I'm not sure how this happened...

...but I've sort of gotten addicted to my son's Webkinz world.  It started off very innocuously.  Nana got him a Webkinz account, and as the site requires reading and Max is pre-literate, I set it up for him.  We chose a name, he chose a gender, then when it was too late waffled.  So Meowser, his little black cat is transgendered now, since once you've picked you can't unpick, but Max insists that "he" is a girl. 

He's got a pretty pink outfit, with little pink sunglasses and pink shoes, and a pink hat, anyway.  

When you start off Webkinz gives you a few trifling things for your room and about 2000 credits.  This gets you sort of nowhere.  You can buy a bed and some food and a couple more pieces of furniture, but none of the cool furniture sets or more than one interactive feature.  So before I knew it, I was playing the games in order to get Max more stuff for his room.   Then I got him another room, since having a toilet and a refrigerator in the bedroom was too college-dorm-roomish for my taste.  Then I got him a yard.  Then another room.  Then a pool for his yard.  Then little garden patches you can water every day and watch grow.  Pretty soon it had gotten out of hand, and I had a Second Life as a kitten.  All of the appliances in the kitchen matched the tile and wallpaper.  The bathroom fixtures of Meowser's WC quaintly accessorized the paint and flooring.  Meowser can now cook on "her" little stove and take a bath in "her" little bathtub.  She can brush her hair and teeth.  Her garden is flourishing.  

Ack.  

Two days ago, I confronted the madness.  Yes, it was fun to play the trivia games, esp. given that I can pretty much stomp questions for 4th graders.  (Go me.  In most cases, I am "smarter than a fifth grader.")  Yes, Max likes playing with his Webkinz pet and also answering age-appropriate trivia questions.  Yes, it is sort of soothing for me to be able to decorate a little home the way I want it and return to find it still neat and tidy - Meowser doesn't leave dishes on the counter or underwear on the floor; and "she" doesn't track dirt all over the bathroom tile like my real dogs do.   But this is a kid's game.  And I was spending way too much of the little time I have to myself on it.  So for two days I left it alone.  Then I made the mistake of showing "Max's" little Webkinz world to my niece who thought his three-room spread with backyard was too cool, and could I fix up a little something for her Little Kinz too?  

Can you see where this is going?  I know you can.  Tonight I was sucked back in to playing faux Boggle, checkers, and answering those same trivia questions I answered for Meowser again.  But now Nannie's Little Kinz has his own oven and his own garden and his own bathroom (with purple walls and tile).  

And everyone is happy.  I think.  

(For anyone waiting on that Dessen review, I promise, I promise, I'll try to get to it tomorrow.  Have patience with me, a poor addicted Webkinz mom.)