A year or so after my beautiful bride and I had our first child, the economies of scale required that we down size the motor pool from a pickup and two-door car (both were less than kid friendly) to a four door family sedan. About a year before our third child was born, the time came to upgrade to a larger vehicle. Of course I figured we should investigate your typical SUV. It was larger, four doors, and offer more cargo capacity than our four door family sedan. However the beautiful bride had her mind set on a minivan. So as in all good marriages, we compromised, and she got her minivan.
Recently I took said minivan into the shop for some warranty work, and received a four door family sedan as a loaner. The evening following receiving the loaner, we gathered our clan of five and headed out for a brief dinner outing. So we have three children in the backseat (one in a car seat), and almost immediately I realized why my beautiful bride prefers her minivan. In less than the five minute drive between our house and a local restaurant, there were complaints from the backseat. These complaints centered around "touching", "closeness", and general "annoyance". The revelation I received is that the one thing the minivan has over your average SUV is that of personal space. With three children, each can have their own seat that isn't necessarily directly adjacent to the other. This means that the arm span of a two year old isn't likely to come into direct contact with physical space of five or eight year old. With an SUV, obviously I'm talking about those without the third seat feature, these characteristics aren't available.
We have been rejoined with our minivan today, and it was never soon enough. I'm curious how my own parents managed my own set of siblings that numbered three for eight years. I can remember family vacations where we were sequestered in the backseat for hours with entertainment consisting only of reading, listening to our headphones, and of course doing those things which annoy each other. How we didn't kill each other or our parents tie us to the roof (yes it was threatened on more than one occasion) is beyond me. Yet we survived with minimal scaring. I'm not sure if this makes me smarter than my parents or less tolerant? Maybe there is truth in both statements.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Yes there is a Santa Claus
As a parent with children under the age of 8, I find myself ever watchful for those hints that might suggest there is no Santa Claus. For me, Santa represents the innocence of youth that we should cherish and protect. It confounds me the constant bombardment that children receive that there isn't a Santa Claus. Mind you, at the ripe age of nine or ten, I myself devouring the innocence of my little brother (5 years younger) with the candid comment that there wasn't a Santa Claus. What I did was cruel, and the lasting scares continue to haunt me to this day.
So now I'm ever watchful for suggestions, and more so amazed at the assaults children take to their innocence. It comes via television, from the pulpit at church, from their friends, from the newspapers and radio, the list continues. In many respects, the suggestions are done without thought or respect to the children that may be in the audience. I'd wish that there was some warning that these truth sayers would give, such as Vince Vaughn's character in the movie "Old School" when he tells his son "ear muffs" when he wants to drop curse words.
Recently I was talking with a co-worker who relayed an account that her grandchildren shared while eating out. Apparently her daughter and her grandchildren were out at a restaurant, when in walks an older couple. The older gentleman had a full white beard that caught the children's eyes. Enchanted with the older gentleman, the children continued to stare, and their mother quickly realized the object of their fascination resembled Ole Saint Nick. As chance would have it, the older gentleman was used to such attention, and after ordering rose from his table and approached the two young girls. He knelt down and began to inquire about whether they had been "good" this year. For several minutes the gentleman engaged the children in brief Q&A session. As the gentleman's food was delivered to his table, he excused himself offering his appreciation to the children and the cookies that they had left him the previous season. The girls were amazed that Santa was vacationing in their city, and the encounter was retold countless times with everyone they saw for weeks on end.
As my co-worker finished the story, we both agreed that this is what we considered appropriate in shielding our children from the cruelties that target our children's innocence. The older gentleman didn't have to play along, but thankfully he did. Thankfully he recognize that these little girls posed an opportunity to reassure parents and children alike, that innocence and belief are things that should be cultivated and nurtured. Our children will know soon enough that this world is filled with things that will hurt and crush them.
In book "The Polar Express" this idea of believing is represented in ability to hear a sleigh bell. I recall the final passage of this book in which the protagonist explains that in time the bell goes silent for some, but even as an older man, the bell continues to ring for him. My hope is that for as long as possible, my children continue to hear the bell. That they continue to hold fast to the innocence of their youth. They grow up fast enough, and I do them and myself a disservice if I expedite the loss of their innocence.
