Webkinz

So Em's friends had these stuffed animals called Webkinz. That means, of course, that Em will simply cease to exist without one.

Whatever they are, he said under his breath.

There's no electronics to them, which surprised me since their existence has prompted Em to want to horn in on my computer. The one in the kitchen, an old Win-98 hand-me-down I think of as the honyocks' computer, doesn't have internet access. I don't want it to have internet access.

'Can I get on Webkinz.com? Can I? Can I, pleeeze?'

This was even before she conned her mother into getting her a Webkinz. She got a kitten and named it Tabitha.

I was trying to check my email and do my blogging and Em's standing over my shoulder asking if she can get on Webkinz. Because if she doesn't feed her animal it will die.

We played Battleship together there, and I have to say they've dressed up the old board game nicely. Including using boats that are more Pirates of the Caribbean than John Wayne War Movie.

Whoever the goobers are who came up with these animals, they know how to get the kiddos hooked. If my daughter and her friends are an indication, it's quite the fad.