, the pup asked if she could stay the night with Nana and Papa. I reminded her that Christmas Comes To Kenai starts today, with Santa arriving in the morning, and didn’t she want to see that? She paused, and then said “Nope. I wanna stay with Nana and Papa!”
…..
For 16 years now, every dayafterthanksgiving, I drag my weary behind out of bed early, bundle up the kids in snowpants and cold weather gear, then go stand in line to see Santa arrive on the FireTruck (back in MY day, it was a helicopter, but whatever.) SIXTEEN YEARS. The boy got ‘too old’ the girl decided sleep was better, and now… NOW…
I asked the pup if she were sure – and she said yup! She was too old for that anyway, but mostly because she wanted to stay with Nana and Papa.
WELL THEN.
Too old.
TOO OLD.
Harumph. At least I got to sleep in. That was nice. BUT STILL…
*sniffle*
Too old. My baby is ‘too old’ for Santa!
Sigh!
Happy Tryptophan day!
Happy Thanksgiving, ya’ll!
Things around here have been busy, as I try to keep up with 18 gazillion projects on a daily basis. Hee. The girl had her play, the teenagers are drama filled, the pup is back in the pool which means soon I’ll be poolside during her meets for the rest of the winter. She’s THRILLED to have swim team practices finally start, and it certainly makes her sleep well at night! She’s swimming four days a week for an hour after school, and comes home TIRED… and STARVING! It’s funny, she’ll stand there and tell me all about her practice, and I can HEAR her belly growl from like 5 feet away! So it’s good dinner, homework and off to bed, Monday – Thursday. She’s working hard, and we can’t wait to see how she does in the first meet, getting her very first official times so that we can gauge her successes for the rest of the season.
Anyway – hope you all are doing fabulously and enjoying a lovely food coma with your loved ones. We’ll be headed down to Nana’s later today to partake and share The Girl and Pup’s pumpkin pudding (Ala Rachael Ray) that they prepared last night. Then, tomorrow, it’s the biggest little celebration in town – Christmas Comes To Kenai. I may pop in and share some pictures of that for ya later this weekend too.