So now I'm ever watchful for suggestions, and more so amazed at the assaults children take to their innocence. It comes via television, from the pulpit at church, from their friends, from the newspapers and radio, the list continues. In many respects, the suggestions are done without thought or respect to the children that may be in the audience. I'd wish that there was some warning that these truth sayers would give, such as Vince Vaughn's character in the movie "Old School" when he tells his son "ear muffs" when he wants to drop curse words.
Recently I was talking with a co-worker who relayed an account that her grandchildren shared while eating out. Apparently her daughter and her grandchildren were out at a restaurant, when in walks an older couple. The older gentleman had a full white beard that caught the children's eyes. Enchanted with the older gentleman, the children continued to stare, and their mother quickly realized the object of their fascination resembled Ole Saint Nick. As chance would have it, the older gentleman was used to such attention, and after ordering rose from his table and approached the two young girls. He knelt down and began to inquire about whether they had been "good" this year. For several minutes the gentleman engaged the children in brief Q&A session. As the gentleman's food was delivered to his table, he excused himself offering his appreciation to the children and the cookies that they had left him the previous season. The girls were amazed that Santa was vacationing in their city, and the encounter was retold countless times with everyone they saw for weeks on end.
As my co-worker finished the story, we both agreed that this is what we considered appropriate in shielding our children from the cruelties that target our children's innocence. The older gentleman didn't have to play along, but thankfully he did. Thankfully he recognize that these little girls posed an opportunity to reassure parents and children alike, that innocence and belief are things that should be cultivated and nurtured. Our children will know soon enough that this world is filled with things that will hurt and crush them.
In book "The Polar Express" this idea of believing is represented in ability to hear a sleigh bell. I recall the final passage of this book in which the protagonist explains that in time the bell goes silent for some, but even as an older man, the bell continues to ring for him. My hope is that for as long as possible, my children continue to hear the bell. That they continue to hold fast to the innocence of their youth. They grow up fast enough, and I do them and myself a disservice if I expedite the loss of their innocence.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Children with the flu
This week my youngest (23 month old) came down with the flu. This little guy, who is normally a bundle of energy and excitement, woke up early one morning running a fever and just wanting to be held. At "doctor" mom's prompting, we scheduled an appointment with our physician after this scenario didn't subside after 24 hours. After ruling out common childhood illnesses such as ear infections, upper respiratory infection, etc we conducted the flu swab test and confirmed that this was the cause for the little one's problems. We apparently were the first "confirmed" case of the flu of the year for this office. Mind you, by days end, several other cases were identified by our doctor.
What I find curious is how the health care industry is currently focusing on the flu. When I was a child, the flu was just the common reference to the winter time illness where you run a fever and generally feel achy all over. There wasn't a flu vaccine, there was necessarily a "test" you could take to determine you had the flu, and the most common remedy was Tylenol and a couple days of rest. Today there are flu vaccines (at least most years), there is a swab test that doctors can do to confirm cases as the flu, and now there are specific medication that can be given to combat the sickness. Part of me marvels at the extent we've applied science to battle the flu. According to the Center for Disease Control, the seasonal flu impacts between 5 to 20% of the US population each year. The CDC also indicates that a person with the flu are considered contagious a day prior to the presence of symptoms and up to 5 days after becoming sick. Then there's the flu vaccine that takes two weeks before it takes affect.
With the advancements we've made in health care, there still exists much uncertainty related to flu prevention. Although we have flu vaccines, these are only effective when the vaccine is a close "match" to the strain of flu that one is exposed to. So even if a person gets vaccinated, there still exists the potential that they can come down with the flu. So the reality is that the vaccine doesn't necessarily prevent the flu, rather it increases the odds that you will not get the flu.
It's been four days since we've visited the doctor, and my little guy feels better. So far none of my other children have presented flu symptoms, thankfully. However, for myself, I think I've got a mild case. Thankfully I sound worse than I feel. Honestly, I'd prefer to be sick than have my 23 month old sick.
