Studio3Music Blog

Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

Mar
27

Episode 2: “Revenge of the Geeks”

Posted in Family, Product reviews, Things to do, Things We Love

In a neighborhood far far away, on the planet Google Earth, lived a family of Geeks (see Episode 1) belonging to the Nerd Class (we’ll get to that in a minute). It was a time of rebellion where the Geeks waged war on all that the Nerds had presented as entertainment declaring an upgrade of family values. Their anti-app battle cries filled Google Sky, catching the attention of the Toy and Game industry. Plastic toys with batteries were soon replaced by wooden toys that required imagination and fine/gross motor manipulation. An appreciation for the arts emerged inspiring a bard rising from the days of old, creating true artists, musicians, and writers.

Clusters of Geeks began meeting in homes to celebrate an age-old practice that humans for thousands of years have enjoyed – games. The type any techie neophyte or old school Nerd would applaud.

If you feel your inner-Geek resonating with the power of the not-so-dark side, here are a few recommendations from the Austrian game industry, a must for any who pride themselves in Geekdom. To be acknowledged by any in the Gamer Brotherhood (where you get a +5 speech craft for bragging rights), your game closet should include a game with an Austrian Game of the Year Award noted from the official Wiener Spiele Akademie (Austrian Game Academy), which is similar to our Academy Awards (no joke).

Here are a few academy winners from Wiener Spiele Akademie (you might be surprised by a few that are familiar):

Spiele des Jahres (“Game of the Year”)

1995 – Settlers of Catan

2001 – Carcassonne

2004 – Ticket to Ride

2009 – Dominion

The Academy also has winners for family games, children’s games, multi-player games, two-player games…games for wizards, games for elves, games for space cowboys, games for those who like to wear capes simply because capes are cool (hey, don’t knock LARPers, where would Renaissance Fairs and Highland Games be without them!…Nerds, you’ll have to use your apps to find out what a LARPer is, teehee!). There are also games awarded by the Golden Geek Award and other various academy spin-offs which you can search and review at Board Game Geeks.

Most “Game of the Year” award winners are great for elementary age children as well. The family of Geeks who live in a neighborhood far far away, have 7 and 9 year old boys who are Padawan gamers one day hoping to belong to the Jedi Knights of the Gamer Brotherhood, like their mommy and daddy. Their favorite right now is Carcassonne followed closely by Dominion.

Other note worthy games celebrated in the Gamer Brotherhood include:

“Munchkin”, a fabulous game poking fun at Dungeon and Dragon based RPG’s (and the only way you’ll get to wear Boots of Kick-Ass and get away with it); “Forbidden Island”, where players work together to retrieve artifacts before an island sinks into the abyss (go Indiana Jones style Team Spirit!); “Citidels” a layered game where each round players are secretively a thief, assassin, the king, architect and other characters all using their skills to build the biggest city (get the expansion and play the king and your friends will have to say “Your Excellency” when addressing you or forfeit their turn); and “Pandemic”, another cooperative style game where players try to eradicate disease from claiming all of mankind (hmmm….was this inspired by Stephen King’s “The Stand”?).

-posted by Miss Jesikah, who would like to thank The Academy for bringing the Glory Days of Geek Gaming back to her home. Do you have Spiele des Jahres games in your closet?

Tags: Miss Jesikah, Things to do

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Mar
21

Understanding Your Child (Boring title, important idea.)

Posted in Child Development, Education, Family, parenting

I’ll be right up front and tell you that tell you that I don’t pretend to understand your children. Seriously, I have three of my own. All complete opposites. I have enough to do, thank you very much, without worrying about your kids.

Don’t believe that? Okay. Truth be told – I’m a teacher through and through. I strive to appreciate every child I work with, and if you ask me about your child, (as some of you have), I’m happy to give you my observations. I really do want you help you be successful in the art of parenting.

I can also share what I’ve learned about how to really get to know them. And why would you want to get to know them? Besides the obvious fact that you like your children, of course! Your children are born with unique personalities, skills, gifts, talents, learning styles, and characteristics. It’s our job as parents to support our children as they mature.

Understanding your child will assist you to guiding them as they grow. For instance, knowing your child’s learning style (In order to understand concepts, do they need to see it, hear it, or do it?) will tell you how to help them with learning to read, tell time, or grasp their addition facts.

