Technology

This evening our kids school was holding a meeting to raise money for Technology.  I have to be honest, I wouldn't have gone if Josh Jr. hadn't had to be there.  Josh Jr's teacher was in charge of the whole shindig, and she had her whole class there to help present things.  So I went...

First I have to say that I think Josh Jr. and his class mates did a fantastic job on all their presentations.  They are just fifth graders, but they had many different presentations on the computer to so how they can use technology.   I walked away thinking that Josh and I SHOULD donate to the school for the technology lab they are hoping to update.  But I also have to ask...  When is it to much technology?

Josh Jr's class is one of three or four that is trying out a system that allows the teacher to talk into a small microphone hung around her neck.  And hie class is adapted with surround sound.  There are speakers hung around his room so that all the kids can here what the teacher is saying through the microphone.  They also made it a point to let us know tonight that the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes all have 52 inch monitor hung in their room and that the teachers computer is connected to these screens, and she can show them their work and other things on these screens.  And this is where I have to ask, WHY?  Do they really need 52 inch monitor.  Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade only have 42 inch...  And this seemed to be a problem.  So my question tonight is... When is it too much technology?

Chores!

We all had chores growing up.  We all did chores.  But I don't remember when I learned them.  I just remember doing them.  And I didn't talk back about having to do them or complain when I had to re-do something I hadn't done right (at least I don't remember complaining or talking back).  So how do you teach your kids how to do chores???  And not complain about doing chores???  With out a lot of yelling :)

Too tired to think tonight, so here are some fun pictures!

Bob - Not my brother

My oldest has taught his sisters something fun.  He drew a stick figure on the palm of his hand (OK this was a couple months back) and he drew a big messy blob on his other palm.  He also had different letters on his fingers, but I don't remember what they where, I think it was T-H-I-S.  Any ways he came home from school like this a couple of months ago and showed me and the other kids a "fun" saying that goes with the drawings... 

Now months later his little sister are still drawing on themselves and showing me "Bob"...

One hand with stick figure...  "This is Bob!  Bob says hi!"
smash hands together
Other hand with big messy blob on it...  "This is Bob when a car goes by!"

Love seeing a smashed "Bob" on my three year old's hands!

Do you want to play basketball???

Tonight Josh and I took the four girls to a JV basketball game.  Brooklyn was cheering during half time again.  Josh made a comment that it was hard to watch the cheerleading, because he loves to watch basketball...  He later stated that he couldn't watch the game because of how bad the home team was doing though...  anyways...  I told Josh he had better hope for one of his girls to play basketball.  I then turned to Savannah and asked "do you want to play Basketball?"  Her reply... "No, I want to cheerlead!"  Sorry Josh :)

Day Two!

Josh Jr. and Catalina
playing the Wii

It was another snow day today.  And Josh stayed home again today.  YAY!!!  And maybe it was because Josh was home, or maybe my kids just needed a break from school, but these last two days have been very nice.  We have spent a lot of time together as a family playing games and watching movies, and it has been so nice!  In fact I think Josh should find a way to become independently wealthy so that he can stay home most every day :)



Josh Jr. and Savannah playing the Wii
(Catalina took this picture)



Ben's turn to play the Wii
(another Catalina picture)

The girls putting on a fashion show!

The Day After Tomorrow!

I love that movie.  I even thought about watching it today.  I thought it was fitting for a day like today. However today maybe a little too much like the movie...



Right lower corner of Front door



We bought our house 11 months ago today!  It is almost crazy to think it has almost been a year.  Time goes way to fast...  But back to our house.  When we first moved into our house I thought it seemed very well insulated.  But with today being the first REAL cold day we have had in the house, well we learned differently...



Door hinge on front door



We have noticed over the few months in the house that certain areas of the house seem to be colder at different times.  One place that seems to always be cooler than the rest of the house would be the office.  In fact we have put up some extra insulation in the front window a couple of weeks ago to help with the cold.  And it has helped, some.  But with it being Extra cold today I thought that maybe we should add a blanket to the window.  Josh,  being the great husband that he is, hung a blanket up for me this morning.  It was while he was hanging the blanket that he decided that they must have slacked on the insulation on the front wall of our house.  He showed me how you could feel the difference in temperature on the front wall in our office verses the side wall.  And you could!  Really crazy!  And crappy!  It was then that I noticed a small problem with our front door.  And that is why I feel like it is a little to close to "The Day After Tomorrow" for me...



The roof/wall
above the front door.





We have ice on almost all of the windows... the inside side of those windows!  And we have frost on the front door, and icicles on the walls!  Crazy!  Thank goodness Josh was home today to do some insulating for us!



The left lower corner
of the Front door