Figuring out what I wanna be when I grow up.
Oop..I AM grown up...


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Walkie-Talkies: EPIC Birthday Present, or EPIC FAIL?





Jack just got walkie-talkies for his birthday.  There was approximately 2 minutes of good-natured fun, but things are rapidly going downhill

Jack:  "Hi Ella!"

Ella:  "Jack, I love you."

Jack: "I love you too, Elliott!"

Ella: "Jack, I love you."

Jack: "Ella is the ELLIOTT!"

Ella:  "Okay, JACKIETT"

Jack:  "Ha ha, ELLIOTT!"

Ella:  "Jack, I love you."

Jack:  "Ella is the ELLIOTT GIRL, FROM ELLIOTT LAND!"

Ella:  "Jack, don't call me 'Elliott'!"


Jack:  "Okay, my SCISSOR!"

Ella:  "Jackie! Jackie! Jackiett!"

Jack:  "I hate you."

Ella:  "I don't like you either!"


So, are walkie talkies a fun idea, or just another way for Jack to torture his sister...must ponder this. 

We also got Jack HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS.


Image from HERE

We haven't played it yet, because Jack has to go back to school soon.  Incidentally, does everyone remember how much it SUCKED to have to go to school on your own birthday???  There was a kid in my class every year in elementary school, who was actually allowed to stay home on his birthday each year.  I thought that was mind-bogglingly awesome. 

Anyhow, as for the hippos, if you're not familiar with it, it's a frantic, frenzied game of who can get the most marbles down their hippos yap before they're all gone. 

Frantic.

Frenzied. 

This too could be an EPIC FAIL. 

Still, Jack is IMPOSSIBLE to buy for.  His interests are completely A-TYPICAL for a 7 year old kid.  I also bought him a black and white Beatles documentary dvd.  Yeah, he likes documentaries. 

Jack likes British Invasion bands, famous violinists of bygone eras, Vincent Vangogh and he also LOVES Baby Einstein. 

He LURVS Baby Newton

Image from HERE












But guess what:  it's impossible to find Baby Newton in any store now.  They don't even make it anymore, and it appears that the Baby Einstein mania has nearly completely cooled down.  Jack watched his copy TO DEATH, and then because Ella and Jack are

THE DESTRUCTORS

it broke somehow. 

So, that one's out the window, unless I want to order a used copy online.  Which I don't.  Because he watched it TO DEATH.  Also, I'm tired of talking about the Lion in the movie.  The LION, as you see on the cover, looks super happy and fun, right? 

WRONG!

Jack has a fear/fascination/obsession thing with the LION.  He thinks the LION'S happy, apparently LIDLESS eyed smile looks more CRAZED MANIAC than super fun, huggable guy.  He's asked me a billion times why the LION makes THIS face--and then he makes his eyes as huge, crazed and round as possible, with a demonic open-mouthed grin.  And if it's bed time, the LION is almost too scary to talk about. 

Oh, and this is what Jack asked for for his birthday:



This is a scene from the 1939 film "They Shall Have Music."  Featured here is famed violinist Jascha Heifetz.  Jack loves him some Heifetz:

Jascha Heifetz Playing the Mendelssohn Concerto by Jack Feb 2011














(click on pic for better detail--that crazy kid was only 6 when he drew this!)

Yeah, so that's what Jack likes.  This crazy, black and white movie FROM NINETEEN THIRTY NINE FOR FREAK'S SAKE. 

Once again:  impossible to find. 

Jack likes books starring bratty, horrid boys.  Impossible to find.
He's always wanted a Baby Einstein LION puppet, like the one in the videos.  Impossible to find.
I'd love to get him some cd's of bands he'd like, like The Hollies, and The Easybeats.  Nearly Impossible to find.
How about markers??? He LOVES to draw!  He only likes to draw in black and white, and guess what--they don't sell a whole pack of black, washable markers.  So, I guess somebody could buy him a pack of black pens, but that seems kinda sucky, no?

So, when my family members ask me:  "what should I get Jack for his birthday?"  I have no clue.  And that's why he got walkie-talkies, a Beatles documentary and Hungry Hungry Hippos. 

Oh, I'd better hide that Heifetz drawing I just scanned.  Jack now thinks it's garbage, and the mere sight of it fills him with volatile artist rage, and he wants to rip it up. 

So who's the hardest person you know to buy for???

18 comments:

  1. It could be a bit of a 7 year old thing...what to buy what to buy..
    perhaps, does he mind books about bratty girls?? Do youi remember Ramona the Pest?? Or Junie B. Jones. ben got a good kick out of those ones.
    HUNGRY HIPPOS! I love that game...we bought that for Ben too...it was all good until my niece "ate" on of the marbles...ugh. I used toplay that game until my mom would scream for us to stop..I guess the banging of teh hippos gets a bit much after awhile?
    I had to laugh at yoru kids converstation over the walkie talkies...sounded all cute until the I hate you part :( Perhaps, they (the walkie talkies) will get to be more fun as time goes by...no?
    Baby Newton? Who doesnt love that one! yay, not so much, Ben too watched that DVD until, yup, it broke...we did replace it with one we found on ebay. he grew out of it though. Cohen , not so much of a fan...she prefers fairies and princesses. go figure.
    Teh drawing Karen!! How awesome is that! If it didnt make him so mad, I would suggest framing it...so much talent! What about coal pencils? I nice big pad of drawign paper and those black coal pencils?Or are they too messy? I cant remember?
    Sorry I am kinda all over the place here...I am at work (again) enjoying your blog!

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  2. I can't wait to hear how you feel about Hungry Hungry Hippos...they changed it from when we were kids. It sucks huge now. I hope Jack doesn't freak...

