Month: December 2010

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Raising Mobile Device Kids

I would say our kids are plugged-in, but that’s not entirely true. Their favorite devices are not anchored to the way through some archaic power cord, no, their favorite devices are mobile (how 21st century, I know).

I’ve had an iPhone for just over a year, and I can honestly say it’s changed how I do a lot of things. I manage and organized shopping lists, check news and weather, and do crazy things like scour the IMDB all from my phone. I also now have a mobile gaming device on me at all times.

MaM and Jr have now discovered this. For about the past six months, they’ve had their own page on my phone, with games, stories and the Starbucks app (“Mommy, I like to make coffee drinks for you. That belongs on my page, not yours”).

When Ruckus Media Group offered to send me codes to redeem a bevy of apps from the iTunes store, I said yes. Ruckus has developed a collection of classic stories read by some of the world’s most famous voices. They are beautifully illustrated and they’ve kept MaM’s attention for many a grocery store checkout lane. My favorite, I think, is “Pecos Bill”, as told by Robin Williams. Anyone who likes Robin Williams vocal comedy will love this story. They are all available for sale in the iTunes store.

When I am actually using my phone (imagine that!), MaM and Jr have started to enjoy using the family’s new iPad. It was really BgK’s  birthday/Christmas gift, but he’s sharing. They were excited to see some of their iPhone favorites on the iPad, like Angry Birds. MaM was also excited when I told her that BOB Books had a game to play on the iPad.

I admit, I was a little geeked when Lynn, the author of the BOB Books, emailed me and offered to arrange a redemption code for me. I mean, I’ve listened to probably 100 children over the years learn to read as they work their way through the BOB Books. My own daughter carried her set of BOB books around for days, and read them aloud to anyone who would stop to listen.

The BOB Books app features the illustrations and the text from the set one books. It’s an interactive experience – beginning readers can manipulate the letters to make the words in the story and watch the characters jiggle. Making the three-letter phonetic words is a great way to reinforce phonics and the skills needed to sound out words. It’s a little easy for MaM now, but I bet that in about 18 months, Junior will be all over it.

Lest you think all they do is stare at screens all day, we mostly use these mobile distractions when we are waiting somewhere or in the car for a long trip.

All right, I’ve told you some of our new finds….what your favorite apps for kids?

Disclosure: Ruckus Media Group sent me redemption codes for several of their mobile iPhone apps. BOB Books sent me a redemption code for the mobile iPad app. The opinions on the apps are completely mine (and MaM’s).

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This Was the Year…..

That at some point, both children warmed up to the guy in red.

That I got over my fear of making sugar cookies.

That we trekked out on a snowy day to cut down our own Christmas tree.

That we made most of our Christmas ornaments (many with applesauce & cinnamon).

That both kids really like playing the snow, wherever we were.

That MaM was geeked to help with stamping the Christmas cards and wrapping gifts. She also got into hiding gifts for her dad and brother. “They’re in my dresser drawer, Mommy, because they won’t look there.”

This was the year…

That MaM explained Christmas to Junior through song, quoting “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” almost daily as Christmas approached.

That Junior became obsessed with The Grinch, and “his green hands!”

That we watched The Wizard of Oz together during a cold snowy night during the week before Christmas.

That I showed MaM what my Little People Dollhouse looked like when I was a girl, via gingerbread (part of this year’s display at Conner Prairie).

That we played in Jolly Days, and Celebration Crossing.

That MaM discovered Cole Porter during her “Mom and Dad” day during the week before Christmas.

That MaM got dressed up as an angel for the 4:30 Children’s Mass.

That the four of us took a second to take a family photo (we don’t do that often enough….perhaps a goal for 2011 in the making…).

Ah, it’s been a good long run, this Christmas Season.

Merry Christmas (a few days late) and Happy New Year,  Friends!

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The Best Gift I’ve Ever Given

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For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) , up to $125,000.

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When I saw the call to think back the the best gift I’ve ever given, I knew right away what I would write about. Just last month, BgK turned 40. He walked a marathon, had a luncheon, a family dinner, a family party and a lovely dinner at Navy Pier with me to celebrate. You might think that all of the celebrating might have overshadowed the gifts. It didn’t.

For years now, BgK has been getting me baubles and pretties at a jewelry store the kids call “the Pink Tower”. This year, for his 40th birthday, I decided that it was his turn to get present from the Pink Tower. He likes to wear a ring on his right hand, and the one that I got him years ago was getting worn and bent.

I picked out a manly celtic knot ring, and the salesman wrapped it up in their signature box and bag. When we went out for our family dinner, I kept the package hidden until we’d ordered. MaM was bursting to give him the dish she’d painted (to hold his rings), and he opened that first. He was delighted with her offering, and even took his rings off to see how they would fit.

Then I presented him with the box from “the Pink Tower”. It was kind of like one of those cheesy jewelry store commercials, he was shocked and excited at the same time. The ring wasn’t the right size, his size wasn’t in stock. It didn’t matter, he looked and admired and jumped out of his seat to give me a hug and a kiss. And for the rest of the evening, and the rest of the weekend, he randomly thanked me.

I knew he liked it, but I was watching to see what would happen next. He needed to get the ring sized, and I figured that would be the test of whether or not he really liked it. If the ring sat there for weeks, without getting sized, well then, so be it.

Monday night, which was the first chance he had to get to the jewelry store, and he went straight there.

The ring came in a week later, and he now wears it every day.

SCORE.

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