Online education

As some of you fantastic people may know, I sort of got a new job...it is in the works but my name is going up on their web site so hopefully a paycheck will follow soon after :). They are raising funds so if any of you have about $500K to throw our way, give me a shout!

The company is called ScreenRetriever (www.screenretriever.com) and the basis of their technology is to help parents teach their kids responsible online behavior. I was really excited by the technology - as a product person at heart - but even more excited by their commitment to HELP and not just preach.

Sure, companies run off of revenue but this small group (you have more fingers than we have employees) is focused on spreading the word that kids need guidance online just as they do offline.

Think about it this way - as your kids gain independence you let them do things like play out in the yard by themselves, right? But all parents know that those first few days, weeks, months, years you still find yourself peeking out the window to make sure they are safe. The Internet is a billion times more crowded than your backyard so how could you just let them "go out to play" there without instilling some rules and guidelines - and we're not talking blocking sites you think are bad, or limiting them to 1 hour a day on the computer - I'm talking real guidelines - the kind you give them about interacting with others face to face in the playground or at school. Take for example:

Don't say things wouldn't want to be said to you - cyberbullying

Don't talk to strangers - online predators, cyberstalking

Let me know if someone touches you the wrong way - sexting

Pay attention in class and don't talk when the teacher is talking - online time management

Treat people with respect - online reputation

It is easy to transfer offline knowledge to online knowledge - its harder to play catch up when things get out of hand.  Technology IS NOT GOING AWAY.  Get educated. And stay tuned, I hope to share more of what I'm learning with you.

Tale of two students

Exhibit A:
I don't want to get up.
I don't want to go to school.
I don't like homework.
Don't make me wear my uniform

Exhibit B:
Can I have more homework?
I got all check pluses today
Can I buy my teachers pumpkins for Halloween?
I learned that in school today.

Most likely the difference between second grade and kindergarten - but two incredibly different attitudes towards school.  But two of the same is boring, so I'm just enjoying the diversity...or so I keep telling myself.

Are your kids completely different learners?  Does one bound out of bed ready to go, and one hide under the covers an extra 5...10...15 minutes?  I sure hope so.

Getting through difficult times

What do you lean on when things get rough, or when it appears all hope is lost? Or more directly WHO do you lean on in difficult times?

Do you have faith in Jesus?  In a higher God?  Or the Universe?  Do you believe life is just a natural journey and it ends for all us regardless of whether you are 9 days old, 68 or 84 years old? Or that Heaven has a calling and something more powerful rules our fate?

I've received several calls regarding death in the past 7 days and it always gets me thinking about my small family, my inexperience with loss and my own faith.

I don't have an answer on what helps me get through difficult times as far as faith is concerned.  I wish I could pray to God with conviction for strength, but my inability to do doesn't lessen the fact that family, friends and a deep love of life helps me to move forward.

I'm sadden to hear of such unexpected loss this week, but thinking of the deeper pain others are experiencing compared to my sadness. 

May you find peace in your faith...wherever that may come from.

Welcome Fall of '10

I still get freaked out on occasion that I'm living in a new century where the numbers start all over again.  '01, '02, '03...'10

People are going to ask, "So, what did you do in the Fall of '10?"  *shivers*  I guess because my grandmother was born in '26 and the next '26 is not all that far off...sort of...and then we'll be like "Which '26 do you mean?" when we ask a question.

Ok, no we won't because anyone alive in 2026 will be 100 and it will be real obvious which '26 we are talking about when we ask them a question.

But to answer my own question, the Fall of '10 is going to be my season of change. Not just little, minor changes like try to be more creative on Halloween.  Or, plant next years perennials before the frost.

I'm talking big changes. Changes that I hope will put me on a new course, in a new direction, and get me excited to wake up to the darkness every day to get going. (Am I overdoing it?)

What do you have planned for the Fall of '10?  I hope it's something that crackles your leaves and gets you excited.  If I've learned anything from the Summer of '10, it's that time slips away too fast to be stuck in the same routine...you gotta mix it up a bit every once and while to stay alive.

Happy First Day of Autumn!

(Photo taken by my friend's husband. His photos can be found at http://miketully.smugmug.com)

Me, a dog and a really nice house

If you haven't heard, seen my posts on Facebook or followed a tweet or two on Twitter...I'm sort of back with the work force.

