I remember arguing with Mac people, insisting that most of the software I bought was only made for PCs so I had to stick with them. My sisters were some of the strongest advocates for Macs. We would debate pros and cons until they would give up, throw their arms up in the air and say things like, "Suit yourself! Maybe someday you’ll understand."
Somehow, one of them convinced me to get an iPod for my hubby for his birthday. Shortly after that we bought our first Mac. It was one of those sleek, shiny MacBook devices. That Mac led to another iPod, then another Mac, then another iPod and, before I knew it, I was seeking out information on that mysterious new device that was supposed to change the way all phones were made - they called it the iPhone.
Have you ever started talking, then lecturing, then ranting to your kids and later regretted it? That’s what happened to me today.
Here’s the story.
My kids are learning to play tennis. I should probably mention that I love tennis. I’m disappointed by our country’s poor showing in Wimbledon right now (and disappointed by Ana Ivanovic’s loss).
Ana Ivanovic
I felt sad when Federer lost to Nadal (again) at the French Open. But I am hopeful that he’ll win Wimbledon.
When I first heard about a balance board used as part of a video game for the Nintendo Wii, the reviews were less than glowing. I remember seeing videos that poked fun at it , and questioned why anyone would want to use a goofy looking plastic rectangle to find out whether or not they were standing still.
Early video - WiiFit Parody (July, 2007)
But, as months passed, I started hearing more positive reviews and before long I wanted one of those WiiFit contraptions.
I’m one of those parents who loves playing video games with the kids, so I really liked the concept of a workout game. I often talk to my kids about the importance of staying fit and exercising, yet I rarely make time to work out.
Would this thing actually motivate me more than the gym a couple of miles away?
My apologies to my regular readers. I know I’ve been a little AWOL this past week. I spent most of it dedicating my time to a book sale at one of my kids’ schools. Remember the book fair last fall? Well…this event was markedly different from that one.
For decades, our PTO has run the fair in the fall. We have dozens of volunteers and even make a floor plan for the set up. We buy funky decorations and just go all out. In some years, the co-chairs have even served passed hors d’oeuvres for the teachers during their special preview day. We toned that down a bit, but still…we make a ton of money, have a lot of fun and, most important of all, we get books (thousands of them!) in the hands of kids and their teachers.
But last week’s shindig was supposed to be different. Not as big, not as much planning, not as many volunteers.
As I post these photos, I keep thinking: “My kids love to eat pizza and enjoy cooking. Why do I ever order out? Pizza has to be one of the easiest things to make…”
I’ve been Twittering about how much I wanted a WiiFit and guess what?! I have one!
Even better than that simple fact, though, is the story about how I managed to snag one of these treasured new Nintendo gems.
After a long, exhausting day entertaining 30 people at my home while a couple of sick kids sat in my playroom all day long, I remembered that this day was the day the game would be released for sale at all of our local game stores. Rats! I had been so caught up in my party that I forgot my plan — because I did not pre-order the game, I intended to go to the store when it opened to try to get one of the extra games. I had been advised by one of the game store guys that they usually get a couple extras (beyond the number of pre-orders). But I blew it. Forgot to go. By the time I remembered, I was not at all in the mood to go out and drive to the store (and I didn’t think I had much of a shot at getting one so late in the afternoon anyway).
My husband is a brilliant man. Very knowledgeable. About many things. I don’t say that to brag, rather to highlight his ability to answer our kids’ questions in many areas, including obscure historical facts and tidbits. But when it comes to math? He’s not their go to person. I am.
And I have to admit…it feels pretty darn good.
Sometimes I feel pretty inadequate when I don’t know the answers to questions about Greek mythology (was never a passion of mine) or ancient Rome (ditto).
But math? I love math. I tutored Calculus in college. I probably should have majored in Applied Mathematics. It’s exciting to me. Magical. Actually, I’ve been known to lecture the kids about the magic of math and to do so with a sparkle in my eyes and a smile on my face.
And you know what? My kids love math. I don’t mean to be smug; I mean, I’m not giving myself all the credit for that fact. But I bet it doesn’t hurt that I can get pretty excited about thePythagorean Theorem . Or that I’ve told them about the navy t-shirt (I even remember the color) I used to have when I was around ten with a sketch on it that looked something like this:
Yeah, I’ve always loved math. In fact, when I was around my daughter’s age, special time with my dad consisted of his teaching me about the Base 10 system and slide rules . Woohoo!
So…why not celebrate it? I don’t shove it in their faces or insist that they learn about the slide rule before ever using a calculator (which is what my dad did with me). But they’re well aware of my passion for math. And they don’t hesitate to come to me with any questions that arise as they tackle daily homework.
We here at Soapbox Mom are excited about the latest addition to the site - a podcast called Soapbox Radio . It’s a show for moms, dads, men, women, and kids about anything and everything. I kicked off the show by highlighting bloggers, particularly those whom I know relatively well and think are just so amazing that I want the world to hear about them. I’ll have show notes and links after the shows as well as previews about upcoming shows right here on Soapbox Mom and also on my Soapbox Radio site .
I’m especially excited to say that on Tuesday, May 13 I was joined by my first guest, BD (or Jim) author of the Busy Dad Blog and BusyDad Tales - the comic (illustrated by Jim’s childhood friend, Jeff Day). Jim is a tremendously talented guy with an adorable young son, whom he fondly refers to as Fury. You can see Jim and Fury in the entertaining videos on his site and read all about them on both sites.
Last year around Mother’s Day, I heard someone say that mothers are closest to their children when they’re in the womb. From the moment they’re born we’re slowly letting them go. I agree. When they’re babies they need our help; but year by year they grow more independent. By the time they get to school, it’s best to let them do their own thing and learn what they’re there to learn. Even if those lessons are painful. Or when we know they may fail.
School projects come to mind as a great example. I know so many parents who just don’t want to let go of their kids. They want to help. So they start out just observing, then they help a little, then a little more then a little more and before you know it, they’ve done a majority of the work. I think that’s unfortunate.
