A summer camp for teen sci-fi and fantasy authors where they create a shared world setting. This is so cool. I had run a website on GeoCities in the early 90's that was a shared world fantasy setting called Hadelphia.
I really hope this program is still around when my kids are old enough...
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Can We Build It?
Yes we can! At least, we are learning to. One of the skills that my father neglected to teach me was how to do anything with tools. Just ask my my mom about my aborted attempts to fix a shower head or install a screen on the back door. My only official learned experience with tools was 7th grade shop class and to be honest, I was much more comfortable in Home Economics.
I truly hope my children know the difference between pliers & wrenches and know which screwdriver is called Phillip. Lex & I have begun attending Lowe's Build & Grow clinics. Thus far, we have built a kaleidoscope, a mini basketball game, a baseball game and last week a planter. With the exception of the kaleidoscope, all have been great successes. Daddy failed to read the instructions for the kaleidoscope and ours ended up being quite lopsided. Lesson learned: Read the directions. Right up there with Measure twice, cut once.
So far, Lex seems to really enjoy it and we're talking about getting him his own real tool kit for X-Mas. I highly recommend the classes. The website says it's for grades 1-5, but as long as you're willing to help the little one, it seems any age can participate.
I truly hope my children know the difference between pliers & wrenches and know which screwdriver is called Phillip. Lex & I have begun attending Lowe's Build & Grow clinics. Thus far, we have built a kaleidoscope, a mini basketball game, a baseball game and last week a planter. With the exception of the kaleidoscope, all have been great successes. Daddy failed to read the instructions for the kaleidoscope and ours ended up being quite lopsided. Lesson learned: Read the directions. Right up there with Measure twice, cut once.
So far, Lex seems to really enjoy it and we're talking about getting him his own real tool kit for X-Mas. I highly recommend the classes. The website says it's for grades 1-5, but as long as you're willing to help the little one, it seems any age can participate.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Thou Shall Not...
I have decided that one of the things I hope to accomplish with this blog is to produce a list of rules, laws, and/or commandments to raising the next generation. You don't have to follow them, but I hope they make you think about your parenting style.
Today was Lex's first trip to the dentist. I was very nervous about how it was going to go. I remember nothing pleasant about my visits to the dentist as a child. The sounds of the drill, the antiseptic smell, the gooey taste of the fluoride, the way my dentist would laugh off my complaints of pain. I'm fairly certain of one of two things: my dentist didn't know how to administer Novocaine or I am immune to it. Going to the dentist was not something I would wish on my worst enemy. As a result, I had gone a good 15 years without going to the dentist. Within the last 5 years I have gone back to the dentist and overcome (partially) my odontophobia. My first choice for dentist was not the best choice as her smarmy attitude just reinforced my disdain of dentistry. When I moved to Worcester, I was fortunate to find a dentist that my mom had recommended to me some time ago, but had relocated from Western Mass: Dr. Haselkorn. It was with some trepidation that I went to my first appointment, but the staff and dentist there have been nothing but great. Dr. Haselkorn is patient, understanding and honest. He addressed all my concerns and we have put together a plan to get my mouth back in shape.
At Lex's last doctor visit, they suggested that Lex was ready to go to the dentist. Visions of my childhood dental torture danced in my head. I called Dr. Haselkorn's office and found out that they accept toddlers as patients. We made an appointment and we talked to Lex about his visit and we were encouraged about his response. Then last week, one of his shows featured a visit to the dentist and Cute Fan Girl explained that Lex was going to the dentist. As a result of the show, however, Lex wasn't as excited and even went as far as to say that it would hurt. It was with some trepidation that we made the journey this morning. My mom and I also had appointments scheduled and the plan was that she would sit with Loki while I went in with Lex. However, she was running late and we arrived on time. As I filled out the endless reams of paperwork that fuel the medical and dental industries, the hygienist came out and said hi to Lex. Before I knew it, he was following her back into the exam room. From where I sat, I could hear her explaining to Lex what all the things in the exam room did and what they were going to do. Before I knew it, she must have had him in the chair and was working on him. I was amazed. 15 minutes later, he came running out, beaming and shaking a light-up toothbrush like it was a lightsaber. The hygienist's report: great teeth and great disposition.
