Happy Mother's Day, geek moms! Here I thought my husband forgot all about the holiday. Look at what he bought me for our new house!

Awww yeah. It's a professionally restored 1997 X-Files pinball machine! He is having it delivered to the new place next month. This is so much better than gas station flowers!

We both made a wish list for our new house, which naturally contained the most impractical things. This pinball machine topped mine! I really didn't think I would get it for a while, though.

 A little fact about Brian and I -- we are both the babies of our families and were spoiled rotten. Therefore, we tend to overdo it on little holidays. It becomes a contest, so I have to one-up him for his birthday in June.

Any suggestions?

Oh, and check out the X-Files pinball game in action below! This is gonna rule:

        

I just found a great article over on Geek's Dream Girl, entitled "A Musician's Guide to Alternative Uses for Polyhedral Dice." This article explains how to use your dice to learn music. This is a very clever idea and it sounds like a fun opportunity for geek parents to combine their hobby with a little music education.

Speaking of D20... have any of you stepped on one of those things in the middle of the night? Ugh, being the wife of a gamer can be painful.

Oh, and for all you single geeks out there, do check out Geek's Dream Girl. The Webmistress is a geek matchmaker, which I think is a brilliant cause. Geek love is a good thing!

        

Thank you to everyone who entered our latest giveaway! Using the handy technology over at Random.org, I was able to select two winners. Congratulations to:

• Katy (Comment #4: "Before all this anime craze, there was the original Speed Racer. I love the song, "Go speed racer, go speed racer. Go speed racer, GO!" I love their cute voices.")

• Daniel M. (Comment #28: "sign me up!")

I have sent an email to both winners -- they will receive a DVD of "Speed Racer: The Next Generation - The Beginning" very shortly. Again, thank you for participating and I hope to host more awesome contests in the future!

        

        

I have just obtained a few new products from Nickelodeon that I think you guys might be interested in... especially if you have a restless geekling at home!


This blissful picture of baby Lois was taken last weekend while we were driving into the city. She is one of those rare babies who never sleep in the car, so this was a treat. We were actually listening to the new Nickelodeon CD called Sleepytime Lullabies. This awesome disc is a collection of hit songs written by The Beatles, The Mamas & The Papas and other artists. However, the songs are instrumental and rendered as sleep-inducing lullabies. As you can see, it works!


And here is Jason from earlier this evening. He is just about to drop off as he watches the new Nick Jr. Sleepytime Stories DVD. It was released last week and contains dream-inspired episodes of Wonder Pets, Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues, Yo Gabba Gabba and more! It is a massive compilation and runs 149 minutes -- I actually love it from beginning to end, but the Yo Gabba Gabba episode has to be the best. I keep backing it up and watching it again!

In fact, Brian and I have already memorized this bedtime song for the kids. (Sidebar: Foofa mentions she dreams of unicorns. Could she be a replicant?)

Big thanks to Nickelodeon for helping us calm our little tornadoes down! If any of you are interested, both items are on sale over at Amazon right now:

        

I hope you all had an awesome Free Comic Book Day! We spent our Saturday afternoon at the 4th annual Comics and Pop-Culture Expo in Dallas. This yearly event is graciously sponsored by the good folks over at Zeus Comics.

If you are ever in the Dallas area, I highly recommend you stop by Zeus Comics. It's a great shop with a ton of collectibles and -- get this -- every back issue is boarded and placed in a Mylite bag! Mylites, people, not the cheap stuff!

There were a ton of guest appearances at the event, but I only took pics of those we met personally. We had a ton of comics from our collection to get signed, so we were pretty much all business. When you have two toddlers in tow, you have to mobilize quickly!

First up is one of my favorite writers, Gail Simone. Gail is currently kicking butt with Wonder Woman (go pick 'em up!), but I only brought Birds of Prey books for her to sign this time. She is so generous to her fans and will sign anything you bring for her. I must have had 30 issues and she was totally cool with it!


We met Gail at the same event last year, so I now have every issue ever written by her and they are all signed! Yay! Oh, and the best part? I mentioned that my daughter's name is Lois Lane and she remembered us from last year. She asked if we were the ones who had the boy in the Cap costume, which we were. That was so rad - Gail Simone rules!

Here is a pic of Jason from last year at CAPE! 3. Aw, memories...


