Ain't technology grand

Last night I sat in my parent's kitchen and read my kids bedtime stories. No, they weren't here with me; it was just me. Well, me, my parents and my sister. And bedtime stories were read via Skype. Even though I'm back in Alberta again for appointments and the rest of the family is in Penticton, we stay connected.
Technology can be a wonderful thing.

Lily thinks Skype is the most fabulous fun thing. She commandeers the laptop and I get to see grainy bits of trailer flash by as she runs from one end to the other. Or a lovely view of under the kitchen table as she goes to hide there after pestering her brother. Then her evil dolly grin comes up and she's just so cute I can't be too annoyed that she is hogging the connection. Morgan will pop on occasionally to tell me something about school or the Wii game he is playing, barely finishing a sentence before he's off again. Bob will get a moment or two to tell me about how the day is going or ask questions, but our conversation is fragmented. Nearly impossible to keep it steady over the squeals and silly noises coming from one or both children. The cat even got in on the action at the beginning.
Chaotic and dizzying in it's business, but that's exactly how it would be if I was there. And so I am there.

I have a love-hate relationship with all things electronic. Technology can be a wonderful thing. It connects us together and to the world, allows us to find information on a lot of topics quickly, provides the kids alternate educational opportunities, and offers some downtime. It can also be a trap and time waster. Hours can slip by as one or several of us plays Wii, surfs the web, or plays games. It's this part that I hate. My family occasionally sees me get extremely frustrated about the constant need for electronics. It's not so much their presence as the amount of time wasted, when we could be out doing things that get us involved in the world. I hate the electronics because I'm just as bad about putting them away as the rest of my family is, and somehow hours and hours disappear and I feel like I have nothing productive to show for them. But I've figured out that just banning them is the wrong way for us to go about it (and really, who's kidding who - I love my tech too much to just give it up).

We've always been a techie family and I don't foresee that changing anytime soon. Morgan has been using the computer/Wii/I Pod/ tablet for years. Lily not as much, but it's still always present, and she certainly enjoys spending time on the electronics. I'm rarely without my laptop and Bob and I both have Smartphones and e-readers. I text my family regularly, and hey, I blog! Technology is also strongly prevalent in the schools now, with I Pads, Smartboards and more.

I just picked up a I pad Mini for Morgan to use for his schoolwork. That was met with strong approval from his Learning Coach (at the Phoenix Foundation - his homeschool organization). Guess technology is here to stay and I will just have to figure out how to work within this new world order. To quote a line from one of my favorite TV programs "Challenge accepted."

So bring it on!  I'll be home in a couple days and Morgan will get to check out his new school accessory... But I do think that, when I get back, a family meeting to discuss amounts of usage is in order - for all of us. Until then, I think I'll just hop on Skype a bit more and watch my silly children have fun.