A Review Of Lego City Undercover For The Wii U

We love the Wii in our house.

We love the Nintendo party compilation and pitting our Miis against each other in Nintendo tennis and we like to tell ourselves that we have completed a real work out after running a virtual 100m in London 2012 - Wii style. The Wii is a genuinely family centred console.

So you can imagine our excitement when we were offered the new Wii U and one of it's most exciting new offerings - LEGO CITY UNDERCOVER - to trial.

The box was excitingly large and the packaging suitably difficult to break into to indicate that the Wii U was a very good thing indeed.

The Wii U pimps itself as the family's all in one entertainment centre.

And in a way it is.

Aside from the obvious gaming potential you also have the ability to connect to the internet, pick up Love Film and/or Netflix with a free 30 day trial, make video calls and laugh at your Dad trying to immortalise himself in the pixelated art of the Nintendo Wii-U (why do I always look like a ginger Joe 90?)

And there are many things to love about the Wii-U and Lego City Undercover.

We love the fact that you have 2 viewing screens - the TV and the screen within the controller which acts as a sort of command centre for the Undercover game.
We love the fact that the controller is easy to use.
We really love the fact that our old Wii games can still be played on the Wii U. It is genuinely refreshing and very rare to see that Nintendo did not decide to throw the baby out with the bath water and make us go out and buy new games for our machine.

In Lego City Undercover you play the part of "legendary police office Chase McCain" on the trail of hardened criminal Rex Fury. Using an array of disguises, Chase McCain's free-running skills and over 100 vehicles you have to capture him and bring him to justice.

This offering has all the features you would expect of a Lego game. The controls are intuitive, the game play relatively easy to understand and the Lego men and women walk and run in the stiff legged way you would expect them to. They also break into pieces when hit by cars - which is always amusing.

The one drawback is the game was only designed as a one player game. The Dubmeister loved the PC version of Lego Star Wars. One of the reasons for that was the dual player potential of the game. It was great fun to go on missions en famille, armed only with a light saber and a mouse. Lego City Underground does not have that facility which is a surprising oversight.

But that criticism aside this is an imaginative game which will keep your kids (and yourself) amused - especially if you have any lego nuts in your house.

Speak soon
JH

When You're There, Be There

The Weekend Picture No. 47

From www.blog.laptopmag.com

I love my iphone and I love my kids.

 

I love spending time with my kids and I am rarely, if ever parted from my iphone.

 

In fact, if I am parted from my iphone then I tend to come out all in a fluster.

 

I am often, on the other hand, parted from my kids. And I am rarely to be found all of a fluster when I am parted from them.

 

As a result, I was challenged this morning by the minister at my church when he relayed some advice he had been given this week.

 

"When you are with your kids, are you really with them? Or is your attention distracted by the device in your pocket/ on your coffee table."

 

That challenged me because I often find myself distracted by emails pinging in, breaking news stories on my Sky News App or by tweets and other equally vital missives from the outside world that have found me because my iphone has made me permanently available. Or rather, because I have allowed my iphone to make me permanently available.

 

So, I have made a pledge. When I am with my kids and my lovely wife my iphone will have to play second fiddle. It may find itself being shut in a drawer or even being switched off.

 

When I am with them - I will really be with them.

 

The outside world can wait.

 

Speak soon

JH

How To Survive Your First Year In Blogging

Dad Etc is one today.

Dad Etc turns one today! Wow. In some ways I am amazed that it is still going. Blogging has been a lot more difficult than I expected it to be. There have been times when I have completely lost my blogging mojo or when other events have conspired to stop me from poring over a keyboard to produce a potentially interesting post.

However, I am still at it.

12 months have passed and I am still blogging. Why?

Well, I guess that must mean I enjoy what I am doing. I love the opportunity it gives for creativity, for interaction and for a completely free hand. It is still a thrill to read a comment by somebody on something I have written or to be featured on Mumsnet - so thank you! It is fantastic to think that there are some out there who are patient enough to follow Dad Etc - thank you again.

