holidays Archives - Page 3 of 13

Jan 9, 2013

What Happens When Your Furby Becomes Evil

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Mira had one toy that kept coming to the top of her list: a Furby. Other items on the list would change, but a pink Furby was always there for anyone who asked, including Santa, who got an earful about how much she really wanted a Furby.

So when Christmas arrived, she was overjoyed to get a hot pink Furby from Santa. (Cordy got a blue Furby, too.)

Now, there are a few things they don’t tell parents about the Furby. First, it has no off button. At all. The only way to immediately silence it is to take out the batteries, which requires a screwdriver. And you know that right when you want it to shut up is the same time that all screwdrivers in the house go missing.

Otherwise, you have to wait for it to fall asleep, or force it to go to sleep by placing it in a dark, quiet area and ignoring it. Once it’s asleep, you mustn’t move it or bump it at all, or it will wake up again.

The Furby also has no volume control. At all. It’s loud all the time. And most of the time it speaks Furbish, which seems to be some kind of cross between baby talk and pig latin.

Basically, it’s the toy equivalent of a colicky baby.

I did know some of this going into our purchase of this toy. But I did not know about all of the enhancements from the previous 1998 version. The LED eyes are cool and provide the ability for more expression of personality. It has more sensors to detect touch. And it can change personality.

The old Furby would have some change in personality based on how you treated it, but this one goes far beyond that with a multiple personality disorder. It has several very distinct personalities and doesn’t come with the Furby anti-psychotic drugs it desperately needs.

Mira’s Furby started out as the furry hot pink version of a valley girl. A little annoying, but kinda cute. She fed it on demand and used the iPad app to translate what it was saying, and it slowly learned a little English, too. Well, a version of English better suited to the movie Clueless, perhaps.

After the second or third day, it had the first personality shift. I didn’t see it happen, but suddenly it was speaking like a cowboy and mooing at us, with chicks and cows appearing in the LED eyes at times. Mira found that hilarious and I suffered through the noise because she liked this toy so much.

The next day it was back to a valley girl again, and even seemed to name itself Coco. It gave itself a name? It was becoming more sentient with each passing day.

And then, in the middle of Mira trying to teach it to dance, something very bad happened. It started to shake back and forth, it made weird noises, and it’s LED eyes were flashing like strobe lights. I thought it was either having a grand mal seizure or we broke the damn thing.

Furby, mid-panic attack

Then it stopped. All was silent for a moment. And then what was in front of us was a Furby who no longer had the high-pitched girly voice, but instead a deep, growling voice with angry looking eyes.

Coco isn’t here anymore.

Mira’s Furby was suddenly possessed by a new personality who was mean. It growled at her, it snapped at her with an angry voice if she tried to pet it, and it made retching noises when she tried to feed it, as if the iPad foods weren’t good enough for it. Occasionally it showed little flames in its eyes.

WTF happened? Did we feed it after midnight?

It was now a Furby demon. And Mira was scared of it. She backed away with tears in her eyes, her five year old mind unable to comprehend what had happened to her cheery dance pal, saying she wanted her nice Furby back, and she didn’t want to play with it anymore.

So her new electronic pet wasn’t working out as well as she wanted, which means it was now my responsibility to care for. Figures. I felt like I had brought home Chucky from Child’s Play to my daughter.

Sorry for the dark photos – it apparently has a feature that prevents paparazzi from getting good photos of it, too. Little bastard.

So as I sat there, with Damien the Dark Furby glaring at me from across the room, I did what any good mom would do: I googled “How to make a Furby nice again?”

I can assure you I’m NOT alone in this type of google search.

There were a lot of suggestions about different things to try. I gathered up the little ball of hate and tried petting the dumb thing several times. I will hug you and love you until you are sweet again! It growled and yelled at me each time while my dog stared at me in confusion, wondering why I was petting a loud toy instead of him. Yes, Cosmo, you’re smarter than the humans. Still no change from the Furby. I was a little worried it might try to bite me.

Mira was still across the room, asking me to make it nice again, but too afraid to come near it. WHO MAKES A TOY THAT KIDS ARE SCARED OF? What programmer thought that a sociopath personality would be a SUPER FUN for kids? I’d like to drag that person over to our house and let him/her console my five year old and explain the reasoning for this.

Then I remembered Mira really wanted her Furby to sing and like music. Some links suggested music can change the personality. So I put it in front of the iPad, cranked the volume, and subjected the little electronic Lucifer to Owl City followed by ABBA. He growled and hissed at this musical exorcism at first, but slowly started to dance along to the music. You know, that grudging, too-cool-for-school-kid dance where he doesn’t want to admit he likes Mama Mia.

