Rite of Passage

Daniel and I went through one of the rites that every American boy should experience. Daniel can now demonstrate each of the four basic positions to hold his mitt to catch a ball. He took a ball to his left eye, off the top of his head, and several off his knees and feet, but he was a good sport and kept with it. Now we just have to fix his throw...

The Zoo

We went to the zoo the other day. It was a bit chilly, but a very nice day to attend. I have been wanting to take the kids to the zoo since November. The day we planned to go in November happened to snow and we haven't been able to find the time until just recently. The kids enjoyed their trip at the zoo. The highlights of the zoo are:

The Carousel



The Playground



The Train



If the zoo didn't have those three things, I don't know how much the kids would enjoy going to the zoo. It's not like there are a lot of animals there that they can look at. However, Daniel enjoys looking at the penguins.

Good Eye!

Today, I helped Daniel practice his piano. One of the activities was flash cards with the notes in each staff. When I showed him the F in the lowest space of the treble clef, he enthusiastically said, "E!" I quietly said, "no." He almost immediately responded by telling me it would be an E if I turned the card upside down (thus placing the note in the top space in the treble clef, an E). I hope I don't do anything that makes him lose that ability.

Young and foolish with big price tag

I read a terrible news story online this morning. An 18 year-old woman killed herself over the ridicule she received from school mates. They were teasing her because her ex-boyfriend had distributed nude cell phone pictures of her which she had sent him when they were together.

I very much understand the mentality of youth. I'm not that far removed from it myself (although it astounds me how far in the rear view mirror those days are getting...but I digress).

The most dangerous part of today's technology is that once these images are created and distributed to even one person, there is no way to control it anymore and it cannot be recalled or deleted. We have all heard stories of crazy things our parents or grand parents did (or might have done). The difference is that most kids in those days did not carry video and audio recording devices in their pockets...so there's no real evidence to say whether your Uncle is telling the truth or not about the time he mooned half the town. No evidence means he gets to have a fun story, but nobody is justified in punishing him or thinking less of him - he's just telling a story. Gone are those days...now if you tell that story, you're a liar unless you can produce photo or video evidence. Faced with the choice between everyone thinking you're a liar and showing a pixelated photo of your rear to the world, some young people might choose the latter. But they have to understand that the photo will never die.

I shudder to think that because of the recording technology available, indiscretions committed by our nation's youth will haunt them well into their adult lives. We all had youthful indiscretions, but the kind of evidence has changed. Let's help the youth understand that difference and help them to take steps to protect themselves so that they can gain experience the same way we all did - by having a safe place to make a mistake without ruining their whole lives.