Children arrive with some prewiring. I don’t mean that they can’t change and grow, but they aren’t blank slates, either. How my 3 children behaved in utero was how they acted after they arrived on the outside. One was a poker – he’s 13 and he still “pokes” at me verbally if he wants my attention. One was a roller – I looked like a pregnant Sigourney Weaver from the movie Alien. He still is a whole body mover. He needs to move to learn. He moves when things get emotionally difficult to deal with. He rolls on the floor a few times in the middle of a particularly intense violin lesson, and then gets up and is ready to work again. My two boys will always be pokers and rollers.

The best way to understand your children is to simply observe them. Playing, working, sleeping, eating. What are the character traits that continually show themselves? Are they introverted or extroverted? What are their favorite activities? Those things are your child’s “normal”. Most of the time, your child’s “normal” is perfectly okay. And you need to be okay with it, too.

You don’t like going to the zoo every weekend, but your daughter begs, rain or shine? Think about what clues that gives you. Nurture that love of nature. If you don’t want to go to the zoo again, find new museums, take a field trip to the vet’s office, check out library books about reptiles for your visual learner. Get a pet for your “doer” to take care of.

Want to get to know someone? Ask a lot of questions! So, ask your child open-ended questions. (Those questions that require more than a yes or no answer.) Instead of asking your child who they played with in school, ask them what they played.

Miss Allison (a great observer of children) gave me some more ideas to pass along to you:

When you read a book to them ask them what their favorite part was… who their favorite character was…

Have a verbal child tell you a story. You’ll discover a lot about what they think about, and feel, are scared of… wishing for…

Watch how they play with small pretend play manipulatives: people toys (like action figures and Polly Pocket type things) and anthropomorphized animal toys, too, plastic animals or dinosaurs, small stuffed animals. Large motor pretend play is usually done with other children, but small motor pretend play is often done alone, so you only see what your child is interested in rather than what they are willing to compromise on.

Pay attention to the skill sets that confuse them or make them frustrated. Those activities are pointing you toward the areas the child isn’t as comfortable with, may be stuck with, or toward personality traits such as perfectionist, or short tempered.

Make a point of playing with your child in different areas of development. Do a puzzle one day, take a nature hike the next. Ride bikes, or work on pedaling, build with blocks, color and do a craft, sing a song, tell a story so that you can see where your child is gifted, where they struggle and most importantly, where they are growing and where they are not growing.

With lots of observation and interaction, you’ll have the knowledge of what tools and toys to provide, to assist them in reaching their next level of maturity.

-posted by Miss Analiisa, who sees so many of her sister’s and mother’s traits in her daughter that it’s more than a bit freaky.

Image: Naypong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tags: brain, learning, listening, Miss Allison, Miss Analiisa, parenting, physical development

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Mar
14

Bread, Brisket & Brew: St. Patrick’s Day Feasting

Posted in Bits and Pieces, Family, Recipes

I knew St. Patrick’s Day was coming when I spotted the corned beef laying in the meat case a few weeks ago. That piece of meat took me down memory lane. My mother regularly fixed corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day. One year green mashed potatoes appeared too. We giggled with glee. To think a drip of green food coloring could make such a lasting childhood memory.

I’m planning on fixing some green mashed potatoes for my family this year—to carry on the tradition. I’ve also found some recipes to accompany my green spuds: Irish Soda bread and Corned Beef and Cabbage. I’ve included a recipe for Guinness Irish Stew for those who don’t care for corned beef and who must have some beer on the menu for it to really be St. Patrick’s Day.

Irish Soda Bread
4 c. flour
4 T white sugar
1 t baking soda
1 T baking powder
½ t salt
½ c butter
1 c buttermilk
1 egg
¼ c butter, melted
¼ c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease baking sheet. Mix dry ingredients. Add 1 c buttermilk and 1 egg. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Knead slightly. Form into round loaf. With a sharp knife, lightly cut a cross into the top. Combine melted butter and ¼ c. buttermilk. Brush loaf with mixture. Bake 30-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. If desired, keep brushing loaf with butter mixture throughout baking process.

