deba
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2003
- Messages
- 482
A funny thing happened to me in the costume judging contest on Sunday night. Everyone in our house was on their computer trying their best to win inferno for Gamebot. 
Btw, I will echo the sentiment expressed by several other mothers here on the DIS...it is the hardest thing in the world to watch your child be hurt and disappointed unnecessarily. I do not believe that we should protect our kids from all pain and injustice. I believe that kids need to learn how to rightly react to negative situations. Unkindness and being treated unfairly is a part of life, and I want my children to learn to respond with kindness, wisdom, and resilience when real life hits with it's full impact in a very few years. These years are the training ground for the rest of their lives. I know that. But that doesn't make it any less painful to watch when that disappointment comes from a game that should be fun! This is not where these hard lessons of life should be taught, IMHO.
My DS15 woke very excited on Sunday morning, planning his VMK time around church and family activities. He told me that he just knew that this was the day that he would win his beloved inferno, and that it felt like Christmas Day to him. As the day progressed and we saw how things were going, I honestly had very little hope. My heart was breaking for him as he became more and more discouraged! Like all of you, we had every computer in the house signed onto VMK (we have six computers and five players!), and we all tried over and over again to just get into the room without losing connection. We probably saw the inside of the room eight or ten times total (out of probably forty very long waits), and were able to get near the generator only three times. Twice we crashed just as we were spinning. And only once did anyone actually get to spin. It was my DD23, and would you believe, she spun the coveted 'four'! You never heard such celebrating and whooping and hollering in all of your life. Gamebot picked her up and nearly busted her head against the ceiling! You would have thought we'd won the lottery (if we played, lol).
Well, anyway, I said all that to say this. As the evening wore on, my poor laptop we acting quite peculiar indeed. All movements were jerky and weird, and chat was very delayed. But I went into the castle forecourt to take part in the costume contest. In the first room, I came in during the judging. Right before the VMK staff left, I saw him say, 'nice costume, deba'. I was able to say 'thank you', but I'm not sure that I caught him before he left. I went into two other instances of the castle forecourt and my timing was good...just minutes before VMK staff arrived. Both times I had someone (two different people) ask me why I was there; hadn't I won before? After the second time I was beginning to wonder about my virtual sanity...it had been quite a day for both myself and my computer.
Then, last evening I signed on to read a message from VMK_Conga congratulating me on my win in the costume contest and telling me that a Leota pin had been added to my inventory! Hooray! I did win! I just wanted to let anyone know that saw me in the judging line after I won that I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't know I won! My computer was having a nervous breakdown from a stressful day and must have been kicking on two cylinders, because I never saw the dialog that said that I had won. I thought that I had come in too late in that first room and staff was just making a nice comment on his way out. I am so sorry! Good thing I didn't win again...that would have been a fine mess!
Oh, and if you've read this to here, I'd better ask forgiveness for my wordiness, too!
Btw, I will echo the sentiment expressed by several other mothers here on the DIS...it is the hardest thing in the world to watch your child be hurt and disappointed unnecessarily. I do not believe that we should protect our kids from all pain and injustice. I believe that kids need to learn how to rightly react to negative situations. Unkindness and being treated unfairly is a part of life, and I want my children to learn to respond with kindness, wisdom, and resilience when real life hits with it's full impact in a very few years. These years are the training ground for the rest of their lives. I know that. But that doesn't make it any less painful to watch when that disappointment comes from a game that should be fun! This is not where these hard lessons of life should be taught, IMHO.
My DS15 woke very excited on Sunday morning, planning his VMK time around church and family activities. He told me that he just knew that this was the day that he would win his beloved inferno, and that it felt like Christmas Day to him. As the day progressed and we saw how things were going, I honestly had very little hope. My heart was breaking for him as he became more and more discouraged! Like all of you, we had every computer in the house signed onto VMK (we have six computers and five players!), and we all tried over and over again to just get into the room without losing connection. We probably saw the inside of the room eight or ten times total (out of probably forty very long waits), and were able to get near the generator only three times. Twice we crashed just as we were spinning. And only once did anyone actually get to spin. It was my DD23, and would you believe, she spun the coveted 'four'! You never heard such celebrating and whooping and hollering in all of your life. Gamebot picked her up and nearly busted her head against the ceiling! You would have thought we'd won the lottery (if we played, lol).
Well, anyway, I said all that to say this. As the evening wore on, my poor laptop we acting quite peculiar indeed. All movements were jerky and weird, and chat was very delayed. But I went into the castle forecourt to take part in the costume contest. In the first room, I came in during the judging. Right before the VMK staff left, I saw him say, 'nice costume, deba'. I was able to say 'thank you', but I'm not sure that I caught him before he left. I went into two other instances of the castle forecourt and my timing was good...just minutes before VMK staff arrived. Both times I had someone (two different people) ask me why I was there; hadn't I won before? After the second time I was beginning to wonder about my virtual sanity...it had been quite a day for both myself and my computer.
Then, last evening I signed on to read a message from VMK_Conga congratulating me on my win in the costume contest and telling me that a Leota pin had been added to my inventory! Hooray! I did win! I just wanted to let anyone know that saw me in the judging line after I won that I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't know I won! My computer was having a nervous breakdown from a stressful day and must have been kicking on two cylinders, because I never saw the dialog that said that I had won. I thought that I had come in too late in that first room and staff was just making a nice comment on his way out. I am so sorry! Good thing I didn't win again...that would have been a fine mess!
Oh, and if you've read this to here, I'd better ask forgiveness for my wordiness, too!
