A Gamer without Games. June 24, 2008
Posted by caldi-chan in : Gaming, On blogging, W.O.W, general musings, parents , add a commentOne of the things I have to admit, is that I am a Gamer. Always have been, and always will be.
Though one can imagine what life is like without video games, even ones as addicting as World of Warcraft.
I think the first step that is the most recognizable sign here, is that the gamer will talk endlessly about being bored, and not having anything to do.
The second step, is that the gamer themselves will try to find a new addiction for themselves, in order to pass the time. For myself it is actually you tube and watching an assortment of videos.
The third step, is recognizing the fact, that yes! They are addicted to their preferred gamers choice crack. For myself it is and probably will be World of Warcraft for a long time, though for the next few days, I won’t be able to play.
Yes that’s right, you heard it from this Gaming Moms Gamer journal first. I in a state of Real Life issues, have packed my ps2 and games, and sent the box off to storage in someones basement/garage. My Computer, which I use for graphics, amvs, and yes, playing WoW, was in fact packed up and sent away to my aunts.
The few computers we do have in this household, are in fact WoW free.
And other games which are avalible to me, just don’t catch my interest. So I am in fact on, day four of no WoW, I’ve been to the wow fourms at least ONCE, but that is basically it.
So the betting poll is open; how long will this gaming mom be able to last with out her addiction to games? You Tube only lasts so long, and I am in fact now starting to hatch out writing ideas. To be written on paper, with a pen. I’m even, once again looking at manga, that is new.
Yet, again how long will these distractions keep me from foaming at the mouth, and keep me busy enough when I’m done my chores, and doing my duties in my mothers abode before I declare my boredom and beg my mom to come with me and pick up my TV, DVD player, and PC ??
Only time will tell.
In the mean time I’m going to go check on my daughter, go outside fry my brain by sitting out in the sun, and then possibly -maybe- take the digital camera and film the outside world, or even my parents animals. I’m not completely sure.
From the mind of yet another female gamer. February 16, 2008
Posted by caldi-chan in : Gaming, general musings, parents , add a commentShe says it best, she says it with facts, she has a POINT!
Seriously check it out.
I could not say it better.
FATHER BEATS CHILD AFTER XBOX FALLS OVER. January 31, 2008
Posted by caldi-chan in : Gaming, parents , add a commentNow this is an interesting article to find and read on Girl Gamers, the Live journal community I frequent quite a bit.
I am a mother. My daughter is five years old.
I would never smack let alone beat my child to death over something so… STUPID. I would get angry, but it’s called counting to ten and removing yourself from the situation and calming down.
After reading the article, I felt sick to my stomach.
That poor girl didn’t deserve death over something like that. Take this as an advanced warning.
If you think you’ll get mad enough to hit or harm a small child for something like this more then ONCE. (Read small swat to bum) then you need to seriously re-consider your ethics as a parent, and seek help to curb the anger.
2008 is here. January 10, 2008
Posted by caldi-chan in : Gaming, general musings, parents , add a commentThus the new year has started. I’m a bit late in writing in this regarding that. The new year itself feels just like any other year except the simple change in the last digit from 7 to 8.
My daughter it seems is ill, however all things considered, she does attend a school most days of the week so I’m not suprised the virus I had over the holiday has resurfaced and now she has it.
Plans to work on several volume one reviews are in the works. When I’m not cuddling my daughter and sleeping.
You can expect, Angel Scantuary, Zombie Powder, Airgear, and Dramacon 3 (when it arrives from Amazon). As well as Vampire Knight volumes 2-3. Yes I am going to review those as well. I did say it had two more chances to get me to like it. We shall see what we shall see.
Saw the movie enchanted not long ago. I have to hand it to Disney this time around. They turned your typical Animated musical princess flick into quite the amusing and cool, live action flick. I was rather pleased with it. I think I’ll be making it part of my dvd collection, if it doesn’t go straight to Blue-ray DVD.
In the meantime, I think I should tackle the mess that is slowly exploding out into the hallway and put things back in order. Now that I have the energy to actually clean I should actually do so before I get beset with another of my famous migranes.
Happy new years folks.
The day before Caldi’s Christmas. December 25, 2007
Posted by caldi-chan in : parents , add a commentT’was the day before Christmas, and the spawn was at grandma’s, nothing new there. It was time to for a dinner, and the ride was a half hour late. So I sat and I wait, browsing the net. Unknowing to my suprise, that I’d have to transform a transformer from robot to tank.
