Today, IZ installed instant messaging on Boy Wonder’s computer. This has revolutionized our communication. Now, at bed time, instead of hollering up the stairs and the boy ignoring me, my little reminders pop up on his computer screen. This solution is so simple I don’t know why we didn’t think of it sooner. Oh wait, we did… someone I know drug his feet on the whole deal. Anyhow, witness the ease:(I especially like how after just one afternoon of this, he’s already mastered the fine art of sarcasm through the use of emoticons.)
Me: lights out at 9 pm.
Boy Wonder: OK 🙁
Me: lol
Me: 9 pm is a perfectly fine bedtime. It could be 8:30!
Boy Wonder: OK 😮
Now, if we could just get the dog to instant message us when she wants to go outside, we’d be set.
The dog has her own form of instant messaging… she farts…
____________________________________
See, I know I can always count on you to get to the heart of the matter! ~W
I sometimes call my daughter upstairs from our business line because it’s easier to get her to answer the phone, than my voice. Scary, isn’t it?
____________________________________
Hey, whatever works! I’m a firm believer in having lots of tools in your repertoire! 😀 ~W
The instant messaging is a great way to communicate! I swear, my mom only lives like 5 minutes away from my house (closer by phone) and it was really fun to message her…she’s a really funny writer…it was a totally different side to her!
____________________________________
I can totally relate, IZ and I have some of the funniest conversations in IM. I actually process words better in IM than I do hearing them and writing has always been easier for me than talking, so IM was a boon! ~W
I need someone to IM me that it’s time to stop blogging.
I am addicted.
I let hours go by and feel guilty all afternoon over it.
____________________________________
Heh… and you’re seeking help online?? 😀 ~W
This is sooo funny. To see his little expressions. Ha!! Sooo funny!
____________________________________
He’s funny. He’s just learning how to use it, and LOVES the faces. ~W
hehe… we have an intercom system at our house… when it’s time for dinner I page the phone in the basement. 🙂
____________________________________
Yeah, IM works the same way for us. Since both of us work from home but are often multi-tasking, it lets us communicate while we’re at “work”–without always stopping to chat. We do enough of that already! 😀 ~W
Less is more with computer usage and children, n’est-ce pas? And, an emoticon is a sadly superficial show of human emotion. I’m down on screens, now that our new school year has begun. Paradoxically, I’m addicted to certain blogs. Do you know of any good shrinks? No crazy, overachieving types, please.
Everything about BW is clever, charming and cute. Pity his poor parents! ;~)
____________________________________
Oh, I’m the wrong person to seek help from in this regard. This family is highly tech savvy, and honestly, we think that’s a good thing. I suppose it’s not for everyone, but considering computers are a part of what his father does it doesn’t surprise me one iota that Boy Wonder loves his computer. He’s had one of his own since he was three! And he’s learned to read, write, type, do advance math, and build computer programs, and molecular models from using one. (not to mention write music, edit films, do graphic design. . . .) It’s his preferred mode of learning and he will tell you that his computer is his best tool for an education. Not everybody learns by looking at a screen—and he certainly spends a lot of time physically doing, but his computer has been nothing but a help in his pursuit of knowledge. My sponge wants facts and data and details; his computer can give him that and more. If he was spending all of his time plunking away at some game, I might be worried—but when he’s writing his own chemistry manual, uh… yeah, I think I’ll just let him be. 😀
However, his recent interest in YOGA is appalling and we’re considering an intervention on this! Heh. ~W
Yeah – that YOGA stuff – is so *highly* dangerous. I mean, come on – bending cow moons the coyote – sounds pretty bad to me…
____________________________________
I KNOW!! I hear it’s addictive and can take over your life! 😀 ~W
Thanks for educating an old grandma. Iz has me scrambling for my sanskrit dictionary.
BW could have googled it by now, no doubt!
___________________________________
He sends me scrambling on a daily basis. It keeps me on my toes! ~W
The girls and I email back and forth on MySpace. I love it, even tho I talk to them lots during the day, it’s just another way to communicate.
___________________________________
Yeah, see… I think anything that helps you connect is a good thing! ~W
The only good shrink is a silent shrink? If I were still in business I would advise against letting him discover twitter…
___________________________________
I suspect that is sound advice! ~W