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I know RC and myself have July birthdays coming up, but does anybody have a June birthday ? Maybe some of our newer members ?

Nope.

I do

June 2nd to be precise.

Frack ! Missed it ! Sorry Raz. Hope it was a great one!!!!!

It was great

Damn damn damn damn! How did you get away with that one? I get a whole topic posted about my birthday and yours is allowd to pass by unnoticed? Now that's just not fair!

Well lets see if this thread can stay completely on topic until 100 posts and that will be Raz's present from all of us.

Hmmm some how I can't see that happening! Oh well we can but try!

I'll have to take queeq into the closet and force him to cooperate.

Today was my son, Bens, 5th Birthday. He had a Whale of a Time, quite literally infact.

Literally? Did you adopt a whale? Did you do anything nice?

Yeah, apart from the normal cake and pressies stuff, he had a party with all his friends from school at a kids activity centre called, wait for it.... "Whale of a Time"

So we arent the only one to hunt whales then

Guess not. Is there such a thing as a Mad Whale, finti? Like our EU cows...

Locked in the closet with Gundy...mmmmmmmmmm....

I guess the whales have a problem seeing bounderies under water , but if EU starts whale farms they might go mad. Willy is pretty mad I guess

But at least Willy is free.

Happy Birthday, Ben !!!!!!!!!!!

And he won't even get his main pressie until 22nd June. He's been really grown up about it as well which is so cool. *Proud Father Glow*

Main pressie? What would that be then?

Does that mean you forgot to buy him something? Bloody Amazon.

Nah, he wanted a Gameboy Advanced and they aren't released until 22nd June. We got one pre-ordered for collection on the 22nd.

A Gameboy Advanced? And he's turning four? Pretty quick for a toddler.

Nah see through it man, it is RC himself who wants the gameboy advanced.

You're right Edna, he was five. And yeah, he is pretty advanced. He has his own PC, and an N64 as well. He's had those for about a year and, quite frankly, he's better with Windows than some of the people in my office.

He can read and do all the basic mathematic operators now. They're already talking about him skipping a year in school. I guess he's not the average toddler, as queeq puts it, but I do believe that if you treat kids like little adults they will truely grow. And thankfully, not at the expence of his childhood.

OK, so I'm sounding a little too much like the proud father here?

No, RC. You sound like a GREAT father !!!!

Thanks

Heck I know I'd be proud if I had a little boy like Ben!

Heck, when I was 5, the only computers I knew of were in grade B sci-fi movies that took up a room the size of half a football field. Usually called something like UNIVAC 5000 and were bent on taking over the world. Cool.

Same here. I saw my first computer when I was 12, a ZX-81....

He's my lad with a PII-300 with 256Mb RAM

Hmmm this brings back memories of that unforgettable topic "RC and Gundy's incredible Oldness!". I remember it well!

Well at least June 22 isn't that far away. But I guess for Ben its "forever".

Actually that's what has impressed me with him lately, he's been great about it.

What a great little guy.

Thanks for the memory Edna. Now bury it your little graveyard.

You had a ZX-81 eh, RC? Same here! I even expanded mine with a real keyboard and a joystick! Yeah, those were the days.
Actually, it wasn't the first one I saw. I did a course in programming when I was 12 at IBM. That was pretty fun, but not fun enough to make a career out of it.

I myself keep my kids a bit away from the computer. I prefer them to read books first. And my eldest, 3, is doing quite well. He knows most of the alphabet already.

are we talking stone age here

Well isn't finti the comedian today.

Oh I agree queeq, but the PC is a tool for knowledge first and a plaything a big second.

But if I were you, I'd look at a lot of the educational packages aimed at children in the 3-10 age group. A great deal of Bens Mathematical and Reading ability came from us sitting with him at the PC, playing these learning games.

Now he would rather use the Reading Rabbit package than play a normal game.

When you add this to the reading and maths he does with us and at school, it gives a big boost. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I don't think he would be doing so well if he didn't have the computer. Plus it's great fun for us to sit with him and help him learn.

A lot of parents don't have time or don't make time like that for their children. Bravo, RC !!!!!

