Long week again

Several things in one week:

1. Charlotte's first week at nursery school. After the first four hours she was able to take home 10 pictures (and they are beginning to look like things). She has had no major tears and when I took her in this morning she ran in. She loves this sort of thing now and is excited about Sunday School and Children's Church.
2. I Had my first full day (2-9pm) of my Diploma. It wasn't as hard going as I thought. To tell you the truth, it's a bit like fight club, as in the first rule etc. There is a lot of homework with two journals and projects and reading. But it is exciting.
3. Our resident trouble maker in drop-in didn't turn up this week. It made such a difference. It meant that instead of being round him, and giving him the attention he craves, we could chat to other young folk. I got talking to a few on Monday and even taught them some sign language. Chatted to some about smoking, and we are now starting a small but eager smoking cessation group. Two really good drop-ins this week.
4. We have finally got used to our BT Vision box. We are able to record one Freview channel and watch another, pause live TV, and basically make up our own channel with the TV we want to see instead of the TV that is chosen by someone else (so lots of Family Guy for me). We now seem to be in the age that we create our own TV channels and our own radio stations.

Difference between 'stupid' and 'ignorant'

Friday in Quest I spoke of Viktor Frankl and his time in Concentration camps, and of seeing his wife and parents killed there, and the terrible conditions that were in these camps.
One of the boys, a first year, said 'well, they shouldn't of gone there'. I had to explain that it wasn't a holiday camp, and then went into a bit more detail.
He wasn't stupid, but ignorant. He had never heard of a concentration camp. I, on the other hand, should of explained it better than assuming everyone would know about something 60 years ago. That is stupid.

NI international airshow

We went to the air show in Portrush today (to be in town hall if wet). Massive event, and had to park miles away. Spoilt a bit that you couldn't hear the commentary on the pa system because there were so many generators running for the 'much too many' bouncy castles. Very noisy for the girls, and we left as the Tornado traumatised Katherine. We weren't there for long, but we did see a bi-plane, spitfire, gliders, display team and the tornado. It was better than I expected, free, and the girls got freebies (as well as me getting a few complimentary squares of coleraine Cheddar) .

Just noticed that no one seems to be looking at the display team, I guess its all part of the peace dividend that this is normal.

Real surprise with Charlotte's art. She hasn't really done anything that looks like anything, but tonight she wanted to copy a picture of her and a friend at a park. So she did it on her magna doodle.

Excellent. I am proud of it (and i originally thought it was Julies).

Talking with Charlotte

Tail end of a conversation with Charlotte at yesterdays tea time...
Me:...and thats the the way it will happen, you can count on it."
Charlotte: One.
M: ...What?
C: One.
M: What are you doing?
C: One. You say two.
M: Why?
C: We're counting on it.

technology today

I am not a technophobe, but i do not understand most of modern technology. I do not understand what the list of letters mean; html, ism, http, ncis, rss, although i am pretty sure at least one of these is an American crime show.
I use the technology I need, and can understand. I do not need 15 ways to keep in touch with people. I have telephone, text, e-mail, snail mail, this blog and actually chatting to the person face to face. I do not need Face book, bebo, skype and the ilk. I will use them if I ever need them, and I can figure them out. The pull of bebo and facebook for young people is never being out of contact with our friends, which seems to be a insecurity of not being in this constant communication for some young people.
I do love gadgets, but outside my mp3 an mobile, i don't use much. I still use a diary, mainly because my phone looses everything when you take out the battery. There are a lot of gadgets around the house that never really get used, and there is a big list of others I would like and probably never use. I blame the Batman utility belt.
I looked at Julies phone to see all it had today (and what got me thinking). I found the diary, note book and to-do list, all of which Julie uses in paper form to great effect. There was also a voice recorder. I played about with this for a minute or two, and discovered that you can make that recording into her ring tone, which is where I turn evil. I sang 'I just called to say I love you' (is that really evil), and put it as her ring tone. Julie then changed it to Charlotte singing, but Julie has to sleep sometime, and when she does....