Game...Set...Match!

The kids are currently enjoying tennis lessons at our local tennis center. This is Megan's first organized lesson, and Ben has taken several classes in the past. They both really enjoy it. It's a nice "winter" activity for them to do because they get to run around and be active...and it's all inside. Ben is actually in one of the slightly harder classes with 2nd and 3rd graders, and he seems to be doing just fine. I think the extra challenge will be good for him. His instructor and myself both agreed he was ready to move up to the next level. And as for Megan...she's having a blast. So right now our weeks are definitely busy...with Ben's climbing class on Mondays, Cub Scouts every other Tuesday, Megan's tennis class on Wednesdays, and Ben's tennis class on Sundays. Sounds confusing but we got everything under control (I think.) I played a lot of tennis as a kid, and it's neat to see the kids enjoying the sport.

The Pinewood Derby

Last night was our first experience with the Pinewood Derby. Jenny and I were surprised at how much of an "event" it was. It's definitely a big deal in the world of Cub Scouts. The way its run is each den has their own set of races. So the Tiger Cubs race each other, the Wolf den races each other, and so on. Then the place winners of those races compete against each other in the pack finals. So Ben got to race his red car against all the other boys in his den. Overall he was disappointed at how his car did. Most of the time his car came in 3rd, but he did manage to get a 2nd place finish one time. Going into the event I was worried Ben might get upset if his car didn't do well, and he did get a little sad at one point. But in the end he had a good time and he walked away with a nice ribbon. Anyway, we had a good time watching all the cars race, and we learned a lot of tips for our car next year. One of the races they have is the "sibling race," for all of the brothers and sisters of the scouts. Megan's purple and yellow "Princess" car was the only "girl car" in the race, so it was fun to watch her race against all the boys. She even got a 2nd place finish once. The evening was rather long (got home at 9:30) but we had fun. All in all I was proud of our effort. We built a cool car together and we learned a lot. This was our first time doing this and I think we did pretty good. For lots more pictures of the derby check out my scout blog.

Angry Birds & Tying Shoes

I came across an article this week titled "More Children Playing Angry Birds Than Learning To Tie Shoes." So since my kids love playing "Angry Birds" on my iPhone I felt compelled to read the article.
The focus of the article is a recent report released by internet security company AVG which focuses on the increasing impact of technology on early-childhood development. The study finds that 17% of 2-3 year olds, and 21% of 4-5 year olds are able to play with a smartphone application. On the flip side of that, only 10% of 3 year olds can tie their own shoes.
Now I fully admit I let my 3 and 6 year olds play games on my iPhone. I've downloaded several games that are aimed at their ages and skill levels, and they play the games just fine. I also admit that Ben just recently mastered tying his own shoes, and Megan is no where close. So does this mean I'm a bad parent and I'm focusing on the wrong thing? I don't think so.
I like the fact my kids have their hands on the latest technology (no pun intended.) Lots of kids their ages know how to play the Wii, Play Station, Smartphones, etc. It's pretty normal these days for small children to be "tech savvy." Just like TV, I think the iPhone is fine...in moderation of course.
And as for the whole "shoe tying thing," yes...maybe parents are focusing more on technology these days rather than basic skills. But I think the popular use of "velcro straps" on shoes is the culprit for kids learning to tie their shoes later. Our pediatrician told me recently she's seeing kids come in these days in the 3rd and 4th grade who still struggle to tie their shoes..thanks to the "velcro-strap" shoes they wear.
Anyway, thought this was an interesting subject.

At The Movies

TRUE GRIT - Written and directed by the Coen brothers, this is a remake of the classic 1969 western that starred John Wayne. In this modern version Jeff Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn, a bounty hunter hired by 14 year old Mattie Ross who wants her father's murderer captured and killed. Matt Damon plays LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger along for the ride who is after the same man for another crime. From there the movie takes many dark (and sometimes comedic) turns thanks to an expected strong screenplay. The performances here are top notch, and the pacing of the film is very western (slowly building with tension and ending with a violent climax.) Often times this movie reminded me of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, with its tension and mood. And much like NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN I would expect TRUE GRIT to receive a lot of Oscar buzz this week. Great movie.


