Technology is grand!

Saturday afternoon and evening provided us with so much fun! John and Erin hooked up their webcam and we got to have online chats with them and see my nephew Joshua too! It was great. Joshua is the cutest little thing and they are such a good looking family. God has blessed me so much with my family. Jenn didn't want to be left out so she hit up Yahoo Messenger and we got to have a chat with her too. The girls sat and talked with Jenn for quite some time. I loved getting to watch them talk to their aunt. Later that evening I decided to get Melissa, my sister in law, in on the chat action. It was so much fun! Brad, Haeley, Justin and I got to talk to Melissa for a bit. Then it was off to bed for the kids.

Brad has bought some movies a couple weeks ago that we needed to review before letting the kids watch. We put on the first one, "Happily N'ever After". We watched it for about 15 minutes---if even that. Within the first minute of the movie we both said no because of how seductively they had one of the cartoon characters. It was bad. We turned it off and chucked it in the trash can. Then we put on Dr. Doolittle 3 (I think). It was cute and we gave it a yes. The kids loved it when they watched it today!!!!

Fisher Price Smart Cycle

I want this for my boys. Brad doesn't quite understand why I want this for them. But, he's also not the one with them 24/7. What parent wouldn't want to be able to let their child play a video game, but get exercise at the same time? And it's not just any video game---it's educational!

"It’s a stationary bike, a learning center, and an arcade game system—all rolled into one! Smart Cycle plugs right into your TV, ready to take kids on learning adventures like no other. As they pedal, favorite character friends guide them through learning discoveries, games, and even exciting races. Bring the arcade experience home, with multiple levels of play for different ages and stages! (TV set not included.)

Includes Learning Adventure game cartridge, with 3 ways to play:

1. Drive:
Pedal, steer and learn at your own pace—visit Math Mountain, Shape Lake, Number Fields, Letter Creek and other stops along the way.

2. Learn:
Stop and rest, but don’t stop learning! Use the joystick to reinforce important learning skills with plenty of games and activities—with different levels for growing kids.

3. Race:
Put the pedal to the metal as you race with cars on-screen, against the clock, or with another player!

Requires 4 "D" (LR20) alkaline batteries (not included).

Assembled cycle is approx. 25" H x 18½" W x 27" L.

Teaches:

• upper & lowercase letters
  
• numbers & counting
  
• spelling
  
• problem-solving
  
• shapes
  
• matching
  
• creativity
  
• spatial reasoning
  
• motor skills & lots more"

(From Fisher Price's website)

So, I say as long as this isn't made in China it would be a good buy! =) I've actually thought of calling Fisher Price and asking them if they can guarantee me that this product is completely safe for my child to use. Will all of the recent toy recalls impact your Christmas shopping this year?