The toy was confusing, all interlocking with springs. Young little Slade had long since abandoned, the toy for the basement. Yet toiled swan and I did, to transform that god awlful toy, if it meant hours of fustration.
Every little push, or sudden touch set off the sounds, and I was left to my fustrations of wishing it the package said “Batteries not included.” Loath to our dismay, that was not the case, so got used to the gun torrent sounds, and the kabangs and kabooms.
We had figured out twelve steps, and by then we saying.
“Optimus prime, wasn’t this HARD!” Biting our lips we read the instructions again and again, and decided to screw it and gave it to Slade’s dad. With ease like a pro he transformed that cursed toy, and we looked on in wonder, as Slade ohhed and awwed. Only to say with that adorable grin.
“The wheels don’t move, why don’t that dad?”
I choked back the laughter, and bit my left cheek. I wanted to say.
“Merry Freakin Christmas, and have a good year. I’ll not attempt that abomination for the rest of the year!”
Then it ws off to My moms to spend the night. But there was no sleep to be had. The spawn did not sleep. I’ve bags under my eyes, and I’m tired to the core. Tia is high on sugar, and the guests have yet to arrive.
A second christmas dinner, and I can only groan. My stomah is weary of eating more food.
Grandia III November 30, 2007
Posted by caldi-chan in : Gaming, NaNo, parents , add a commentI had the chance to play Grandia III today. At first the graphics jarred me, because it looked a little rough in comparison to some of the other 3D cgi games I’ve played in the past.
However, after a while I got the hang of it.
I started really playing it at around 7pm give or take. It was just something to do, to take a break away from NaNo. I needed a breather and what better way then to play a video game.
Low and behold, when I finally put the controller down it was three am.
It’s not often a game will keep me drawn into the fundementals of the story for that many hours straight of game play. However when one does, I’m left feeling that the game is well worth the cash I plunked down.
Also given my picky tastes in the gaming realm, games usually have to sell themselves real good in order for me to like them. It’s not that I’m an elietist or anything, it’s just I know what I like.
You could reccomend to me, a game like Tabula Rasa and I’ll tell you flat out I’m not interested. Hell I’m not even a very big fan of the infamous RE - that’s Resident Evil- series or even the Silent Hill games.
When picking a game, I have to think of story element, game dynamics, and the fact that Tia nine times out of ten will in fact be up and watching me play. As a concerned parent who takes gaming seriously, I’m not about to play a game like King of Fighters infront of my young impresionable child.
Grandia III however, has the same elements of other Grandia games that I’ve grown to love, so that was an expectation that went with the deal. They story seeems to be good so far, and Tia seems to really be empathetic towards Miranda, Yuki’s mother. Who looks young enough to be his sister, but that’s besides the point.
There seems to be a lot of story elements, which when you think of it, actually makes the game shorter then expected, however there seems to be a lot of stuff to keep me occupied for the next few days, given time and commitments.
Overall, I’m liking the game, after getting used to the style of graphics.
As for NaNoWriMonth, after breaking 20 K, I seem to have slowed down quite a bit in the writing front. I will put in that last burst of writing to race the clock till midnight tonight, however I know I will not meet the required 50K.
If I do it will be a miracle as a whole.
This doesn’t stop me from being imensly proud of myself however.
I went well past my actual expected goal for writing this year.
I was expecting maybe at least 15 K, but I broke 20K. So I’m happy.
With the ending in sight, I’m more then willing to finish it.
There are also plans to make a continuation of the story, world and elements.
It’s a longer story then I thought.
A look at kids and how tantrums evolve. November 28, 2007
Posted by caldi-chan in : parents , add a commentTANTRUM
A Large fit of rage usually involving kicking/hitting and screaming on the non mature type of human but sometimes progresses into pre-teen tantrums.
When it hits pre teen it is considered emo and angst. Includes badly written poetry, and often the begining signs of possible smokers. It will continue up until the age of 18, where they are an evolved teenager and they suddenly think they know eveything, when in fact they don’t. At this point in time it is reccomended to send them to boot camp, or worse. Grandmas.
At the age of 20, they will have had at least suffered many horrible jobs, or be incredibly lazy and never worked once in their life. Now is the time to push them out into the steel jungel. Ready or not, your lil angsty brat is now an angsty adult. They will eventually spawn, and suddenly realize that their kids are ten times worse then they were. This is where you smile and nod, secretly laughing your head off.
