Dot Com Generation

"Mom, where's my iPod?" That is a question that my 2 1/2 year old frequently asks me. Now, it is actually my iPod but she is known to get into my purse, find it, unlock it, and proceed to play "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus repeatedly. She has learned to do this all by herself. I have not taught her to do any of that, nor have I encouraged that behavior. (I am constantly having to reset my icons after she moves them.)

Yesterday, we had to go to the grocery store and we went to a Kroger that we had never been to before. When we got out of the car, Paige pointed to the sign and asked me what it said. When I told her is was Kroger, she asked "Kroger dot com?" Both Paige and Hudson ask to watch their cartoons on PBS.com because that is what is said on the commercials.

If I tell Hudson that I don't have any money, he tells me to "use my card." We don't have a home phone and my children use the term "text" daily. Hudson navigates the computer better than some of the people that I work with. He even has a farm on Farmville on facebook. Hudson has already asked for a NintendoDS and I am dreading the day that he asks for a cell phone. (I actually know someone whose 10 year old has a Blackberry.) In our house, we have books that will read to our children, a computer, a laptop, 4 TV's (1 is a 50 inch plasma), 2 DVD players. a Blue Ray player, 2 DVR's, 2 cell phones, an MP3 player, an iPod, an XBox 360, Playstation 2 (or 3 - I don't know the difference,) surround sound, an iPod docking station, and I am sure there is more that I have forgotten about. Those are just the things we use on a regular basis. Trust me, I am not bragging. That list is actually embarrassing to me. How did we get all of that stuff? I am positive that none of it was "needed." And now, as my children are being more exposed to the outside world it will just get worse.

The other day when we were at Skyline for family night, I saw a table with 4 little girls at it. Their parents (2 sets of friends) were enjoying their "peace and quiet" at the next table over. All four of the girls were playing their NintendoDS's. They were not talking to each other or their parents. To be fair, the parents were probably thinking "This is awesome! We finally get to have an adult conversation without being interrupted with children fighting, etc." But what I was thinking was - "How sad is that? Their children aren't even taking advantage of the fact that they could talk about whatever they want without their parents listening!"

Now we can email gift certificates (which is convenient for when you forget some one's birthday) and apparently emailing Holiday cards is the new big thing. Although this is very good for the environment, it really takes all the fun out of getting the cards, doesn't it? I really like to hang them up, I don't just want to view them on the computer!

I am concerned about this "Dot Com Generation." Are we raising a generation of children that don't know how to interact with their peers? My nieces and nephews are constantly texting their friends during family time, I am not sure if they even use their cell phones to talk anymore. What about the use of facebook and MySpace? Although it is fun, it should not be a replacement for being with your friends in the flesh. I can't tell you how many times I have seen a group of teenagers at the mall, ALL with their headphones in their ears and iPods in their hands. What is the point of that? What kind of leaders are these kids going to be when they can't even walk with their peers without the distraction of music? As future teachers, doctors, police officers, how are they going to be able to interact with people everyday without saying OMG or LOL? Or is this the future of the English language? I certainly hope not.

I am all for progress, I promise. Just look at the list of all the crap I own and you can see that. I just hope that I am able to teach my kids that not only is all of that stuff a luxury but also to not become so wrapped up in it that they can't talk to their friends. I hope that all the technological advances that we have made in my lifetime and the lifetime of my children don't come back to bite us in the future. I don't want my kids to forget how to have a conversation with me and I certainly don't want my future grandchildren to text me "Merry Christmas" instead of coming to see me.

I am not sure what the right answer is. We can't halt technological advances and we can't keep our children from using them, lest we put them even further behind than the rest of the world is. Maybe we can just make an effort to actually TALK to our kids everyday and make sure they TALK to their friends instead of just texting or facebooking (I am not even sure that they use email to communicate - it strictly a forum for chain emails.) Maybe we can find a happy medium between technology and humanity.

P.S. I realize the irony in this post since I am using a blog to chronicle the lives of my children and my thoughts. I guess I am more into technology than I would like to admit!

If I Had A Time Machine...

If I had a time machine I would get in it right now and go back to that fateful day this summer where Travis and I were at Tire Discounters. The nice man behind the counter told me that I needed 4 new tires but Travis respectfully disagreed. He was positive that I could make do with the 3 that were already on there and the 1 new one. That nice man (I sure wish I could remember his name) told me that I would DEFINITELY need 3 new tires before winter. Somehow, that got put on the back burner.