Okay, next we met Tony Bedard (left) and Mark Waid (right). They were also totally accommodating. Tony is the new Birds of Prey writer and also wrote the recent four-issue Black Canary mini-series. He is a great writer and was also the nicest person ever.


Poor Mark - Brian had about 50 different books for him to sign. We asked him if it was cool, as we totally understand it when guests have a limit. Of course, he was totally fine with it because he is also one of the coolest people on the planet! We all chatted for a while as he signed them, talking about anything from the housing market to Marvel Civil War -- you know, the issues that matter most to geeks!

Next, we moved on to artist Tom Morgan, who has worked on a ton of titles over the years. He had some really fun stories for us as he signed each book we brought for him. Brian is a huge Iron Man and Punisher fan and Tom has drawn many issues for both titles. He's very cool if you ever get a chance to meet him. Brian bought a few signed sketches, which we will frame as soon as possible.


And finally, we met zombie maestro Robert Kirkman. His line was so long, which isn't surprising since the Marvel Zombie Association was present at the event! Strangely enough, we didn't bring any of our Walking Dead books for him. He actually wrote some (non-zombie) Captain America stuff, who is a hero that narrowly trumps the undead as far as my husband is concerned! Robert was quiet and friendly, but we didn't linger, as the crowd was huge.


Of course, we would have missed out if we didn't stop and meet the Dynamic Duo! Jason is really getting into Batman lately, so this really tickled him. Batman said to him, "Greetings, citizen!" (This greeting also works well if you are in a Space Ghost costume.)


And with that, we were absolutely exhausted with the baby wranglin' and the downtown energy. It was fun, Dallas, but we were ready to get back to the suburbs!

        

This is just a friendly reminder that tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day! Comic book stores across North America participate with this event, so be sure to stop by your local shop with the kiddos.

Many stores will limit it to one free book per person, so take the whole family and get as many as you can.

We will be going to a local convention tomorrow and meeting some awesome writers and artists. So, stay tuned for pictures this weekend!

Speaking of comic books... go see Iron Man this weekend, too! It's friggin' awesome!

        

A few of you may have already seen this photograph of my charming son. I am entering it in a Mother's Day photo contest over at 5 Minutes for Mom. They are asking that you submit an image that defines motherhood.

For me, motherhood is about finding humor during the strangest or most stressful moments. Last year, I was tending to a sick, 10-month-old Lois when 2-year-old Jason snuck into the bathroom. I didn't realize where he had gone until I heard splashing. Followed by giggling.

Alas, my fears were confirmed and my half-nude son was found not only playing with the toilet but actually inside the toilet! Oh, and he was also attempting to flush himself. Naturally, I pushed my OCD aside for a moment and grabbed the camera.

People have asked me if I purposely placed my son in the toilet to take a funny picture. To that, I say... ick.

        

Happy May Day, geek parents! If you are like me, then every May 1st reminds you of dancing around maypoles, getting frisky in graveyards, and Christoper Lee in drag. I'm referring, of course, to the most amazing movie released in the 1970's -- Wicker Man!

In tribute to this masterpiece, please enjoy the classic maypole dance from one of my favoritest movies ever:

        

Yes, we are holding another contest on Geek Parenting! Read on for details…

In case you've been living under a rock, Speed Racer is back. Not only are The Wachowski Brothers about to release a live-action movie based on the classic show, Nicktoons has a new series on the horizon called Speed Racer: The Next Generation.

I just had the pleasure of watching the animated film that kicks off the new cartoon series. Speed Racer: The Next Generation is a blast and should please both old school and new fans. It manages to update the appeal of the show while still paying homage to the original (starting with a punk rock cover of the famous theme song).

This series is compelling to me because it's a continuation of the Speed Racer story, not a spin-off or remake. In true Speed Racer style, there are dramatic reveals and unfolding story arcs, so I don't want to give away too much information. I will say that it involves young students at an elite "Racing Academy."

In fact, you quickly learn that a Headmaster Spritle runs this Racing Academy! Yes, it is the same Spritle who was always hiding in his brother Speed's trunk. The grown Spritle is actually voiced by Peter Fernandez, who wrote the lyrics to the enduring theme song and dubbed the original Speed Racer for American audiences.

Another facet of the original Speed Racer that we all love is, of course, the racing! This movie doesn't disappoint here, either. Not only is the direction tight during these scenes, the movie introduces the idea of "virtual racing." Hey, we're living in the future, right? Of course there is going to be holograms and cars with the artificial intelligence of great white sharks! (Er, it makes sense in the context of the movie, I swear.)