This short essay has been brought to by the word, Fuck, as in most parents don’t give one. and the letters O, H, and S, H, I, T. As in Oh, shit I’m pregnant. Also inspired by the public broadcasting system of deranged grandmothers, who virtually know the hell you will go through. Heck they raised Six or more kids.
Due to bodily functions: Manitoba Comic Con was a no go. October 27, 2007
Posted by caldi-chan in : Uncategorized, general musings, parents , add a commentYeah my partner in convention crime got sick friday, and then when we thought we could go for at least a few hours, his dad was late, today.
There was talk about going to it before, the JAAW dance, but honestly?
I’m not up for that. Going to Comic Con, when the good stuff is bound to be gone. So it’s just a halloween dance which I was signed up for, without really being *asked*.
I will however, exercize my right to leave early and go to moms if I so please.
This weekend was a bust.
Next Monday will have a new Manga Beat.
My Daughter is a Digimon Tamers Fan. October 18, 2007
Posted by caldi-chan in : Kids TV shows, parents , 3comments
So it would seem that after watching all the episodes of Digimon Tamers, Tia has found a new show she likes.
We had taken the chance to borrow a lap top, with said Series on it. It only took about two days before my daughter was hooked. So now while working on various projects, and the usual motherhood gig, my daughter has imagined she has one of her own digimon, and a divice with digimon cards.
In fact quite often she can be heard saying “Digi Modify! Speed Activate!” and then pretending to beat up on the bad guys. At one point, when the school teacher of the school that Jerri, Takato, Kenta, and Kazu attend went running onto a field with the class saying ”You can to it Takato.” My daughter cheerfuly joined in on the spectacle.
I imagine that a few years from now, she will not only own several Digimon related items, she’ll know more about the entire franchise then even myself. I recall fondly before I was even pregnant watching the first two season and enjoying myself quite a bit. It wasn’t anything like pokemon, and the idea was an interesting concept.
It seems now, my daughter is infatuated with the idea.
Yep it seems I have a mini didgimon fan on my hands now.
So any ideas on where to get the season on dvd?
Aparently my child’s “below the expected grade level.” October 4, 2007
Posted by caldi-chan in : parents, schools , add a commentShe’s four, she’s cute, she can do a puzzle faster then I can write a blog entry. She can sing along with her prefered songs, identify all the parts of her body and has almost learned grannys phone number in case of emergencies.
Yet now keep this in mind, the following she CAN’T do, means she’s not up to snuff.
She cannot recognize dot formation numbers on Dice and Dominos. -That’s a given we don’t own any dominos and the dice I do have are the actual numbers. Numbers not dots. In this day and age of everything being digital I think dots are phased out.-
She can’t count to ten in the right order. I have no reason to explain this, I have been teaching her her numbers since she was three and a half. It could be mild dyslexia for all I know.
And for some reason, she doesn’t know gray, black, or white. I have no idea what that means. But in grand total, these reasons are …. call me an idiot if you like, but I honestly think they are stupid. She’s only four damn it.
She’s been watching educational tv shows since birth, and god knows how many times we have sat down and practiced out letters and numbers.
Where did I as a parent go wrong?
Also she needs a speech therapist.
ummm… ok. THAT I expected.
Even I have a lisp, and I remember how *stupid* I felt when I had the first session. I remember telling the guidance teacher, “The lady made me feel dumb.” After one session, I never saw her again.
What am I going on about?
Well it seems that elementary schools now have something called “Strong Beginings.”
Each student is watched, and assigned tasks to see how smart they are. That’s the lazy mans terms. Also parents are told at the start of school, not to feel discouraged at results. It won’t effect their childs grades or anything.
I never had this when I was a kid.
However..
I can’t help but feel like a stupid moron now, because I am incapable of teaching my daughter the basics.
Thanks so much educational system.
You just made 23 parents give or take a few dads or moms, feel like idiots.
Because what their children do not know reflects on them and their abillity to teach.
Thanks so much.
Addendum: Found this in my daughters school PDF of their first News Letter.
While the tasks are not considered tests, there are “results” sent home to the parents. It is these results that makes it seem and feel more like a test. Even on my daughters sheet of paper had a value of ten, and each grade was 7 or less.
If these were not tests, why the grading like system?