Flash forward to today at 5:15 pm. I am on 71 N, mile 14. I am making really good time on my way home from work. I am super excited because I got out ahead of all the traffic and I will get to see the kids before they go to Sue's for the night. Then, my car starts to shake a little bit and is making a funny noise. Immediately I know what is wrong with my car. I have a flat tire. I pull to the side (the median, of course) and I have no emotions or thoughts. Travis is at home with the kids so he can not come rescue me and I don't even know if I have a spare tire! I finally figure out that I do, in fact, have a spare tire but I still don't have any way to change it. Travis is calling Chris to see if he can come help (that would be the 3rd time for Chris rescuing from the side of the road) but that would mean that I have to wait on the side of the road for probably close to an hour before he can get to me. I am cursing myself for being such a girl and never learning how to change a tire!

And then, my knight in shining armor shows up. Actually, it is a deputy sheriff in a cruiser, but whatever. He offers to change the tire for me (I am not sure if this is actually part of his job description or not but it should be.) Once I unload ALL THE CRAP that I keep in the back of my car and get the tire out, he commences with the changing of the tire. Now, obviously I have never changed a tire and have never even watched one being changed, but it seemed like he was having A LOT of trouble with it. I was standing on the side of 71, in 27 degree weather with no hat or scarf. I didn't know what to do. Should I help? Can I get in the car??

Finally, Officer Wade (my knight) said "You can go sit in the cruiser." Then he was REALLY my hero! So while he finished the job I go to sit in the super cool cruiser with the heat on! I had to really control myself not to touch anything. I have been in a police cruiser very few times in my life (only once in the back seat!) but I am positive that "visitors" are not supposed to touch the police equipment.

Finally I was back on the road again (about 35 minutes later.) And I am now safe at home. Here is the lesson - Ladies, learn how to change a tire, but more importantly when the nice man behind the counter tells you that you need new tires and you have the money to pay for them, GET THEM! As I can assure you, time machines do not exist!

Soccer Mom

Today I got to watch Hudson play soccer for the first time. Last week was his first game but I didn't get to watch because Paige had gymnastics. Soccer is an hour long and the first half an hour they do "warm up" which means stretching and they work on skills like ball control and such. The second half hour is the "game." The game consists of 4 players from each team playing on 1 quarter of the field. There is no real structure-just fun and getting familiar with the sport. Hudson is very excited to be playing.

He loves being on a team and wearing a uniform and making friends. He is a very enthusiastic player. That being said, he is less than aggressive. He runs back and forth with the herd of players but never gets in the middle. He waits til the ball is passed to him (albeit accidentally, there is little passing among 4 year olds.) He will not take the ball from anyone! I have always been extremely proud of how mild mannered he is but today I found myself yelling "GET THE BALL! TAKE THE BALL!!" I did manage to take the time to explain that you should never take the ball from your own teammate (he is on the Snickers team.) Although, most of the kids will not hesitate to steal the ball from their own team, I don't want him the become THAT aggressive. I am not sure how to get him to go after the ball. I am afraid he gets that from me.

Although I played sports when I was younger, I don't think I was ever categorized as aggressive. Travis is very aggressive when it comes to sports but I am not one for conflict. Travis would say that it is not conflict when you are talking about sports and I agree but there is something about jumping in the middle of an angry mob to get a rubber ball that I can just not make myself do. I would be interested in seeing Paige play soccer. I am sure that she would not hesitate to kick some kid in the shin to get a soccer ball. Well, I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there.

In the meantime, I am going to continue to bring out the aggressiveness in my beloved baby boy. I am not sure how to do this, but it is what every good soccer mom must do.

A Busy Week

It has been a super busy week for the Ellen's. Monday night I went to the hospital to wait for Zander Brady Robinson to be born. He made us wait for a long time (he wasn't born until 5:20 Tuesday night!) but he was well worth the wait. Jodi did amazing and so did Slayer. We are all very excited that he is finally here. Wednesday it was back to work for me but I had to work late (that is what I get for taking a vacation day) and I didn't get to see the kids that night. Thursday I had to take a test for work (very stressful!) and then go straight to my belly dancing class. I did not make it home in time to see the kids - again! I did sleep with Hudson though so that made me feel a little bit better. Today after work I met Trav and the kids at the grocery and then we had dinner together. Trav made pasghetti - delicious! Now the kids are having dessert (ice cream sundaes) and I finally get a few moments to think...

