Thank you! It's just what my father wanted!

Tracey is definitely worried.

If there's one thing my wife doesn't want it's me getting as excited about a new fad as one of the kids.

Master6 is about to grow into Master7 and he is mega excited and telling everyone he's going to be given the Skylanders game.

"How do you know you're going to get Skylanders? You might not," Tracey admonished him. She likes there to be a surprise on their birthdays. In the past I've suggested we give them the 'that's not what I wanted' kind of surprise, but she won't have a bar of it. Like giving Miss4 a Skylander figurine for her birthday next Tuesday instead of Strawberry Shortcake - that would be a surprise.

Master6's Skylander-for-birthday campaign has been well run. The polls are in and he knows he's got it won.

"Yes I will," he told her. "Cause I really want it and you always get me what I want." He's all over it. Of course, he's in for a rude shock if he ever develops a penchant for motor bikes or pet rodents.

"All he's been talking about is Skylanders!" I complained to Tracey yesterday.

"He's no worse than you," my wife told me.

She's right, of course. I am totally hooked on those little Skylander models. I don't even want to play the game, I just want to collect the figurines so Master6 can have lots of different characters. You know, if I had to pay money for new characters in the game I wouldn't do it, but because I get a little toy I am suddenly all for it. They are a marketing stroke of genius.

This isn't good. At $15 a pop we're staring down the barrel of baked bean dinners and instant coffee unless I can beat this.

Meanwhile I've contacted all the grandparents and subtly suggested a different Skylander's figurine to each.

Only three days until I see how well I've done. I mean how well Master6 has done.

Maybe Tracey's right to be worried.