Wisdom for the Ages

Unfortunately, it's not mine.

I thought I would share some "wisdom" I gathered yesterday from some of my favorite people...a 4Ker, a 5Ker and a first grader.

5K/First Grader 1, Dad 0

My first grader had a friend over yesterday after an all day basketball tournament (their brothers play on the same team) and both of the boys were lying on the living room with their Nintendo DS' lined up and touching like the Samsung phones that can share playlists and videos by touching them together.  [The commercial with two girls and a mom sharing videos with their dad is a CLASSIC, btw.]

I asked what game the boys were playing.

"Download" the 5K friend responded.

"What's that?" I asked.

"It's the game where we can play together," responded my son.

I laughed.  For all the work I do to help teachers find innovative and meaningful ways to use technology in their classrooms, in literacy, in assessment, these two boys reinforced the need for urgency.  They don't need to learn how, when, or why to use technology.  It just IS.

5Ker 2, Dad 0

My son's friend also played the XBox with my third grader and was beating him at Madden 13.  The third grader was frustrated to say the least.  The 5Ker's response to an outburst:

"Maybe we should quit, you are having some real anger management issues."

Just classic.  An important lesson that communication is still important no matter how long I like to look at Pinterest, Facebook or this blog!  It also demonstrates that we can still communicate effectively no matter how "digital" we become.

4Ker 3, Dad & Mom 0

My wife, after the day in a gym listening to coaches shouting, parents cheering (and a couple yelling worse things), and basketballs bouncing was complaining of a headache and achy body.

"I hope it's just a headache and not the flu" I responded.  I am extremely supportive, you know.

"I hope it's not worse," my wife says. [As a note, this is our family way of saying we don't have time to be sick.]

"Like melingitis?" Should be meningitis, I realize after I say it.  My ears are still ringing from 8 hours of  gym time.

My 5 year old says, "I love melingitis."  With a pause, we both look at him incredulously.

"What?"

With an entirely straight face, he says "like watermelon."  Melon-gitis.

Apparently, my wife now has watermelongitis.

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday, deer hunting and Black Friday season!