OK, moment is over. Tomorrow we have soccer (no gymnastics though) and then I am having lunch with my niece. Sunday I am taking the kids to meet their new cousin, Zander. I am so excited for that! I can't wait to hear what they say. This post was not as interesting as I would have liked after a whole week but I am working on some that I have high hopes for. We'll see how that goes!

Quick update - saying one nice thing to someone each day is a lot harder than you think. I am still working on it though. And, while my pants are still a little on the snug side, I am making slow but steady progress (although I ate a little too much pasghetti tonight.) I am, as they say, "a work in progress!"

Bedtime

I just put Paige to bed. Every night when she goes to bed she wants some one to "scrub" her toes. That means she sticks her foot through the slats of her crib and Travis or I lay in her floor and rub her toes. Tonight she said "You're tickling me." I said I was sorry and she said "That's OK, Mommy. You can tickle my toes." She is so sweet at bedtime (in the morning too!) We were listening to her music and she sang to me "I will catch you, I will catch you" over and over again. She told me I was her "special mommy." She uses her "special blanket" - the pink one that I bought for her when I was still pregnant with her.

Tomorrow night I get to put Hudson to bed. When Hudson goes to bed, Travis or I lay with him and watch a movie. He never wants us to leave. He loves to cuddle and play with my ponytail. I like to rub his soft belly but he always wants me to scratch his back. He says "down, down, down, down" until I get to his butt. He LOVES to have his butt scratched!

I love bedtime.

Blog Envy

I wish I were funnier. Or deeper. Or quirkier. Or smarter.

I have been perusing some other blogs to see what other people are writing about. Mostly they are the super smart, artsy, quirky folk that have read Tolstoy and frequent art galleries. They have random musings regarding the meaning of life, never eat at chain restaurants or shop at chain stores because they live in cities that have boutiques and super expensive locally owned restaurants that serve tiny portions of fancy food that has ingredients that I have never heard of. The only movies they watch are in black and white and have subtitles. They never shop at discount stores (but do "pop in" to thrift stores.)

Guess what? I am not that person. I have never read Tolstoy (and have no desire to do so.) Every once in a while we go to the Children's Museum but I don't think I have EVER been to an art gallery. I have a lot of random thoughts (I doubt they could be qualified as musings) and I am too lazy to care about the meaning of life. I eat fast food on a regular basis and am at Target every week. I want the most for my money when it comes to food (and everything else) and have NEVER watched a movie with subtitles. I LOVE discount stores and I do enjoy a shopping trip to Goodwill but that is not the same caliber as the aforementioned thrift store.

I enjoy Bud Light out of a can, shots of tequila (after several of the Bud Lights.) I like chicken wings and nachos. I cuss like a sailor and prefer to watch movies that are in "wide release." I do like to read but I am not interested in reading books that will require the use of cliff notes or a dictionary. Does this make me less of a blogger? I don't know. I am new to the world of blogging. I still have a lot of thoughts, a lot of them I think are funny. I am not sure that I am the blogging type, but you know what? I don't care! I am enjoying myself writing this. I have been thinking of new blogs through out the week that I can not wait to write. I may not be quirky but I am probably a little weird and I think that is good enough for a blog!

Nastics

Paige had her first gymnastics class today. She loved it! We were late (of course) so we missed "circle time" but she jumped right in after we did get there. She learned how to do a donkey kick and a pike. She got to hang on the rings and jump in the block pit (a pit with a trampoline on the bottom with foam blocks in it.) She even walked on the balance beam (I held her hand.) She was most interested in the class of older girls learning how to do vaults but I assured her she could do that when she was older. After class she got a stamp and a coloring sheet. She hasn't made any friends yet, but I am sure she will soon. Paige is already looking forward to next week!

By the way, we went to get her a leotard so that she would fit in with the other kids and I was even going to buy her a warm up suit because I figured she would be the only one that didn't have one. I was wrong. She was the only one with a leotard. All the other kids were wearing regular clothes. Oh well, live and learn.

My Pants are Too Tight!

