You Tube doesn't allow more than 10 minutes of video so the whole 12 minute show isn't here.
For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes for Mom, Mom Dot, What's That Smell
(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Disneyland's Magical Fireworks
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The new fireworks show is amazing! The score is great and the pyrotechnics are choreographed to the music, which blows me away. There's even shapes within the fireworks (Mickey head, smiley face).
You Tube doesn't allow more than 10 minutes of video so the whole 12 minute show isn't here.
For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes for Mom, Mom Dot, What's That Smell
You Tube doesn't allow more than 10 minutes of video so the whole 12 minute show isn't here.
For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes for Mom, Mom Dot, What's That Smell
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
1/7/2010 Update at the end of the post
I was flipping through O Magazine and saw a small piece where the reporter asked a fashion designer what he'd be packing in his beach bag this summer. One of the items he'd include is an iPod Touch for his five-year old. Five. Not 12 or 15. Five.
Um, what's a little person barely out of toddlerhood doing with an iPod Touch? That's quite a hefty piece of technology to be buried in the sand. I let Tyler use mine occasionally but would never consider getting him his own. Even if I had the money (and I don't, mine was purchased with birthday money), I wouldn't buy him one. He's just too young.
Um, what's a little person barely out of toddlerhood doing with an iPod Touch? That's quite a hefty piece of technology to be buried in the sand. I let Tyler use mine occasionally but would never consider getting him his own. Even if I had the money (and I don't, mine was purchased with birthday money), I wouldn't buy him one. He's just too young.
Update
I'm still getting a lot of comments on this post so I wanted to share my feelings now. When I wrote this Tyler was a few months shy of turning 7. At the time, he was not mature or responsible enough for his own iPod Touch. He's 8 now and I'm still not sure *I* would spring for him to have one of his own.
He sorta kinda tricked his Grandpa into buying him a Nintendo DSi. He's had for about half a year. He's been very careful with it in that he has not mishandled it, but he couldn't find it for a few days and we all thought it was lost. He forgot he'd put it in his Ta Kwon Do bag.
As some people have pointed out, the games for the iPod are much more affordable than Nintendo. I totally agree. Downloading an app for $1.99 versus buying a cartridge for $30-40 is a no brainer. It really is up to each family. If your 5 year-old is responsible enough to have $200 worth of technology, go for it. I think buying something in that price range for that age sets a bad precedent.
Now that Tyler has his DSi, we've told him we're not buying games for him (except for birthday gifts etc.) He's had to earn and save up money to buy what he wants. He's learned how much things cost, how long it takes to save for something and how long it takes him to earn money with his allowance. Those are concepts I think a 5 year-old is just starting to grasp and can't really put into practice yet.
Tyler would have been waiting a long time for us to buy a DSi. We have very strict usage rules with it (and the TV, Wii and computer). He can't sit in front of a screen all day. If he chooses to spend his morning watching TV, he can't play the computer at night too. This is another issue I have with kids and technology; how they encourage couch potato-ness and limit imagination. Again, 5 is a little young to start this behavior pattern.
I did buy an MP3 player for a Christmas gift but it's not a name brand. Tyler is perfectly happy with it and if he loses or breaks it I'm only out $12 ($22 on Amazon but I had a $10 credit).
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Leo is always center stage and full of flair, they enjoy basking in the spotlight. Leos are full of energy that acts like a magnet for other people. They always make their presence known. Leos tend to live life straightforwardly and with a flair for drama.
One thing most Leo women never fall short of - male attention. She will most probably be the center of attention everywhere and if you are trying to woo her, be ready to get lots of competition.
Leo women are not very careful with money and will have to be restrained in this respect. She can indulge in extravagance to fulfill her desire for exquisite furnishings, home décor, gifts for friends or her own clothes.
Leo females make affectionate mothers. They love and pamper their children silly, but also demand respect from them.
Leo woman is perfect for the man who is affectionate and has a strong character but not too controlling.
She needs someone who is passionate about everything in their life and who strives for the best in everything, because so does she.
Thanks Roy! I love it!
Astrology info pieced together from here, here and here. Leo symbol from here. Roy works here.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
I read a lot of magazines, some of them the parenting kind. Years ago one had a poll about guns in the home and if you would ask the parents of your child's friends if they have one before you'd let your child go over to play. Stories like this one from Tuesday's USA Today make me think abso-frikin-lutely.
From the article:"An 11-year-old boy in Mississippi accidentally killed his 9-year-old brother with a shotgun blast Tuesday as the two struggled over the gun after arguing about a video game, authorities said."
My brother, Phil and I had a heated argument about this topic one night when were at a bar (my bother's girlfriend wisely chose to stay out of it). We started out talking about Tyler playing with toy guns and turning his other toys into guns, and the conversation turned to guns in the home, nature versus nurture, men versus women, the role of a parent etc. etc. I believe my brother even said, "men are genetically designed to spread their seed as much as possible." Oh yes he did! But I digress.
I grew up around guns. My father is and has been in law enforcement since I was little. If someone were to ask me if we had a gun in the house, I would have said, "sure" in the same way as if they'd asked if we had a TV. It was no big deal. My dad's gun was just another thing on the table next to his wallet and keys. I could touch or hold it anytime I wanted to, all I had to do was ask (that's what she said. sorry, I couldn't leave that one just lying there). It held no mystique for me and I'd get tired of friends (mostly boys) asking me about it because it was no big deal. My dad and my uncle (former LAPD) used to take me to the shooting range. For awhile I kept all my targets so I could track my progress.
