That tee shirt pictured above is my daughter’s favorite piece of schwag from BlogHer 08. Thank you, Cathy Brooks of Seesmic, who graciously bestowed it upon us before she spoke at a BlogHer session about videography.
We’ve been watching that little raccoon for many months now and were hoping that someday we could have a sticker or a laptop cover or just anything with that little raccoon on it. My son likes him, too. He likes the way his ears reach beyond the circle and his right eye is larger than the other, so he looks as if he’s popping through a hole to come closer and peer at you. And now we have him - on a t-shirt!! Woohoo!
Oh, you have to go and give it a try! It’s a bit like Twitter with video but not nearly as fast. It’s a site where you can record (or upload) video and publish it, then have people respond to whatever you’ve posted. You can ask questions, start debates, host a show, whatever strikes your fancy. One member of Seesmic, Frieda Wolden, has posted thousands and thousands of videos, all of which she’s recorded while wearing a hat. Very nice woman. She makes me laugh.
Take just a moment or two and check out Seesmic. At the very least, watch the video (click here) that the Seesmic folks produced as the introduction to their site (on the landing page). It’s a hoot. Or, if you want to see that little raccoon in action, look at the intro to any of the Seismic du Jour shows (with Loic Le Meur, founder of Seesmic). In this episode, Loic and Freddy Mini of Netvibes tell you about a new Seesmic widget on Netvibes (that you can also put on your own blog).
If you don’t want to leave my site, you can just watch the video below to find out about how Facebook Connect will integrate Seesmic into Facebook:
The night before I was leaving for San Francisco to attend the BlogHer Conference, my kids broke down, urging me not to go or, better yet, to take them with me. They couldn’t bear the thought of my being away for so many days. They made the point that I had never been apart from them, so it was unbearable to even imagine. I expected them to miss me a little, but they’re responsible, confident kids. I didn’t expect a complete meltdown.
I wasn’t sure how to react. Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s always best to remain calm and resist any emotional reaction to anything our kids tell us. So I breathed deeply and just listened to them. I thought that if I just gave them a little time to share whatever they were feeling, they’d feel better. But the tears kept coming.
So I gave them hugs. And more hugs. And loads of sympathetic words.
I reminded them of other trips I took with some of my girlfriends. They quickly replied, “But those weren’t as long … and those were in the same state!”
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.
Accomplished author, food critic, and mother of three, Julie Halpert was my guest on Soapbox Radio - recorded live today.
Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she’s been a journalist for twenty years with articles in the New York Times , Newsweek , the Washington Post and many other publications. Halpert is currently teaching a course on environmental journalism at her alma mater, the University of Michigan (go blue!).
What’s she doing now? She’s touring the country to talk about her new book (which she co-authored with Deborah Carr, Ph.D.) and she made a stop on the Soapbox .
That’s what I kept thinking as I watched the chicken get more and more blackened. Well, one of the pieces of chicken. Curiously, the chicken on the other end of the grill was still pretty raw. What the…?!
Chicken on the Grill
I’ve said before that I consider myself a baker (that’s probably a mistake right there - why pigeonhole myself, right?). But, it’s true. I love to bake. I love looking through recipes for delicious desserts and then creating them as if they’re works of art and then, the best part of all, seeing the looks on the faces of friends and loved ones when they take that first bite. My success rate for my baked goods is pretty darn high.
Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake Drizzled with Fudge Sauce
But cooking?
Well, I feel like I get punched in the gut again…and again…and…
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.
Walking around the streets near Columbia University in Manhattan on a beautiful spring day, I stopped abruptly when I saw the sign. It said “Tom’s Restaurant” on one side of the building and “Restaurant” on the other. I stared for a moment or two, then grabbed the arm of another chaperone and said, “Wait. We have to stop. Do you recognize that place?” As soon as she saw it, she knew.
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.
