Speaking of Pokémon

Do you speak Pokie? Yes, Pokie - pronounced 'po' with a 'key'. Haven't heard of it? That's because it is just a name I have invented for my kids' language, for lack of a better word.

By language I mean their conversation around the Pokémon games. Lately Poke seems to be the only language kids speak at home, which we have no clue following.

"Mommy! Did you know Pikachu can evolve?"
"Look! Pichu has passed the final stage"
"Mommy can you please help me find some cheat to find the ultimate Pokémon in the 5th generation Black & White?"
"No cheats Joshua! That is cheating!! Mommy! Don't find any cheats for him..."
"Mommy! Can you check out if I can trade 3rd generation Pokémon with the 5th generation Pokédex?"
"Mommy! What is generation?"

These questions only make Mommy scrambling to find some answers from Google to some avail; doesn't work all the time though! To me these characters look so miserable - okay I accept Pikachu is kind of cute (shown here), but the others are nowhere close. But kids are fond of them all. They laugh out loud as these tiny characters jump around their little handheld devices. They sigh in disappointment or worry when a visiting friend uses up all their hard earned Poke bucks and blame it on us that it was because we asked them to share their toy with the friend. They jump up and down the middle of the night just to power up their Poke balls.

A fellow mom once suggested Pokémons are evil; I have searched long and hard to explore on that but haven't quite found anything convincing so I haven't banned it yet. Recently while shopping with their Dad they came across a Pokémon Guide which was $19.99! Daddy didn't think it was worth the money for a mere game guide. Kids came back home with long faces and such disappointment. When I heard about the incident I encouraged them to pray for it. They rolled up their eyes and said, "You always say that - which means you will never get it". I repeated, "Just pray!"

Later that week, on Saturday I stopped by a Moving Sale. Moving Sale is when someone decides to clean up their house before selling it to move to a different place. I love these sales mainly for two things: books and DVDs. Books I keep; DVDs I sell.

Surprisingly they had lot of Pokémon books including that guide kids had wanted and were selling it for only 25 50 cents each! Of course I got them all as it was an opportunity to share with the kids that prayers get answered. They were overjoyed; I got so many 'I love you Mommy’s that day than all days put together rest of my life. Since then their vocabulary has improved or should I say worsened - which means that it is becoming increasingly difficult to follow their conversation. However I don't want to admit that lest I seem not so cool.

For now I have found a tactful way to handle their threatening terminologies. I poke their tummies playfully with my finger and say, "You said Poke? Here you get poke!" I know this can't go on forever. It may be only days before they find out my trick and stop giggling to it and insist I understand their language.

If only there is Poke lessons offered for prior generation mommies, I'll be the first to sign up for it! Just so I can stay in touch with the current generation kids! Please let me know if you hear of anything... will you?!