This weekend was a mix of yard work and gaming relaxation. The lawn got some much needed attention, and on both Saturday and Sunday my wife decided to take the kids away to visit relatives, leaving me with ample free time which was used either playing Battlefield Bad Company 2, or Warhammer Online. Today, I’m home with my son who’s babysitter is off for the week. So it will be a day of putting together train sets, turning on Mickey Mouse or Blues Clues or one of the hundred other shows that he’ll get a sporadic need for, doing laundry (it never ends!!!), dishes, and taking the little man to the park in hopes of wearing him down for a nap. With any luck, I’ll be able to get a couple hours of gaming (or maybe a nap for myself) in while he’s asleep.

I rarely get time with my son by himself unless he’s home sick so today has already been filled with “daddy, you help me?” which is what he asks whenever he wants to play. The only reason I’m able to type right now is because he’s glued to the television. Any second now I’ll be asked to…wait…yeah, blocks. Be back in a few.

Okay, he’s eating some of his breakfast and watching Cars.

I got thinking today about my kids and gaming. My daughter is now 4 and loves playing on such websites as Nick Jr. and Disney. She can’t read yet, but she’s a wizard with the mouse or touch pad and she’s finally getting the hang of some of the controls on the Wii. I can’t wait for my son to get to the same point she’s at, and for them both to be able to read. I think once they can do that, they can start really having fun with games because they’ll be getting a fuller experience. I have this deep down hope, well, not so deep since I’m expressing it to all of you, that my kids will grow up to be gamers like their pops. I think gaming will be a part of their lives because not only they are surrounded by it at home but also because it is growing to be a norm in our society. I just wonder what form gaming will take by the time they are in high school or my age, and whether that form will be so drastically different that I won’t be a gamer anymore. Kind of like how people grow up with a certain type of music, and as they age, the music slowly turns into something they can’t acquire a taste for.

Well, I’m being asked for help again. I think he wants to play with trucks. Okay, but only if I can be the bulldozer.