We carved pumpkins last night! I did two and Nate did one (guess which is his...he he he...). Look for cute picture of Jake in his Halloween costume tomorrow. Hope you all have a wonderful Halloween!
Monday, October 31, 2005
Happy Pumpkin Day
We carved pumpkins last night! I did two and Nate did one (guess which is his...he he he...). Look for cute picture of Jake in his Halloween costume tomorrow. Hope you all have a wonderful Halloween!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Cell phone rant (10-26 column)
On Monday, I had the privilage of attending the Abbotsford Middle and High School music department concert. Being a former band geek, I enjoyed the students’ performances immensely. I don’t think a lot of people appreciate the work that goes into preparing for one of these concerts. Seeing the kids all dressed up is a nice change from when I usually see them on my high school visits. That’s not to say they dress like slobs the rest of the time, but they really shine when they dress for a concert.
Well, all except one particular student I noticed in the very first group. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her clothes; she was appropriately dressed in the black and white attire required for the occasion. What annoyed me was the silver cell phone clipped to her back pocket.
That set off column brain storm so intense that I almost pulled my notepad from the camera bag and began writing this column right then and there. First off, I hoped she had it on silent or shut off. Nothing would have been more embarrassing for her, or her fellow choirmates, than a jingle during a dramatic pause of a number that had been rehearsed to perfection.
Then I wondered why, as a middle schooler, she felt the need to carry a cell phone at all. She was probably around 13, and when I was that age, the average person didn’t carry one at all, let alone into a concert.
I understand why some people need them and how they are useful. In my job, it is very advantageous to have one. I have a home phone, but it rarely gets used since I’m not home enough to answer it. Since I’m out and about quite a bit, it’s useful for Todd to get ahold of me when needed, or daycare to reach me if Jacob needs anything.
But why does a 13-year old who cannot legally drive a car or even hold a job need a cell phone? I would bet the child is not paying for it; mommy and daddy are footing the bill. It’s a strange paradox. Parents are spending all this time and money trying to see what their kids are doing on the Internet. Companies even sell software so parents can spy on their own kids and read private e-mail and see what sites they visit. But then parents give their kids a cell phone so they can talk to anyone, about anything, at anytime they want. But, they may argue, I see the bill so I know who my kid is talking to. Maybe, maybe not. On my cell bill, the incoming numbers are not listed, just the ones I dial.
All these thoughts inevitably led to what I would do as a parent to a teenager. When Jacob gets to middle school, he will not have a cell phone. When he gets his driver’s license, he may have a prepaid phone, but only if he pays for it. When he’s 18 and old enough to enter into a contract, he can decide for himself if he needs one. Then I get to thinking that I could write a whole column about the rules I would have as a teenager, but the more I thought about it, I realized that would be pointless. When I was a baby, no one had a computer in their house, let alone a cell phone in their back pocket.
So I guess as this point, telling Jacob he cannot have a cell phone in 15 years is about as useful as banning eight-tracks from the house.
Well, all except one particular student I noticed in the very first group. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her clothes; she was appropriately dressed in the black and white attire required for the occasion. What annoyed me was the silver cell phone clipped to her back pocket.
That set off column brain storm so intense that I almost pulled my notepad from the camera bag and began writing this column right then and there. First off, I hoped she had it on silent or shut off. Nothing would have been more embarrassing for her, or her fellow choirmates, than a jingle during a dramatic pause of a number that had been rehearsed to perfection.
Then I wondered why, as a middle schooler, she felt the need to carry a cell phone at all. She was probably around 13, and when I was that age, the average person didn’t carry one at all, let alone into a concert.
I understand why some people need them and how they are useful. In my job, it is very advantageous to have one. I have a home phone, but it rarely gets used since I’m not home enough to answer it. Since I’m out and about quite a bit, it’s useful for Todd to get ahold of me when needed, or daycare to reach me if Jacob needs anything.
But why does a 13-year old who cannot legally drive a car or even hold a job need a cell phone? I would bet the child is not paying for it; mommy and daddy are footing the bill. It’s a strange paradox. Parents are spending all this time and money trying to see what their kids are doing on the Internet. Companies even sell software so parents can spy on their own kids and read private e-mail and see what sites they visit. But then parents give their kids a cell phone so they can talk to anyone, about anything, at anytime they want. But, they may argue, I see the bill so I know who my kid is talking to. Maybe, maybe not. On my cell bill, the incoming numbers are not listed, just the ones I dial.
All these thoughts inevitably led to what I would do as a parent to a teenager. When Jacob gets to middle school, he will not have a cell phone. When he gets his driver’s license, he may have a prepaid phone, but only if he pays for it. When he’s 18 and old enough to enter into a contract, he can decide for himself if he needs one. Then I get to thinking that I could write a whole column about the rules I would have as a teenager, but the more I thought about it, I realized that would be pointless. When I was a baby, no one had a computer in their house, let alone a cell phone in their back pocket.
So I guess as this point, telling Jacob he cannot have a cell phone in 15 years is about as useful as banning eight-tracks from the house.
Don't wake the baby
Isn't he cute? I took him along with me to an awards dinner (last minute work assignment). He was so well behaved! I didn't have a baby sitter set up because Colby wasn't supposed to win volleyball the night before. They did, so Todd had to go to the game and I took his place at the banquet.
