A Favorite New Toy

Over Mother's Day weekend, Owen spent some quality time with Grandma L in the toys department of a local retailer. As the story goes, grandma decided to test-run a number of products by little Owen. Despite the intensive training on my part to get him to only react positively to Xbox 360 and convertible sportscars, he apparently settled in on something else - something more educational and age appropriate.

I'm not sure what to call it, other than the "alphabet showcase showdown," as it resembles the wheel from the Price is Right showcase showdown, but instead of $ values, it has letters of the alphabet. With every spin, a very nice woman, who is now very much a part of our family, recites the alphabet song.

However, the toy is also a little bit more advanced. If you push on an actual letter, the same woman does one of two things, pronounces the letter or sounds out the letter. Upon learning this, I arranged the wheel so that I could press "O - W - E - N" in sequence for Owen to hear his name spelled out. However, at the risk of carpal tunnel, I discovered an easier and more entertaining option. By simply pressing "O - N," the woman calls out Owens name..."Oh En" "Oh En."

Fascinated by this, Brecken and I have vowed to name any future children with this toy in mind.