Puchi Petite Collections

On Monday, when we were in Baltimore, Josh asked me to supervise Emma's use of his smart phone. This, to a man who has no clue about smart phones whatsoever.

He just wanted to be sure Emma didn't drift off into what the whole family calls "inappropriate" videos.

I've not figured out what 'inappropriate" means but I think I'd know it if I see it.

Emma showed me short video after short video of hands manipulating small toy food. All of it was Japanese--the grand champions of miniaturizing most anything. I couldn't believe I was watching hands playing with miniature food for half-an-hour.

Then, when Josh and Cathy were asking the girls the next morning, what they wanted them to bring them back from New York, they said stuff I didn't understand. But now I know that whatever they said it was about 'Puchi petite collections', the very tiny food I watched on video.

And, good parents that they are, Josh and Cathy brought back a 'puchi kitchen' and a dozen or so selections of petite food stuff. I found it rather bizarre, but all three girls went crazy and played with it for hours before we left.

I personally think this is a remarkable marketing program--make videos of hands playing with the stuff that kids will want--because it's tiny and colorful--and then when they get the stuff they'll promptly lose much of it {there were lemon slices, for example, smaller than the fingernail stuff you cut off. So, make stuff so small that it will always get lost and have to be replaced with other stuff so tiny ('petite') that it too will be lost and have to be replaced.

Maybe the Japanese are re-emerging on the world market with tiny food.

Actually, it was fun to play with.

Bern found a plastic container with a lid to keep the stuff in and it worked rather well for the next two days. But, give me a break, three little girls and a slice of cheese about the size of a pistachio...how long will that go without being lost.

Don't believe me: check out www.re-ment.us. I am constitutionally opposed to this stuff...but it is fun to play with....