A New Toy

Yep, the family has a new toy.

Actually, I have two new toys.

All of us are playing Pokemon, the app that's taken the world by storm.  I should specify that I'm not really playing--Sis is playing on my phone.  It certainly makes riding in the car more fun--she plays in the backseat while I drive.  But we've also walked around the neighborhood and the town green a few times, with dozens of other people, staring into their phones, not talking to anyone.  It looks like a scene out of Doctor Who, when everyone stops to listen to their ear pieces; it's kind of creepy.  Mama has played with Bud and Sis, too.

The other new toy I have is the DragonVale app.  Mama and the kids have been playing for a long time, years even, for Mama.  But I'm not much for games.  The only other ones I've even tried are Mario Kart and Splattoon.  But Bud was so excited to show me how it all worked that I downloaded it on my phone and have been dabbling ever since.  I'm not really into advantageous breeding of dragons or the like, but I do like decorating the little island--I have a rose garden, flower beds, a thatched cottage, and a half-timbered building.  And the dragons are cute when they're small.

I guess I've finally entered the 21st century.

Pokéfever

Pikachu

First Star Wars, then Harry Potter, also Ninjago and Phineas and Ferb.  

Now the kids are enthralled by Pokémon (similar to the others in being a merchandising powerhouse!).  They come by it honestly enough--Goo was obsessed as a kiddo when I first met him 18 years ago, playing the card game especially (we even took him to GenCon in Milwaukee one year where he placed second in a tournament) and Mama shared him in his interest, preferring the tv show to the card game.  

Ok, if you are new to  Pokémon , they are "pocket monsters" who populate a fictional world where young  Pokémon  trainers catch (in red and white Poké balls), train, and then battle (but not to the death) in order to gain badges and rank.  The  Pokémon  evolve, gaining in strength, powers, and often size.  They are often plays on real animals, plants, or minerals, with quirky names--Snorlax is a lazy, sleeping cat and Oddish is a weird-looking radish--and they can only "talk" using variations on their own names (so Pikachu can say "pi," "pika," "chu," "pika-pi," and sometimes "cha.").  There are collectible cards with various  Pokémon  on them and a complex card game based on building a deck and battling.  There is also a tv show that follows Pokemon trainer Ash, his main  Pokémon  Pikachu ("pika" is a kind of mouse and this one is electrical!), and his friends, plus their nemesis, Team Rocket.  The whole thing comes from Japan, where it remains extremely popular; I think its popularity has waned here somewhat.  

And now Goo and Mama are passing their interest along to the kids with the show, cards, and toys.  And the kids love it!  They sing the songs, collect the cards, watch the show, play the DS game, and are really enjoying drawing the different Pokémon.  They've both made books of their favorites, complete with references to the evolved forms.  Of course, there are now hundreds more than when Mama and Goo were interested (I was always amused but not as enthusiastic), so we're all learning.  It's been a great distraction, especially since Mama introduced them to it when she got back from surgery and then the kids' became more involved (and distracted) when she was back in the hospital.