Quiet Keystrokes and Midnight Ramblings

For the last several months, my kiddo and I have been reading through the Chronicles of Narnia. We finally made it to one of my favorite books in the series, Prince Caspian. In this book, not only are the children transported back to Narnia once more, but they're also summoned to help Prince Caspian claim his right to the throne, and bring magic back to the land. What struck me the most is how much more I remember of this story in my mind's eye than what is actually described in the book. Part of this is likely due to watching the movies, which do change some of the details to be fit for the screen, but I think part of it is also the way our memories fill in gaps and embellish the small bits of information that we are given. If you haven't already read The Chronicles of Narnia with your kids, its one of the classic series that I recommend to help inspire children to love reading. Very little is as intriguing to young readers as imagining Aslan breathing magic i...

Normally, when I blog I have some insightful thought, fun event or fantastic gadget that I want to share with the masses.  But right now, as I type, I am watching one of my secret guilty pleasures: Ninja Warrior on G4TV. Now granted, Ninja Warrior will never replace MXC's hilarious entertainment value, but it does have the Japanese-engineered obstacle course from hell and a slew of over-the-top contestants.  The thing about Ninja Warrior that tops shows like MXC, American Gladiator, and dare I say it - even the Olympics, is that the contestants that are most famous are just regular guys.  They train in back-yards, city streets, garages and warehouses.  Sure, some of them have impressive athletic backgrounds or are well known celebrities, but it is one of the few shows where anyone can give the course a try and the only thing they are trying to beat is the clock. You can't help but cheer along with each new contestant's run through the 1st course, especially when ...