Irish Boiled Dinner (Corned Beef & Cabbage)
1- 5 ½ pound corned beef brisket
2 lg. onions
15 small white (Irish) potatoes
10 carrots
2 heads of cabbage

Rinse brisket, place in large pot. Add water to cover. Peel onions, place in pot with roast. Bring to a boil. Cook 30 minutes at rolling boil. Reduce heat, simmer covered for 3 ½ house.

Remove onions and cut into wedges. Return to the pot. Add carrots and place cabbage over meat. Place potatoes on top of cabbage. Cook covered for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove veggies and put in serving bowl. Slice corned beef and serve.

Guinness Irish Stew
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t salt
½ t ground black pepper
2 lbs. beef stew meat
3 c. stout beer (Guinness)
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 potatoes peeled and quartered
Salt/pepper to taste

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 hours

Hope your St. Patrick’s Day is a memorable culinary adventure!

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who thinks a Reuben sandwich would taste really good right now.

Tags: Donna Detweiler, recipes

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Mar
11

Flying The Not So Kid-Friendly Skies

Posted in Bits and Pieces, Family

Let me start off by saying, I’m not a person who rants about the pitfalls of corporate America and big business. Being a working mom of two, I’m too busy to write angry letters or wait on hold for nine million hours to speak to a supervisor. Not that I’m complacent. I simply stop patronizing businesses that are tyrants. After the most horrific travel experience I’ve ever had, I had to share this story. Parents, read, learn from my mistakes and let’s UNITE!

Last week I took a trip with my two children (Jude 2 and Giana 5 years) from Seattle to Columbus. It was my first time flying with the two kids by myself and granted, I was a little nervous, but was ready to brave it in order to see my family. The airline told me that because our flight was full, they could not seat us together. I told them that was fine. I would happily sip on a cup of joe and read my paperback (The Hunger Games… People… Amazing, but that’s a whole other blog) while other passengers supervise my 2 and 5 year old. They would have six very unhappy passengers, and I won’t be one of them. That seemed to get their ear, and we were switched to be next to each other.

What I thought our plane trip was going to be like.

I thought that was the end of our worries. After our second flight, after a nine-hour travel day we arrived in Ohio. Considering I needed a sherpa to help us with our carry on bags, we let all the passengers off the plane ahead of us. I sent 5-year old Giana to the door and told her to wait for Jude and me. The flight attendant all but pushed her out on to the noisy dark tarmac and told her to “hurry before they close the doors.” I told this woman she was obviously terrified and to “back off.” I thought that was it. We’re here, with my family, the worst is over. I had no idea how much worse it could get until our return flight.

On the day of our return (2/28), our flight was canceled. I immediately called and was booked on a flight through Denver the next day. It wasn’t until I saw the confirmation email that I realized the agent had booked me on MARCH 29, rather than February 29. Ahh, that pesky leap year. Again I called the airline. I held and I held until a human admitted it was a computer error and rescheduled me for the following day. Again, they could not reserve seats together for us.

My children and I got to the airport, begged passengers to switch seats with us so we could sit together, and were told that our original plane had been given to the D.C. crew, and that our flight was now waiting on repairs. I knew we would miss our connection and the gate agent told me that we would be put on top priority for standby in Denver. I asked him what would happen if we didn’t get on the next flight, and he said we would be rolled over to the following flights and that there were 4 other flights to Seattle that day.

What he neglected to tell me was that 3 of them stopped in San Francisco and we could be kicked off the plane there if there wasn’t room for us. I didn’t find that out until I was already in Denver. I would have stayed another day in Columbus if I knew there was a chance that I would be stranded in the Denver airport with my two small children, limited diapers, and a two year-old with explosive diarrhea for TEN AND A HALF HOURS!

When I finally realized that we weren’t getting on the first standby flight to Seattle. I went back to customer service where I had previously been told that I would be provided a hotel room. Only then did I find out that our luggage had been sent on. With limited diapers and no extra clothes, we had no choice but to rally until the 9:45 flight. By the time we got home we had been up for 22 hours. Did I mention my children are 2 and 5? You can imagine what a nightmare that was.

Giana demonstrating how we are going to fly next time (if there is a next time) - by private plane!