I thought I would mark my first blogiversary by offering 5 pieces of advice for anybody considering embarking upon a blog - I am no expert but like any good teacher I like to pretend I know what I am talking about.

1. Pace yourself

When I started blogging in April 2012. I was full of ideas and snappy one liners. I could have spent hour after hour blogging. I posted 8 times in three weeks - whilst I was on holiday - only to completely run out of steam as the holiday finished and work kicked in. I only posted once in the whole of May. I wish I had known about the Schedule button back then - it has become one of my best friends.

2. Tap into Blogging Expertise

There is so much expertise out there  - and an awful lot of friendly, helpful people. Get yourself onto Mumsnet, Tots 100, Love All Blogs and Britmums (other parent friendly blogging networks are available - but these seem to be the most helpful in my experience). Sign yourself up to Twitter and start following like minded bloggers and American uber bloggers like Bruce Sallan and Annabel Candy. Post on blogs you like and don't be shy about asking for advice.

3. Build a habit

Routines are really important in blogging. Lots of bloggers post a "Silent Sunday" post, I post a Weekend Picture as often as possible. Having that routine of a definite post each week really helps because I know that most weeks I will be able to post a Weekend Picture and posting once seems to encourage me to post a second time

4. Don't Obsess

It is very easy to obsess about your blog. I often find myself sneaking a peak at my pageview count, tweaking a potential blog banner or musing over what to post in my next twitter update. Blogging can become a time consumer. I have noticed the irony of writing a blog about family life only to find myself spending time on a solitary pursuit (writing) when I could be enjoying the subject of my blog instead - so be careful!

5. Enjoy

I have come closest to giving up when blogging has become a chore - as just something else to squeeze into an already overly busy life. So, if there is one piece of advice I would give - it is to enjoy it! And if you don't enjoy it - stop! Find a routine that works for you - don't compare yourself to other bloggers - and enjoy what you do.

Have fun.

Speak Soon
JH

Mothers Day - Say It With Cookies?

A Review of Millie's Cookies New Mothers' Day Range

The Signs of Spring have got a present for Mum!

It's Mothers Day on Sunday and thoughts are turning to what to buy that special woman in our lives.

Everywhere you go you are surrounded by suggestions of gifts which would make your mum's life - from diamonds to cut flowers to mugs proclaiming her to be the "Best Mum in the World".

With that in mind Dad Etc has very much enjoyed Millie's Cookies new gift range for Mums. We were given their presentation box full of twelve cupcake cookies (modelled pre consumption by the signs of spring) and 3 cookies on a stick (Cookie-Pops) for the children to munch while we walked the North Downs on Saturday afternoon.

This Dad is naturally very keen on cookies and he is pleased to say that he has passed the cookie loving gene onto his progeny all of whom squealed with delight when they heard that we would be sampling Millie's Cookies in the name of science and public service.

The verdict on the Cookie-Pops - very positive. How can a combination of a lolly and a cookie be anything but a winner? The added bonus is that the choc chips did not melt on eager fingers thereby ruining our fabulous new kitchen. They lasted approximately 3 minutes and 32 seconds.

We loved the presentation of the Cookie cupcakes as well - each of which was decorated with a swirl of pastel coloured butter cream crowned with a sugar flower.

The double chocolate cookie cupcakes worked best - brownie heaven. The apple variety was less successful "too sickly" was the verdict of my lovely wife - we felt that they lacked the balance that cinammon brings instead revelling in an orgy of excessive sweetness.

Cookie Cupcakes are available from your local Millies for £1.25 each or at £17.99 for a box of twelve. They are baked fresh on the premises so should be available for you to take home in 40 minutes - so there is still time to spoil mum!

 

Speak soon

JH

PS Read my post on why Mum definitely knows best here.

Competitive Dad?

There are two ways to play games with your kids.

