Saturday, December 30, 2006

You Got a Trophy for What???

I'm sitting here watching my boys go through the toys they got from their dad. He usually buys them the world and then sends it home (on the plane) stuffed in their duffel bags. This year one of the presents for my youngest was called "Speed Stackers." Have you heard of it? And if you have did you know you could get a trophy or award for stacking cups? I mean really, isn't that what the guys on the street corner do in big cities like New York? There's usually money involved with them. Do I really want my son learning about something that guys on the streets of NYC do?

It even came with a DVD to show you how to do it and what to do. And the person who shows you how....A 16 year old girl who's actually won trophy's and medals for Speed Stacking. I'm sitting here watching this amazed. It talks about how speed stacking can teach you hand-eye co-ordination and how to be more ambidextrous....Do I really want my 9 year olds dream in life to be a champion Speed Stacker?!

But all I can think about is those guys on the streets of New York. I'm picturing my sweet faced, lovable youngest child 10 years from now, in dirty clothes, standing on the streets of NYC with a cardboard box in front of him, yelling to people as they pass by "I bet you don't think I can stack these cups in 3 different pyramids in 10 seconds. Bet you ten bucks. Come on. It's only ten bucks!"

Usually it's the video games their dad sends home with them that I shake my head about...Or the hundreds of dollars spent by someone who whines all year about having absolutely NO money...Or the Lego projects that I know I'm going to have to help put together (not him)...But this time it's the cups. Oh I'm sorry, my mistake, the Speed Stackers.

Oh, how sweet, now both of my boys are practicing Speed Stacking. "Maybe," they say behind me as I type "One I'll be the Champion!"

It's enough to make a mother proud.