On the ride home, I had an epiphany. I had built this trip in my head as something potentially traumatic, but for Lex it was more of an adventure. I realized that I was projecting my fears onto him and I had anticipated his reaction to be like mine. I furthermore realized that I shouldn't be doing this. My fears are my fears and not his. And thus was born my first parenting commandment:
Thou shall not project your fears onto the next generation.
My kids will have fears, but they will be their fears. I will do my best to make sure that Gigi, Lex and Loki are not afraid of: dentists, bees and heights.
Today was Lex's first trip to the dentist. I was very nervous about how it was going to go. I remember nothing pleasant about my visits to the dentist as a child. The sounds of the drill, the antiseptic smell, the gooey taste of the fluoride, the way my dentist would laugh off my complaints of pain. I'm fairly certain of one of two things: my dentist didn't know how to administer Novocaine or I am immune to it. Going to the dentist was not something I would wish on my worst enemy. As a result, I had gone a good 15 years without going to the dentist. Within the last 5 years I have gone back to the dentist and overcome (partially) my odontophobia. My first choice for dentist was not the best choice as her smarmy attitude just reinforced my disdain of dentistry. When I moved to Worcester, I was fortunate to find a dentist that my mom had recommended to me some time ago, but had relocated from Western Mass: Dr. Haselkorn. It was with some trepidation that I went to my first appointment, but the staff and dentist there have been nothing but great. Dr. Haselkorn is patient, understanding and honest. He addressed all my concerns and we have put together a plan to get my mouth back in shape.
At Lex's last doctor visit, they suggested that Lex was ready to go to the dentist. Visions of my childhood dental torture danced in my head. I called Dr. Haselkorn's office and found out that they accept toddlers as patients. We made an appointment and we talked to Lex about his visit and we were encouraged about his response. Then last week, one of his shows featured a visit to the dentist and Cute Fan Girl explained that Lex was going to the dentist. As a result of the show, however, Lex wasn't as excited and even went as far as to say that it would hurt. It was with some trepidation that we made the journey this morning. My mom and I also had appointments scheduled and the plan was that she would sit with Loki while I went in with Lex. However, she was running late and we arrived on time. As I filled out the endless reams of paperwork that fuel the medical and dental industries, the hygienist came out and said hi to Lex. Before I knew it, he was following her back into the exam room. From where I sat, I could hear her explaining to Lex what all the things in the exam room did and what they were going to do. Before I knew it, she must have had him in the chair and was working on him. I was amazed. 15 minutes later, he came running out, beaming and shaking a light-up toothbrush like it was a lightsaber. The hygienist's report: great teeth and great disposition.
On the ride home, I had an epiphany. I had built this trip in my head as something potentially traumatic, but for Lex it was more of an adventure. I realized that I was projecting my fears onto him and I had anticipated his reaction to be like mine. I furthermore realized that I shouldn't be doing this. My fears are my fears and not his. And thus was born my first parenting commandment:
Thou shall not project your fears onto the next generation.
My kids will have fears, but they will be their fears. I will do my best to make sure that Gigi, Lex and Loki are not afraid of: dentists, bees and heights.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Bunnies, Baskets and other B words...
Late Saturday night, the Easter Bunny paid a visit to us. EB (as his friends call him) hopped on through Worcester and left three baskets here for the kids. Gigi's basket remains unopened until she arrives in June, but Lex & Loki made short work of their baskets. Easter grass is still strewn around the house and the kids have thoroughly enjoyed their gifts. Lex got a new cartridge for his Leapster 2 and Loki got a drum set.
