Batman Party
My boys love superheroes of all kinds. So when a big box arrived, thanks to MomSelect and Mattel, they were excited to find tons of Batman goodies inside.
Before throwing a party with the gear, I let the boys each pick out a few items that they liked the best. JSL chose a Power Attack Deluxe Turbo Punch Batman figure. This Batman has a battering ram-like weapon that attaches to his arm. When you squeeze his legs, Batman’s torso swivels and it hits its target. (Speaking of targets, it comes with a cardboard Joker target to knock down.) JSL also selected a Power Attack Robin with a shield. NHL chose a Power Attack Killer Croc and Power Attack Deluxe Mallet Smasher Joker. As the name implies, this Joker holds a mallet high above his head and smashes it down (perhaps at the included cardboard Batman target) when you squeeze his legs.
Also included was a Batmobile car that could hold one of the non-deluxe figures (such as Robin) and fire various missiles.
As soon as I opened the toys for them, they would disappear from my hands and rapidly enter playtime. The boys had a blast putting together scenarios where Batman and Robin were facing down Killer Croc and the Joker. Robin would often enter the Batmobile and fire missiles at the villains.
Given that it was close to Thanksgiving, we had our party in two parts. First, we met Becca Marsh and her family for a quick dinner out. Becca has three boys and a girl. I made sure to include a Batman toy for her daughter as well. After all, Batman is not just for boys.
The kids had fun talking and playing in the restaurant together (and the adults had a good time talking to other adults). They all loved the Batman toys and were excited when I laid them out on the table for them to choose their favorites.
For the second part of the party, we took advantage of some family coming into town post-Thanksgiving. Uncle I, Aunt M, and Cousins S & B were staying at Nana and Papa’s house so we went over one morning with a ton of Batman goodies. This time, since the kids would have more room to play, I had my boys bring the Batman toys they picked out initially.
Cousin S and Cousin B were excited about their toys and played Batman with the boys for awhile. On one floor, there were both boys and girls aged from 2 to 9 years old, all enjoying Batman. (Up to age 37 if you count me playing along when I wasn’t taking photos.) Proof that Batman’s appeal spans a wide range of ages.
Disclaimer: I received a selection of Batman toys, gift bags, a Batman Brave and the Bold DVD, and various party supplies from MomSelect and Mattel to facilitate my Batman Party. The opinions expressed above, however, are my own.
Missing Out On Memes… Gangnam Style
There are certain things that suddenly explode online. They spread like wildfire and pretty soon everyone is talking about them. Sometimes, I find myself participating in them, but sometimes I remain unaware of what the whole fuss is about. When it comes to Gangnam Style, it’s a case of the latter.
I’ve seen various references to Gangnam Style and know enough to realize that it is a YouTube sensation video by a South Korean singer. Beyond that, however, I’m clueless. (I even had to look up the spelling of the song as I started typing it out as "Gangham Style.")
I have never watched Gangnam Style and don’t really feel the urge to do so. So while the rest of the Internet laughs together about various Gangnam references, I’ll likely remain Gangnam-in-the-dark for some time to come. (Part of the reason why I’m not going to YouTube to embed the video here. If I did so, I’d probably watch it and this whole post would become moot!)
What memes have you participated in and which have you skipped? Also, have you watched Gangnam Style?
Aloha Friday: Parades
A couple of days ago, I received an e-mail from my cousin stating that he and his kids were going to be marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to see it live, so I DVRed it for later. My kids, however, love watching parades and were able to see it live. NHL said he was able to spot my cousin’s kids.
Upon watching the DVRed footage, though, I couldn’t spot them, but I was able to spot my cousin (dressed as a hockey referee).
My Aloha Friday question for today is: Did you watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade?
P.S. If you haven’t already, try out my Twitter applications: FollowerHQ and Rout.
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #165
Giving Thanks
Today is Thanksgiving, a day when we think of the things we’re thankful for. Here is a short lot of some of the things I’m thankful for.
I’m thankful that my friends and family weathered Hurricane Sandy with no injuries and with minimal damage to their houses.
I’m thankful that JSL loves playing his "video game" – a bunch of magnets on the refrigerator that he uses to make up games – while I cook dinner.
I’m thankful that NHL is loving school and learning so much.
I’m thankful that both of my kids (but especially NHL) are geeks-in-training.
I’m thankful that I have a wonderfully smart (and wonderfully beautiful) wife to share the parenting highs and lows with.
I’m thankful my friends on social media with whom I talk about parenting, geeky pursuits, and just about anything that crosses our minds.
Here’s hoping that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you have plenty to be thankful for now and in the coming year.
What are you thankful for this year?
Note: The Turkey image above is by Jamain and is available from Wikimedia Commons.