Friday, April 8, 2016

7 Quick Takes about What Happens When Engineers Write Love Songs, Abusing Household Electronics, and a Caption Contest

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! Here's our week in 7 quick takes  how was yours?

1


I can't believe I did this, but I actually signed up for a "student-led conference" with my middle schooler; this was in lieu of a parent-teacher conference which apparently is soooooo not progressive.

You heard me, my daughter came home on the bus and I packed her up in the car and drove right back to school with her, where she had a Google presentation all ready for me about how she's performing.

It wasn't very productive and my daughter said she'd much rather have just talked to me at home (me, too!!), but for all my making fun of it I can actually see the merit in teaching kids to self-evaluate.

Plus, we stopped by her personal landfill locker to clean it out before we went home so it wasn't a total loss.

2


You know this song? Of course you do, it plays on the radio every 30 seconds.


Phillip and I were listening to Pandora one night and this song came on (surprise, surprise) so I asked him what he thought of it.

Considering it, he said "I think about 70% of me loves 80% of you."

"Gee, thanks," I laughed.

He looked at me seriously and said, "What? Statistically, that's highly compatible."

Pshhht. Engineers.

3


Reasons I can't leave my toddler alone while I'm in the shower anymore:

7 Quick Takes about What Happens When Engineers Write Love Songs, Abusing Household Electronics, and a Caption Contest  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
Exhibit A

7 Quick Takes about What Happens When Engineers Write Love Songs, Abusing Household Electronics, and a Caption Contest  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
Exhibit B

I found our wireless computer keyboard upside down on the floor with the plastic tabs on the back broken off. When I asked what happened, I was informed that the toddler was jumping on it.

Actually, the reasons why I shouldn't shower while he's awake anymore have probably gone through the alphabet several times already, including this (see Take #2) and this.

Then again, there's this memorable shower moment courtesy of his sister, so maybe I just shouldn't shower at all anymore.

4


This past weekend, our family was able to just sit still for a few hours and listen to General Conference, a worldwide broadcast from our church. Church leaders spoke on different spiritual topics, and as always, as I listened I could feel my priorities sliding back into their proper places.

Can we do this every weekend?

We try to get our kids involved, too. As you can see here they paid rapt attention for several hours:

7 Quick Takes about What Happens When Engineers Write Love Songs, Abusing Household Electronics, and a Caption Contest  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
Disclaimer: this is during the opening hymn from the choir about 30 seconds in. Our kids may not have actually looked like this the entire time.

A few years ago I got the idea from Christina at Hands Full and Loving It to print out pictures of our church leaders and have the kids attach a treat to each picture.

7 Quick Takes about What Happens When Engineers Write Love Songs, Abusing Household Electronics, and a Caption Contest  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}


When that person speaks, we pass out their treat. It's since become a tradition in our family to attach our apostle Quentin L. Cook's picture to the package of cookies. The kids call him "Quentin L. Cookies," so he's obviously their favorite now.

7 Quick Takes about What Happens When Engineers Write Love Songs, Abusing Household Electronics, and a Caption Contest  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
Thank you, Elder Cookies.

While they eat their treats, we all take a few notes on what that person talked about and put them in a Ziploc bag along with the speaker's picture. Throughout the next few months we periodically pull out a bag and review it at Family Home Evening (like a weekly family devotional.)

7 Quick Takes about What Happens When Engineers Write Love Songs, Abusing Household Electronics, and a Caption Contest  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}

If you tuned in to General Conference this week, how does your family like to do it?

5


There were many great thoughts given during Conference that I hope to go back and re-read and re-watch later, but if I had to pick my favorite it would probably be this one:


The speaker is a leader of my church who is German, telling about some parallels between Jesus as the good shepherd and the destruction he witnessed as a boy during WWII in Germany. Well worth 20 minutes of your time.

And yes, since you noticed, he does look terribly good for a 75-year-old.

6


At recess, my 4th grader started an ongoing rap battle with a friend (according to her, it was the friend's idea). She's rapping as Darth Vader and her friend is Voldemort.