Lex and his Leapster 2 are inseparable. If Leapfrog ever offers a cybernetic implant (Leapborg? Leapjack? Leapdroid?) Lex will be the first toddler in line. His latest cartridges are Creature Create and Finding Nemo. The Leapster 2 is great because it tracks his progress and highlights his strengths and areas of improvement.
From before she could sit up, Loki has shown great interest in percussion. Put anything in her hand and she'll bang it against something. Give her a bowl and she'll turn into a drum. EB must have known this, because he obliged her with her own drum set. Loki has taken to her drum set-she loves to bang away. We're trying to teach her to bang her sticks over her head before she starts to play. Having been told by my elementary school music teacher that it was a waste of his time to continue to teach me, it makes me happy to think that Loki may have an aptitude for the drums. If she has the desire to play, we will support that decision-even if it means loud practice sessions in the house.
As I mentioned, Gigi's basket remains unopened, but she did inquire what she got. We don't tell her, opting to leave it a surprise. When she did call Easter morning, she was audibly upset and I asked her what was wrong. Gigi's mother had yelled at her because Gigi received a basket here in Massachusetts. Huh?!? Yes, you read that right. Gigi got yelled at because EB brought her a basket. But why you ask? Why should it matter?
I can only speculate, but I believe this can all be blamed on that evil man Santa Claus. Gigi spends every Christmas with us and when she is here for Christmas, Santa brings her presents here. For some reason, he conveniently doesn't leave any presents for her in Wisconsin because, well, I guess he's trying to cut costs? He leaves presents for Gigi's half-sister and pseudo-step-siblings so it's not like he doesn't stop there; Gigi doesn't get anything from Santa (or for that matter from her mother for the last 2 years, but thats a completely separate post). As Gigi gets older and certain truths become evident, I can only speculate that her mother is realizing that Gigi is going to remember that EB made it a priority to ensure that she received a basket at both her homes and that Santa only left her presents in Massachusetts.
Lex and his Leapster 2 are inseparable. If Leapfrog ever offers a cybernetic implant (Leapborg? Leapjack? Leapdroid?) Lex will be the first toddler in line. His latest cartridges are Creature Create and Finding Nemo. The Leapster 2 is great because it tracks his progress and highlights his strengths and areas of improvement.
From before she could sit up, Loki has shown great interest in percussion. Put anything in her hand and she'll bang it against something. Give her a bowl and she'll turn into a drum. EB must have known this, because he obliged her with her own drum set. Loki has taken to her drum set-she loves to bang away. We're trying to teach her to bang her sticks over her head before she starts to play. Having been told by my elementary school music teacher that it was a waste of his time to continue to teach me, it makes me happy to think that Loki may have an aptitude for the drums. If she has the desire to play, we will support that decision-even if it means loud practice sessions in the house.
As I mentioned, Gigi's basket remains unopened, but she did inquire what she got. We don't tell her, opting to leave it a surprise. When she did call Easter morning, she was audibly upset and I asked her what was wrong. Gigi's mother had yelled at her because Gigi received a basket here in Massachusetts. Huh?!? Yes, you read that right. Gigi got yelled at because EB brought her a basket. But why you ask? Why should it matter?
I can only speculate, but I believe this can all be blamed on that evil man Santa Claus. Gigi spends every Christmas with us and when she is here for Christmas, Santa brings her presents here. For some reason, he conveniently doesn't leave any presents for her in Wisconsin because, well, I guess he's trying to cut costs? He leaves presents for Gigi's half-sister and pseudo-step-siblings so it's not like he doesn't stop there; Gigi doesn't get anything from Santa (or for that matter from her mother for the last 2 years, but thats a completely separate post). As Gigi gets older and certain truths become evident, I can only speculate that her mother is realizing that Gigi is going to remember that EB made it a priority to ensure that she received a basket at both her homes and that Santa only left her presents in Massachusetts.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Good Friday and Good Night
Having tweeted all day I honestly don't see the appeal outside of helping my swiss cheese brain remember stuff. I'll probably not tweet again unless some significant occurs. Like "OMG there's a UFO n da street. Alienz r 4nic8ng w/the neighbor's dawg." significant.