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  3. i got my copy of baby newton at "once upon a child" there is one accross the street from the pen,they are like 4 bucks,toys r us might have them too. jacks drawings are incredible,he is one talented kid! happy bithday jack!!! its almost my birthday too,i am gonna be 8!luv gabe.

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  4. We gave Matthew a box of his favourite things this year - yep - a box of crap and he loved it. Had root beer, tick tacs, lego, movie and a blockbuster gift card (with his own membership card). Birthday went well until Sarah screamed to Matthew to stop when he was in the middle of blowing out his candles - of course he did and "lost his wish". All so she could sing him another birthday song. Then hell broke loose. Good times. Birthdays and the quest to make it perfect for our kids is very stressful!

    Jack is an amazing artist!! I am speechless at that pic from a 6 year old!! Hope he enjoys the hippos :-)

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  5. I used to love Hungry Hungry Hippos but I always lost because I wasn't fast enough and the loud clanging noises bothered me (which is really weird for a kid) and I love it and think its so funny that he loves that movie and he is an AMAZING artist! Wow!

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  6. we did buy our boys spy gear...some of it was really cool and mama played with it.

    the walkie talkie got left outside in the snow all winter (albera) and we found it in the spring...

    I still don't know what to get my kids for presents...well that it not true...kayti likes anything pink and pretty...and elizabeth is so random I have no clue!!!!

    boys?? I have less of a clue. good luck in their future cuz the older they got the worse it got for me...

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  7. Steph, I think if--heaven forbid--some smudges got on his picture from the charcoal pencils, Jack would blow a gasket. He'd totally implode. It would be ugly.
    Actually, Aimee just got him a Junie B. Jones book, and he liked the first chapter so much, he made me read it again.

    I don't know if he'll outgrow the baby einstein stuff--he's a total fanboy for that crap.
    Hungry hippos didn't cut it, clearly. He tried it once then gave up.

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  8. B--you're right, it didn't have the same frantic grabbing action as when we were kids. Why do they ruin this stuff??? That Operation game isn't as loud and terrifying at all anymore either. 90% of the fun was jumping out of your skin every time the tweezers hi the wrong spot.

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  9. Ooo Paula--good tip! I never thought about Once Upon A Child. And yes, I know--Gabe's birthday is coming up! Happy birthday to Gabe! Jack told me today he wants his birthday to be in the spring. Sorry, buddy.

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  10. Thanks Michelle! Ah, there's nothing like the specail bond between siblings, eh? It's pure magic at times. That was a good idea about the box of fun for your son. I guess that could work for Jack, but what the hell would I put in his--cinnamon toast, peppermint patties and black pens???

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  11. thanks JD. Actually, it's not that strange for a kid to not like loud clanging noises. My daughter goes completely bananas when Jack plays his drums, even if she's downstairs. I remember it being a lot louder than it is now too.

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  12. Amen sister--men are usually IMPOSSIBLE to buy for. Honestly Melissa, I think all my sibs and I have gotten my dad a can of nuts for more than one occasion. He must have eaten more cashews and hickory smoked almonds than anyone.

    Ha, I liked the story of your toys getting left out in the snow. Reminds me of my own childhood. My husband is the freak whose mother kept all his toys for one thing, and for another, they're still in great shape. I was just telling my brother that all of ours got wrecked, and half of it got left outside in the rain.

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  13. i HATE walkie talkies for kids. brooke can never manage the coordination of when to push or when to talk & then it just pisses her off. hissy fits ensue.
    have you seen the color sticks? they're basically colored pencils, but without the wood, so they're kind of square and around the length of a crayon. i found them in the adult art section. i buy them for brooke because she mostly only wants to draw with brown & sometimes various shades of green. they don't smudge like regular pencils or charcoal.
    brooke still loves the baby einstein videos too. her favorite is the color one where they show the old classic artists' work. interesting that jack is scared of the lion, but loves the lion too.

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  14. Oh Sherilin, you are so right about the walkie-talkie lack of kid coordination. We had to say a zillion times: "you have to push the button to talk"! Amazingly they didn't have a hissy over this, because they were each so busy trying to get their verbal garbage out, and not AS interested in the replies.

    That's a good idea about the pencils..there's an art store around here. Maybe Jack would like to see it sometime. I never think of it, and end up some place stupid like Wal to buy art supplies and such.

    Does Brooke like to draw all the time too? Interesting about her preferred colour choices.

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  15. yeah, you can't get the good drawing supplies at the wal, but any hobby or art store should have them.
    and yes, she draws constantly too. and also creates stuff using paper and cardboard. then she makes videos of herself playing with her stuff and puts them on youtube.
    the reason she mostly uses brown is that she's always drawing animals. oh, and gray too. cuz hello, there are no pink or purple animals in nature, let's get serious, MOM!

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  16. sadly Jack has never given a CRAP about animals. Actually, he's freaking out in bed right now because he thinks the cat keeps trying to sneak up to snuggle with him.

    That's nice about Brooke's drawing. I don't think there's much better than an artist.

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  17. What makes the modern Hungry Hungry Hippo game crappy compared with the original?

    I love getting/playing board games with Gabe. Would Jack like Jenga or would it drive him crazy

    Got my little cousins walkies one year and they talked to each other in the back seat of their car for hours on end. My aunt was less than impressed with me. I just thought that it helped siblings out with more communication, less violence. My bad.

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  18. ha ha ha Matt...re; walkie talkies

    well, the hippo game sucks now, because you can't SMASHSMASHSMASH the lever anymore without one of the hippos' necks getting stuck, and I swear their mouths don't open high enough to even get a freaking marble in it. Very annoying.

    Jenga is a good game--classic. Those blocks used to have the worst smell though. Ah, just imagine all of these plastic/wood-ish toys off-gassing in our homes! Good times!

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