Near the end of the second song, the Furby’s eyes flashed and it shook again, and suddenly the pop star personality appeared. This one has a softer voice than the valley girl and likes to sing a lot. Let me repeat: A LOT. And instantly, all Furby offenses had been forgiven by the formerly terrified kindergartener. Mira had been hoping her Furby would sing and ran across the room to scoop up her prized possession now that it was no longer, well, possessed.

Stupid Furby.

Since then it’s slipped back to the dark side once, which then fell to me to fix again. Music does seem to be the trick to force it back to being a “nice” Furby again. Mira loves the pop star personality – hers named itself Boo – which is the least offensive personality as far as Furby personalities go.

Aww, isn’t she sweet with those hearts in her eyes? That’s how she lures you to your DOOM.

Cordy’s Furby hasn’t changed personalities once. It prefers to be a valley girl/comedian hybrid and doesn’t want to change.Which is both annoying and OK, all at the same time. I’d rather deal with devil I know rather than the devil it might become.

Luckily, the hours between Furby playtimes have already stretched into days. I’m hoping they will eventually lose interest with these gremlins before my personality changes.

This has to be my mother’s revenge for the Teddy Ruxpin I adored as a kid, right? Only it’s revenge with 30 years of interest. I’d better start planning for the next generation now.

Or the Furby will enslave our Skylanders to do what it commands with it’s sweet, chipper voice and I’ll be doomed forever.

Filed Under: family time, fate laughing at me, holidays, Mira, pop culture ·

Jan 1, 2013

New Year’s Eve: Glancing Backward, Leaping Forward To 2013

By Christina ·

Another year is nearly in the history books. Overall? 2012 was fairly good for us. I don’t think I could have dreamed it would go in the direction it did when we started the year, but that sudden turn ended up being a mostly pleasant change of scenery that will hopefully all turn out for the best.

At the beginning of the year, I was hoping beyond hope to become a permanent employee at my job. (I worked overnights as a nurse answering questions for new parents via phone.) That aspiration didn’t come true – instead, my entire shift was eliminated, leaving me without a job – but I didn’t realize at the time that it was a message from the universe saying I needed better. I didn’t realize how exhausted I was from working third shift. I was barely living, missing out on my family’s lives because I was either asleep or in a sleepy haze when they were home.

It was frightening to be unemployed, knowing we needed two incomes to pay our bills, but thankfully it didn’t last long and that “right place at the right time” karmic moment came and I spent only two weeks unemployed. Not only did a job opportunity fall into my lap, it was one that was a delightful fit for me, and has since helped me expand and grow my skills while truly enjoying what I do.

Thanks to my current employment, I’m also living among the daywalkers again, although after several years of third shift, I’m still sluggish in the mornings. I have the opportunity to pick my kids up from school each day, saving them a long, dull bus ride and providing the chance to keep in close contact with Cordy’s team of teachers at school.

Aaron’s job this year was rocky but ended on a high note. In May he was told his job was being eliminated but in a last-minute move they decided to keep him, but only at part-time. He’s been giving full effort to his job, in the hopes of seeing full-time again, and just in the last week or so he got his wish. He’s starting a new full-time position with the company this week, working with the military, and it looks promising for future opportunities.

Mira started kindergarten in 2012 at the same school as Cordy. Having them both in the same school is fantastic. Cordy’s had some troubles along the way, but she’s doing better and we now have new plans in place to help her deal with her anxiety. I love spending more time with them now and learning so much from them.

I had some fantastic opportunities in 2012, too. I worked with Slim-Fast and reached my goal weight, an accomplishment that has taken 20 years to achieve. I walked in my first fashion show at BlogHer, an experience I will never forget. We went on mini-vacations to Cedar Point and Put-in-Bay, where I re-introduced the girls to my passion for roller coasters and water . (And they discovered their love of golf carts.)

And we now have a dog, who is a lovely oaf that is convinced he’s either a 95lb lapdog or my third child.

I also wanted to find ME again in 2012. I didn’t quite meet that goal, but having a stable sleep schedule and getting to be with my family more has helped me make a lot of progress toward that goal.

Back to my original statement. Overall? 2012 was fairly good for us. It’s been a steady climb out of the hellhole that was 2008. It’s truly time to shine now.

And now…2013. This year will be awesome. It just has to be. With a lead-in like 2012, we’re all primed for some amazing things to come our way this year. Not only are careers and kids going well, Aaron and I will be celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary in March 2013, with a big trip planned as part of the celebration.