But I promised an annotated version of my tweets, so here we go:
And we're up and running. Laundry and dishes both in their magic cleaning boxes. Lex is potty training today. Fingers crossed there. So I was a bit on the slow side getting up and didn't actually get up until everyone else in the house was up. Cute Fan Girl got Lex started on the potty and I dragged myself up after Loki was ready to get up. Started the whole clean the house process (which didn't get as far as I had planned) by starting laundry and dishes.
Potty attempt #1 & 2-SUCCESS!- Lex was successful on his first two (and ultimately only two) potty sessions this morning. When he woke up from his nap, he had zero interest in using the potty. Later, he did sit on the potty, but no action. I'm hoping that this process continues to go smoothly. This weekend will be a big step I hope!
Is it wrong that I'm nervous having Lex sit on my lap? Potty training is so nerve wracking.- I was so nervous he was going to wet himself and me, but luckily it didn't happen. As he sat there he "drew" a house using stickers to make the outline.
Kids are dressed! Maps are printed! Hopefully, my local hunt stays local. Mom is getting a local kielbasa and making local chicken salad.- I was fully prepared to trek as far as needed to get the items on my list. The milk and eggs weren't the issue, it was the seafood. Ultimately, Cute Fan Girl stopped off at Whole Foods and saved me the hassle.
Lex: Me Sean. Me Sean.- Lex got himself dressed this morning. Khaki shorts that rode down on his hips, a t-shirt and sunglasses. He comes walking into the living room declaring that he was his Uncle Sean.
And we're off....- Left the house about 9:30. A little later than I hoped, but oh well.
Milk n eggs. Not what I expected.- The Farm Store wasn't what I expected. Also, I made the mistake of not putting Loki in the stroller so I had my hands full. I'm sure that if I had, I would have had better success looking around. But I got the eggs and milk and peanut butter cookies. We saw the token cow. All the other cows must have been in the barn, but the kids got to see the cow and a cat.
Going to the fish market on Good Friday. Not the smartest choice.- Up there with a toy store on X-Mas Eve, a florist on Valentine's Day or the Hallmark section of a Target about 4:30 PM on Mother's Day. It was jampacked.
Don't tell a 3 year old you're going to a fish market. He wants to bring Nemo home. Lex thought we were buying a fish for his aquarium. He did get excited about seeing the lobsters in the tank.
No luck on the local fish front.- Considering how busy it was I didn't get a chance to really talk to the guys working behind the counter. They had Gulf shrimp and Maine lobster, but the sources of the other fish were unknown.
Does eating at Burger King negate the whole sourcing locally concept?-I know it's horrible to feed them fast food, but at this point it was past noon and I had little desire to go home and make lunch.
Home...lunch is done and we're getting ready for naptime. Which works out nicely, cuz I need a nap.- Today was a good nap day. Two of the last 3 home days Lex hasn't napped. Today they both napped and I got some much needed quiet time.
If it smells like lighter fluid, do you really think the burgers will taste good?- Really, the only tweet I'm proud of. Now that the weather has turned nice, the folks in the basement apartment pulled out their grill and made Kerosene Cheeseburgers. Someone has a heavy hand when it comes to the lighter fluid. If it smells that strong, I can only imagine what biting into one must be like.
The rest of the evening went tweet-less. We made Shrimp and Pasta and a garlic bread. Lex helped us cook and the food was delicious. After dinner, Lex & I went for a walk as he tried to learn to ride his bike. He doesn't quite have the pedaling concept down yet. We came home and decorated eggs for Easter.
All in all a very Good Friday and now I bid you a good night! Or in tweet speak Gud nite!
