When you're young, growing up is something to be alternately desired and feared. Growing up means getting to do what you want, and no one bossing you around. Growing up means being old and boring and never going to concerts anymore.
Of course, we all know that growing up isn't the same as hitting level 85 in World of Warcraft. No beams of light shoot out of your body, and no one hands you a gold medal that reads "Unlocked Achievement: Adulthood". No, one day you're just going about your business, thinking really hard about how ordering a pizza for dinner would be nice, but then you remind yourself that you still have to make the car payment next week. All of a sudden it hits you that you're making this decision because you're a grown-up, someone with a job and responsibilities.
You try to think back, but you can't remember the exact moment when you became a grown-up, because you've been so busy with all the things that being a grown-up entails. When did it happen? Was it when you got your first apartment? When you got married? Bought your first house? Became a parent? Then you start panicking, thinking things like, "HOW DID I HAVE A KID AND I DON'T EVEN REALIZE I'M A GROWN-UP? WHO LET ME HAVE A KID? HOW IS SOMEONE WHO CAN'T MAKE HAMBURGER HELPER ALLOWED TO BE A MOM?"
If Only...
Showing posts with label world of warcraft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world of warcraft. Show all posts
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
How to determine if you should take a sick day...
I can't complain too much, since they cleaned the whole house. But I always hate being at work when my little guy is not feeling well. He still wasn't doing great last night, and he was just feeling well enough this morning to go to school. (He's been over 24 hours without a fever now.)
But my hubby and I talked about it and, since he got yesterday off, if the preschool calls saying my son needs to come home, I'm going to get him today. This got me to thinking about how we validate sick days. Take the test below to determine if you should call in to work today.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Love is a battlefield. PvP is a battleground.
One of my favorite websites recently published an article about what's it like for the kids of the home video game generation who are now growing up to have kids of our own. http://http://www.cracked.com/article_18819_the-4-most-important-things-to-know-as-gamer-parent.html Considering my son created his first WoW character and logged on with it at the age of 14 months, I consider these lessons that I really need to take to heart. (Okay, so he just happened to get hold of my husband's mouse and keyboard and through chance just happened to press the right things to get him logged in. Also, it was a night elf rogue, but I won't hold that against him.)
So even though he still hasn't quite mastered the basics of spoon technology, there is no doubt in my mind that, in a few short years, my son will be a gamer. He doesn't have a chance. My husband and I both have level 85s on the Cairne server (warrior and paladin, respectively), and from the time my little man was born, he's spent many a cuddly night in Daddy's lap during guild raiding runs. And since then, we too have learned a thing or two about being gamer parents.
During high-intensity raids or dungeons, turn Ventrilo or TeamSpeak off. My son doesn't need to hear the stream of profanity Daddy's childless guildmates tend to unleash during a wipe. Also, my little monster is (as I've mentioned in previous posts) a bit of a ham, and tends to think that the microphone is there for his use, ability to, you know, actually speak be darned.
During highly contested battlegrounds, turn Mommy's mouth off. What? I'm competetive. And Alliance sucks (especially rogues). "Glory to the Sin'Dorei!"
Babies are absolutely awful at Dance Dance Revolution. Not that he doesn't try. He already spontaneously bursts into dance any time there's music with a beat (but he's not cheesy, more "Glee" than "High School Musical"). The problem with DDR is that he's still at the age where he wants to copy everything his parents do, at the exact same time they're doing it. So, while I'm busting out a move to "Bad Romance", he's squeezing his way onto the dance pad with me and completely monopolizing the up arrow (really kills my combos).
Toddler bowel movements are timed for precisely the moment you leave the checkpoint in the final stage. You know those nasty, soggy bottom, has to be addressed the second they happen poopy diapers? At the most critical moment in your game, your kid is going to have a complete blow-out of one of those. (This is doubly true for games that can't be paused.)
So those are just a few of the things I've learned, off the top of my head. Share your parenting/gaming experiences in the comments below!
So even though he still hasn't quite mastered the basics of spoon technology, there is no doubt in my mind that, in a few short years, my son will be a gamer. He doesn't have a chance. My husband and I both have level 85s on the Cairne server (warrior and paladin, respectively), and from the time my little man was born, he's spent many a cuddly night in Daddy's lap during guild raiding runs. And since then, we too have learned a thing or two about being gamer parents.
During high-intensity raids or dungeons, turn Ventrilo or TeamSpeak off. My son doesn't need to hear the stream of profanity Daddy's childless guildmates tend to unleash during a wipe. Also, my little monster is (as I've mentioned in previous posts) a bit of a ham, and tends to think that the microphone is there for his use, ability to, you know, actually speak be darned.
During highly contested battlegrounds, turn Mommy's mouth off. What? I'm competetive. And Alliance sucks (especially rogues). "Glory to the Sin'Dorei!"
Babies are absolutely awful at Dance Dance Revolution. Not that he doesn't try. He already spontaneously bursts into dance any time there's music with a beat (but he's not cheesy, more "Glee" than "High School Musical"). The problem with DDR is that he's still at the age where he wants to copy everything his parents do, at the exact same time they're doing it. So, while I'm busting out a move to "Bad Romance", he's squeezing his way onto the dance pad with me and completely monopolizing the up arrow (really kills my combos).
Toddler bowel movements are timed for precisely the moment you leave the checkpoint in the final stage. You know those nasty, soggy bottom, has to be addressed the second they happen poopy diapers? At the most critical moment in your game, your kid is going to have a complete blow-out of one of those. (This is doubly true for games that can't be paused.)
So those are just a few of the things I've learned, off the top of my head. Share your parenting/gaming experiences in the comments below!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Skills to Pay the Bills
Yes, I took the title of this post from a World of Warcraft achievement. I never said I wasn't a colossal nerd. (BTW, just got that achievement last night. w00t! inscription.)
Anyway, just wanted to offer a heads-up for those who were maybe new to the blog or just plain hadn't noticed; I have set up an Adsense account on the blog, so there will be ads on the sidebar and following every post. I hope that doesn't offend anyone or stop them from reading, but, hey, you know, I gots to get paid.
You wanna help a sista out (I can say that, I am somebody's sister), click on an ad every once in a while (editor's note: but only if you are legitimately interested in the product, so as not to encourage ad-click fraud). I promise that at least 90% of them don't lead to miniature horse porn. (editor's note: I have no way of substantiating that promise.)
Anyway, just wanted to offer a heads-up for those who were maybe new to the blog or just plain hadn't noticed; I have set up an Adsense account on the blog, so there will be ads on the sidebar and following every post. I hope that doesn't offend anyone or stop them from reading, but, hey, you know, I gots to get paid.
You wanna help a sista out (I can say that, I am somebody's sister), click on an ad every once in a while (editor's note: but only if you are legitimately interested in the product, so as not to encourage ad-click fraud). I promise that at least 90% of them don't lead to miniature horse porn. (editor's note: I have no way of substantiating that promise.)
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