This blog will be getting a facelift, too. I’m this close to getting it all moved to WordPress (FINALLY!! *insert fireworks and cheers here*) so be ready for a new look very soon. I’m combining three blogs into one, pulling it all back under one space for my own sanity. Which also means I want to be writing more, too. I have a lot of opinions and stories to share, I only need the momentum to get them written down.

So let’s do this, 2013. I’m ready. I’ll bring the effort, you bring the magic.

Filed Under: family time, holidays, memories ·

Dec 28, 2012

The Last Week In Photos (and A Little Text)

By Christina ·

Whoa, hey, how’s it going? Amazing how fast December can fly by when your to-do list is a mile long, right?

We’re in the first week of winter break here, which in our house results in two kids who are really hyper, with one of them having a very hard time being off of her usual routine. I’m doing my best to control the chaos, which would be a lot easier if I could remember where I stored their snow boots from last year so they could go play in the snow.

I’m a little short on words, so here’s a photo journal of the last week.

We went to the zoo for Wild Lights and of course had to see the polar bears:

Unfortunately, we learned that the excitement of zoo lights can sometimes be too much for a five year old. She hasn’t had a potty accident for a year and a half, but she was so excited she forgot to tell us she needed to pee until it was too late. So I spent half an hour in a cold bathroom with her while Aaron ran to the gift shop to spend way too much money on sweat pants and socks.

We didn’t get to see as many of the lights as we had planned.

Next, Cosmo got a check-up at the vet, and we celebrated having him with us for one year.

He’s quite dashing in his sweater. He may weigh 95+ pounds, but he has little fur and gets cold easily.

I then had an experiment in baking and made candied almonds. Amazingly, it turned out delicious:

Recipe can be found here.

Mira watched The Wizard of Oz for the first time over the weekend. Other than the wicked witch, she liked it.

She liked cuddling on the couch with Cosmo, too.

Christmas Eve was spent with extended family at my cousin’s house. We enjoyed catching up with everyone and Cordy and Mira had fun playing with the other kids.

Getting them to hold still for a photo was tough, though.

Christmas Day was filled with the tearing of wrapping paper and squeals of joy.

Unwrapping their Furby toys.

Cuddleuppet, Tooth Fairy pillow, and a very happy Mira.

Also on Christmas Day, Aaron and I slipped away to go see the movie Les Miserables. Amazing movie. I loved it, even if I sobbed through a large part of it. It’s very similar to the stage musical, only now the actors are up close and the emotion is super intense.

I’ve seen the musical a few times and know it by heart, so I also had to resist the urge to criticize any cuts to the score or changing of lyrics.

And then, the day after Christmas, the snow came.

Now if only I could find our snow boots.

How has your week been?

Filed Under: Cordy, Cosmo, family time, holidays, Mira, snow ·

Dec 19, 2012

Our Friendly Neighborhood Santa

By Christina ·

I wanted to write about all that has been going on in my head the past several days. About the heartbreaking tragedy of Newtown, Connecticut. About my anger over the media trying to (wrongly) link Aspergers and autism to violent behavior. About my own daughter with autism, and how she is so afraid of violence she won’t even watch Harry Potter because she can’t deal with the idea of Harry’s parents being killed.

But...I can’t. It’s too much to process right now.

So instead, I’ll share with you a happy story, about two little girls who got to walk to Santa’s house to meet him and have a snack with him.

One of our neighbors is a professional Santa, and his wife dresses up as Mrs. Claus. He lives one street over, and we see him occasionally throughout the year. He’s clean shaven from January thru late Spring, then begins growing the beard back in for the holidays.

This year they sent invites to the neighborhood to come to Santa’s house for milk and cookies one Sunday afternoon. Their house is always well-decorated for Christmas, including an extra mailbox for letters to Santa. The invite was to all kids to come to Santa’s house and meet with him.

Our kids were confused as to how Santa could live in our neighborhood. We explained that Santa has lots of homes all over the world, and visits each of them often so he can keep an eye on all of the good little boys and girls in that area. When he’s not there, he has helpers who keep up the house for him. For two little girls who love Santa, that was an easy story to buy into.

So we took them to our neighbor’s open house, and we were greeted at the door by Santa. Cordy and Mira were stunned into silence for only a moment, before bursting through the door and telling Santa how much they liked his decorations. Mrs. Claus then appeared and guided the girls into the kitchen to pick out some cookies and snacks.

We chatted a little bit while other families arrived. Then Santa sat down in his chair and invited the kids to come talk with him. Each took their turn telling him what they’ve been up to lately and what they hope he’ll bring them on Christmas. Mrs. Claus took photos of each of the kids with Santa, too. (Likely better than my blurry iPhone pics here.)

