8-year-old gift list 2009 Part 1

Now that my children (8 and 9 year old boys) can put their thoughts to paper, they waste no time making "the wish list". As soon as the holiday commercials begin, now around Halloween, their little minds are filled with the endless possibilities of what Santa will bring. They do still believe in the big guy. What amazes me about these lists is the perfect penmanship, the impecable grammer, the i's dotted and the t's crossed. Each one a perfect manuscript delicately crafted to include items that will entertain the mind and pass the time.
My husband and I are fascinated by what they put on "the list" and why. So, this year, we "disected" a few of the items to find out what made them so appealing.
Part 1 From the mind of an 8 year old boy:
Max is the prioritizer. He listed his items in the order of importance and just to make sure he got his point across, he appended the items with one asterisk for really want and two asterisks for really, really want.
1. **Splashy the Whale game
The point of the game is to fish out various items out of the whale's mouth. The fun part is if you touch his tongue, he'll squirt you with water.
This is a toy for a 5 year old. Why would my 8 year old be attracted to this? Because Max loves water and any chance he gets to get squirted or be the squirter, he jumps on. (For April Fools, we rigged the sink spray nossel to spray water if you turn the faucet on. Needless to say, he was beside himself when he got sprayed. And we have been honored many times with the same joke since.)


2. **Dual Action Light Saber
I think with this one, I'm afraid he fell prey to the magic of advertising. I took this right off the ad.
"Light saber replica contains a second, hidden light saber for double dueling action and light-up blades. (But wait- there's more) Attach light sabers together to create a double-bladed weapon. Battle with a light saber in each hand. (But wait- there's more) Connect them for a double-bladed weapon as you call upon the power of the Force!"
Not to mention the cool costumed boy holding the wand was well, so cool looking.


3. * Razor Sparks Scooter
A scooter that if you push down on the back, emits a shower of sparks. Max is a bit of a pyro so I can understand why this made the list. A toy that makes fire sparks. Here's what he'll do. Ride it as it is supposed to be used and within about 10 minutes, he'll get the idea to make something catch on fire with it and so for the rest of the time he'll try to "spark" the pile of leaves till the sun goes down.



4. *** Mind Flex (3 asterisk, the mother of all gifts)
Here's what it does- also taken from the ad:
"Mindflex, the new mental acuity game from Mattel, makes that dream a reality.
Mindflex combines advanced technology with the power of thought.
Create an interactive experience unlike any other.
A game where players compete in the ultimate mental marathon.
The various obstacles can be repositioned into many different configurations."
So I have to say, dad and I were both intrigued by this one. (We kinda want to try it too.)
I know why Max wanted this one. Mind control. The wave of the future in toys. The wave of the future in everything. Remote controls, computers, I think of this as the PONG of the 2009s.

One more item that made it to the list. **Another chicken.