Okay, so I admit, this will not be the first time I have put my "Mother of the Year" nomination in jeopardy this year. Today I am taking my 5 year old son to Toys R Us to purchase a Nintendo DS. Why, you may ask, does a 5 year old have any business owning a $130 electronic device that requires games totalling $20 or more a piece?

Let me see.....there are a variety of reasons:

1.) All of his friends have one (Truly, they do...and his sisters do, too--although they were much older upon acquiring said items)

2.) He can play educational games on it, in support of reading and math and animal science (does Mario Cart count?)

3.) It is a way for me to indulge his inner need to understand video game technology and modern entertainment without having to purchase a Wii or PS3, each requiring games costing around $50 each (oh--and, there is that one little consideration of the fact that in college, I witnessed my husband-to-be sit in front of his game system for 16 hours straight--I don't want to relive those days)

4.) I bribed him with the promise of one in a moment of weakness. "Okay, look, if you agree to go to the sitter's house just until the girls get out of school in two weeks without crying every morning, so Mommy can get to work on time, I will buy you a DS, okay? Please?"

5.) On a recent trip to visit the in-laws, a 10 hour drive away, I heard "Are we almost there?"... every 10 minutes.... for 600 miles. We are going again in a month.....

6.) Sometimes, I have appointments....and he has to go with me.....and I really just want him to be quiet while I'm there.

7.) He has asked me 47,000 times. And sometimes, the third child gets what he wants just to stop the whining.

Well, I said I had reasons. I didn't say they were good ones!