I recently received Secret Science by Steve Spangler. I finally got some time to try out the Floating Ping-Pong Balls and Flying Toilet Paper experiment with Jackson and Charlie. They can barely say Bernoulli, but really got a kick out of floating balls and various toys with a leaf blower. We even go a Mr. Potato Head to float! They do not fully understand the principles, but it sure gets them excited about science and experiments.
I can’t wait for our next experiment.
My youngest son, Charlie, received the Imaginext Pirate Ship Toy from Grandma and Grampa Little for his 3rd birthday. Both Jack and Charlie love it. It is a great toy equipped with canons, gold, pirates (all with hooks on their right hands), skeleton pirates, swords (or “knifes” as they call them) and working sails.
Ever since Charlie’s birthday, we have been playing and talking like pirates. Charlie’s favorite sayings are:
“Arrrrrrrh Ladies”
“Yo ho ho ho ho ho”
I have even made some pirate funnies, but my sons do not seem to get my humor.
What’s a pirate’s favorite socks? Arrrrgyle.
What’s a pirate’s favorite restaurant? Arrrrrrby’s
To add some fuel to the fire tonight, I StumbledUpon the Pirate Encyclopedia.
Categories: Just For Fun · Parenting
The co-founder of Animoto was a featured guest on Net@night this week.
Animoto is a web application that automatically generates professionally produced videos using patent-pending Cinematic Artificial Intelligence technology and high-end motion design. Each video is a fully customized orchestration of user-selected images and music. Produced in widescreen format, Animoto videos have the visual energy of a music video and the emotional impact of a movie trailer.
It is soooo easy to use and produces unique, professional videos with just a few clicks. Try it for yourself, 30-second videos are free. Below is a video I created for my son’s first day of pre-school. It took me about 45 seconds to upload pictures and pick my music, the rest was VooDoo.
Categories: Art · Family · Parenting · Technology · Web 2.0
There are many metaphors explaining how to balance family, work and life. The one I like the best is discussed the article, Balacing Family and Work.
It helps to think of our responsibilities as glass balls and rubber balls. Family and work responsibilities are like glass balls while many of our other responsibilities are more like rubber balls. A juggler would never want to drop a glass ball because it would surely break. But he would know that it’s not a disaster to drop a rubber ball. Rubber balls won’t break, and he can put one back into rotation after he’s had time to get everything moving again. For example, making after-school snacks for your children’s friends or doing the dishes are rubber balls. They can be dropped for a day or two as you juggle your glass balls. As deadlines for an important work project approaches – glass balls — you might pass some of the balls on to the next juggler instead of holding onto all of them yourself. Perhaps some emails – rubber balls — could wait a little longer than usual before you respond to them.
Categories: Motivation · Parenting · Productivity
Some words of wisdom from a Dumb Little Man. I hope that I can display these qualities and teach them to my children.
How do you define a successful life? Is it by how much money or stuff you have amassed, or is it by the legacy you leave behind? All too often we equate a successful life with material possessions. Yet, there are millions of people out there who lead successful, fulfilled lives who may be of modest means. They may not be rich in the financial sense, but they are rich in life and values.
For the 20 Qualities, read the Full Article.
Categories: Parenting · Religion · Think About It
Gever Tulley, founder of the Tinkering School, talks about our new wave of overprotected kids — and spells out 5 (and really, he’s got 6) dangerous things you should let your kids do. Allowing kids the freedom to explore, he says, will make them stronger and smarter and actually safer.This talk comes from TED University 2007, a pre-conference program where TEDsters share ideas.
Categories: Parenting
I am not sure which is more profound, but it is pretty obvious which is more moving…
Merlin Mann writes an EXCELLENT essay on Death and Underachievement: A Guide to Happiness in Work:
If we are to accept achievement as the vehicle to guide us through life, we must at least admit to ourselves that it’s a ferris wheel we’re riding and not a bullet train. I’m ready to make that admission. I say fuck this ride; let’s go eat cotton candy.
And a dying Professor’s last lecture:
Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch, who is dying from pancreatic cancer, gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. In his moving talk, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals.
Categories: Entertainment · Getting Things Done · Math · Parenting · Productivity · Science · Technology
I real interesting article on how to raise smart children, it looks like a good work ethic trumps “talent”.
The Secret to Raising Smart Kids
Our society worships talent, and many people assume that possessing superior intelligence or ability—along with confidence in that ability—is a recipe for success. In fact, however, more than 30 years of scientific investigation suggests that an overemphasis on intellect or talent leaves people vulnerable to failure, fearful of challenges and unwilling to remedy their shortcomings.
