Gender Specific

It seems our Evangeline, who is 3, is already showing signs of truly identifying with the female sex. I went into her room last night, and I noticed that her Little Tikes dressing table had been moved to a new spot in the room. I said, “Evangeline, did you move your dressing table?” She said, “Yes. I just wanted it over here.” The desire to move furniture is a sure sign of one’s womanhood (or girlhood, as the case may be).

Grist for the mill

Ok. I know. I go for days on end with no entries, and now 3 on the same night. Well, don’t get used to it. I am just in a blogging sort of mood.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been thinking about technology. About 2 weeks ago, I had an ultrasound for baby #4. The picture was so clear. At only 12 weeks gestation, it was so easy to see the baby on the screen. When I think back to Calvin’s ultrasound 7 years ago, I am amazed at how much more sophisticated the technology is today. Even 4 years ago with Evangeline, the image was not as clear. When I took the printed picture home, Calvin looked at it and said, “Is that the baby?” So if a 6-year-old can tell what he is looking at, it is obvious things have improved.

This technology thinking caused me to start remembering how computers have changed over the past 15 years. Moving from my computer-phobia in college in the mid-late 80s to absolutely requiring that we have a computer in our home only a few years later made me realize that the computer has affected my life pretty significantly.

So, I thought it would be fun to ask anyone who stops by to answer these questions:

1. When did you first own a computer?

2. When did you first have e-mail?

3. When did you first use the web?

For me the answers are: 1: 1992; 2: 1992 — prodigy; 3:1995 (But I remember Mark’s brother calling our house once in 1993 or 94 and giving me a website address for Mark. He said to keep it until we had access to a computer that we could use it on. I didn’t know what he was talking about.)

Reading

This fall, I have focused most of my reading time on freshmen compositions for the class that I teach. I have, however, started a few new books. I have hopes of finishing them in the next couple of months. My most recent addition is A House for My Name by Peter Leithart. Now, I know many of the 10 or so people who read my blog have already read this or plan to. But I still wanted to comment on it. I picked up a copy at my in-laws’ house when we were visiting last month, and the preface made me want to read the book. In this rare instance, I know the author. So when I say that reading the preface made me feel like Peter was in the room talking to me, I know it is true. All of this is to say that I think the best thing about the book is its accessibility. Peter is a really bright man. He often speaks over my head. So it is not that the content is lightweighted, but it is presented in a way that is enjoyable to read, and, therefore, easier to understand. I will say that having read Jim Jordan’s
Through New Eyes in the past (and having heard Mark teach the concepts of TNE countless times over the past 11 years) probably makes the material more familiar to me, but the tone of the book is just excellent. How nice it is to pick up a book about the Bible that is not dry, but is provacative as well as enjoyable.

Still Sick

Here it is Friday already, and Mark and I are still sick. My kind ob/gyn called in an antibiotics prescription for me on Tuesday. It has helped with the severe congestion (self-diagnosis of sinus infection obviously correct), but the coughing continues. It is only present minimally during the day, but at about 8 pm, it kicks into full gear, and the hacking goes on until the early am hours when the body finally gives into sleep from shear exhaustion of coughing for hours in a row. I am sure it will end soon, but I don’t like it in the mean time.