But not really.  I've agreed to help a really small start up get up and started for no pay.  Why? Because I'm insane. But also because I really think their product has merit, and a need and can change how parents interact with their children when it pertains to the scary world that is the internet.

I'll be sharing statistics with you all soon...but right now, I'd love if you'd check out http://www.screenretriever.com and let me know what you think...I'm talking to you Mommy Bloggers and Daddy Bloggers. You "get" technology and I'll be hitting you all up for ideas and suggestions, don't you worry.

But for now, I haven't had my first official start date with them yet so I'm not going to say much more - and I'm  trying to learn better time management so I don't give all my free time away for free, literally. 

If there are any Mamas or Dads who want to offer their expansive network a discount on Screen Retriever, let me know.  That can be arranged :)

Oh, and the dog? His name is Tucker. He's awesome.  And the really nice house...that's the headquarters for now.  I have staircase and finished basement-envy.

Please tell me...

Your oldest child constantly yells at your youngest child.

Your youngest child constantly teases your oldest child.

Your 8 year old can stomp up stairs so loud that part of the ceiling chips off with every given tantrum.

Tears flow every day from all your children, for no apparent reason, and from no real water source.

"I'm hungry" is whined in your ear every 45 minutes.

"Get away from me" is shouted even more frequently than "I'm hungry."

No one answers when you ask them repeatedly to feed the dog, let the dog in, let the dog out or leave the dog alone.

Amusement is only had when screaming and chasing the cat around the house.

Your basement/playroom/living room/kitchen/multiple bedrooms/garage and yard area contain nothing but piles of plastic toys and little, clear wrappers from juice box straws.

Because if you can tell me all of these things, then I'll know I'm not alone in this insane parenting world, and I would greatly appreciate that right now.

Didn't he just roll over?

How is it that my baby boy, who unexpectedly announced himself to the world early, and on his sister's second birthday, can be starting school already?

Didn't he just smile his first smile; roll over by himself; take his first step; say his first word; dance his first dance; make his first goofy face and hug me like I've never been hugged before?

There were no tears - just lots of smiles this morning as my baby boy incredibly becomes my little man! Congratulations Alex. Mommy and Daddy (and Abby) love you very, very much!

48 inches is a wonderful thing

Day One: Notice anything?


Day One: See it yet?


Day Two: How about now?


Day Two: I'll give you a hint...

Everyone is over 48 inches so there are no pictures of Mom and Dad crammed on the rides! 

Bittersweet.

Can it be any louder?

We listen to music with our kids.  In the car. On the radio in the kitchen. At night on their radios in their bedrooms. But nothing "musically" seemed to stick with them.

Alex gets excited over Lady Ga Ga's Alejandro because we told him it was his name in Spanish.

Abby used to like a Fergie song when she was younger but never really latched on to any one artist.

Today, however, we may have turned a page.

When told to clean her room, my daughter lovingly started pouting, slamming doors and probably used the word "hate" when referring to cleaning her room....gotta love that...so I walked down stairs to leave her to herself. I explained she could clean her room quickly and get back outside to play, or spend the day up there, it really didn't matter to me. I had no plans except to clean out the refrigerator - big goings-on in our house on a Saturday.

About 10 minutes later it happened.  Kiss108 (the station I grew up on) was BLARING from her room. All crackly and staticky because it was too loud.  Appropriately it was Kelly Clarkson's My Life Would Suck Without You - exactly the word I want my 7 yo daughter singing at the top of her lungs.

I let it go.  I remember being that age and performing karaoke in my room to the Bee Gees, Pat Benator, Aerosmith and Kiss.  It was a release.  It was a distraction.  I loved my loud music.

And wouldn't you know it - about 6 songs later she came downstairs with a smile and pretty clean room!  Thanks Kiss108. Looks like we'll be resurrecting our love for each other again in the next generation.

TV sitter

I've been struggling all summer with the amount of time I let my kids sit in front of the TV.

Trying to find a job requires me to spend some time in front of the computer searching the job sites  - uninterrupted - and not when I'm exhausted at 9:00 at night after the little ones are tucked in bed.

So, I will admit that during this incredibly HOT, SUNNY summer (with no rain days to fall back on), I have placed my children in front of 824 for an hour - or two - or maybe three - on a day or two or three.

(824 happens to be the HD channel of Disney - they feel cool calling it 824)

Making this confession makes me feel a little better - I've been hiding this secret for a few weeks and now that I've come clean, I bet a few of you can relate? Right?!