I will make RC a role model for myself bringing up Live, one shall spend time with your kids.
Good work RC, maybe in a year or two Ben will outsmart you if not already

Ooh! And Finti hits the bullseye!

I thought he was turning five?

To Finti - That is my dream.

To Gundy - I hate to say this, but a lot of the time I think it is the latter. If you haven't got time for your own children, then who do you have time for?

Good point.

I kinda thought so.

Hmm...there goes my birthday present...

Pardon?

Sorry about that....I was just being arrogant.

I do think PC's can play in an important role in a childs development (as RC has shown), although a mixture of books and computers would be ideal IMHO OC.

RC, you're doing right. Hands on with your child together on the computer plus reading time, for if a child doesn't have reading skills, he/she won't be able to advance on the computer either. It's all the difference in the world. You, too, queeq, lots of time with the kids makes learnng fun. We did that with our two boys, made all the difference in the world. And, watch their body language as they read out loud and do the computer stuff.

Well, in that sense you are lucky RC. There are not many good Dutch packages in learning. The market for English speaking kids is so much larger. But there is some stuff out there. We got some basic things for the PC, like a CD-Rom where stories are being read out loud and stuff. But for the learning stuff, Liam first needs to get used to handling a mouse, he hasn't got precise motoric abilities to pinpoint it. So off to find a good package.

True, I never thought of that. Most of the packages Ben uses have an American accent as well, I can only think on one that is made in the UK.

It was fun, teaching Ben to use the mouse. I guess also that I'm fortunate in that we have so many PCs in the house, if I only had the one I'm not sure I would have been so keen to let Ben on it.

Actually June is the only month out of the whole year where neither anybody in Tommy's family or mine has birthdays. (tries in desperation to save topic for Raz, as Gundy once again is the only one who really knows what is going on) Hehehe.

We've got two computers and a laptop. But we don't really like him to get accustomed to the computer. He's already quite pissed when he doesn't get his way. So both computer and tv are only applied in careful doses. But as for books, he cannot get enough of them. Just like his brother who is now one year old.

Bens the same, he loves to read. His favorites right now are what he calls "Information books" (Reference books to you and me)... Unfortunately ended up being asked some questions that I wasn't expecting just yet.

He brought home "Lifecycle of the Snail" and when he got to the bit about reproduction, he eanted top know what Mating was. He didn't like the idea of two snails "loving each other very much" so in the end I just gave up and give him the biology of it.

So, next thing was "Is that how you and Mummy made the baby?"

And now he knows......

He knows you and mommy are snails?

Some thing like that....

How... romantic.

You ever seen two snails doing it? They certainly know how to snuggle!

Can't say that I have...

Can't say I want to.

snuggling snails. cool

Yeah, well I guess you have to be a snail.

I'm a snail? RC, I know I'm slow. At least I'm faster than a slug.

On a side note..

snails are hermaphrodites..

Dimmy, don't confuse my gender, please.

RC, are you saying I'm a snail? I know I'm slow.....



Dimmy, snails don't snuggle???

"evolving up from little snails, we lost or tails are we not men, we are Devo, D E V O"
Well snails like shrimps are both sexes then.

A little late for mine, it was June 3rd

NO Keo, not "you are a snail"

What I meant was I guess you have to be a snail to understand.

And don't get me started on the whole gender identty issue, last time I had a discussin with someone on that it ended in a big arguement.

*jumps up and down*
Ooooh, let's do it again. Let's do it again.

lovely, just lovely. chaos is egging RC on. snails, this time.

Nah, not sure I even wanna get into this one.

Oh come on. You can do it.

use your imagination, RC.

I don't have to, I had first hand experience of "Gender Issues" within my own family thanks...

OH ??????? how do you mean???

Well, part of the breakdown of my parents marraige was because my father was a transvestite. Us kids never knew until my mum told me on New Years Eve 1998 -> 99

RC, are you serious or joshing us? That can be very traumatic emotionally on all.

I swear, honest truth. As Dim, I told her about it ages ago.

I think if I'd known at the time it would have been a complete brain thrash, but I was thirty when I found out so I could see the funny side of it as my mom descibed how she found out.

