Did you grow up with cartoony placemats that you looked at during all those meals of liver and onions? You know the ones I am talking about - Smurfs, Batman, Care Bears. Well, they are still alive and well at the local Wal-Mart and my children are in love. Walk with me through the following scenario...
We were buying a few items at Wal-Mart not too long ago when Leah spotted a rack of vinyl placemats bearing her much loved Care Bears. They are STILL around even after some 20+ years. Anyway, she gawked, pleaded, looked tortured as we walked past and finally said it - "Weese Mama". How does one say "no" to that? So we circled back to the rack and she immediately thrilled to holding her very own ($1.97) Care Bear placemat. When we caught up with Daddy and the others Caleb asked, "Can I get one to, Mama?" Sure. Caleb (and Bethany, rather surreptitiously) went to check out the rack. They both came back satisfied, one with Superman and the other with Strawberry Shortcake (I'll let you figure which went with whom). I turned to Hannah and asked her if she wished to pick one out too. Nope, she wasn't really interested.
The following morning all placemat owning children were ecstatic to be getting ready for breakfast. In case you are an unfortunate who has never tasted rice chex out of a bowl perched atop a flaming pink rendition of fluffs all comically named after sweet smelling vegetation; or seen your lunch staring at you from above a masterfully depicted scene of certain worldly catastrophe but for the muscle-bulging hero using large quantities of unknown substances to fuel highly efficient brain cells - well, you don't know living. But I digress.
I heard the kids getting giddy over placing their bowls on their mats and wondered if Hannah was regretting her decision of the previous night. So far so good. They were eating. My curiosity got the best of me...
Hannah did not forego the pleasure of a placemat. In fact, in her industry she picked one that we already owned and was contentedly reading it below her breakfast.
We were buying a few items at Wal-Mart not too long ago when Leah spotted a rack of vinyl placemats bearing her much loved Care Bears. They are STILL around even after some 20+ years. Anyway, she gawked, pleaded, looked tortured as we walked past and finally said it - "Weese Mama". How does one say "no" to that? So we circled back to the rack and she immediately thrilled to holding her very own ($1.97) Care Bear placemat. When we caught up with Daddy and the others Caleb asked, "Can I get one to, Mama?" Sure. Caleb (and Bethany, rather surreptitiously) went to check out the rack. They both came back satisfied, one with Superman and the other with Strawberry Shortcake (I'll let you figure which went with whom). I turned to Hannah and asked her if she wished to pick one out too. Nope, she wasn't really interested.
The following morning all placemat owning children were ecstatic to be getting ready for breakfast. In case you are an unfortunate who has never tasted rice chex out of a bowl perched atop a flaming pink rendition of fluffs all comically named after sweet smelling vegetation; or seen your lunch staring at you from above a masterfully depicted scene of certain worldly catastrophe but for the muscle-bulging hero using large quantities of unknown substances to fuel highly efficient brain cells - well, you don't know living. But I digress.
I heard the kids getting giddy over placing their bowls on their mats and wondered if Hannah was regretting her decision of the previous night. So far so good. They were eating. My curiosity got the best of me...
Hannah did not forego the pleasure of a placemat. In fact, in her industry she picked one that we already owned and was contentedly reading it below her breakfast.
Relative orbital paths of each of our (9) planets, along with information on each planet's atmosphere and chemical make-up.
The back is better - it tells her about the different types of satellites, from man-made to natural moons and also distinguishes between the different stars and novas seen in our galaxy. Nice.