With two boys home all summer, keeping the house organized can be quite a challenge.  Some days it seems like all of the effort we put into cleaning and putting items away are undone when Hurricanes NHL and JSL blow through.  Thus, I was very interested in seeing how the Brother P-Touch system could help.

The first part of this review campaign was a durability test.  As you can see, a box was sent to me wrapped in caution tape.

Inside was a sponge, scrub brush, abrasive soap, a wipe soaked in nail polish remover and a piece of plexiglass with a label attached.

First, I scrubbed as hard as I could with the brush.

Next, I added some soap (mixed in water) and let it soak for a bit.  Then, I wiped it off with a sponge.

The label didn’t show any sign of wear, so I used the scrub brush a bit more.

There was still nothing, so next up was the nail polish remover.

Besides smelling bad, there was still no sign that I had done anything to the label.

I’m definitely intrigued.  I put this label through abuse that should have removed it or at least scratched it.  Instead, the label held up.  If it can hold up to scrub brushes and abrasive chemicals, it might just stand a chance against two young boys.

Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Brother P-Touch and received a product and gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Over the weekend, we did some shopping.  We went to Dick’s Sporting Goods to look for some shoes, we went to Border’s to look for bargains and we went to Target to get some needed groceries/clothing.

In Target, however, NHL began to complain.  This wasn’t just a normal whine, though, it began to turn into yelling at me and being disobedient to make a point.  B took the shopping cart with JSL while NHL and I went to the car.  Actually, we first stopped outside the store in the hopes that I could get him to calm down.  When this didn’t work, we went to the car.

NHL wasn’t out of the woods, though.  During his scream-fest, I told him to calm down or else.  When he pushed the “else”, I told him that he wouldn’t get the book he had just bought from Borders.  He didn’t seem to care so I also took away the puzzle he had gotten.  This didn’t make a dent in his attitude so I brought out the big guns.  I told him he couldn’t play the Nintendo DS.

Now, *this* got a reaction.  I wrote about his Games Addiction last week and it is still very much in force.  NHL *loves* playing his DS.  If he had his way, he’d go through the entire day casting Lego Harry Potter spells.  So losing the DS for the weekend was a big hit.

At the car, NHL sat in silence.  When he was fully calmed down, we went back into Target.  We checked the registers and then walked all around the store, but, unfortunately, we couldn’t locate B and JSL.  Finally, we decided to wait for them at the car.  As we approached, I saw them waiting for them at the car for us.  Somehow, our paths had crossed without either of us noticing the other.

Later, I’d find out that B had tweeted about “losing” us.

This morning, NHL celebrated the ending of his DS exile with a rousing game of Lego Harry Potter.  It wasn’t long before he was triumphantly declaring that he had gotten past Snape and could make some Polyjuice Potion.

During NHL’s birthday party, my sister told a story of a trip she, her husband and her kids went on.  During the trip, she and her husband tried to keep their children hydrated, but the kids were refusing to drink water.  So they tried making it into a little game.  This worked well until one of the kids started telling grown-up that their parents played “drinking games” with them.

I began to wonder how a parent drinking game would work.  What would the rules be?  Take a shot every time Dora, Map or any other Dora the Explorer character repeats themselves?  Take a swig anytime you need to yell at your kids to stop fighting?  Take another drink anytime you clean a room only to find it messy again 30 seconds later?

Of course, drinking while parenting is probably not the best idea.  (Especially if you do shots during Dora the Explorer.)  So perhaps you could give yourself “parental drinking game credits” which could be redeemed once the kids are in bed.

My Aloha Friday question is: What rules would you add to the Parental Drinking Game?

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 #101

For his birthday, NHL got many great presents: Books, board games, and even puzzles.  His favorite gifts, though, were likely the Nintendo DS games.  He received Tetris Party Deluxe, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, and Lego Harry Potter: Years 1 – 4.  As soon as he was able to, he ripped open the packages and began playing.

Since then, he’s been nearly inseparable from his DS.  He’ll sit on the couch or on his bed for hours on end casting spells or swinging his lightsaber.  He’s become lost in the world of video games.

Of course, his video game addiction began early on.  I introduced him to online Flash-based games when he was very young.  He took to them quickly and showed quite an aptitude for figuring out how they work.  Later, he began playing Nintendo Wii with me.  He was very proud (as was I) the first time he beat me in Wii Bowling.

When B won a Nintendo DS in a giveaway awhile back, we set out finding some games that we liked and that NHL might like.  B’s DS was quickly coopted by NHL to play Carnival Games, Super Mario and other games.  With his latest batch of games, I don’t think we’ll pry him away anytime soon.

