Are iPhones replacing baby-sitters?

I ran across this great article about how many modern toddles are using iPhones easily and often for learning and entertainment. iPhone apps are tempting even to 3 year olds. Ironic as the first thing shouted when I get my children into the car isn't "shot-gun" but "can I have your phone?" Our youngest goes so far as to say that driving in the car without a phone to play with is too boring. Maybe we're entitling our 4 year old, or maybe something is changing in our culture.

My wife and I went for dinner the night before I read this article in Rockridge. The first thing we saw upon entering the restaurant was a 6 year-old-ish girl playing on an iPhone while the adults she was eating with enjoyed the dinner not-yet-half-eaten on their plates, while the child's plate had already been cleaned off. Maybe it's irony, maybe it's confirmation of changes in and around us.

Keepin it Real with the Kids
Free Admission to Museums
September 27, 2008
Museum Day

Saturday, September 27th is Museum Day 2008. Many museums across the country will let you and your family in for free. You have to download and present the Museum Day Pass Card which you can get online HERE and also read more about the day and how it works.

Here are some of the Bay Area Museums that are honoring the card on the 27th:

East Bay:
Chabot Space & Science Center -- Oakland
Berkeley Art Center -- Berkeley
Bedford Gallery -- Walnut Creek
Lindsay Wildlife Museum -- Walnut Creek
Blackhawk Museum -- Danville

San Francisco:
Exploratorium
Museum of Craft and Folk Art
Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD)
SF Camerawork

Peninsula:
Peninsula Museum of Art -- Belmont

North Bay:
COPIA: American Center for Wine, Food & The Arts -- Napa

You can find links to each of the participating Museums on this page of the Museum Day Site.

I %$*& Crocs!

So I wrote about the new school shoes for daughter #1 we bought this past weekend. What I didn't tell you was that we also bought a new pair (again favorite color but no sparkles) for daughter #2.


Today I opened Newsweek and saw a hilarious response to a funny article that appeared in this week's Newsweek. "What a Croc of Shoes" tells of the backlash that the author Steve Tuttle has received since he expressed his hatred of all things croc in the August 11th issue "Make It Stop: The case for ending our long national nightmare against crocs".

Are they really that bad? I don't have a pair ... but I'd assume (not that I'm on a fashion driven reality show or anything) that they must still be somewhat "in" if Nordstrom sells them. What do you think? How do you fill in the blanks in the following sentence: "I %$*& Crocs!"

Parenting and Inclusive/Exclusive Communities

I had my girls with me today for the leadership of a worship service at a retreat and then for a hot date to California Pizza Kitchen in Walnut Creek.

While trying to lead a meaningful worship celebration my 2 girls climbed around the room on furniture, fighting over 1 of 12 pens on a table, crying over poked eyes, and writhing around on the floor singing songs while I stood trying to lead a community of folks in singing a different song. Stressed that they were bothering others, I tried to sneak directive comments to them in between the verses of the song I was leading on my guitar. It all failed. They sang, climbed, cried, and colored despite and with my best intentions. As we left someone said to me, "What? You're taking all the enthusiasm with you? What are we going to do?" What I feared as judgment, irritation or frustration was actually a community experience of acceptance, inclusion and grace. These folks not only welcomed but loved and appreciated my children for who they are.

We then headed off to our hot date at CPK. When seated after a short wait, I realized that we'd been exiled to the nether-regions of the kids only room. Tragically a young couple was seated near to us, and we were placed alongside 2 women who conveniently failed to hide their eye-rolls as we sat down. Within 10 minutes one daughter was sining, another was clicking her tongue incessantly, and one of the glasses of milk was upside down with its contents all over the carpet below our table. The 2 women made an audible noise of what I assume was irritation. The young couple tried to hide their laughter out of pity for me. The scene continued with chuckles and noises of irritation and consternation.

We left and I found myself wondering why I always insist on taking 2 kids under 6 out to dinner by myself? You'd think I'd learn, or at least be less clueless by now. I also reflected on the way back to Oakland on the 2 experiences of inclusion and exclusion. Thank god that hot date night at CPK isn't too often.

Do We Take Play Seriously?
i'm trying my best.

I'm off for a week of vacation. I heard about a great article in the NY Times Magazine today about play, how we do it, and asking if we do enough of it. Worth the read - even on vacation.

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