Suffice it to say, I really enjoyed the Speed Racer: The Next Generation movie and now I'm offering you a chance to win a free copy of the DVD! As a matter of fact, I have two copies to give away, so you will have an even better chance at winning.

Contest Rules:

 - Leave a comment on this blog entry to be automatically entered.

 - Please use your real email address when leaving the comment (it will not be published).

 - Contest ends on Tuesday, May 6.

 - Two winners will be randomly chosen and announced on Friday, May 9.

        

Wow, we have a series of awesome pictures to share with you this week! Geek mommy Carolina writes, "I am attaching pictures of my son and his spaceship built out of the newest space-age metal alloy not found anywhere else in the galaxy other than the Samsung refrigerator box..."

First up is our lil' geek, dressed in his space suit. His mother tells me that his alter ego is named Space Pro.


Here is Space Pro and crew in front of the flying vessel, "Adolpho's Spaceship."


Space Pro is ready to board his ship. Looks cozy in there - it has a window and everything!


A closer look at Space Pro's control panel reveals that he may be flying through a dangerous asteroid field, but he is well prepared for both crashing and snacking. "This is Space Pro to Ground Control. The crew will commence snacking in T minus 10 minutes!"


Here is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of "Adolpho's Spaceship." Mommy Carolina lends a hand with the space tape.


Those pics were amazing! Thank you to Carolina and Space Pro for sharing them with us.

Do you have a pic/video of your kid(s) geeking out? Send it to me at and we'll put him/her on the site!

        

Maya, writer of Springtree Road, just sent me this awesome video she made with her daughter V. It's stop-motion animation, which tells me that both Maya and V have a lot more patience than anyone around my house!

Check it out:


That's awesome! Maya and V get a Geek Parenting No-Prize. Be sure to check out Springtree Road and Maya's amazing photographs.

        

I just had the pleasure of testing out a new edutainment software program for kids called Mia Reading: The Bugaboo Bugs! Mia Reading is a series of educational games starring the cute mouse on the right. This is the first title I've had the chance to play, but I really enjoyed it.

More importantly, I think kids will enjoy it and actually learn without realizing they're taking a reading lesson! This game offers high-end graphics and a full cast of fun characters. What I really enjoyed about it was the fact that you can set every activity to a certain skill level. As your child advances, you can advance the program!

Here is the plot of the main storyline:

The Bugaboo Bugs! is about some incredibly troublesome bugs! Mia lives in a charming Victorian house where her family has lived for generations. The house has recently been invaded by pests—the Bugaboos.  These disrespectful, noisy and uncivilized bugs are going to attract the attention of the humans, and if they are noticed, the exterminators will be called and everyone will be put out on the street! The Bugaboos must go! And Mia needs the player’s help to find a way to get them to stay out of site.

It is obvious that a lot of creative talent went into this game. It isn't a cheap software program that was churned out so that Disney or Nickelodeon could slap one of their popular franchise characters on it. Instead, it offers original characters and interesting stories, in addition to being a well-constructed lesson plan.

Although Mia Reading: The Bugaboo Bugs! was designed for five to nine-year-olds, my almost three-year-old also loved it. He knows his alphabet and has started early phonics lessons, so there were several activities on the game that we could explore together.

For those of you who are homeschooling or would like to give your child some added phonics lessons, I highly recommend this program. Kids love to play on the computer, so you might as well sneak in some education!

Mia Reading games are available at Toys 'R Us and Apple Stores. You can learn more about the game at the official site.

        

It is Wednesday, so I sent my dutiful husband out to the comic book store for our weeklies. To my surprise, he brought me home a gift! It's a 1:6 scale, DC Direct Deluxe Green Arrow figure.

This is the geeky equivalent of a husband bringing his wife home a box of long-stemmed roses... probably costs about the same, too. (Yikes, honey, take the price tag off next time!)

Not only am I happy with my husband (go Brian), I'm delighted to finally see a decent figure made of Green Arrow. They just produced a deluxe Black Canary, too, which I now need to track down. Until then, I better not find action figure Ollie carousing with any of my other lady action figures! (He says he's a changed man, but I dunno...)

If you're thinking about buying this fig, I highly recommend it. The sculpt is great, though I must admit that he looks a tad creepy without the mask on.