Dad 1 plays to encourage, and often to lose - but not in an obvious way of course. He plays "soft" in order to encourage his little darlings who will enjoy the game and be motivated to play again by winning. This strategy avoids the situation of little darling throwing an almighty wobbly when Daddy takes their "horsey" for the third game of Chess in a row! The child's self esteem grows enormously as they win against their parents and they begin to realise that we are fallible after all - a valuable life lesson.

However, this soft approach runs the risk of creating a spoilt brat who can't cope with defeat. Losing is all part of life's rich tapestry and we grow by working through the disappointment of defeat and coming out the other side.

The alternative approach is personified by Dad 2. He has a different approach altogether.

From the Fast Show (BBC) - Competitive Dad and Monopoly

Dad 2 plays to win. There are no holds barred as he seeks to defeat his opponent by any means possible - whether they be 7 or 27. Not for him the kindness shown to animals in Chess or a deliberately missed penalty flick in Subbuteo. He justifies his competitive streak by saying that the children have got to learn to play hard while secretly (or not so secretly) glorifying in identifying the murderer in Cluedo for the 5th evening in a row. 

So, which are you?

My grandfather was definitely the latter. Whatever the game, he always played to win. I never beat him at tennis - we played our last game when he was eighty something - and I remember tears stinging my eyes at the age of 12 over a game of whist as he snatched victory from me with the last hand of the game.

I, on the other hand, am more of the former - maybe as a result of that experience. I like children to feel encouraged and do not mind losing  - after all the world will not stop turning if I lose a game of "Farm Friends."

But who is right? Is it better to play to win or to encourage?

Are you Dad 1 or Dad 2?

Speak Soon

JH

It's Snowing!

THE WEEKEND PICTURE NO. 34

We love Snow Days!

It has been snowing almost non-stop here since 9am on Friday morning. It snowed so dramatically on Friday that all of our schools gave up the ghost and closed for the day before the snow closed Surrey's highways and byways to all traffic bar husky drawn sleds.

We visited the local golf club on Saturday morning to sled on it's fairways. The Dubmeister disappeared in a cloud of testosterone filled snowballs to join his best mate skidding down the blackest of black run hills whilst the lovely wife and I spent a very chilled morning (get it?) chatting with friends and cheering on The Signs of Spring as they giggled downhill.

It was perfect.

Speak soon

JH

How Many Clubs Is Too Many Clubs?

Well rounded or well knackered?

We are great believers in creating well rounded children. We like to think that our three should be equipped with enough strings to their bows to play a decent symphony and as a result we have signed them up for the following:

Swimming lessons, hockey club, netball club, badminton, tennis, scouts and brownies, Youth groups, church groups, cheerleading, cycling, choirs, drama, book clubs and football, piano, recorder, trumpet and clarinet lessons. Then there's gymnastics, board games club and extra maths.

The kids love it all. They love the competition of sport, the camaraderie of music and drama and the stimulation of maths and book clubs.

However, as I drive between clubs and reflect on the rich extra curricular existence of my three children I ask myself: "How many clubs is too many clubs?"

Clubs are expensive

Because it is great to be developing these children of many talents. However, it comes at a cost. We are lucky that a lot of the clubs I have mentioned above are run for free by the schools - however, the clubs that are privately run suck up chunks of our monthly budget at a time.

Clubs are time consuming

Again, other than the clubs that are run by the schools most of these enrichments are a car journey away. On Mondays we juggle netball, brownies and piano. On Thursdays we consume petrol travelling between maths, choir and church youth group. Aside from the cash impact; travelling time tends to be stressful time. Stressful time tends not to be conducive to quality family time.

Clubs feed unlikely dreams

I am sitting beside a swimming pool as I blog this evening marvelling at the progress E has made in the pool since the last time I was here. She can crawl, she can froggy leg and she can even swim on her back - smiling all of the time. And yet, will she be the next Rebecca Adlington? Will she bring home a medal of any colour from any swimming gala ever? Sadly no - so is our money being wasted? Now she can get across a swimming pool without touching the floor when the teacher isn't looking do we really need to keep coming back? Or are we just feeding our own dreams? Wouldn't E and the others benefit more from more chill out time at home or should we persist?

