Dear Chip and Bobo,
When I was your age, internet wasn’t in the dictionary. It’s true. Al Gore hadn’t even created it yet.
Computers were around, but they were approximately the size of our house. Nowadays, I can do more things on my iPhone than they ever could. Check my email, order pizza and surf the internet.
By the way, thank you, Bobo, for showing me that little trick about rotating pictures on my iPhone the other day. Way to show an old dog new tricks, kiddo.
I’m amazed at the things you can find on the internet nowadays. When I was your age, if we wanted to know something, we went to the library and looked it up. In an encyclopedia. No, not Wikipedia. A large volume of books that contained information that was outdated as soon as it was published. Next time we go to the library, I will see if they are still around.
We didn’t have things like Playhouse Disney.com, or iPhone apps that entertained you in the grocery store. Or blogs. Man, what did we ever do with our time?
The internet is a way of life for you; it’s all you’ve ever known. The other day, when we were driving home from preschool, and you asked a question I didn’t know the answer to. You appeared shocked that mom didn’t know everything (which I loved you for), and promptly responded back, “Momma, why don’t you just Google it?”
Sometimes, if I’m working on my computer in my office, you will bring in your keyboard (an old defective one from my IT guy), and “write code” along with me. You think it’s pretty funny, but I know it’s not far from the truth. You will probably be running technical circles around me by the time you’re eight.
Alas, I give Grandma and Poppa a hard time because technology is so foreign to them. When I give them lessons again on how to save or print a document, I find myself losing my patience. I sometimes forget that they grew up in the era of manual typewriters, sending letters by snail mail, and fumbling through the dictionary to look up a word.
They worked in paper and quills pencils back then. Tangible stuff. Not bits and bytes.
And in some ways, that isn’t an entirely bad thing. Because Grandma? Created a baby book for each of her three children. I have it now, and we love looking through it together sometimes.
And you, my dear children? Will get a disc with a copy of this blog. How lucky you are, indeed.
Love you to pieces,
Your Momma (Who someday will get around to doing your real baby books)
So true that our kids will be way more technologically advanced than us very soon.That scares me!!!!
i know – when kate tells me to send someone a text, i just shake my head and laugh.
omg so true. We had this talk last night about DVR and Maddie was so confused. What you couldn't pause the show to go to the bathroom– how long coudl you hold it??? And I walked 10miles in the snow 🙂
Anytime Asher says something that makes me laugh he tells me to put it on Facebook and then wants to know if anyone has left a comment about it.Oh, and I am so with you on the baby books. If you find a good online site to do them let me know!
Oh, you said it! We talk a lot about "when I was your age…" to the 12 and 16 year old techies in our house, and eyes roll BIG TIME. They just don't comprehend a life w/out Al's big invention, and there's no way they ever will. Oh, but when we were camping and didn't even have cell service they got a taste.
Soo True! I am not looking forward to the day that our lil girl is more computer and techno savvy than us. Granted she is only almost one but I know that day will be here waaaay too soon. I remember the 90210 cell phone and how they were HUGE – now people can go on their Iphones take a pic of a check to their bank and deposit it???? Also, I cant imagine High School with Facebook? Man… Times have changed
So true! My nieces (junior high & high school) can't believe we actually had to go TO the library when we had a paper to write for school!
So very true…esp. about them getting a CD of pictures and your blog! Funny, my son asks me questions all the time that stump me and he just says "Mom look it up on the computer"…I'm curious too…encyclopedias?
Well at least you'll have the disc with the blog. All I have for my kids is a baby book with two or three pages filled out! When I got to the part where I was supposed to insert pictures, I lost interest because I hadn't yet had the film developed!
Anyone who cracks a sly joke about Al Gore creating the internet is pretty awesome in my books. Thanks for the giggle.