I'm in love.

And it's about as rational as Tom Cruise's sofa-jumping love celebration on "Oprah."

But I can't help it. The Nintendo Wii game console has stolen my heart.

It sounds silly, I know. I mean, wii've only been together two wiiks, but how could I not fall for something that so nicely bridges the inevitable gap that grows between mother and teenage son?

I'm not alone. Moms everywhere have fallen head over heels for the magic of Nintendo Wii.

"My 12-year-old son and I spent the weekend playing 'Paper Mario' on our Nintendo Wii," blogged SoCal Mom. ... "We take turns at different chapters, we battle evil monsters, we conquer chapters together, it's so much fun."

The Wii lets players simulate play action, swinging, swatting, jumping, squatting and running their way through games. The interactive system gets players up and moving, an appealing feature for on-the-go moms.

Countless YouTube videos feature 30- and 40-something moms duking it out in Wii boxing matches. Their kids stand on the sidelines, laughing as if Mom's gone insane.

My own son laughs as I whack virtual tennis balls, shouting "Take that!" to on-screen opponents. Last wiikend my game was so impressive my son actually gave mii the knuckle bump, the adolescent boy's stamp of approval. Minutes later, he high-fived his Grandma Rosie after she kicked his butt in Wii bowling.

The Wii has managed to bridge generations of our family, with the exception of my husband, who thinks I've gone off the diip end. He watches mii play, grinning and shaking his head.

Personally, I think my husband is afraid I'll outmatch him in a Wii baseball game. I've got a mean fast pitch. Or maybe he's just jealous of the time I'm spending with my new love.

Admittedly, I have gone a little overboard. Sometimes, in the wii hours, I find myself thinking of ways to strengthen my game.

"If I had just curved the ball a little more, I could've picked up that spare to win the game."

"If only I'd held back a little on the putt I'd have made par."

Surely this foolish fancy I have for Wii is but a diversion from the daily demands of life as a working mom. Infatuation is temporary, I remind myself. True love, like that with my husband, lasts forever.

In the meantime, honey, be patient. It's not you. It's Wii.