Holy Cow.  It has been a busy month.  Just checked the last post date and it has been too long.  With each new event this last month I kept telling myself I would come home and blog about that.  Then, getting home I would check my email and take care of a few things and that would be it for me for the day.  It has been one of those months where you are so busy you climb into bed at the end of the day and you’re almost asleep before your head hits the pillow.

But what a month!

One of my kiddos graduated from High School.  That flew by.  Just yesterday he was toddling around the back yard in North Carolina with his wheel barrow helping me with the landscaping tasks.  It seems like just a few days ago he was saying his first real sentence on a trip we took through Las Vegas Nevada.  Yes, he started talking when we set him in a rocket ship ride at Circus Circus in Las Vegas.  It was just a few days ago that we watched him as he took off with his friends for the first time going snowboarding without mom and dad for the first time.  All these firsts and other memorable moments came rushing back this month.

Over the past 30 days I have dragged one of my kids to a live performance of the Duke Ellington Big Band.  It was amazing.  He didn’t object but he did find it was great music to go to sleep to.  I loved the event – the performers were exceptional.  It did make me wonder about dragging my kids to events.  Should I – shouldn’t I?  Is it for their own good or should I just let them find their way and support their own interests ( I personally think as parents we need to drag our kids to some things as well as encourage their own interests ).

A highlight of the last month was a trip to Washington DC to attend the 10th Annual Wired Kids Summit.  Parry Aftab really knows how to throw a party.   Once again she has proven that she really knows her stuff when it comes to Internet Safety and keeping our kids safe online.  She does not rely on a group of erudite grown ups to explain what kids are doing online these days – she goes right to the source.  And once again, I marvelled at the amazing kids who were in DC presenting research they had done on subjects such as Cyberbullying, Sexting, and appropriate use of video games.  In one very fun panel discussion the kids talked about when it was ok to swear at video games.  The panel consisted of three Internet experts who have been working on this subject for over 3 years.  They were all 11 years old.  It was amazing.  They were delightful and it was truly a substantive discussion that was actually very helpful for all of us grown ups in attendance.

This is a great event and I have really enjoyed meeting the Teen Angels (WiredKids.org) and all of the industry attendees that come to support the kids.  This year was even more exciting for me because I was able to invite some of my favorite Mom Bloggers in the DC area as guests of the events.  We had Mom bloggers spread out across several tables at the event.  They really don’t like the term Mom Bloggers but for lack of a better description we’ll go with that for now.  The day zipped by and we barely had enough time to actually talk to each other but we all tweeted, blogged, and took pictures throughout the day and now we can picture the faces behind such amazing women as Jennifer from HipasIwannabe and MaryMac from Pajamas and Coffee and Shelley from the DC Ladies and many more.

It was also really fun to see familiar faces too like the team from Build-a-Bear, and Holly from AOL.  Smiling faces and shared experiences make these events worth any jet lag that may set in afterwords.

As many of you know a couple of my passions in life involve meeting new people and hearing their perspective on life, my family, kids, technology, travel, good food / good wine, and a really good book.   So, this is one of the reasons I adore the Wired Kids summit because it involves just about all of these (except for the wine).  This year was even more of a treat because I had the chance to chat for a few minutes with the author of “Queen Bees and Wannabes“  Rosalin Wiseman.  If you have a tween age daughter or teenage girl or know anyone who does – you have to read this book.  It is amazing.  The thing I love about this book is that you can open it to any page and read just that page and get something out of it.  It is updated to include new social media conflicts and ways that girls interact with each other now that it has gone beyond just telephone calls, passing notes in class and spreading rumors in the hallways.  This is a must read and it was a real treat getting to talk to Rosalind.  I have not read her other book about Queen Bee moms but I have to get that on my nightstand.

For the full report on the Wired Kids Summit you can catch the updates on http://www.stayathomemom.com and wiredmoms.com

There have been quite a few other fun moments in the past 30 days.  I have written them down in my regular Offline journal.  One of these days they may even make their way to the web but I am still getting my brain around their significance.

My family makes me laugh every day – what a treat.  There have been so many interesting people that I have had the great fortune of meeting this past month – including a group of college kids just returning to the states after a two week exchange in Kabul Afghanistan.   It was great getting to spend a couple of days with a cousin of mine and her hubby.

Now we are on the homestretch to the end of school for the kids and that is always an exciting time.  FInals and making sure they are set for the next school year before taking time off the summer.

Will do a better job about keeping my posts updated but at the same time if given the chance to get out on an adventure or stay home and blog about adventure – I will choose the actual adventure.  I aspire to live a blog worthy life.  And some days I do.