In fact, there is a striking similarity to Malfeitor, the big bad from that 1986 classic, Witchboard. See what I mean?


Eek! I'll have to put the mask on him before I go to sleep tonight.

Sidebar: I was trying to track down a picture of Malfeitor to show you guys and I discovered that there is now a death metal band called Malfeitor. So, let that be a lesson to you kids. If you're seeking inspiration when naming your death metal band, look to a Tawny Kitaen film. Works every time.

        

I just spotted this banner ad while reading the news and, somehow, I thought it was appropriate for Geek Parenting.


Does it make me want to purchase their life insurance? Not at all. I also loved those Geico cavemen commercials and never made the switch. Maybe the avenging child in the ad above will be given his own short-lived sitcom, too!

Update - I found a video of this kid, after he got his karate lessons:

        

Okay, so I went on a mission last year to acquire autographs from all the major actresses who played Lois Lane. These are being stored for my own little Lois, as I thought they would make a great keepsake. Most actresses responded quickly and I even met Noel Neill in person.

Margot Kidder was definitely the Lois Lane I grew up with and she played the character perfectly, in my opinion. I wrote her last year and heard nothing, which isn't wholly uncommon when you collect autographs. Being the impatient person I am, I finally bought an autographed pic through a dealer I know and trust.

Well... fast forward six months and look what I found in my mailbox this week!



I received not one, but four autographed pictures, all made out to my little Lois. Margot even apologized for the delay in a handwritten letter. How amazing is that? (The lobby card is especially cool!) We're about to move into a new house and I'm going to have all of my Lois Lane autographs framed and placed on little Lois' bedroom wall.

I've collected a lot of autographs through the mail over the years. Some celebrities take over a year to respond, while others don't respond at all. The only other person who has ever apologized for a delay with a note was Clive Barker (awesome guy).

So, this definitely made my week!

        

It's time to showcase another awesome kid! This week, we have Gavin -- future lady killer and space explorer. (Hey, just like Buck Rogers!) Here, Gavin is hanging out at his favorite place, NASA Space Center in Houston.

Side bar: I grew up with Gavin's mom Kayla and she was the only kid I ever knew who actually went to Space Camp. I was soooo jealous! Looks like Gavin has all the makings of an astronaut. He even has season tickets to the Space Center.


Gav says, "This is ground control to Major Tom..."

Do you have a pic/video of your kid(s) geeking out? Send it to me at and we'll put him/her on the site!

        

If you want to help out a single mother for a good cause, go bid on her son's Xbox collection. Yes, she is doing this as punishment. What crime did the lil' gamer commit to suffer a fate worse than military school?

For starters, he:

• Neglected his regular (and simple) chores, such as taking out the trash and tidying up his room
• Purposely broke the vacuum so he wouldn't have to use it
• Has been checking out porn with the family computer (D'oh! Forgot to clear his browsing history!)

Did I mention that the boy is only 13 years old?

His mother has quickly taken action. In addition to putting his highly coveted Xbox 360 up for sale on eBay, she has password-protected the computer and (the coup de grâce) updated his MySpace profile with a picture of Snoopy!

Well, he deserves all that if you ask me! Though, I would have deleted the MySpace page altogether. As an Internet professional, I am on the Web up to 10 hours a day and there is no way I would let my young children have free reign with the computer. It is a scary world out there, folks!

Let your children be children for as long as you can.

This woman has been branded the "meanest mom in the world" by her disrespectful son. Boy, I can't wait to hear what my kids think of me when they reach this age. *cracks whip*

Via Kotaku

        

I've been quiet on the Geek Parenting front due to work commitments, but I just had to post a little video of Lois. She's finally starting to walk!

        

Okay, it's time to announce the five lucky winners of the "Juice Box Heroes" CD Giveaway! I used the technology at Random.org to choose the following people:

1. Tiffany ("My son would love this. He loves music!!!")
2. Judy Aschenbrenner ("We need new music!!! Thanks for the giveaway!")
3. bee  ("We love some "Movers" around here!")
4. LN ("My kids would love this! And our new minivan doesn't take any cassettes, so a CD would be most welcome, since our stock is pretty low")
5. Mommy Cracked ("We love IM! Count us in!")


Congratulations to the winners! I will be contacting all of you personally at the email addresses you provided with your comment.

For those of you who didn't win, Amazon has "Juice Box Heroes" on sale right now for $10.99! You should pick it up here before the sale ends.