Hot Wheels And Ken Doll

The horror! The trauma!

Today our eldest received his third box from Mattel as part of his Toyologist gig. Buried underneath the Hotwheels cars and kits, Pictionary and a couple of preschool type cars was a Barbie doll. Well not Barbie but Ken! The reaction was priceless, as he was horrified.  Apparently they will be sending toys that are not specifically aimed at his market for him to review. The girls will be getting boy toys as well.

Needless to say he was not overly keen.

W00T More Toy Madness

The first box arrived, after endless afternoons of pacing, and yes it is just like birthdays and Christmas all over again.  To top it off it is his birthday on Sunday!

Stripy Pyjamas, Cows, Gumboots And Campbell Live

It’s a visual image of which there is no photographic evidence!

We woke up this morning to find that the cows had broken out of their paddock and into the front one, where they were eating our trees! So there were at 6.30 in the morning, me in my stripy pyjamas and gumboots, herself in her pyjamas, uggboots and dressing gown, chasing cows back to where they belong. Grrr…

On the more positive note, the eldest is advertises on the tv3 website as being on Campbell Live tonight!

Our Boy In The Aussie Media

Below is a clip from the Today show in Aussie. Being Aussie they sort of ignore the Kiwi kids, but still our boy is there in the background. He is a bit hard to miss since he towered over the others. Either the Aussies didn’t pick any 10 year olds, or they grow them short over the ditch

Our Son The Media Star

Well we could be biased, but we thought that our eldest son was absolutely fabulous on National Radio this afternoon.

You can listen to him by following this link!

Proud Parent Moment

[UPDATE] His piece of Campbell Live tonight has been bumped until next week. Too bigger news day for his story.

It is a break from our normal rules of not posting our lads names and pictures on the Internet, but seeing as he will be on Campbell Live tonight [unless bumped] and is on the front page of stuff it seems a little pointless.

Tough job, but someone’s got to do it Michelle Duff – The Manawatu Standard

Cruising in a Hummer limousine on the way to his dream job is all in a day’s work for New Zealand toyologist Thomas Parry.

The Dannevirke 10-year-old has just returned from a whirlwind trip to Melbourne, where he was inducted into his role as an official trainee toyologist for toy giant Mattel.

He is one of only two New Zealand children chosen for the role alongside Mia Blakie, 7, from Dunedin.

In an enviable arrangement, the duo will be sent $200 worth of toys every month for a year – including some that haven’t even hit the shops yet – to test out and review.

St Joseph’s School pupil Thomas sent in a minute-long video review of a couple of his old toys to land the job.

“Really, I just said I’d quite like to do it and that I quite like toys … I don’t know, maybe it was the smile that did it,” Thomas said.

After being selected, Thomas was flown to Melbourne to meet Mattel’s elite toy testing team at the Toylab academy, and discuss his new job lists with Mattel’s chief toyologist.

“We got to do all the cool stuff like ride in a Hummer limousine and that, and play with the toys, and all the TV cameras were there. It was really neat,” Thomas said.

“I still can’t believe it, my head’s still spinning from the excitement of going to Melbourne, it was so cool.”

He plans on sharing some of the toys with his 4-year-old brother, and even some of his friends.

“My mates are quite stoked, I’ve got a couple of eager lab rats to help me play with the toys, no encouragement needed there.”

His favourite toy so far is a “really cool” police, emergency and aeroplane set, alongside the Dr Bones colour lab toy – which uses top-notch technology to change the colour of toy cars overnight.

So he won’t be needing any Christmas presents then?

“That’s what my parents keep saying, but I reckon. They’re really excited for me – my mum’s giving me the thumbs up.”

At the end of the year the Kiwi toyologists will help to write a Toylab report, naming the best toys of 2011.

The competition was closed to grown-ups.

 

 

The Excitement Continues

The super excitement continues in our household. Our eldest T.B.T., who we recently realized is lactose intolerant, has won a trip to Melbourne!

He entered the “Mattel” toyologist competition and has been selected as  one of the top ten, which includes a trip to Melbourne on the 10th of November…

So the E.I.C. and himself will jet off to Melbourne for the day.

He is having trouble going to sleep he is so excited!