The kids grandparents sent them some money for Christmas, and rather than be Grinch-y and make them wait until AFTER C-Day to spend it we decided to let them have a little of it now (Jake was the exception; I ordered his drums today so he used all his money - but he might just have them in time for Christmas now).

Shea used her money to buy her a Furby.

She had some Furbies the first time they came around back in the mid 90's.  They were pretty entertaining at the time, but they had their limitations.  They were, in all honesty, obviously lumps of plastic covered in fake fur.  Yeah, they talked some and they rocked to and fro, but they were, after about half an hour, BORING and Shea tired of them fairly quickly.

Today, in the BX, we saw the new Furbies.  I got one off the shelf and pressed it's tummy.  It asked me a question.  I answered.  It smiled.  SMILED.  It's beak turned up at the corners, and it smiled.  I did it again, and it asked me another question.  I answered again.  It frowned, and farted at me.  Yes, it frowned. 

Shea came over and saw them, and decided that, even though she's 13, she wanted one.  She chose one, and we bought it home.

It's an obstinate little turd!  Ever since it came out of the box, I've been asking it to do stuff for me (like the manual suggests) and every single time it's frowned at me and said 'NO'.  It won't do ANYTHING for me.  I don't think it likes me, really.  It does stuff for Shea, but I think that's just because she fed it so it's partial to her now.  So far it's danced, told knock-knock jokes, sang a song and told her a story.  She fed it, it took a nap, and now they're playing a game where she has to clap and tickle it - oh, now it's showing her that it can count too.

It's a lot different than the retro-Furby.  It's more interactive, it does more....it has more of a personality than the last ones did.  It's a LOT more fun.  I'm tempted to get one myself.

I don't think the dog would go for that, though.