Ayo, Technology

Yep, I just titled this post after a Justin Timberlake song.  Fear not, I'm keeping it PG and this post doesn't relate at all to the song lyrics except for the fact that they both contain the word 'technology' but what can I say, I love me some JT. 

Onward we go...

Isn’t it crazy how far technology has come?

Back in my day (I say that as if I’m 86 years old) we played outside, rode bikes, rollerbladed, hula-hooped, jumped rope, made up dances and, well, used our imagination. We also broke out the barbies and G.I. Joes on the rare occasion we chose to play indoors. And when we really wanted to live on the edge, we battled each other in a game of Legends of Zelda and other games on our Sega, Super Ninetendo and Nintendo 64.

Nowadays (there I go again, sounding 86), two year olds know how to work an iPhone and 10 year olds put laptops on their Christmas list.

I’m not saying it’s outrageous, it’s simply interesting to see the huuuuuge differences in the forms of entertainment kids rely on now, compared to 20 years ago.

The hubby is techno-savvy so we stay pretty up-to-date in la casa de Rumbarger. This is how our clan-o-three has so much fancy schmancy stuff; Seth constantly buys the newer stuff so the older stuff gets passed down to our munchkins. Which, during a time like Christmas, comes in handy.  Looking back on it, I feel like I had it easy when it came to Christmas shopping for my brood this year, there wasn’t a single electronic gadget on their lists, well, except Owen’s (he requested 3 iPhones; one for Ari and two for him…I didn’t ask). But in the midst of the shopping I was uber stressed. I felt like I didn’t get them enough. I worried. I shopped. And I worried some more.

After about my 50^th shopping trip Seth asked how many more gifts I was going to buy for them. I didn’t have an answer. Then he pointed out that they have everything! And when I sat and thought about it, they do have a lot.

So Seth somewhat put my mind at ease when he pointed out that we weren’t going out to buy all those fancy electronic thing-a-ma-jigs because our kids are lucky enough to already have them. And the only one that asked for anything along those lines was our six year old, and his ass definitely wasn’t getting one iPhone, let alone two!

Then, on Christmas morning, after all the unwrapping was done, E came up to me with his sweet, handsome smile and just hugged me good and long. Then he pulled away and said, “Thanks for everything mom, I got everything I had on my list.”

And when I thought about their lists, he was right, they all got every single thing they asked for. With the exception, of course, of Owen and his triad of iPhones. So I guess next year I’ll look back on this year's experience and not stress so much. But I know it’ll be hard because as a parent I want to give my children the world, though I know that material things aren’t too high on the scale of importance when it comes to giving your children something that truly matters. Ethan solidified that belief for me when he later said, “This has been the best Christmas ever…” and I thought he was going to finish that sentence with, “…because we got everything we asked for.” Instead, he finished by say, “…because we get to be here with you and Dad in Florida.”

Perfect.

:),

Lor