I didn't get the full details, but I think my favorite diss from Darth Vader (i.e: my daughter) to Voldemort is: "I gotta whole army, you ain't even gotta nose."

This kid is going places.

7


I took this photo and thought it was deserving of a caption contest. What do you think the kids are staring at in there?

Best answer gets shared at the dinner table at our house next Friday.

7 Quick Takes about What Happens When Engineers Write Love Songs, Abusing Household Electronics, and a Caption Contest  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}

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20 comments:

Catherine said...

Hahaha, elder cookies? That's fantastic!
For the picture, I suggest "Wait. Did you REALLY think it was a good idea to put the goldfish in there?"
(Ok, gruesome, I know. Sorry).

Rebecca said...

"Eat the gumdrops," you said. "Who uses gumdrops for doorknobs? And while we're at it: bread crumbs to find our way home? Just another one of your 'brilliant' ideas. I'm in charge from now on. Oooh. Listen to her scream."

AiringMyLaundry said...

Eek! I hated when my kids got into stuff when they were tiny. Many things got broken. I should have known better to leave them alone, but alas...

Naomi said...

Mom will be so surprised when she gets out of the shower and sees what we made for her!

Unknown said...

Caption for the oven picture.
As the children sat in front of the oven, they imagined seeing the famed cousin of the the elf on the shelf....the gnome of the home....much like the fairy with dairy in the fridge....always shutting off the light.

Jenny said...

That's a good conference idea! My kids are still too little to understand the whole notes taking thing but I'll keep it in mind for a year or two down the road.

The Runcible Pen said...

As an English teacher, I'm impressed with #6!

Alan said...

Student-led conference. That's a new one on me. This is my kinda blog. I'm never on time for appointments either, and this thing is going to say I'm Alan, but that's my husband. My name is April.

Louise (Little Hearts, Big Love) said...

I love the diss from Darth Vader to Voldemort - very funny and I had to chuckle at your husband's comment about 70% of him loving 80% of you - I could imagine my hubby coming out with something very similar. Love the caption on your photo of your children watching General Conference. And yes, my children do similar things if I try to shower whilst they're awake too!

Jenny Evans said...

If we had a goldfish, I would not put that past them at all...

Jenny Evans said...

I love this caption!

Jenny Evans said...

Yes, her grammar is impeccable.

Jenny Evans said...

Our school seems a little hippy-dippy that way. But there are many things I love about the school, so that evens it out. Although the next student-led conference will probably occur in our living room instead of at the school.

Anne McD said...

I followed the trail on your 3rd take to your FB page and nearly died laughing! How we survive our little blessings... ;)

Jenny Evans said...

Wasn't too funny at the time, but things have a way of becoming funny later on.

Since all the disastrous things that happen in our home can't possibly be contained to one blog, there's a lot more where that came from on my FB page. Feel free to like or visit anytime. It's my favorite place to go where people admit to never being on time, being being on their laundry, and occasionally forgetting a child in time-out and feeling like the worst mom ever.

jen said...

The math on #2: 0.7 of him x 0.8 of you = 0.56 total. How exactly is that statistically good?!?!?!?

Jenny Evans said...

I haven't done the math, but he did bring me chocolates home from his last work trip so I assume that we're still doing pretty good.

Lynne at The Sweet Midlife said...

SO many things to comment on. You are fab, Jenny!! But randomly:
The Voldemort nose thing is comic genius.
My locker at school was landfill PLUS. I don't know what the plus was because I don't know all of what was in there.
Elder cookies are hilarious.
I want to love "All of Me" as much as I did when I first heard it and thought it was gorgeous and not be like "Shut up, John Legend". But good for him on making lots of money.

Debbie said...

Looks like you're going to either buy shares in a computer keyboard company or give up showering... Or you could take the computer, keyboard, monitor and anything else damageable into the bathroom, which really isn't practical.

No meal I've ever cooked attracted so much attention, so I'm guessing your little ones are watching a cake rise. Maybe my answer says more about my cooking than I'd like!


#happynowlinkup


Jenny Evans said...

Ding ding ding! We have a winner - you guessed what the kids were watching in there!