BloggingThis

This is very cool.  See photos uploaded to Flickr almost real-time and where they’re from.

Flickrvision

 – steve

We bought my daughter a Disney princess phone when she was four.  It was pink and heart shaped and on clearance for about $6.  She has a phone jack in her bedroom, but we did not intend to connect the phone.  That’s ridiculous.  What 4 year old needs a phone?  She’s used it to play office, teacher, and hotel ever since.

Fast-forward four years to present.

I’m in the office, attempting to assist my beloved wife with a “this computer is slow” service request.  When I run a DSL speed test at Internet Frog everything comes out fine.  Connection is good.  Speed seems right.  Enter my daughter.  She summons my attention to a pressing matter in her room – it seems something is not working.

She’s identified that the phone cord connects nicely in this square plug-in on the wall.  I’ve got this phone working she declares!  It’s just that it keeps on making a noise.  I pick up the half-heart receiver to diagnose the situation.  Sounds like a bunch of static on the line.

I think I can solve two requests for service with one quick fix here.  I located an unused DSL filter from a junk drawer (you know, the ones we all have).  A quick install and voila.  No more static (Internet DSL broadband noise) on the phone line and no more intermittent disconnects and crappy connection speeds at the computer.

I guess she’s old enough to have a phone in her room now.  We’ll see how it goes.  In the mean time, her quotes below can best sum up a new phone in the mind of a present day 8 year old:

“Hey what’s my phone number on this phone so someone can call me?”

“I need someone to call me so I can hear what my ringtone is.”

– steve

I think I’m a good parent.  I’m certainly not without faults though.  My language could be better.  I could be more patient at times.  The list could go on I’m sure.  Every once in a while however, I’m brilliant.  This weekend I had one of those moments buried in an ordinary weekend that was full of dull, ordinary ones.  I led my daughter through a carefully crafted conversation in which I had a hidden motive.

The discussion began in the garage in the midst of chores.  Very casually, I asked if she knew the difference between a thermostat and a thermometer.  Sure I do, she began as she started to explain the difference to me.  She gave me an 8 year old’s scientific explanation which was good I thought.  I added to her answer, “so a thermostat sets the temperature in the room and a thermometer reflects the temperature of a room.”  She agreed.  Then, out of nowhere I switched to “do you know the difference between a leader and a follower?”  Again, she knows and explains it to me as an 8 year old would.  I’m satisfied with her answers to both questions so I move on to talking about her birthday party. 

The party is still a few months away, but it is the premier event for a girl of her age and she has no problem talking about it.  In fact, plans are already underway - and have been for some time now.  You see, there’s a problem with the invite list.  She wants to invite a friend from her class but won’t because another friend doesn’t want her to.  I ask her about the situation and she seems truly conflicted.  She even asks if we can have the uninvited friend over on a different weekend to smooth the whole thing over.  Nice try, I tell her.  I offer up that there is another way to solve this problem.

Like a traffic light, I switch again.  There are two types of people in the world, I tell her.  Thermostats and thermometers.  The thermostats are setting the temperature in the room and being a leader.  The thermometers are followers, reflecting the temperature around them.  What do you think a leader would do in this situation?  Would she invite her friend and show that everyone can get along or be pressured into a choice that is someone else’s?

Which type of person do you want to be, a leader or a follower?  Thermostat or thermometer?

At the last update from Mom, the uninvited girl is in.  She’s made the cut.  I’m proud of my daughter for coming to this conclusion on her own.

– steve

p.s.  - thank you Travis for allowing me to steal your analogy.  You are open source.

This post is contributed by my daughter, Abbi — her first ever. — steve

Hi, my name is Abbi and these are all of my Webkins. My yorkie’s name is Maddy. The cow’s name is Mooville. The chocolate lab is named Choco. My white terrier’s name is Curly. My leopard’s name is Kitty-Cat. The reindeer’s name is Cupid. My collie’s name is Colleen. The black lab’s name is Hunter. My horse’s name is Flika. My cat’s name is Annalisse. My yellow lab’s name is bananas. My pug’s name in Einstein. Last but not least, my husky’s name is Snowball. There is also an animal pictured that is not a Webkinz named Gracie. Can you figure out which one?

– by Abbi

It’s going to be a busy election year it seems. Rudy Giuliani is even planning a stop in Lakeland tonight.  If you live in Polk County, Florida you can visit the supervisor of elections website and register to vote, or get your absentee ballot mailed to your home.  With the availability of absentee voting by mail, you have to be pretty lazy to not vote.

 www.PolkElections.com

– steve