…and I want a Furby, and more Skylanders, and Pokemon, and a kite, and…

Having “Santa” as a neighbor is helpful, because he knew right where they lived, and he already knew they had a dog named Cosmo – they really believed he was watching them all the time. Getting that kind of confirmation from him reinforced for them that Santa was real.

This is type of gesture that reminds me there are still good people in the world. There was no cost for this open house, although donations of canned food for our local food bank or gently used coats for the homeless shelter were encouraged.

They opened their home and their kitchen up to all of the families of our neighborhood. They had been baking sugar cookies for days to prepare, and the snack spread was impressive. Time, energy, and money were given out with no expectations in return.

No child left that home without one-on-one time with Santa, and the room was filled with lots of smiling little faces as it sunk in that they were visiting Santa’s house. It was pure joy and love.

I don’t think any other Santa will be able to top that experience for my kids. Or for me.

Filed Under: family time, holidays, love, people who don't suck ·

Dec 10, 2012

Our Life As Seen Through Holiday Decorations (& Giveaway!)

By Christina ·

Shortly after Thanksgiving, as soon as Aaron felt well enough after the flu, we pulled out the holiday decorations and set up the Christmas tree. I love that we always decorate the tree as a family, with everyone involved in dressing it up with garland and ornaments.

Our tree’s ornaments are an ever-evolving group, which started originally with ornaments from when I was younger. You could say it’s one big geek tree. My mom used to buy me a new ornament every year, usually a Star Trek or Star Wars ornament. I then added some Disney ornaments to it in my early 20’s.

The Next Gen Enterprise – one of my favorites from high school

Once Aaron joined the family, my mom picked up on his interests (comic books and superheroes) and went to Hallmark for a new superhero ornament every year. This was one of the first she gave him:

flying near the top of the tree, of course

There are plenty of other sentimental ornaments on the tree, too. There’s the Siamese cat that reminds me of our first Siamese. And the Irish dancer glass ornament from when I used to dance. This is one we bought at Walt Disney World when we were on our honeymoon, nearly ten years ago:

As soon as Cordy and Mira were old enough, we began taking them to Hallmark to pick out a new Keepsake ornament each year as well. It’s so much fun to open the box of tree decorations and see a visual history of our daughters’ interests by what they picked for their special ornaments at different ages.

This year, the store was full of possibilities. So many different ornaments that they liked, but our limit was one each. They walked back and forth considering the possibilities for nearly 15 minutes before making their choices.

So. many. choices!

For Mira, it was Rapunzel from Tangled. She loves the Disney Princesses at the moment. For Cordy, it was Snoopy, since it reminded her of our trips to Cedar Point this year.

My mom has already picked out two for Aaron this year, although he doesn’t know what they are yet, so I can’t share here. But Hallmark also sent us an ornament for him, too:

Thor’s mighty hammer will crush any tree invaders!

This is one of three Avengers ornaments that come with bases that can join together for a tabletop display. Thor is now joining his superhero friends on the great geek tree, near Iron Man and the Hulk.

Beyond the Christmas tree, Hallmark also sent us a gift for the kids. (Mira, really.) Meet Christopher, one of the Interactive Story Buddies:

He’s not just a stuffed animal that accompanies a storybook. Inside that plush covering is a smart little electronic box that not only lets Christopher speak, but is programmed to listen to you for certain phrases and then respond, as if he’s listening to the story and can’t help but chime in. Just like your kids do when you’re reading a story they already know.

I have to admit, this is a super-cute idea. Mira adores this bear, and his book, Christopher Can’t Sleep!, is a favorite request for her bedtime story. I’m amazed at how well he recognizes the trigger phrases to respond to when I’m reading the book. (The phrases he responds to are a different color in the book, so you know when to speak clearly and not skip a word, like I sometimes do when trying to hurry through a book.)

He’s not a one-trick bear, either. Besides the book and respond-along CD that come with Christopher, Hallmark already has other interactive books that he interacts with, and there’s an iPod/iPad app for him, too. He’s one of several different Interactive Story Buddies, each with their own theme and books to go with them. You can check them out at Hallmark’s website or in stores.

Giveaway!

Hallmark is giving one lucky reader a Thor ornament to start (or continue) your geek tree, as well as Christopher, the Interactive Story Buddy! To enter, please use the Rafflecopter widget below. Giveaway is open until the end of Saturday, December 15.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Full disclosure: I received the two products mentioned above from Hallmark for review. All opinions are my own, including my belief that the best ornament ever was the Star Trek Shuttlecraft Galileo with Spock’s voice wishing us a happy holidays. And yes, I have that on our tree, too: