Absolutely Laughable

Raina had an expected ring at the backdoor yesterday, post-Christmas. It was a bag with a box loosely wrapped in Christmas gift-wrapping as though some toddler had done it...or was it just someone who had undone the wrapping?

The blue bag with the blue wrapping paper seemed at once inviting. So, rather than unwrap it for Raina, I let her have a go and what was inside made her eyes sparkle like brown diamonds reflecting sunlight in water. It was a Laughtop. Even I was intrigued and so was Tiffany. So, I quickly took out my pliers and began ripping the plastic ties and cardboard covering off of the toddler-sized computer. It's a toy but small enough for Raina to tote in a backpack, or just carry with one little puggy hand.

It was about two minutes when Raina learned she had a video game console, or something like it, at her fingertips. I remember when my brother John and I had our first Nintendo game console. It was a 16-bit graphic supported game system, and not a BIT less exciting. We played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from sun-up to sundown. We were for a long time addicted until we had families, and our fake fantasy came crashing down around us. But, now I can pass along the fiendishly bad habit of starving the brain of really good education and leaving it the ravenous dogs of wasted time and idle hand and eye movement of videogaming combat.

JUST KIDDING!

Raina's Laughtop has four different sections of games all devoted to phonetic learning, but it would be a shame to allow her to fall prey to using it as soon as she wakes up, or right before she goes to sleep.

Technology isn't bad, it just should not drive the motive of living and be the focus of learning. She's still has much to learn, and from my lessons I can nip that wasted time to just 30 minutes per day. She loves the Laughtop because it's laughable!

The Two Parkers

Okay, so we're riding in the car. I'm sitting front passenger while Tiffany is driving, and for some reason we bring up the fact that Raina happens to be close two people with the same name: Parker.

I slowly (and carefully) explain to Raina that she knows to Parkers, to which she immediately says: "No, I don't!" When you hear Raina negate your arguments or any statements, valid or not, it is just the most hilarious time to have.

Let me get back to the story. We're riding along in the car coming from St. Louis city, and Tiffany and I are almost pleading to Raina that her grandfather Poppi's name is also Parker. In adddition to this, her closest friend is named Parker as well. The big difference is their age. So, we characterize them as "Little Parker" and "Big Parker."

Raina gathers the most stern, serious, stiff face that she has mustered in sheer dismay. She looks to the front of the car almost zoning out and she then says: "Is this a joke?"

To say the least, Tiffany and I were completely blown away by this statement. Tiffany said, and looked to me, "I didn't know she knew that phrase. Where did she learn that?" At a completel loss, I just stupidly shrug my shoulders, but we both decide the best expression of surprise is our laughter. We tell the story now as a nice dinner conversation or in passing with friends whom we visit, and Raina is there with us to back up the facts. She can recite her lines verbatim, she is good with words!

Is Raina an Astronaut?!

I remember the first three days of snowfall this month, about 8 days ago. She was dressed in her "Stay Puffed Marshallow"man suit. It's purple. A suit of chunked-up overall pants with a heart-shaped pocket front and center, and with a matching hooded winter coat. She's so adorable in that thing. All we'd need would be a circular, glass helmet and a silver backpack with purple boots. I guess we'll have to settle for the pink, Dora the Explorer boots (thanks Aria McMullin!).

She loved sledding down on the soft, powdery white snow on the borrowed sleds from the dorm closet. When Tiffany had been catching up on her sleep from the 60-70 hour workweeks of the 17-week fall semester, Raina and I would steal away to sled in the mornings on the small hill facing toward the soccer fields. At the point of the end of sliding down, Raina would purposely fall off the sled and roll around pretending to have lost control, only to quickly regain her true confidence and get up and grab the sled for another go-round. Or, is it "go-down?"

Speaking of great things and encouraging astronautical feats. Ever since, we learned of my parents plans to visit us at Christmas, Tiffany and Raina have been counting down the days until Barbara and Larry arrive. It's something that both constantly take much delight. They have been steadfast in remembering to count down each day, everyday until today, Sunday, December 23.

Only about three hours left until lift-off. Three, two, one.... FUN!!