or at least I play like I am while I am rocking out with the kids when we play Rock Band.
Yes, I buckled and bought Rock Band. My rationale was this:
My house is full of people for the summer:
1 23-year-old who is going to be a teacher in the fall, but for the summer…she doesn’t have a lot going on besides perusing apartments and making a budget.
1 UMHB who is home for the summer, or some of it, or most of it.
1 high school senior who was busy at the beginning of summer with church camp and color guard camp, but now doesn’t have a lot going on besides MySpace.
and finally
1 4th grader who is as in love with the computer as I am in love with Robert Downey Jr.
Sadly, I am not off during the summer to take them to this and that, to and fro, so while I am working they were each staring into their respective computer screens…this one on this laptop, that one on that laptop, and that one watching Camp Rock one more time.
So, last night, in a ruse to get the 23-year-old to run to Wal-Mart for yet another gross of lady products since I hadn’t had a chance to get out, I offered up Rock Band.
Because i was thinking, wouldn’t it be better to have all four of them staring at the same screen whilst listening to really good rock music that doesn’t make me want to poke my eardrums out with an icepick, whilst having some interaction together?
My answer was yes. Yes, buying a rather expensive toy so that we can all play together and laugh and sing and suck on guitar (ok, I’m the only one who sucks, but still) is worth it.
We’re having a great time with it and I really, really don’t mind Boston wafting down the hallway into the office, accompanied by the thunk thunk thunk thunk thunk of the drum set. It makes me smile that the kids are ‘playing together’ at 23, 19, 16 and 9.
And it is as gratifying as when all of your kids are small and you find them playing happily in the den with the Leggos. It really is. It’s just fun to hear each of them take a turn at the thunk thunk drums and the mike.
I give Rock Band a 10 in every category…ease of use, entertainment value, and especially the music. I don’t care if they play this all the time for a long time.
Next week, of course, we have a full schedule of stuff that is going to take us out of these walls…the zoo and Fossil Rim and haircuts and dentist appointments and orthodontist appointments…
So, we will still do other stuff.
But for these dog days of summer, when it is really too hot to ‘go play outside,’ this is a fun way to spend some time together.