Clubs are unnecessary pressure

Because my concern is that the clubs question is an example of us pushing our children into an early experience of the rat race where they join clubs because that is what children do nowadays. A kick around in the park with your mates bas been replaced by scuba diving classes in the local leisure centre while mum and dad sup lattes in the on site Costa. Leisure time is organised time - are we depriving our children of the opportunity to organise their own free time?

I'd love to know what you think.

Speak soon
JH

A Tribute to the 27th & 28th December

As my family doze peacefully upstairs and I sit in my pyjamas enjoying the silence, my thoughts turn to the joys of the bridesmaid period of the Christmas period - the days between Christmas and New Year. These days are so often dismissed as unnecessary interruptions between the festive periods of Christmas and New Year when workers have to return to their offices, party goers nurse interminable hangovers and children break their precious new Christmas gifts.

This morning I want to buck that trend and present you with the 5 reasons why we must stand up for these neglected days (so neglected they haven't even been given a name - they are merely numbers!) and shout that we must treasure these days as the oasis that they represent.

1. There is nothing you have to do!

After weeks of preparation for Christmas - the buying of presents, the cooking, the wrapping up, the incessant hoovering and dusting and polishing, the decoration of trees, writing of Christmas cards etc etc - and months and months of work - isn't it great to have a couple of days when you don't actually have to do anything! How often does that happen in anybody's life? No deadlines to meet, major meals to cook or shopping lists to complete.

2. There is loads of delicious food left  AND YOU ARE NOT SICK OF IT YET!

We still have ham, turkey, Christmas pudding, mince pies, Chocolate log, DOUBLE CREAM, wine, beer, real coffee AND AT LEAST 3 BOXES OF UNOPENED CHOCOLATES. Turkey sandwiches still taste good and the Christmas cake is only 1/4 finished. With the threat of Use By Dates hanging over you - nibbling is positively encouraged.

Picture from Liverpool Daily Post

3. There is loads of great Telly left to watch - and you have time to watch it

And you still haven't seen the programmes you recorded because you didn't have time to see them on Christmas Day. "Call the Midwife!" anybody? "Doctor Who?"

4. The kids still love their presents

The "Signs of Spring" were given the Sylvanian Family school this year. They are rarely out of it. The Dubmeister is now the proud owner of an iPod Touch - it's his new best friend. Cue plenty of familial harmony and lots of time for Mum and Dad to do their own thing; like build that IKEA chest of drawers that has been waiting patiently since the 14th December.

5. The days between Christmas and New Year were invented for family days out

Cinderella at The Rose

With nothing to do what could be better than a family trip out. We were at the Rose Theatre in Kingston yesterday watching "Cinderella" (fantastic and witty - highly recommended), there is The Hobbit and The Life of Pi on at the cinema, walks in dripping wet woods and the Christmas Decoration House which we still haven't visited. With no deadlines to meet and new gloves and hats to try out - why not?

Speak soon
JH

PS - Many apologies to those of you who have to work on the 27th and 28th December - but even you must admit that going into work on those 2 days is better than using up 2 days of holiday which you can save for a long weekend in May.

PPS - If you are wondering why I have not included the 29th in this tribute post that is because by the 29th I am sick of all of the above and would rather eat rusty nails than another turkey sandwich washed down with Christmas Cake.

PPPS - Pictures above taken from www.truthseeker444.blogspot.com and www.caribbeanramblings.blogspot.com

The Weekend Picture No. 24

In training for 24 peaks in 24 hours

As you know from my last post, my lovely wife and I are now in training for a major charity challenge. In June of next year we will be climbing 24 Lake District peaks in 24 hours in an effort to raise a lot of money (at least £1500 to be precise) for Caring Matters Now - the amazing charity that seeks to support families of children with CMN.