What I find curious is how the health care industry is currently focusing on the flu. When I was a child, the flu was just the common reference to the winter time illness where you run a fever and generally feel achy all over. There wasn't a flu vaccine, there was necessarily a "test" you could take to determine you had the flu, and the most common remedy was Tylenol and a couple days of rest. Today there are flu vaccines (at least most years), there is a swab test that doctors can do to confirm cases as the flu, and now there are specific medication that can be given to combat the sickness. Part of me marvels at the extent we've applied science to battle the flu. According to the Center for Disease Control, the seasonal flu impacts between 5 to 20% of the US population each year. The CDC also indicates that a person with the flu are considered contagious a day prior to the presence of symptoms and up to 5 days after becoming sick. Then there's the flu vaccine that takes two weeks before it takes affect.
With the advancements we've made in health care, there still exists much uncertainty related to flu prevention. Although we have flu vaccines, these are only effective when the vaccine is a close "match" to the strain of flu that one is exposed to. So even if a person gets vaccinated, there still exists the potential that they can come down with the flu. So the reality is that the vaccine doesn't necessarily prevent the flu, rather it increases the odds that you will not get the flu.
It's been four days since we've visited the doctor, and my little guy feels better. So far none of my other children have presented flu symptoms, thankfully. However, for myself, I think I've got a mild case. Thankfully I sound worse than I feel. Honestly, I'd prefer to be sick than have my 23 month old sick.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Surfing on your next road trip
I drove past a rest area along Interstate 20 today and I found myself doing a double take at the presence of this sign. My initial thought was that our fascination with being "online" at any time at any place, has taken another step forward. Out of curiosity, I began googling to find more information about this deployment of wireless hotspots.Apparently the Texas Department of Transportation began a project to make each of their 102 rest areas and traveler centers wireless internet enabled back in 2003. According to Byron Hicks, TxDoT Safety Rest Area Project Manager, three rationals influenced the decision to pursue this initiative. First, the free wireless service would improve highway safety by offering fatigued drivers an incentive to take a break. Second, the wireless service is a response to travelers who are accustom to internet access whenever and where ever they stop. Finally, there are more business travelers driving the state's highways.
According to a presentation to the 2004 National Safety Rest Area Conference, these wireless hotspots offer travelers two hours of free internet access. As I drove by the rest area earlier today, I will admit I wished I had my laptop in the vehicle so that I could try it out. Not fully understanding the marketing associated with rest areas, I am pretty impressed with the fact that wireless internet access is available at these locations. The fact that the service is "free" is all the more compelling, although I think it should say "free" on the sign to entice motorists to stop.
So if wireless internet service has broken into the rest area vertical market, what's next? I'm also curious how these wireless internet enable rest areas can compete with mobile data service offerings that are touted to work at highway speeds?
Sharing an opinion
So I've finally embarked into the realm of blog-ville. For over a year my bride has been blogging the exploits and adventures of our family. However, I have been reluctant to dive into this arena, simply because I'm not sure I could produce content that would be appealing and insightful enough that it would be worthy to be read by others. I've kept a journal since high school, but the intimacy of a journal is a far cry from the vulnerability of publishing thoughts in a venue that might be read by others. I have several friends that have engaged in the area of podcasting. One component that we discuss related to podcasting is the amount of content necessary to produce a single show. One friend is developing podcasts on the history of taylor county texas, and he indicated that it takes him several weeks of research just to pull together notes for a single show. Then there is the recording and editing process that typically takes three times of the actual run time.
So I guess all of this is to say that one of my goals with this medium is to be intentional with my posts. My intent is not to simple post needless dribble about the frustration associated with fielding questions from family members related to things such as which broadband service to subscribe to, which web browser to offers the most fulfilling experience, or whether they should drop their local phone service for a Voice over IP service.
For those who have dropped by, I welcome you to check back again.
So I guess all of this is to say that one of my goals with this medium is to be intentional with my posts. My intent is not to simple post needless dribble about the frustration associated with fielding questions from family members related to things such as which broadband service to subscribe to, which web browser to offers the most fulfilling experience, or whether they should drop their local phone service for a Voice over IP service.
For those who have dropped by, I welcome you to check back again.
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