I said I'd never.

 There were a LOT of things I swore I'd never do when I became a mom.  I swore I'd never make my kids sit forever and choke down a  meal that they hated.  And I promised I would NEVER answer my kids questions with "Because I'm the mom, that's why."  But I also swore that my boys would never have guns, swords or the like in my house and that I would never, ever, in my life buy my kids Pokemon stuff.
Well, I do NOT make my kids eat foods (they do have to try something before they can say they don't like it though) but everything else...big fat fail.  As the mom of boys I quickly learned that not buying an actual (toy) weapon, in no way prevented the type of play it was intended to.  Apparently this play is simply hard wired into the male species and the best I can do is to restrict the time and place of this sort of thing.  Also hard wired, seems to be the love of anything that makes me, as the mom, insane.  After year of listening to other young boys bore me to tears with facts about Pokemon (hi, to my little brother, who of course I am NOT referring to at all with the reference, really) I had genuinely meant it when I said it wouldn't be coming into my house.  I hope the fade would pass.  But no it's still going strong, and thanks to kids meal toys my boys love Pokemon just like the generation before them.  So I admit defeat, I am completely weak when it comes to this sort of thing and indulge them in most of their reasonable requests/likes etc.  So I'll come clean and say we'd probably go to the below event if it were closer to home because I simply enjoy seeing my boys happy more than anything in the world!

2010 POKÉMON U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS TAKES OVER INDIANAPOLIS

What: Hundreds of Pokémon video game and Trading Card Game players will converge on the Indiana Convention Center June 25­27, 2010, for the Pokémon National Championships to compete for coveted seats at the Pokémon World Championships. The annual tournament, sanctioned by The Pokémon Company International, is an intense, action-packed event; the winner claims the title of National Champion and an invitation to the Pokémon World Championships this August in Kona, Hawaii.

The Pokémon Video Game National Championships is the culmination of the six head-to-head Regional Qualifiers held this spring in Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta, and New York. Top players from each Regional Qualifier will pit their talent and strategies against each other in Indianapolis. A Last Chance Qualifier takes place on Friday, June 25, for those looking to join the competition.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) National Championships is a sanctioned title event open to all U.S. residents. Players do not need to qualify for the Pokémon TCG National Championships; however, a limited number of players will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis.

This year¹s tournament follows a record-setting attendance at the 2009 Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships, which drew nearly 1,000 TCG competitors from across the nation.

When: Friday-Sunday, June 25-27, 2010, 9:30 a.m.

**The Last Chance Qualifier for the Pokémon Video Game Championships will take place Friday, June 25.  The Seniors Division registration (born in 1997 and earlier) starts at 8:00 a.m. and Juniors Division registration (born in 1998 or later) starts at 1:00 p.m.  No fee is required; play is free to all contestants.
 
**On-site pre-registration for the Pokémon TCG National Championships will take place Thursday, June 24, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Friday, June 25 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.  No fee is required; play is free to all contestants.

Where: All tournaments and registration will be held at:
                         Indiana Convention Center
                        100 South Capital Avenue
                        Indianapolis, IN 46225

Who: Hundreds of America¹s top Pokémon video game and Trading Card Game players, family, fans, and the general public