But I promised an annotated version of my tweets, so here we go:
And we're up and running. Laundry and dishes both in their magic cleaning boxes. Lex is potty training today. Fingers crossed there. So I was a bit on the slow side getting up and didn't actually get up until everyone else in the house was up. Cute Fan Girl got Lex started on the potty and I dragged myself up after Loki was ready to get up. Started the whole clean the house process (which didn't get as far as I had planned) by starting laundry and dishes.
Potty attempt #1 & 2-SUCCESS!- Lex was successful on his first two (and ultimately only two) potty sessions this morning. When he woke up from his nap, he had zero interest in using the potty. Later, he did sit on the potty, but no action. I'm hoping that this process continues to go smoothly. This weekend will be a big step I hope!
Is it wrong that I'm nervous having Lex sit on my lap? Potty training is so nerve wracking.- I was so nervous he was going to wet himself and me, but luckily it didn't happen. As he sat there he "drew" a house using stickers to make the outline.
Kids are dressed! Maps are printed! Hopefully, my local hunt stays local. Mom is getting a local kielbasa and making local chicken salad.- I was fully prepared to trek as far as needed to get the items on my list. The milk and eggs weren't the issue, it was the seafood. Ultimately, Cute Fan Girl stopped off at Whole Foods and saved me the hassle.
Lex: Me Sean. Me Sean.- Lex got himself dressed this morning. Khaki shorts that rode down on his hips, a t-shirt and sunglasses. He comes walking into the living room declaring that he was his Uncle Sean.
And we're off....- Left the house about 9:30. A little later than I hoped, but oh well.
Milk n eggs. Not what I expected.- The Farm Store wasn't what I expected. Also, I made the mistake of not putting Loki in the stroller so I had my hands full. I'm sure that if I had, I would have had better success looking around. But I got the eggs and milk and peanut butter cookies. We saw the token cow. All the other cows must have been in the barn, but the kids got to see the cow and a cat.
Going to the fish market on Good Friday. Not the smartest choice.- Up there with a toy store on X-Mas Eve, a florist on Valentine's Day or the Hallmark section of a Target about 4:30 PM on Mother's Day. It was jampacked.
Don't tell a 3 year old you're going to a fish market. He wants to bring Nemo home. Lex thought we were buying a fish for his aquarium. He did get excited about seeing the lobsters in the tank.
No luck on the local fish front.- Considering how busy it was I didn't get a chance to really talk to the guys working behind the counter. They had Gulf shrimp and Maine lobster, but the sources of the other fish were unknown.
Does eating at Burger King negate the whole sourcing locally concept?-I know it's horrible to feed them fast food, but at this point it was past noon and I had little desire to go home and make lunch.
Home...lunch is done and we're getting ready for naptime. Which works out nicely, cuz I need a nap.- Today was a good nap day. Two of the last 3 home days Lex hasn't napped. Today they both napped and I got some much needed quiet time.
If it smells like lighter fluid, do you really think the burgers will taste good?- Really, the only tweet I'm proud of. Now that the weather has turned nice, the folks in the basement apartment pulled out their grill and made Kerosene Cheeseburgers. Someone has a heavy hand when it comes to the lighter fluid. If it smells that strong, I can only imagine what biting into one must be like.
The rest of the evening went tweet-less. We made Shrimp and Pasta and a garlic bread. Lex helped us cook and the food was delicious. After dinner, Lex & I went for a walk as he tried to learn to ride his bike. He doesn't quite have the pedaling concept down yet. We came home and decorated eggs for Easter.
All in all a very Good Friday and now I bid you a good night! Or in tweet speak Gud nite!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Milk, Eggs & Fish
Easter is 3 days away and tomorrow the kids and I will venture out to get milk, eggs and fish for our 100-mile Easter celebration. We have a lot to accomplish and I want to share the fun and excitement of our hunt. I will be tweeting our escapades on my Twitter account: So point your tweet-thang at whoknowswhynot. I'll also be posting an annotated version tomorrow night right here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)