13 January 2009

Whoopee!

Having two kids is fine until the little one gets old enough to steal the big one's toys.

Let me say that the Toy Rage gets on my neves a little bit. He's happy to play with toys he hasn't seen since he was a baby, she wants to take them off him because she thinks they're hers, he wants to take them back to teach her not to snatch, etc.

So it's great when Sonny Ma-Jiminy became old enough to play some big boy games that babies wouldn't be interested in. The computer is good for this, but it does provide too many of the "Mummy can you come and help me use the mouse and keyboard"-type-games, or the "I clicked outside the window and the game went away"-type-games. The computer held promise until it became obvious that Sonny required constant one-on-one assistance. And then the computer was stolen.

But with Mr de Elba's iPhone came a trillion little games that Sonny can play without much help.

iPhones have a touch screen, so it's easy for Smoochy to play the games like the one where little bubbles fly across the screen and she pops them by tapping them with her finger.

They also have an accelerometer inside, so they detect movement. This means that Sonny can hold the phone sideways (landscape) and "steer" it like a car's steering wheel when he's playing car games.

Sonny's only problem is that sometimes his little fingers hit buttons they shouldn't, like when he called Mr De E's boss yesterday (the thing still is an actual phone. We keep forgetting that.)

And there are the times when he gets out of his game and opens a completely new one. "I can't get the chickens to move, Dad," he said one day. Mr de Elba replied, "I thought you were playing cars. Did you open a different game?"

"Yeah. A chicken game," Sonny said.

"Lemme see. Oh. That's a ... err, what ARE those creatures?"

I can't even remember what they were, to make this post more interesting. Alpacas or some other animal never before seen in a computer game. Something very unlike chickens, anyway.

Today he was playing one of his usual games, perhaps a car game, and Mr de Elba left him to it for a while. Sonny emerged after a few minutes, trying to form a question about what he was seeing on the screen. I noticed that the cars were making odd sorts of engine noises, spluttering loudly in short bursts when Sonny's thumbs hit the screen.

What was on the screen? What "game" was he playing? This:



Yep. A Whoopee Cushion game. Touch the screen and ... Whoopee!


(I realise that continuing to post Life As We Know It may result in the loss of some of my favourite and most classy readers, and but for the lack of other material, I'd stop.)

19 comments:

Swift Jan said...

hehehehehehe I love a good ol' fashion whoopie cushion!!!

Hippomanic Jen said...

Technology. So sophisticated.

Heather said...

*snicker*

I, for one, cannot believe that, being such a (*snicker*) classy and genteel dame as I am, I continue (*snort*) to read such.....such.....

*bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha*

Oh, who am I kidding? I find the entire notion of a whoopee cushion game on the iPhone to be utterly hilarious! :D

This coming from the so-NOT-classy or genteel dame who received her very first whoopee cushion courtesy of her dear, old dad when she was right around Sonny's age. Now, as this was back in the Dark Ages when phones were always connected to something via a long, curly cord and had rotary dials, this was an *actual* Whoopee Cushion, not some technological version thereof.

Hours of enjoyment were derived from leaving that under cushions and chair mats for unsuspecting siblings, parents and grandparents to sit upon. Dare say you can't do THAT with an iPhone.....

Dee said...

revenge of the phone geeks! whooppee!

I know what you mean about the computer games and constant attention needed, same as the playstation we recently got - big mistake,even poor mummy has a hard time with it!

Joy said...

You mean they make electronic whoopee cushions now. You've got to get him an old fashion one so he get's the full effect.
That is hilarious that is the game he chose. Boys will be boys.

Sassy Britches said...

Everything old is new again! Aren't you so thrilled Sonny Ma-Jiminy will learn about whoopie cushions?!

Adelaine said...

Oh what fun techies could have with a whoopie cushion on their cell phones.....

I'm with you on the toy rage...ugh....

Jen said...

I so know this toy battle. I happens all the time at my house. What is the deal? They don't want a toy unless someone else has it.

GreenJello said...

Now you'll have to buy Sonny a *real* Whoopee Cushion so he knows what the game is all about. LOL!

Louisa Claire said...

ah toy rage, fun times!! Glad you found something to occupy them with :)

Tracy P. said...

I just came by to tell you I can't read your blog anymore, classy reader that I am. Hahahahaha!

This little game is absolutely a boy's dream. Who needs race cars when you can toot to your heart's delight? The silliest creatures on the planet, they are! (Boys, I mean. All sizes.)

♥ Boomer ♥ said...

It's interesting to hear how mommies handle siblings who want the same toys. My two kids who have kids handle it totally differently.

Oh ~ and the whoopee cushion ~ hasn't that been around and loved forEVER!!!!

CynthiaK said...

Max would be all over that game. I feel really old saying this but...remember when people actually used real whoopee cushions?...

And, re: your post about Max's mess today - yes, there are MOUNDS of little wee toys and they all belong to different sets. THAT is the worst part of cleaning it all up. Matching those little crazy bits! Ugh!!

What did Mr. de Elba's boss think of his prank phone call?!

Tracy Griffin - Artist said...

Glad you found my site again!! Thanks for the laughs... I totally enjoy your blog!

The Blonde Duck said...

Stopping in from SITS to say hi!

Joy said...

Hey, I answered your question on my blog.


Joy

Allegro ma non troppo said...

Of all the things I'll have to give an account for to God on the day of judgement, I'm not sure how I'll explain Whoopee Cushion use and abuse. How embarassing. Maybe He'll let it go unexamined...

They always perish quickly, though. You just can't get a quality Cushion these days. Perhaps that's the beauty of the iPhone Whoopee...

Toy Rage is the worst. It doesn't matter if there are two identical toys, only ONE is desperately needed by both kids. I grab the toy, run and hide it, then race outside and relax as I listen to them fight a bit, then band together to search for it.

Louisa Claire said...

Hi hun, how have you been going this week?

stefanie said...

My husband wants an iPhone in the worst way, and I'm pretty sure now I know why he REALLY wants it.