NHL takes after me when it comes to video games.  I have fond memories of staring at an Atari 2600 screen playing Star Raiders and other games.  When we got our first Nintendo, I was in awe of the incredible graphics of the original Super Mario Brothers.  When I wasn’t reading a book, I was on the computer jumping, dodging, firing and more.  Nowadays, I don’t have much time for games, but I still enjoy playing them here and there.

  At one point, I watched over NHL’s shoulder (and helped a bit) as he played Lego Harry Potter.  It looked like fun.  So I decided to give the game a go.  After NHL was asleep, I started a new game.  Luckily, it allows for 2 save games so NHL and I can play separate games.

I helped Harry collect presents in Privet Drive.  I prepared him to go to Hogwarts.  I learned some new spells and battled some enemies.  I ventured into the Dark Forest.  Before I knew it, it was almost 1am.  After saving my game, I reluctantly put the DS away and headed to bed.

I found that the game, in many ways, is very easy.  You have unlimited lives so “dying” just means “being sent back a short bit.”  Puzzles aren’t very hard to figure out.  Still, it’s a lot of fun.  (Just what’s needed after a hard day’s work.)  I think I enjoying shattering objects using the Reducto spell a bit too much.  (Couch? Reducto! Table? Reducto! Pile of books? Reducto!  Christmas Tree? Reducto!)

The next morning, NHL began his gaming.  He instantly got upset when he saw that I had gotten further along in the game than he had.  (His exact words were “Dad, I’m embarrassed that you got further in the game than me.”)  I think he’s been furiously playing more to make sure that he takes the Lego Harry Potter lead.  A little friendly competition between father and son never hurt.  I think tonight I’ll take up my magic wand and cast a few more spells.

Today, NHL turns 8 years old.  In some ways, it seems like only yesterday that B leapt off the couch, ran to the bathroom and announced to me (when I ran after her to see what the problem was) that her water broke.  In other ways, it feels like NHL has been with us forever.  How is it that he can both be growing up so quickly before my eyes and yet my life before he was born seems so far away it might as well have been an alternate-dimension TechyDad?

In any event, today we celebrate NHL turning 8.  When he was a baby, he loved making everyone smile.  I particularly noticed that he liked getting the attention of women in stores.  He would look at them cutely, then look away and repeat his actions until he got their attention.  My son wasn’t even a year old and he was already a flirt!  (Is this a sign that I should be worried a few years down the road?)

When he was a toddler, he initially had trouble walking (due to low muscle tone and other issues), but made quick strides with therapy.  He was a social kid and very inquisitive.  He loved reading and computers.  In fact, I noticed that he had quite the knack for technology.  He would pick up how to work things, like the DVR remote, very quickly.  We finally had to move the DVR remote to a place he couldn’t reach because the DVR filled up with shows he decided to record.

As NHL got older and began attending school, his thirst for knowledge grew.  He would pick up on facts where ever he could find them.  I began seeing more and more of  myself in him for better and for worse.  At times, it would seem like he couldn’t stop talking, but I could sympathize.  I did the same thing when I was younger.  He likely has a million thoughts piling in his brain and no place for them to go.  We’ll need to get him a better outlet for this than random babbling.

Unfortunately, NHL had a rough 2nd grade.  He complained of not having friends and his teacher didn’t quite seem to know how best to work with him.  Sadly, a bullying incident forced us to pull NHL from school.

It wound up being a blessing in disguise, however, because NHL thrived in his new school.  He made friends and began wanting to learn again.  When school ended, he actually burst into tears thinking that Summer vacation meant he had to stop learning.  Now those are tears that every parent loves to see!  (So long as the child stops crying, like NHL did, when reassured that they can keep learning, of course.)

He had a blast during summer vacation going to the water park, crafting events, library time, and even just plain playing in the park.  He also mimicked young-me by becoming hooked on video games.  (Of course, my addiction was the Atari 2600, not the Nintendo DS.)

The upcoming year will be an interesting one.  How will NHL react to the third grade?  For me, third grade was a wonderful time.  My teacher realized that I should be in an advanced reading class.  This led to honors classes which led to AP and college level courses.  Will NHL’s third grade be as good for him?  I don’t know, but I can’t wait to see what comes next.

The day before NHL’s birthday, we decided to spend some time with Nana, Papa, Uncle I and Cousins S & B.  First, though, we needed to return some Netflix DVDs.  So NHL and JSL walked with me to the mailbox.  Along the way, we spotted some mushrooms growing in someone’s yard. Given the boys’ recent obsession with certain little blue characters, I joked that Smurfs might be living in there.  Luckily, I didn’t see anything come out of the mushrooms as I took photos of them.