When kids would ask about my dad's gun, I'd tell them the story about my dad cleaning his gun in bed one night after I'd gone to bed (I think I was 6 or so). My dad was in the bedroom and my mom was in the bathroom. The bed faced my parent's closet and the bathroom was on the other side of the closet. When the gun went off, my mom said it was so loud she thought she'd been shot. She was frozen in the bathroom. then she thought my dad had shot himself and she called out to him. He ran into the bathroom to make sure she was OK.
The bullet took a chunk out of the closet door knob. It looked like a small animal bit a piece off. The bullets my dad was using at the time weren't the typical kind. Most bullets are capable of leaving an entry and exit wound, but these were designed to penetrate then explode. So after it went through the closet door it exploded and tore up several of my dad's suits. But I digress again.
Not once did I feel the need to sneak around and look for the gun so I could hold it. For one, Dad didn't hide it, it was usually on his dresser. He also told me he'd break all my fingers if he ever caught me, but mostly it was because I didn't care. Having a gun in the house hardly ever crossed my mind unless someone else brought it up. And I never, ever thought about getting his gun when I was angry or sad let alone think to threaten someone with it.
My brother and I knew that guns aren't toys because it was drilled into us over and over. And my brother's argument was the popular, "guns don't kill people, people kill people." To some extent, I agree. But in this instance, and in so many other instances, the "people" involved are children. Fighting over a video game. For some reason, one of them thought going to get a gun was an appropriate way to deal with the situation. That 11-year-old boy is going to have the specter of having shot and killed his brother hanging over him for the rest of his life.
My main point to my brother was that not everyone was raised the way we were. It seems to me that there's still an aura about guns that's attractive to kids. It seems that the stories we read about involving tragic deaths like this one it's usually about one kid telling another, "hey, look what my parents have," and then one of them ends up dead.
I'm not saying people shouldn't have guns in their homes so all the card carrying NRA can simmer down. I don't know what the solution is either, I just feel that if families who keep guns would do more to take the mystery and curiosity about them away, and teach proper handling and basic safety, maybe children won't end up accidentally killing one another.
What do you think? Would you, or have you asked another parent if they have a gun in the house? Will you let you child play there if they do?
(photo from Google Images)
From the article:"An 11-year-old boy in Mississippi accidentally killed his 9-year-old brother with a shotgun blast Tuesday as the two struggled over the gun after arguing about a video game, authorities said."
My brother, Phil and I had a heated argument about this topic one night when were at a bar (my bother's girlfriend wisely chose to stay out of it). We started out talking about Tyler playing with toy guns and turning his other toys into guns, and the conversation turned to guns in the home, nature versus nurture, men versus women, the role of a parent etc. etc. I believe my brother even said, "men are genetically designed to spread their seed as much as possible." Oh yes he did! But I digress.
I grew up around guns. My father is and has been in law enforcement since I was little. If someone were to ask me if we had a gun in the house, I would have said, "sure" in the same way as if they'd asked if we had a TV. It was no big deal. My dad's gun was just another thing on the table next to his wallet and keys. I could touch or hold it anytime I wanted to, all I had to do was ask (that's what she said. sorry, I couldn't leave that one just lying there). It held no mystique for me and I'd get tired of friends (mostly boys) asking me about it because it was no big deal. My dad and my uncle (former LAPD) used to take me to the shooting range. For awhile I kept all my targets so I could track my progress.
When kids would ask about my dad's gun, I'd tell them the story about my dad cleaning his gun in bed one night after I'd gone to bed (I think I was 6 or so). My dad was in the bedroom and my mom was in the bathroom. The bed faced my parent's closet and the bathroom was on the other side of the closet. When the gun went off, my mom said it was so loud she thought she'd been shot. She was frozen in the bathroom. then she thought my dad had shot himself and she called out to him. He ran into the bathroom to make sure she was OK.
The bullet took a chunk out of the closet door knob. It looked like a small animal bit a piece off. The bullets my dad was using at the time weren't the typical kind. Most bullets are capable of leaving an entry and exit wound, but these were designed to penetrate then explode. So after it went through the closet door it exploded and tore up several of my dad's suits. But I digress again.
Not once did I feel the need to sneak around and look for the gun so I could hold it. For one, Dad didn't hide it, it was usually on his dresser. He also told me he'd break all my fingers if he ever caught me, but mostly it was because I didn't care. Having a gun in the house hardly ever crossed my mind unless someone else brought it up. And I never, ever thought about getting his gun when I was angry or sad let alone think to threaten someone with it.
My brother and I knew that guns aren't toys because it was drilled into us over and over. And my brother's argument was the popular, "guns don't kill people, people kill people." To some extent, I agree. But in this instance, and in so many other instances, the "people" involved are children. Fighting over a video game. For some reason, one of them thought going to get a gun was an appropriate way to deal with the situation. That 11-year-old boy is going to have the specter of having shot and killed his brother hanging over him for the rest of his life.
My main point to my brother was that not everyone was raised the way we were. It seems to me that there's still an aura about guns that's attractive to kids. It seems that the stories we read about involving tragic deaths like this one it's usually about one kid telling another, "hey, look what my parents have," and then one of them ends up dead.
I'm not saying people shouldn't have guns in their homes so all the card carrying NRA can simmer down. I don't know what the solution is either, I just feel that if families who keep guns would do more to take the mystery and curiosity about them away, and teach proper handling and basic safety, maybe children won't end up accidentally killing one another.
What do you think? Would you, or have you asked another parent if they have a gun in the house? Will you let you child play there if they do?
(photo from Google Images)
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