Learning and Burning

Seven is now getting to the age where I see SO much learning. Of course, I always saw a lot – he starting talking very early (Mama and meant it at about 4 months, Dada soon after. Big words at 15 months with lots of other things in between.) and now – he’s a full on taking machine. A couple of days ago, when my Mom gave him a pack of Gummies, he said “Thank you, I appreciate it.” – Is that the norm for a boy who just recently turned 3? I have nothing to compare him to.

But, it isn’t just his language that I am impressed with – it’s his skills. I actually had to learn how to delete multiple photos at once on my iPhone by watching to see how HE did it. That’s pretty sad. He’s quite the master of the iPhone. he plays Giraffe’s Matching Zoo (think that cardboard Memory game we grew up with, just computerized), Angry Birds, Battleship, even “The Impossible Quiz” and can get to question 35 pretty much by himself. So, because I still want him learning, and because I want my iPhone back, I have been looking into substitutes.

The first thing I saw was on a commercial – the VTech Mobigo. It has a touch screen, and teaches the kids a variety of useful things – letters, numbers, things like that. The fact that it has a touch screen is what i like most about it – it would be similar to the iPhone in that regard. Plus, it has games that have Toy Story characters in them, and Seven LOVES Toy Story.

Do any of you Moms own a Mobigo? I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Would you recommend it over the more advanced VReader? Does the VReader have a longer useful life – meaning, does it grow along with the child? Which would you recommend for a 3 year old? 4?

There is also the LeapFrog system, but i know very very little about that one. Is there a touch screen option with LeapFrog? Any suggestions you can offer I would love to hear. Spending $60 plus the cost of games isn’t out of this world expensive, but if the longevity of a product isn’t there, I’d rather save the money and spend it on books, or puzzles. So I need input. Help?

Another thing we are needing in the house is exercise. Jon is complaining that he has gotten fat (which means gained about 10 pounds) and I also want to lose weight, because I am a female, and there is no such thing as too skinny. Plus, having something we could do together, besides a strict diet that we won’t follow since I am a foodie, would be a great thing.

For a while now, I have been researching the Wii. Especially the Wii Fit, and Yoga. I loved yoga back in the day, and have lots of yoga videos. But I am a competitive personality, and if there are points involved, that’s something I will strive for. Therefore, i thought the Wii Yoga might be good for me. I don’t see Jon doing it, but I know he would enjoy things like boxing, tennis, maybe even bowling. Do you own a Wii? Do you own the Fit? Yoga? Is there a game that has surprised you? One that has disappointed you? Have you lost weight using it, or gotten healthier? One thing I used to love doing before I got pregnant and had Seven was Dance Dance Revolution on the PlayStation. Is there a dancing game for Wii? If so, would you recommend it? Can you compare it to DDR?

I recently learned that PlayStation 3 has come out with the Move. Do any of you own that? Why did you opt to go with it versus the Wii? Does it offer the range of games you would like to see in a action based videogame system? Again, we don’t want to be throwing money away. We already own the PS3, so buying the Move wouldn’t be all that expensive, BUT – if the Wii system is better, I’d rather have what makes better sense in the long run.

Thanks for letting me take a little break from the food. Over the next few weeks I will be opening up new sections to the site – Mommy, Reviews, a new Foodie Section, and maybe a section just on life as I know it. I hope you’ll still enjoy dropping by, and maybe even enjoy it MORE. We are all more than just foodies…and I want to talk about it all!

Thanks for your input. i trust my readers opinions as much as (I hope!) you trust mine! Anything you can offer is greatly appreciated!

Until next time, have a great weekend!