Otherwise, not much new. Nate and I need to carve pumpkins soon. Jake has his Halloween party tomorrow at daycare. Any guesses what he's going as? C'mon people, let's see some comments. I would feel better if I knew people were looking at this.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Monday, October 10, 2005
Some days, I want to be 12 again (column)
This week, both newspapers and 4-H are celebrating their special weeks. I have strong ties to both groups.
The newspaper tie is pretty obvious, but the 4-H one people probably wouldn’t know about unless they probed a little deeper into my background. You probably didn’t know this, but this column is being written by a bonafide 4-H queen. I have the tiara to prove it.
I was a 4-H member for more than a decade, starting as an Explorer when I was eight. Now, they start them in 4-H even younger as Cloverbuds (isn’t that the cutest name?). They finally kicked me out as a member part way through college, but I stuck around as a volunteer a few years longer.
Just for you non-4-H savvy people, in the organization, you get to take projects. They cover almost anything you can think of and can’t think of: animals, sewing and crafts, child development, scale models, plants and flowers, crops and gardening, photography, art, nature, shooting sports and many, many more. Even if you could think of something not covered, there’s a self-determined project. One little guy I met had a dentistry project, of all things.
During my time in 4-H, I must have taken almost every project. The week before Labor Day, I could be found slaving away on last minute entries for the Iowa County Fair. Thursday morning, we would load everything up. First all the postors, pictures, flowers, clothes and other fair house exhibits went in the car. All the live ones (cows, steers, chickens, lambs, etc.) came in the trailer that afternoon.
However, 4-H isn’t just about the fair. We also did community service, leadership training and travel.
I met a lots of people as a teen through 4-H. Since my high school was in a different county, almost all of my 4-H friends were seperate from my school friends.
My family hasn’t had a true family vacation since I was in seventh grade, but because of 4-H, I was able to travel. My first trip was to the east coast between the summer of my freshman and sophomore years. I fell in love with New England along with a busload of 42 other teenagers from southern Wisconsin. To this day, there’s still people from the trip I keep in ouch with.
The same goes for my trip to Washington D.C. two years later. This time, the bus passengers were from all over Wisconsin. Getting to know a few kids from Phillips helped me get an internship there in college.
The last trip was during college to the National 4-H Congress in Atlanta. This one was different because we flew there, and it was less touring and more leadership and motivational speakers. The two things I remember most about that trip was helping city kids make art projects for community service and listening to Miss America speak.
It’s hard to put it all into words, but 4-H has had a lasting impact. Everyday, I can find something to thank 4-H for: public speaking skills at my brother’s wedding, photography skills on the job, and Nate likes the baking skills I learned.
One great thing about 4-H is it includes the whole family and is often passed on to the next generation. Both my parents were 4-H members and leaders, and Jacob doesn’t know it yet but he has four-leaf clovers in his future.
The newspaper tie is pretty obvious, but the 4-H one people probably wouldn’t know about unless they probed a little deeper into my background. You probably didn’t know this, but this column is being written by a bonafide 4-H queen. I have the tiara to prove it.
I was a 4-H member for more than a decade, starting as an Explorer when I was eight. Now, they start them in 4-H even younger as Cloverbuds (isn’t that the cutest name?). They finally kicked me out as a member part way through college, but I stuck around as a volunteer a few years longer.
Just for you non-4-H savvy people, in the organization, you get to take projects. They cover almost anything you can think of and can’t think of: animals, sewing and crafts, child development, scale models, plants and flowers, crops and gardening, photography, art, nature, shooting sports and many, many more. Even if you could think of something not covered, there’s a self-determined project. One little guy I met had a dentistry project, of all things.
During my time in 4-H, I must have taken almost every project. The week before Labor Day, I could be found slaving away on last minute entries for the Iowa County Fair. Thursday morning, we would load everything up. First all the postors, pictures, flowers, clothes and other fair house exhibits went in the car. All the live ones (cows, steers, chickens, lambs, etc.) came in the trailer that afternoon.
However, 4-H isn’t just about the fair. We also did community service, leadership training and travel.
I met a lots of people as a teen through 4-H. Since my high school was in a different county, almost all of my 4-H friends were seperate from my school friends.
My family hasn’t had a true family vacation since I was in seventh grade, but because of 4-H, I was able to travel. My first trip was to the east coast between the summer of my freshman and sophomore years. I fell in love with New England along with a busload of 42 other teenagers from southern Wisconsin. To this day, there’s still people from the trip I keep in ouch with.
The same goes for my trip to Washington D.C. two years later. This time, the bus passengers were from all over Wisconsin. Getting to know a few kids from Phillips helped me get an internship there in college.
The last trip was during college to the National 4-H Congress in Atlanta. This one was different because we flew there, and it was less touring and more leadership and motivational speakers. The two things I remember most about that trip was helping city kids make art projects for community service and listening to Miss America speak.
It’s hard to put it all into words, but 4-H has had a lasting impact. Everyday, I can find something to thank 4-H for: public speaking skills at my brother’s wedding, photography skills on the job, and Nate likes the baking skills I learned.
One great thing about 4-H is it includes the whole family and is often passed on to the next generation. Both my parents were 4-H members and leaders, and Jacob doesn’t know it yet but he has four-leaf clovers in his future.
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