Wii Mania

For at least a couple of years, our kids were convinced that they were the unluckiest kids they knew.  ALL their friends had Wiis, DSs, etc., but they didn't.  Well, I think most parents struggle with when and how to expose their kids to technology.  We didn't want our kids to spend all their time inside playing video games, and we didn't want the arguments that would inevitably come with it.  After two years of discussions between the parents and then the kids, we felt like we had reasonable expectations and ground rules in place for when a Wii might enter our lives.  Then this summer we asked a lot of our kids.  They had to leave their friends, teachers and school.  For two months they had to live out of suitcases with minimal clothes and almost no toys.  And lastly, all three missed their birthdays during the move.  We did small celebrations, but they didn't get to open presents, or do anything special.  So as a reward for being such amazing kids, Dave surprised them with a Wii at our new house.  He went over and set up a TV before any of our furtniture had arrived.  Then he took the kids over one night and let them open up some boxes that had arrived with their names on it.  The rest of the night was pure magic as Dave watched them literally wear themselves out having so much fun.  A few months later I can tell you that they don't really ask to play Wii very often.  When they do play it, we set a time or achievement limit and rarely get any push back.  In fact, I love watching them play when they look like this: