To prepare for our LONG train ride home, we decided to purchase a couple of mini Nintendo games to keep the kiddos occupied. They had enjoyed playing with their cousins' games, so we figured it would be a good investment for our peace of mind. Maybe then, we would only be queried as to our arrival time every fifteen minutes instead of every five.

We were fortunate enough to run into a very chatty and informative Nintendo Rep. at Walmart who informed us that the new DS Lite was the newest technology--and definitely the way to go for our kids. She also recommended a game called "Animal Crossing" for my 1G9, a groovy little virtual world filled with animals. We then, searched high and low for two of these very hard to find little units and the age-appropriate games, and ended up with a substantially flatter wallet, but two very happy munchkins--and a victory for peace. Or so we thought.

Right away, my 1G9 began busily setting up her virtual world and meeting her new "neighbors". Imagine our surprise when she informed us that our trip to a local amusement park had to be delayed because she had an appointment with one of her new neighbors that she simply had to keep. After all, "Moe is rather a cranky sort, and gets very angry if you stand him up." Ah, the priorities of today's nine year-olds! Fortunately, my 1G9's parents' priorities won the day. Who would ever have thought that virtual appointments would take on such importance? Now I wonder if I could have one of her virtual neighbors make an appointment to see her real-world room? Perhaps that would induce her to spruce things up a bit.