What did the world do before video games?

I've spent most of the day watching my son and my husband playing video games. I enjoy using the wii as much as the next person. It's fun to play tennis, bowling, golf, baseball, shooting, billiards, and more - and the mii people/characters are so cute! I love creating them and downloading cute ones like Chicken Little, Yakko Warner and Snoopy. But the system's been on at least 8 hours today. First Adam plays online against people in Guitar Hero III, then in Medal of Honor 2. It's very different from playing against a computer, or someone in your house. But now even my husband's addicted to playing the online WWII game! It's kind of funny when Tim says, "You know, Adam, you've been playing for over an hour..." Then he proceeds to play for the next hour and a half himself!

Meanwhile, I sit here in our tiny living room wishing we had the new house already. I'd be in my room away from all the noise, or relaxing in the swimming pool, or enjoying the clear, warm, night sky, or making something in my beautiful new kitchen.
But here I sit, wondering, "What did the world do before video games?"

I remember growing up, my parents would put me on the back porch, threaten me if I left the yard, then locked the door for the next 3 or 4 hours. I spent so many hours on our postage-stamp sized yard in the city with nothing to do but draw, read, and occassionally exchange a few words if a neighbor came out.

My kids used to always play outside riding bikes, climbing trees, playing on their swingset, digging in the mud, you know, outdoor stuff. Here we don't have a yard, so they can sometimes play a sport in the grassy common area, or ride their bikes, but I can't wait til we're in a neighborhood where they can walk around, explore, meet the new neighbors, and play at friends' houses.

Anything but waste hours on end playing games and staring at the TV. The part that really gets me is that the war game that they spend hours playing doesn't involve activity like other wii games - it's just like all the rest - great for building couch potatoes.

I hope we get the house soon!