Before I had my children, I was about 30 lbs heavier than I am now. I have managed to keep the weight off for 2 years. I have done well, denying myself all kinds of pleasures. I have been to baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, parties, etc only allowing myself to eat from the vegetable or fruit tray. I have changed my eating habits completely, skipping countless meals when I had overindulged prior, giving up meat, cheese, mayo, ranch dressing and french fries. I no longer drink regular soda, opting not to drink my calories (except when alcohol is involved.) I planned my meals and snacks, eating at home BEFORE going to a party where there may be delicious foods to tempt me. I kept this up for 2 solid years, slipping only occasionally and only when planned. That is until Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was a free for all. The Ellen Clan went to the lake. Travis, the kids and I went down a few days early so we could go to Nashville and spend some quality time together. Along with quality time with the family, I got some serious quality time with food. I ate, ate and ate and then I ate some more.

Since that weekend, EVERY SINGLE MONDAY I say "It's time to get serious. This has to end or you'll end up the same way you were before." By Monday night, I am eating corn dogs, macaroni and cheese and french fries with mayo and BBQ sauce. Where has my self control gone? Where did the skinny girl run off to? I'll tell you where - she's at Skyline! She is picking the leftover cheese off of her children's plates, sneaking drinks of the chocolate milk, and saying "just one more bite, how much damage can it do?" I'll tell you how much damage it can do- MY PANTS ARE TOO TIGHT!!! I can't believe it, I am on that path again. Soon I'll be out eating my husband again and some one will ask me when my baby is due because my belly is hanging OVER my pants. I have to get control of myself. I have to dig down deep and JUST SAY NO! How hard can it be? I did it before, I can do it again, right?

We will see how hard it is going to be. This time I am going to do it. I am sticking to my guns. Please keep all delicious foods away from me. I don't want to see any chocolate, cookies, anything deep fried or covered with cheese, no dipping sauces, ice cream, chips and for goodness sake, NO NACHOS!

I will let you know when my pants fit again...

An Absent Mother

I've been up since 3:30 this morning. The case of food poisoning that I thought I had turned out to be the stomach flu and Hudson got it. Poor Buddy. He looked at me while leaning over the toilet and said "Mommy, what's wrong with me?" If that doesn't break your heart, I don't know what will. I, of course, had to work so Trav was left in charge. They were all fine and Hudson is feeling much better now but I can't shake the feeling that I have somehow failed my child by going to work instead of being with him. As you can imagine, I had less than a good day. I am sure that Travis does not want me to feel guilty and I would imagine that most (or all) working mothers would agree with him,, but still - a mother should be with her child when he is sick. I am terrified that Paige will be the next victim of not only the stomach flu but also an absent mother.

My First Post!

I have been kicking around the idea of starting a blog for a while now. I spend all day on the computer at work (and can't access any good websites - damn the man!) so when I get home I rarely want to get on here. I used to do myspace (but that is so 2006) and am on facebook less than sporadically but still, the idea appealed to me. I like the idea of sharing my thoughts (there are a lot!) with the people that I love and anyone who cares to listen. Whenever I tell my mom a "cute kid story" she always says - "You better write that down!" Alas, I never do. I want to be able to tell my kids all the awesome things that they say to me and how much they make me laugh every day. I want to use this site so that all the people that love them can be a part of their lives even if I don't get to talk to them everyday. I am recording my life and theirs for posterity - I hope. If you are reading this, I hope you enjoy it. If you are not enjoying it, please don't read it anymore. I am only accepting positive feedback!

I hope to blog a couple of times a week. That is high hopes for me. I am not a great finisher of things. I will put it on my list of resolutions for this year. I did not complete last years list... Here is the LIST for this year. Maybe if I post it for the world, I can be held more accountable? We'll see!

1. Have "Mommy and Daddy time" once a week
2. Learn how to knit
3. Write a children's book
4. Say something nice to at least one person a day
5. Blog once a week - not at the same time as the Mommy and Daddy time!

So, for Rick's sake, I will try to keep the run on sentences, grammatical errors and misspellings to a minimum BUT this falls under the category of "free art" which means that anything goes. If you see a mistake, I meant for it to be that way. I have been a little bit rambly today, but hey! this is my first one. I am very excited about this and hope that this brings a smile to your face because it did to mine!

A couple things to remember as you continue on your week...

1. People can only be expected to have so much self control
and
2. Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans

Peace, Love and Harmony,
Lynsey