It's kinz krazy!

I think I should own stock in Ganz.
Truly.

My kiddies are obsessed with WebKinz. To make things even more difficult as a parent, there's nary a store you can go into that doesn't have a WebKinz or two to sell.
Case in point....

Canobie Lake, we're at the gift shop just poking around to see if maybe I wanted to get my Princess Petunia a puka shell bracelet or something - when out of nowhere she starts shrieking "The Sherbat is here! The Sherbat is here!"

Sherbat?!? What the heck is a Sherbat?

Ah yes, well actually - it's a Bat WebKinz but the kids decided if they ever bought one they'd name it Sherbat. (In typical "Viva Pinata" fashion. If you don't know what "Viva Pinata" is, well - that's a whole other story. Give it a Google....)

So naturally with it being her birthday, G caved in and let her buy one. Which meant my son had to have one too, birthday or otherwise - it would've been total anarchy. (Yes, you deal with two kids after a long day in the sun with lots of sugar...) You think that either one of them bought this "Sherbat"? Oh no. She bought a lamb, and he bought a frog.

Today, I come home from an exhausting day of working the new store issues (one bright spot being a very quick spicy tuna roll at my favorite sushi restaurant with one of my favorite friends), to discover that they purchased a mountain goat and a golden retriever, respectively.

I think this brings the count they each have to something like 15?
And seriously - the decor the kids put on their rooms online for these animals are nothing short of spectacular. Fortunately, just about the only website I have unblocked for their use is the WebKinz site - and truth be told - the games are educational and good for them.

Sure, it's a crazy gimmick and a fabulous way to get parents to spend an insane amount of money on stuffed animals (which, my son hates to have me call them. He says they're "friends". He's sensitive....) but it's a small price to make them happy. Thinking about today's society and the types of toys that are out there, truly - if it's a little furry creature that makes them happy then I guess I'm all for it.