She was actually rather drunk when she told me, but did confirm it all when a little more sober a few days later.

oh, my, RC, what did you think, after your mom confirmed it later? Did you think back on maybe some "interesting" events that occurred way back then, that you now understand better? maybe like your dad enjoyed shopping for your mom's clothes? little subtle stuff that really weren't any big deal back then, but now look different in light of everything?

Something like that. But if I tell you he was 6ft tall and nearly 300lbs then you might get the idea of why it was so funny.

So you took it quite well when your mum told you? Geez! That takes guts! I would have been freaked even if I was thrity!

Well, he'd been dead for 2 years and there was also the fact that he was a complete Alan!

ummmmm, RC, I'm way over here in the Pacific. What do you mean by "Alan"?

and, yes, I can understand your smiling about it, a person that big dressed in the dainties would be funny.

Well, my brother-in-law got his sex change operation two years ago. Interesting how I'm going to have to explain this to my kids.

Oh sorry, check out a show called the New Statesman. The lead character is called Alan B'Stard. (Say it fast and you get the idea)

Ah yes, the illustrious Rick Mayall.

heee heeee, RC, yes, it does sound, ahem, unique !!

Queeqer, so your brother-in-law is not your sister-in-law?? How is your sister dealing with her hubby, er wubby, wibey??

But is she a looker now?

yes, has the change improved everything?

Not really. He looks like a guy in a dress.

*sigh* maybe in time.

That'd be a miracle.

miracles do happen.

ACtually, there are a lot of Transexuals that you would never realsie used to be the opposite sex.

agreed, but they look the role of the change. The ones who don't, really end up looking strange.

I guess if that's what you need to feel whole, then that's what you need.

yup, RC, if they feel their spirit is in the wrong body, well, they're just trying to find their way to their own peace of mind. It's just such a traumatic decision to make.

Oh, for sure. I have a couple of friends who are transgendered. When I found out about my dad I did a lot of investigating on the net to understand what it was all about and in the process made some friends with in the TG community. They're some of the most honest and open people I know.

Whatever floats your boat. Whatever people choose to be is their own business, doesn't bother me. If you're happy with yourself, thats what counts.

And if you're not happy with yourself, you'll never make anybody else happy.

Ooooo, never thought of that one.

Its very true. A miserable person can't make someone else feel good. Unless they're an expert liar, but who wants to do that for the rest of their life ?

But it happens so often.

Well, there is just this one problem when someone in your family has such an operation. You can't just be indifferent and say: "hey, whatever floats your boat." I mean, they expect you to "play" along, use the girl's name and pretend he's always been a girl. That was our problem, basically. It's different than being a transvestite or gay, you don't have to partake in the stuff when you're not too favourable about it. With transgender stuff, you're expected to play along.
I mean, my brother-in-law has absolutely nothing feminine about him. He is no woman and he'll never be a woman and he'll never know what it's really like to be a woman. Whatever you say, he'll always be half sexed from now on. Looking female, but still being a male without sex organs. And yet, we are expected to play along.
I did an interview with his professor for a documentary touching this topic and I found his reasoning quite odd. On the one hand he was very kind, his aim was to help people. But on the other hand he couldn't do anything for them than just let them have the operation. I think the problem is more psychological, but hey, who am I?

(checks name tag) You're queeq.

Well, I don't know about Holland but in the UK anyone who wants a sex change has to go through a ton of phsycological evaluation, live as a woman full time prior to the op for something like 12 months to two years.

The whole process can take in excess of 5 years or more. This is why some TGs go abroad for the operations.

I know it's not easy for those around to deal with. But I could never understand the exact nature of what you and members of your family are having to go through. Same as I can't understand the drivers that would make someone want to change there outward sex.

Guess, in this case, it really does take one to know one.

That's the way I look at it.

I like being a woman. Gets me out of having to help lift heavy furniture.

And we like you being a woman too.

Okay..my view on this is I can understand it if you're truely transgender..but if you're one sex and just want to be the other because you think it's somehow better..that's a different story. And in my experience..that's what it is alot of the time..it's a form of escapism.

Okay..guess I'm closing this one..it's far from June Birthdays