This morning I pulled up one of my social networks and read that two of my friends had both recently become online friends with another one of my friends from high school.  I didn’t know this person had an online life.  It was fun just seeing his name in writing.  And so, as we all do, I clicked on his name to view his profile and see what his current life looked like – at least online.

And I was not disappointed.

( Backstory: spent my middle school and high school years in a suburb in the mid to late 70′s – and then into the early 80′s – it was a great time to be in high school )

The last memory of this person was in the late 70′s.   We were over at a friends house and he came in with another friend and the two of them were laughing.  They had just been questioned by the cops and almost taken in for questioning.  What was their big offense?  They were sitting on the sidewalk.  His mother was not allowing him to smoke in the house so he had grabbed a bag of oreos and some smokes and the two friends had gone outside and were eating oreas sitting on the sidewalk – having a smoke.  Sure they looked like hippies there is no doubt about this.  I think they almost enjoyed being hassled by the Man.  We were born just a little too late to protest the War and there really wasn’t that much to protest ( not at least in our neighborhood ).  There were long gas lines but most of us kids walked everywhere or rode our bikes so it didn’t fully impact us.  And in general life was good.  There were not really any large protests going on against Disco but that was one of the big controversies of the day.

So, today as I read through recent blog posts of my poet friend it took me down memory lane.  I was going to say took me quickly down memory lane but that is not entirely accurate.  The stories he writes about were all from those times spent on foot, taking time to talk with friends and taking time to explore the spaces surrounding your every day life.  It was a peaceful journey down memory lane.  I’m not even sure if this person would remember me – I was just another person listening to some of his wild stories.  Most definitely if we saw each other on the street we would probably walk right by each other with perhaps only the slightest feeling of deja vu but not actually recognizing each other in our “grown up” state.

His posts were poetic and they used really big wonderful words to describe the way things made him feel at the time, not just describing the things he was seeing or the places he was visiting.

What to make of all this.  It just made me think about how nice it is to get together with friends and be able to just sit down and talk about things.  Not necessarily having someplace to go or having some thing that was the focus of the get together – just being with friends.  And in this life even if we have a short time to get to know someone it is a wonderful thing to be able to share these little moments with each other.

In my high school yearbook my Sr. quote was from a Jackson Browne song and it still rings true to me today, “If only for a stolen moment we will live forever”.   It’s life’s little stolen moments that fill our memory banks.

The Internet gave me this little treasure today.

The Internet is a wonderful thing.  Sitting here in a quiet house miles away from anywhere there is a peace and quietness that is calming.  We have exchanged Christmas greetings with the neighbors and now relax in the safe harbor of our own home.

The only lights on are those on the Christmas tree.  It is cold outside but cozy here under a nice down blanket.

In this quiet moment I turn off my phone and turn on my laptop and sit here on the couch – marvelling at the technology that allows me to sit here or anywhere in my house and tap into information from all around the world.

In my high school and college days I kept in touch with alot of friends but you had to pick up a phone or write a letter and then wait for their reply.  Now I can pick up my laptop and check out blogs from friends around the world.  Some friends would really only be considered aquaintances but I still really enjoy reading their blogs and hearing about what they are doing and how events in their lives are very similar to my own.

Christmas was yesterday and New Years is just a few days away and it makes me think of friends that have made me smile and laugh over this past year.  There are a few of these friends that I have not heard from in a while and so I checked out their blogs to see what is new in their lives.  On one friends blog I see a picture of his chest with a large bandage taped just under his shoulder.  The short description on the page tells me that what I am looking at is the place on his body where the chemotherapy line is attached when he goes in for chemo.  Cancer?  What kind of Cancer?  This friend of mine who is clearly not that close to me – not close enough for me to have known that he is dealing with cancer.  For how long?  How long has he known?  When was the last time we exchanged silly banter on a social website?  I’m not sure.  I don’t have any of these answers.

So I read on – there really aren’t any answers to any of my questions anywhere on his blog.  Clearly that is not what he wants to focus on.  Further down on his blog his only thought is one of seeking out humor in all of this mess.  His only request is for tips on funny movies that will make him laugh.

My kids make me laugh every day.  So, I make a list of their most recent favorite videos on the internet and send him a quick note that we are thinking about him.

What does all this mean?  Is anyone thinking about me on this chilly December evening?  What about some of my friends from high school who I have totally lost touch with?

Somehow we are all connected.  Sometimes these pathways cross and we have moments where we touch each others lives.  I truly hope that I was able to extend a proper message of hope and laughter to my friend with cancer.  At the same time, he has helped me remember that everything we do online is all about our connections.  Connecting with friends, connecting with like minds, connecting with potential clients,  and connecting with the most unlikely people too.

