Tag: Top 10

Top 10 things we hear when taking our twins out in public

They graduated to their big boy seats... | Photo by Laurie Blundell

Taking our boys out in public always brings a lot of stares, pointing and questions.

We took our boys with us to Costco and WalMart yesterday and I was amazed at how many people stopped and just stared. Some will then strike up a conversation, while others will pretend they weren’t staring when we catch their eye.

But for those who do strike up a conversation… it’s almost a guarantee that we’ll hear one of these questions/statements before its all said and done…

10. Do the sleep at the same time?
9. God bless their mom, she must be a saint.
8. Their mom must have her hands full.
7. How do you do it?
6. Are they boys, girls or boy-girl?
5. Are they identical?
4. They’re so big!
3. They’re so cute!
2. How old are they?
1. Are they twins?!

And a new one from yesterday – “Do they go at the same time?”

Our response was, “Sometimes.” My first instinct was to say, “Do they go at the same time? Well, it depends on where we’re going. Sometimes we take them together, sometimes we take one by themselves, sometimes we leave them both at home.”

But what I really wanted to say, “Why yes, they talk these things out at night. They have a rotating schedule as to when they’re gonna go.”

Top 10 posts of 2010

As another year comes to an end, I must say, I’ve really enjoyed another year of blogging here and elsewhere.

Here’s a look back at the top 10 posts on my blog…

Ustream videos not working? Fixed! – Apparently I wasn’t the only one having this problem. Several sites linking to this post for their users hasn’t hurt it’s popularity either.

How I’m running a G1 on AT&T with Android 2.2 – One of the great advantages to the Android OS is it’s ability to be customized – just like upgrading the first Google phone to the (at the time) latest and greatest OS.

Texas foster care statistics for 2009 – Glad to see this one in the top 3. Hopefully it inspires action.

Caedmon’s Call Raising up the Dead – Initial Thoughts – A review of Caedmon’s Call latest release.

13 great starter apps for Android – Another tech post for fans of the Android OS.

Review: The Sovn Oxygen Pillow – This was a fun process of doing a review of something I knew very little about but was anxious to find out about.

11 Kingdom Bloggers to watch in 2010 – A list of recommended bloggers for 2011. Still stand by the list – a great group of bloggers.

Ways to give aid for Haitian relief – There’s still a need and still ways to help.

1 Timothy 5:8 – How do you read it? – Some thoughts on Mark Driscoll’s hard stance on men and women and working outside the home.

Jesus is a liberal Democrat and Stephen Colbert is a genius – Stephen Colbert at his best — reminding us that “either we’ve got to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that he commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition — and then admit that we just don’t want to do it.”

Looks like tech related posts continue to be my most read but I’m glad to see issues like foster care and helping others in Haiti take a prime spot in the top 10 as well.

Perhaps a tech blog should be in the future? Probably not – but still looking forward to seeing what 2011 will bring.

So what was your favorite blog post this year? On my blog or elsewhere?

Resolve to be a better parent in 2010

Matthew and his new train set

Yes, it sounds a little funny for me to resolve to do that – I’m not exactly a parent yet.

But as things keep progressing along in our foster care process (we had our home study yesterday – WOOT WOOT!) I’m definitely paying closer attention to foster/adoption/parenting issues and ideas.

Lifehack.org has offered up a great list of 10 things children want from their parents.

You see, every Mother’s Day I would ask my students to give me advice on being a mother. They were to think about things their mother or guardian did for or with them that made them feel happy or loved… Year after year, in every country I taught, and in every type of demographic, the students were saying the same things and had the same message: It’s the small things that their mothers did that meant the most and that they remembered.

Here’s the list:

  • Come into my bedroom at night, tuck me in and sing me a song. Also tell me stories about when you were little.
  • Give me hugs and kisses and sit and talk with me privately.
  • Spend quality time just with me, not with my brothers and sisters around.
  • Give me nutritious food so I can grow up healthy.
  • At dinner talk about what we could do together on the weekend.
  • At night talk to me about about anything; love, school, family etc.
  • Let me play outside a lot.
  • Cuddle under a blanket and watch our favorite TV show together.
  • Discipline me. It makes me feel like you care.
  • Leave special messages in my desk or lunch bag.

I think my sisters and I would both say that one of the most memorable things our dad did while growing up was rocking us to sleep singing various hymns. And mom was always great at writing us little notes – especially on holidays and birthdays in our lunches or with breakfast. She always had a way of making little holidays special.

So what advice do you have for a “soon to be parent”? What little things do you remember your parents doing that made a big impact on you?

Top songs of 2009

Laurie rockin' out
Laurie Rockin' Out | Photo by Jonathan Blundell

I used to think I listened to a broad range of music — but after working up a list of my favorite songs from 2009, either my preferred listening tastes are getting more defined — or perhaps 2009 just wasn’t a great year for new music. (Feel free to offer up your own theories.)

Ten spots filled by six different artists. It’s not as diverse as some, but it’s my list and what I’ve been enjoying this year.

Honorable mention:
Knights Of Cydonia – Muse :: this track came out in 2006, but I didn’t find it (or them really) until I saw them open for U2 in Houston. My Muse station has now become one of my favorite stations on Pandora and this track quickly became one of my favorite tracks. See the video on Hulu.
Continue reading Top songs of 2009