How do I know my kids have been playing the new Christmas Wii way too much?

1. They've started saving their money so they buy more games.
2. Hamster cries for 20 minutes because he couldn't play and instead had to read a book with Mommy.
3. They have been asking their friends for their Wii numbers so they can "hook-up".
4. They can now discuss the differences and merits of all the Super Mario Bros. games.
5. Sassafras sings Hamster to sleep by doo-wapping the theme song to Mario Kart.

Did I ever tell you I'm jealous of parents who tell their kids to go to bed and they actually do it? Well, I am. The other night, after threatening to spank my kids if I heard them ONE MORE TIME, I heard Pickles and Bud upstairs. Sneaking upstairs so they wouldn't hear me and so I could gauge how severe my reaction to their disobedience should be, I found Pickles (he's 7) doing a load of laundry. Bud (age 5) was sitting in his tiny boxer shorts (only) on the edge of the sink. They were discussing roller coasters and how much one might cost. After I eavesdropped for another minute, I kissed them and sent them back to bed. I couldn't be mad that Pickles had gotten out of bed because he had forgotten to do one of his chores and Bud was just there to keep him company. So while I have children who refuse to go to bed the first 37 times I tell them to, I also have a 7 year-old who knows how to separate lights from darks. I'll take my spunky laundry-doers any day.