Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Well Chad and I celebrated our patriotism in the best way we know how, by driving down to my mother's and buying the last Wii in the tri-state area. Thank God there is us to keep this consumerist economy afloat. But Liz, you say, haven't you had a decade long ban on video games, don't you even not let your kid on the computer for fear that it will accelerate what appears to be teenage angst from a four year-old? Yes, it is true. I hate technology and all its environs and their hold over my husband. But I walked my credit card over to the store and bought a whole bunch of shit that I don't how to use and promptly had my credit card company call me a thief. Why? Because the only Wii left in the entire universe was at Wal mart in Round Lake Beach, IL. I have not shopped at Wal Mart since, well, I can't remember. SO I guess a random purchase in another state for hundreds of dollars of electronics at a Wal Mart sends up red flags. Whatever.

So how did it come to pass that I was purchasing a Wii. Super Mario Kart has a pink princess character who drives a pink car. Olivia got me hooked at the Best Buy on Wednesday by making a princess character who occasionally stopped her car to admire the view or talk to other characters or otherwise dillydally along along the track. At the end there were no accidents, no things blowing up, just happy star noises and she was as pleased as punch. While watching her play I realized that most of the Wii games weren't combative, fast, noisy or in any way going to trigger an epileptic fit in my child. And you can buy DDR, so I was sold. If for no reason other than I no longer have to sit in a noisy arcade to cheer her Disco Inferno moves on. So I bought one, had my resident teenagers teach me how to use it.

I then proceeded to kick every one's ass at tennis. Sure, you have that moment where you think, "I could be playing real tennis." Then you remember that the people playing with you would never actually walk onto a tennis court. And you can't play tennis alone while your kid naps upstairs. My sister has been laughing at me because apparently you are not supposed to use your whole body to play the games, but I can't fantasize that I am kicking ass at Wimbledon that way. So now the new rule is no playing the Wii sitting down and I am happy to report that Olivia shows about as much interest in the Wii as in the tv, therefore, I have no reason to suspect that they are sending her subliminal messages. However, we may never see or hear from Chad again.