We leave in a beautiful county and have used our training sessions as an excuse to explore even more of it.

This weekend we visited Hascombe Hill (it has a peak!) and explored the iron age fort at it's summit.

We brought the kids along as well.

In this weekend's picture E is showing her brother and sister just how far Mum and Dad will have to walk next summer.

You can sponsor us by visiting this page.

Speak soon
JH

Why Mum Knows Best

From www.foodandculture.wikispaces.com

In a break with tradition this daddy blogger has been carrying out genuine non-scientific research to prove that despite my protestations to the contrary - mum really does know best!

1. Mums never forget

Mums are born with a brain enhancement called the "store-all" by scientists. This gives them the ability to remember eveything they have ever been told.

• Want to know when Sabrina's birthday is? Ask mum.
• Want to know what grade W got for History 2 years ago last November?  Ask mum.
• Want to know when M's follow-up appointment with the orthodontist is?  Ask mum.

Dads try very hard to develop the store-all - but it just ain't happening.

2. Mums are better at wrapping up

• Want to give a present that looks good before it is opened?
• Want to give a present that doesn't look like a monkey has been playing football with it?

Ask mum.

It is a scientific fact that dads can't wrap up - we just can't. Our presents always end up scrunched up rather than wrapped up. Whereas mums know what to do with ribbon and never lose the end of a roll of Sellotape. 

3. Mums have the better fashion sense

Not sure which colours go together?

Worried about making a fashion faux pas?

Ask mum.

Never ever ask dad or you'll end up with your tights outside your pants and/or a blue/brown clothes combination.

They say that outside appearances don't matter but when you have been dressed by dad, believe me they do!

By Liz Clayton. From www.falmouth.ac.uk

4. Mums know that carrots are better for you than chocolate

Looking to fulfill your 5 a day? Want to see in the dark rather than glow in the dark?

Ask mum.

Mums were born knowing that 1 leaf of iceberg lettuce and a glass of Cherry Cola do not constitute 2 of the essential 5.

They know about minerals, fibre and vitamins and do not fear them!

5. Mums smell nicer

This again is a scientific fact. Mums just smell nice.

Ask yourself this question: Who would you prefer to sit next to on a six hour coach journey?

If you possess a sense of smell then you know the answer as the lack of a "stinking after a curry" washed down with a pint of Old Thumper 3 days ago faultline within their genetic mixtape counts very much in a mum's favour.

Ladies, have I missed anything out? Chaps, is this fair?

Speak Soon

JH

Games for Long Car Journeys

We have just come back from a fabulous week away in a village called St Dogmaels on the coast of South West Wales. It was fabulous because it did not rain (AT ALL), we spent 4 days on beautiful local beaches - and WE SAW DOLPHINS!

Does life get any better than that?

The only thing that was not fabulous about the holiday was the journey there. 229 miles in more than 6 hours.

Now, I love my family very much BUT 6 hours in a glorified tin can on one of the hottest days of the year stretches things a little.

There are just so many rounds of Eye Spy that you can play and verses of Ten One Hundred Green Bottles that you can sing.

So, with that in mind, here is the Dad Etc Guide to Games for Long Car Journeys. This list is compiled by the Signs of Spring and the Dubmeister - and verified by me as non annoying for adults.

The Weekend Picture No.12

Waiting for the Olympic Road Racers 

Olympic fever is sweeping this household.We watched the torch procession when it came to Surrey, the lovely wife and I stayed up until 1am to see the conclusion of the Opening Ceremony and we braved the rain and the wind on Box Hill this morning and afternoon to watch the Women's Road Race.

The Weekend Picture No.6

Happy Father's Day!

What's in a nickname?

One of my duties as a father is creator of nicknames.

I have always enjoyed making names up for my kids. Not for me the boring christian name which my wife and I agonised over all through that long long nine months. No, much more fun to make up a random moniker for your patient progeny.