By making these connections we help each other grow in peace and understanding.  My New Years prayer is one for greater understanding and stronger connections.  And of course I pray for all of my current friends and family and for their good health and prosperity in this New Year.

Back in 1995 ( when the Internet was just an emerging technology coming into peoples homes ) there was a new sport emerging on the scene. People were strapping themselves onto boards and gliding down the hills at local ski resorts. This was just silliness. Surely, this was a fad.

Almost 15 years later snowboarders have outnumbered skiers at most resorts and this sport is clearly not going away. Playing video games is a similar “fad”. Again a flashback: PONG. That came on the scene and for some of us it disappeared again just like the Pet Rock. But for others it was just the beginning of a whole new world of video gaming that would smolder until a resurgence in popularity in the mid-90′s. But this time, the video games are not going the way of Pong. They are getting bigger and better and more graphic.

So how do we keep up?

We go to the Internet. The Internet is a great thing. Kids seem to get it intuitively but for some of us, who didn’t grow up hardwired to this technology, the internet is a massive web of information – sometimes too much information. So, to help us out we asked our Internet geek what sites would be recommended if we wanted to stay current on gaming news.

We must keep up. Games are not just for kids anymore. That’s fine. I have no problem with grown ups playing war games or RPG’s ( role playing games ) with grown up concepts. But I still want my kids to be able to be kids and enjoy their childhood as much as possible. So, I just want to make sure that the game I am buying for them – or allowing them to buy for themselves – is appropriate.

Any parent who has an Xbox in their house should subscribe to our top pick site. And if you don’t have an Xbox it is still a good site because of its general guidelines and tips that are on the site.

TOP PICK: GetGameSmart.com

Great site! Lots of information and easy to use tools to keep the family safe while enjoying video games. We signed up for the newsletter and have found this to be particularly helpful. The newsletters are sent out routinely but not so much that they are annoying and the information in each newsletter is always helpful. I highly recommend signing up and staying current.

The next 5 picks were selected from the experts ( the gamers )

1. Kotaku

This is the gaming blog that began it all, the grandpappy of video game news. It has some polish, and is generally safe for kids, save for when they cover M-rated games. But whether or not simply discussing mature games isn’t kid safe is at your discretion. Uncluttered but still relevant, I’d suggest this for any bloggers, casual gamers, or anyone who doesn’t want too much of a good thing.

2. Metacritic

While this site is not strictly a gaming website, (it’s also about movies, dvds, tv, and music) it does give you the most accurate least inaccurate reviews of games anywhere. I say this because this site doesn’t actually write reviews, it aggregates them from a number of trusted reviewers and scores it based on them. While it’s a common feature, I like getting the list sorted by recent games or highest rated. After buying some real lemons, I always go onto metacritic before I make any video game purchase and see what the reviews were. I’m considering sending this link to my grandmother in hopes my little brother never has a “ultra bad but well-intentioned” birthday gift.

3. GamePolitics

This is the site where the filthiest games meet the most fame-ravenous politicians. As video games are this generation’s rock n’ roll, they never have a shortage of articles about people yelling about the latest ‘danger to our children’. But the most appreciated feature of this site is they are amazingly even-handed with the mountains of content they provide. While anything with the word “politics” in it must be approached cautiously, GamePolitics is useful for anyone, regardless of political leanings, that wants to know the threats of, and what’s threatening the games industry.

4. N4G

Self-described as “…a social game news site that covers the game industry 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” This site is great for more hardcore gamers and people hip with the social networking scene. It may be too in-depth for some, as it provides articles not just about the games themselves, but also about the business of gaming, the debates, and just about any other bit of gossip even vaguely game-related. Actually, I can’t recommend it’s social networking aspect too much, the most social I’ve seen gamers online is when they’re ruthlessly arguing.

5. Penny Arcade

The guys who make the webcomic Penny Arcade are, hands down, the voice of the videogame market. With Mike Krahulik illustrating and Jerry Holkins writing, they’ve made one of the most popular webcomics on the Internet. While this is an achievement many could settle for, they’ve also created Child’s Play, a charity that has raised nearly 5 million dollars for toys in children’s hospitals worldwide. They also started PAX (short for Penny Arcade Expo), a gamer convention that has nearly doubled in attendance each year since 2004. When these guys have something to say, the whole industry listens.

A big Thanks go out to Matt for these great reviews. You can follow his blog at Mattheston.com ( just remember he is our geek reporter and on occassion talks like a geek reporter and so I would rate this website PG to PG-13 )

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