With the Netflix DVDs mailed, we piled into the car and went to meet B’s family.  We were meeting them at a local park that hosts a farmer’s market every Saturday.  The boys were a bit annoyed at having to walk through the market since the playground was so close.  Still, we made the best of it and looked at all of the interesting vendors.  Sadly, I didn’t take many photos since I was trying to keep and eye on the little ones while looking at the wares for sale.  At one stand, though, there was a sunflower for sale that a bee had landed on.  I took out my camera and showed JSL and S just how I take bee macro photos.

We returned to the cars to get a quick drink and then off we went to play.  We had taken our Aerobie Sprint Flying Ring, Z-Curve Bow, and Zing-Shot Launcher so we broke those out.  The kids loved tossing the Aerobie or shooting the bow and arrow across the grass.  (The slingshot had a few misfires so I put it away lest it frustrate the younger kids.)

Uncle I had two really good bow-and-arrow shots.  In one, he hit JSL (by accident) from about 50 feet away.   We all laughed about the good shot while JSL proclaimed that he wasn’t hurt because the arrow’s made of soft foam.  The second shot was later on and rocketed a good 150 feet.  It was quite amazing to behold.

At one point, we stopped by a veteran’s memorial in the park.  I’ve been to this park many times and, for some reason, I hadn’t visited this before.  It’s quite impressive (even if the lack of wind kept the flags from unfurling properly).

NHL used the benches at the memorial to show his love for his cousin.

Then, it was on to the park’s pond where we got to see ducks and fishes.

At some point, Uncle I took NHL away.  You see, there’s one thing NHL loves more than anything about this park: the hedge maze.  He was dying to show it to Uncle I.  After a few more minutes admiring the ducks and fish, JSL wanted to show Cousin S the maze also so I walked them over.

Once at the maze, we all went crazy running through it.  JSL even got brave enough to allow himself to be separated from me a few times.

Park play is hungry work, so we all went out to lunch.  Well, we all went to go out to dinner.  Unfortunately, B fell asleep in the car.  (He had skipped an earlier nap so we were expecting this.)  Nana and Papa took him back to their house for some much needed rest while the rest of us ate in the Cheesecake Factory.

Finally, it was time to go back to Nana and Papa’s house to play and (later on) eat dinner with more family.

On Saturday night, after the kids were in bed, I began moving TechyDad.com and TheAngelForever.com from our old host to our new host.  This meant first backing up all of the files from the old host’s servers.  (I usually keep backups locally, but they had gotten out of date.)  This alone took some time.  Then, I backed up the databases.  Finally, I restored the whole thing onto the new hosts’ server.  A connection string change (to point to the new database) and name server update later, and our websites were up and running.

If I make it sound like a quick job, however, it wasn’t.  I began work at around 9pm and went to bed at 1:30 am.  At this point, I had about 4 hours worth of file transfers to go.  Luckily, these weren’t essential files.  Had you been able to see TechyDad.com at this point, you might have noticed photos missing in blog posts or images missing from the sidebars.  Still, the blog posts would have been readable and WordPress would have functioned just fine.

Since I didn’t need to be present for this file transfer to run, I left my computer on and went to bed, falling asleep at about 2am.  At about 5am, I was woken up by B.  She wasn’t feeling good (horrible headache) and needed my help.  I got her some medicine and she went back to sleep.  Despite my exhaustion, however, I just couldn’t fall asleep.

I finally fell back to sleep around 6am only to be woken back up at 7am.  I laid in bed for as long as I could, but sleeping in was not an option.  We needed to get ready for NHL’s birthday party.

There were several moments during the party where I found myself unable to focus and/or dizzy.  Many times when I’d have liked to have snuck away for a “short” nap.  (Short meaning telling yourself only 5 minutes and then waking up 3 hours later.)  After the party was over, I felt the crash come hard.  Still, I pushed off exhaustion.

As I sit typing this, B is sitting with the boys, trying to get them to go to sleep.  I’m thinking that I really should process some of the photos from the party for a blog post.  I just can’t think straight enough, though.  Instead, here’s B’s post about the party.  (Mine will come later.)

I won’t leave you empty handed, though.  Thanks to a recent gift from Mimi to JSL, I think the Hava Nagilla will be sung quite a bit in our household:

Hopefully, by the time you read this, I’ll be well rested and coherent.  If I am, then hava nagilla (let us rejoice)!