A list of my saving graces:

My daughter (who can be semi-challenging) was amazing. She stepped up and was an incredible helper.
The book Shiny Dinah. I read it a million times and that train never let me down
Our portable DVD player is awesome, as is Yo Gabba Gabba, The Wiggles and various Disney friends.
There was a New Belgian Brewery in Terminal 2. Kids got dinner, Mama got a beer.
The Family Bathroom. We spent so much time in there, I should have set up a cot and put the kids to bed.

List of things I learned:

Pack a million and twelve diapers, 9 gazillion wipes and 90 changes of clothes.
When you realize there is a possibility you can be stranded, have the airline pull your luggage while you wait.
Call the airline you’re flying. Ask if they are kid-friendly and what that means to them.
Two words… Road trip.

Here is a New York Times article on this very subject. I know I’m not the only parent that has gone through something like this. I understand airlines are businesses that cater to several different types of customers. I get it. What I don’t get is, why offer a service to parents and then leave us in the dust? Have one family-friendly flight a day. That way, passengers who don’t want kicking and screaming can choose a different flight and parents can commiserate, even help each other. Those could be the flights with the nice flight attendants who actually like children and everyone would be happy.

The solution: Studio3Airlines. Kindermusik classes on board. Flight attendants who give hugs and will snuggle your baby while you run to the small bathroom, guaranteed parent/toddler seating and thematic musical lessons to every city you fly to. BRILLIANT!

-posted by Miss Steph, who has become one with the Denver Airport.

Tags: Miss Steph, travel

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Feb
23

Taking Your Time (Tiger) by the Tail.

Posted in Bits and Pieces, Family

When you think of time management, what comes to mind? Schedule sheets? To-Do Lists? Calendars? Do you get excited or bored or stressed out at the thought of managing your time?

I’m on an exciting journey–revisiting the concept of time management in my current stage of life. As a single person with a full-time job, I felt in control of my time. I practiced moderate goal setting with good success. Then I got married and had kids. My scheduled life went out the window with colicky babies and I never really got it back.

But lately, I’ve sensed the need for help. As mom who is also a home school teacher and free-lance writer, my life has gotten increasingly more complicated. The need for time management has grown more acute. Hence, I’m researching the subject of time management, keeping in mind the complexity of my life. I’m not interested in some impractical, rigid schedule that drives me and my family nuts–and is a recipe for failure and guilt. I’m looking for ideas that bring peace to my life, promote creativity, and increase productivity.

Here’s what I’ve found so far.

Surprisingly, time management is primarily about making decisions. One writer said, “Life is a sequence of big and small choices. It is those choices that you really manage, not the flow of time.” No wonder time management is challenging for some of us. I don’t make decisions quickly or easily, perhaps because I always want to make the perfect decision.

What can help me determine more quickly which decision is best? This is where goal setting comes in.

“Many people have not spent enough time thinking about what they want from life. They haven’t set formal goals. Would you set out on a major journey with no real idea of your destination?”

If we’re honest, many of us would admit we’re frantically traveling to who-knows-where!

“Success is knowing what you want and then directing action towards it.”

And another old saying: “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”

I’m learning that I need to take time to think about where I’m going in the different areas of life that matter most to me; my marriage, my children’s schooling and character development, my spiritual life and professional growth for example. I need to figure out what I’m shooting for.

It helped me to consider the concept of aiming. It takes quiet concentration. Your eye focuses on the target–something out in front of you. Your hand coordinates with the eye to put the target in its sights. After steadying the aim, you release power in the direction of the target. If the aim is good, the target is hit.

The aim of time management is to move me toward my goals. When I stop to aim, I consider the results of my actions ahead of time. I ask the worthy questions, “Is this really what I want to do?” “Will this make a positive difference in my life or the lives of those I love?” “Knowing I have limited energy to expend, is this goal worth the effort?”

“Goal setting is a process for thinking about your ideal future and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.”

I didn’t expect getting back into time management would lead me first and foremost into soul searching. Hardly the strait-jacket experience I nervously anticipated. I don’t mind a cup of coffee, a yellow pad and pen, and a couple hours of prayerful dreaming about I might like the future to hold for me and my loved ones.

I can already feel the calming benefit of attempting to take my time by the tail.

Posted by Donna Detweiler who found inspiration and the above quotes at mindtools.com, time-management-guide.com, and asianefficiency.com.