Kids These Days

I've just been thinking lately about how kids these days have such easy access to technology and media.  And because of how easy it is to access these things, how so so so many people do indulge themselves.  These are just the times that we live in. 

This here is my niece. She's four. She's easily one of my very favorite human beings. Since she was two or so, she knew better than her dear Auntie how to navigate Grandma's "purple phone" AKA my mom's iPod touch. (Sidenote: My niece came up with that name herself. Porque it has a purple case, I'm quite sure.) A year ago, playing with Primary song sing-along apps and using YouTube to find princess videos were among some of her favorite activities on Grandma's Purple Phone. I'm still not over how amazing that is. 

(Grandma even put Tangled on the Purple Phone for her. What a privileged child.)

That being said--what will life be like for our children? Especially considering the rate at which technology advances, I wonder what the norm will be for our preschool, grade school, and high school aged children in comparison to what the norm is now. I suspect laptops, tablets, iPhones, etc. aren't going to go away very easily. Are they just going to become even more widespread? How will that affect our children's interactions with friends and peers?

I'm just dying really excited to find out.

Literally Therapeutic

There's something so great, so therapeutic for me in attending concerts and shows.

Last week, I had the pleasure of seeing Geographer and Freelance Whales, two of only some of my favorites.  I had been pretty stressed that day. So much so, that there was debate of whether or not it would be a good idea to even go. Within minutes of hearing the first song, however, every little stress that I had accumulated and held on to was gone. Literally in an instant. And that was only the beginning of a much needed stress-relieving experience.

My gift to you, if you haven't already had the pleasure (Geographer, acoustic-style):