Two Random Questions

[lesliepear]

I think people on my friend's list might know the answers to these.

1. I've seen the "Barbie" laptop as a play computer for girls. Is there any type of similar educational laptop for baby boys? I thought Alan could mess with that rather than playing with the mouse on my PC.


2. I know a few of you do beading. How hard would it be to make a chocker necklace with beads on CORD not wire? I'm thinking of getting a colorful chocker to hide my thyroid removal scar as it heals (I figured wire might dig in). Any help you can come up with would be appreciated.

Comments

[silent-ic-river.livejournal.com]

The 'My First LeapPad' looks good. TJ is already using Zoe's LeapPad and I see no reason to buy him another unit. When we go into stores that have the 'My First' unit he always plays with it and seems to get a bit more out of that unit than he does from Zoe's more sophisticated unit. I've seen the new one from Fisher-Price, it looks pretty good. Zoe's played with it and claims she likes it better (but I'm guessing this is just a bid to get Momma to buy yet another toy. Sorry Zoe, but no). The Pixter in really designed for older kids. Zoe got one as a present at age 3. She uses it now, but only on long plane flights. I won't buy the color unit. I'm guessing that Fisher-Price has realized that Pixter is just a glorified Game-Boy but Game-Boy does it all better. LeapPad makes a unit for teaching letters and another for numbers. Again, Zoe got them as presents. They fascinated her for a few days, but she got bored with them quickly, also the voice on these unit grated faster than usual. TJ pulls them out from time to time.
Couple of suggestion...
Get Alan his own (used/recycled) mouse and keyboard. This worked with Zoe until almost age three (TJ has already caught on that 'his' mouse does nothing to my screen).
Get a cheap (music) keyboard from Radio Shack. Chris bought Zoe one for about $15 four years ago. She and TJ play with it almost daily.
Chris got Zoe a kid's sized mouse from Swann. It has pretty lights and such (it was pricey) but you can plug it into your computer (it will light up) but toggle off functioning (so you can still work!)
Do you know someone who's upgrading their PDA? Ask them to donate the old one to Alan.

I hope you continue to feel better and the healing goes swiftly.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

I got Alan a cheap toy keyboard for Xmas. On my PC he seems to like playing with the mouse and moving the cursor on the screen, I though the barbie like pc would have a mouse also.

I could look into a first leap pad, now that it isn't xmas time the deals could be ok.

I just thought they would be a boy version with mouse to mess with it.

[silent-ic-river.livejournal.com]

I just thought they would be a boy version with mouse to mess with it.

I haven't seen such a thing. As I understand it the push behind the pink and purple 'Barbie' or 'Princess' computer is to get girls interested in computers and math early.

I though the barbie like pc would have a mouse also

None of the units I've seen have a mouse. They have 'pens' attached with string or cord to the unit. You use the pen on a book placed into the unit or on a touch screen.

No deals on LeapPad anything right now, unless Toys-R-Us is running a special. Amazon just ran a special within the last two weeks.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

I've got a partially used walmart gift certificate, so that might help.

I find the fact that there isn't a boy toy like the barbie computer sexist. What is wrong with encouraging a future techie of either sex? (I expect our little boy to be more geek than jock actually.)

[silent-ic-river.livejournal.com]

It is sexist. But just as cereal makers no longer market 'healthy' to kids so toy makers no longer care about PC in their marketing. They know that the parents with the moola will buy the Barbie PC for their little daughters, and will get a 'real' computer for their sons. It ain't right, but there it is.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

And the same people busy making pink computers are probably the ones that insist that every boy outfit be jock themed. I have a few items like that for Alan (for some reason I think baseball and hockey jerseys are cute), but I've been deliberately buying items that have other themes like dinosaurs, animals and space to counter them. (I honestly would like to find more space themed stuff or even robot/"geekie" stuff).

[silent-ic-river.livejournal.com]

Oh, tell me about it! And navy. Everything has to have navy blue on it. And I am so with you about the space theme. I really wanted to do Zoe's room with moon and stars but no go. As soon as she could speak she said PINK! and that was that. I hope TJ will be cool with the space theme.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

I collect older Gymboree boys clothes (vintage). There's one line from about 6-7 years ago called Space Frontier - all bright red/yellow/blue/navy with various rocket and space patches. I so wish there was newer stuff like that.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Actually the toy barbie PC is a little "old" for Alan at 16.5 months. But I'd rather spend the money on that than a full computer that he'd wreck. I've thought about getting him an old old PC like a commodore 64 or something at the big computer fair in may (except we've got nowhere to hook it up to.)

[silent-ic-river.livejournal.com]

All these units are really geared for the 4 and up age. I think LeapFrog is getting ready to dump from their line up the alphabet desk. That might do the trick. I know Toys R Us has it and I'm betting it's going to go on sale soon. I'll ask my husband if we have any computers that are going to be junked soon. If he does we can just send one up to you.

[waning-estrogen.livejournal.com]

you could use memory wire for a single strand type choker. fits everyone, the wire is entirely inside the beads, pearls, whatever you are using, so it doesn't contact your skin at all. it's similar to the way those sun shade things for your car work - you know how you fold them up to put them away and they spring open to go inside your windshield? memory wire coils up to be about the size of a bracelet, but opens up to go around your neck. it's not tight. I'll see if I can get Ben to take a picture of me with Amy's that I made for her. If you were wanting to have beads on a corded or knotted silk, you'd need to use fairly large beads, or have a couple of strands - I can show you that one, too. Just gotta get some decent light and make the boy cooperate with me.

[bghsmith.livejournal.com]

Have you thought about making a chocker out of ribbon? I made a really nice one out of velvet ribbon and put a nice broach on it. It was very classy looking. And the ribbon would be less likely to irritate your skin.

Just a thought.