THE EXPENDABLES - Written, directed, and starring Sylvester Stallone, this is a movie that celebrates the glory days of the 80's action movie. With an all-star cast of 80's action movie heroes, this is a throwback movie complete with lots of explosions, and plenty of bad one-liners. In the beginning this was like watching an inside joke, and I kind of appreciated it. Then after about an hour the joke got old and I found myself wanting it to end. I have to be honest, I wasn't that surprised I didn't like it, but I was hoping for a fun rental at least. Still though this is a goofy movie. Not really worth your time.


SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - Michael Cera plays Scott Pilgrim, a 20-something who plays in a rock band and dreams of dating the girl of his dreams. The twist is to win the heart of the girl he must first face her 7 ex-lovers...each of whom he must face in a battle to the death. This movie is based on the widely successful graphic novel series, so this movie has a strong cult base. The soundtrack is lively, and there's a vibe here that pays homage to 80's video games that I kind of dug. So there are definitely some entertaining elements here. What bothered me about this one is Michael Cera - has anyone else noticed he plays the same kind of role in every movie? I would have liked to see someone else in this role. Also, I would have liked to know what makes the girlfriend worth fighting 7 ex-lovers for. Anyway, this one was okay...but I didn't like it as much as some people.


ROBIN HOOD - Directed by Ridley Scott this is another interpretation of the classic tale of Robin Hood. This time Russell Crowe gets to play the outlaw of Sherwood Forest. The battle scenes are impressive, the performances are strong, and the direction is of course top-notch. Yet for some reason, I didn't like this one as much as I wanted to (and it's hard to figure out why.) I think it's because the movie seems so familiar. At times I felt like I was watching Ridley Scott's film GLADIATOR (thanks in part to Crowe playing the lead in both.) At other times I felt like I was watching Scott's KINGDOM OF HEAVEN movie. Either way...ROBIN HOOD felt very familiar. Also, the ending fails to live up to its "epicness" that it desperately tries to achieve. All in all the movie is okay, and makes for an okay rental, but it could have been better.


GENTLEMEN BRONCOS - Oh man...this is a movie I have no idea how to describe. Written and directed by Jared Hess (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE) this movie is about home-schooled loner "Benjamin" who loves to write science fiction. When one of his unpublished novellas is plagiarized by a famous sci-fi author (played by Jemaine Clement), and then later gets adapted into a disastrous movie, Benjamin faces a tough road to get his life back on track. For anyone who has seen NAPOLEON DYNAMITE you will know this movie is quirky with a capital Q. But unlike NAPOLEON DYNAMITE this movie fails miserably at being funny. The only thing making this movie worth watching is the performance of Jemaine Clement as the goofy sci-fi author. He's absolutely hilarious. Unfortunately though he's hardly in the movie. Anyway, this movie was a big disappointment.


FOUR CHRISTMASES - Jenny and I saw this one over the Christmas holidays. Talk about an unfunny and depressing Christmas movie. Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn play Kate and Brad, a couple who find themselves spending 4 Christmases with their extended families...all in one day. As Kate and Brad go from house to house they begin to discover they really don't know each other as much as they thought, and they begin to question the future of their relationship. With a cast list that includes Witherspoon and Vaughn you would expect a decent movie with a few laughs. Instead this is a movie that is mean spirited and unfunny. Definitely not what I want in a Christmas movie.

Winter Break

This weekend is what our school system unofficially calls "the winter break." It's basically a few days where all the students get off of school and the teachers catch up on work. So this weekend we took the kids down to Detroit for a quick getaway weekend. We went to one of the nice malls and did some shopping, had a nice lunch at Maggiano's, and the kids got to swim at the hotel. Saturday night I took Ben to a Detroit Pistons game, his very first basketball game. Then on Sunday the 4 of us went to the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Ben and I like to go every year, but this was Megan's first visit to the event, so it was extra special. I'll be honest...there's nothing special (or particularly attractive) about Detroit. But our kids grow up in a small midwestern town of around 20,000, and since Jenny and I grew up in Dallas/Ft. Worth...we want to show our kids from time to time the excitement of a big city. So that's why we go to Detroit a few times a year. Anyway, the temperatures all weekend were no warmer than 10 degrees, so it was brutally cold...but everybody had a fun time.