Flappy Bird-Is It Dangerous?

There's this new (kind of new) game called Flappy Bird. It happens to be very popular amongst most people now, especially kids in elementary-high school grades. It is very frustrating and hard to get a very high score on. People have written reviews on it and mostly bad thoughts about it. Yet the people play it all the time and call it addicting. Because they feel a need to constantly get a higher score. I have to admit even I play it sometimes, but it's not addicting to me. Kids brag about their over 200 score, while parents and grandparents just talk about it. 

What if this.........game is stealing kids' education? Keeping them from homework or from things that help the human brain, which I wrote about in my last blog? I may be a kid still, but because I'm a kid, wouldn't I know more about kids' education getting taken away than the average parent? Even though I'm homeschooled. Because I have friends (I won't name names) that go to schools. In fact, maybe, just maybe, I would know more than them, because I have my phone next to me while I'm doing my schoolwork, and sometimes I am tempted to go on it and play games. 

Why? Almost every kid is tempted to do the same. Because they're addicting. Flappy Bird is not a good game in my opinion. I should just delete it. I hope no one is offended or mad at me for posting this blog. I just want to say my thoughts about this newly popular game so that people might think that even a game as harmless-looking as it is, it could be educationally dangerous. And possibly even mentally dangerous. 

Words&Numbers

Do you ever think about, well, words in general? How they can be of great use to find brain games with them? For example, try splitting them into their syllables and mixing them to create unique words. Or take two different sounds in a word, and flip them. Like E and A sounds. We could even reverse the sounds in "sounds" to make "zounds". Do you ever think about how the American words sometimes replace certain letter sounds with different letter sounds? A lot of times, we say the z sound instead of the s sound. Even though the letter is an s. These are the kind of brain games I play with myself every day. We could change lots of s sounds into z sounds. Like "myzelf" instead of "myself". 

Only today did I realize how useful words (wordz) can be. Some people might not care about playing games (gamez) with words. In your head, not Words with Friends. Some people (peopul) might think it is silly. But I dont. I think a lot of people could use their brains (brainz) a little more. Plus, these kinds of games can help pass time. "Subtraction", for instance, could be "subchracshin". "Addition" could even be something like "udishin". Numbers, too, can be used thoughtfully to play games. But there has to be something, like a story, that has a certain number in it a lot to connect to your "base number", as I call it. Like 5 people who know 23 parks to go to that give free donuts. 2+3=5, and 2 is 3 before 5, 5 is 8 before 13, and 13 is 10 before 3. It's like a kind of cycle. I am sorry if I am boring you, but I kind of needed to share my thoughts. 

I also realized that numbers are more fun and, well, helpful in a way than I thought they were. 

Fish Lake, Winter 2014

On Friday, the Seals, my family, and Grandma and Papa Baker came up to Fish Lake for a few days. Our sledding record was 226 feet 2 inches far out. It was broken today by Megan and Kelsey. We celebrated Uncle Earl's 43rd birthday. Daisy also turned four. We sledded a lot and Taylor and Megan shoveled an ice rink out. We went tithe movie theater and saw Jack Ryan. All the girls watched Frozen. Grandma's breakfasts have been really good. 

My January and December Swim Meets

100-yard freestyle. 50-yard breaststroke. 50-yard backstroke. 100-yard butterfly. 400-yard freestyle relay. Man, that was long and hard! It took a while to get to West Chicago for that meet. I waited a very long time in between races to just do one race. I won my 50 breaststroke, even though my goggles fell off. They also fell off on my 100 freestyle. I got second on my 50 backstroke, but second-to-last on my 100 freestyle. I don't really know what place I got on my 100 butterfly. On the relay, three other boys and I got last. Still better than the relay at the last meet. 

Last meet was at the Centre of Elgin. I'm pretty sure I did a 50 freestyle, (which I happily won) and a 100 breaststroke. (Which I happily got second on). I also did a relay, which we lost. 

Papa Baker and Aunt Tara wanted this blog post really bad. Thanks for the hint, hints. 

First Days of Fall

I cannot wait until my birthday!!!!! Anyway, on Saturday, we went to the Harvest 25th Anniversary Celebration. It was unusually long and we saw lots of friends. There were big bounce houses and the lines were extremely long. Piano lessons are going well and I have one tomorrow. Ryan hasn't played his saxophone in a while, but his guitar is going well. Even worse, he wants a pull-up bar for Christmas. "It's all he can think about!!" Mom says. I would rather get a big LEGO set or a Nerf gun. But, my birthday is coming first. I am also doing good in school. Ryan keeps calling me Gram the Grammar kid. I don't get it. Mom announced during lunch today that she is going to be drinking health smoothies made out of veggies and other things for the next two days! Ryan and I are afraid of the taste, so only Megan and Mom have tasted it so far. We had our second week of co-op on Friday. (I forgot my crayons.)

I have had Papa Baker ask me about my next surgery. Earlier this month, we went to Shriners for my yearly check-up. The doctors said it was up to me to decide whether I wanted it to happen or not.

I also want to thank Papa Baker for giving me a reminder (or hint, as he called it) in an email to blog again. 

August again?

It is almost September, and summer break is about over. Anyway, I am getting sick of the month called August. It happens to be my least favorite month and it always seems to keep going on forever. I am glad it will be over soon. However, when 2013 ends, Brady turns five in January (five-year-olds always have glasses). Skip back to August. At least swimming will be starting soon, and that always helps for the winter and fall to go by fast. Probably the only good things about August is Family Camp at UPBC and going to Livonia and Fish Lake. Plus, the heat in August this year is helping.

I hope to see all of you in September!

Summer Recap

This summer we had a lot of fun. We went to UPBC twice this year and went to Fish Lake and Livonia a few times. Currently Ryan and I are learning how to play guitar. We went to the Seals' house many times this summer. Even as I type this blog (which I haven't done in a while) I wish I could go back and do it again. I learned a few days ago that Brady got glasses. If you're wondering, I was amazed that he didn't just pull them off Grammy's dresser and tell everyone that he had glasses. We will be going to Fish Lake again soon. As for UPBC, at hobo breakfast at family camp, Dad was quite popular because of his enormous hobo can. Besides, everyone's matches were too wet to lite, so they all came over to him and had him lite their burners with his blowtorch. We did crafts and fun activities both times at camp. I am also looking forward to the swimming season in October through March.

Mom recommended for me to post this blog, so I did.

Our Trip to Michigan

First, I am sorry that I have not blogged in a while. Anyway, on Friday we went to Michigan to see Grammy and Papa Don and the Fishers for a while. We will leave tomorrow morning after breakfast. On Saturday, Maddie and Amelia (our other cousins on our mom's side) came over so we could celebrate Ryan and Riley's birthdays. Currently Ryan is playing hide-and-go-seek with Joy Boy and Grammy. Tomorrow, we will meet our friends at Cracker Barrel for lunch. Right now I don't know what to say so I'm testing out this speaker thing on the iPad. I want to be able to get pancakes or waffles at Cracker Barrel tomorrow. Mom says I should end it now. She says peace out.

Memories of Max

These pictures and many more will help us to remember Max well, but no dog could ever be the same as him.

Max: A Good Dog

The Seals family (my cousins) had a dog named Max. He was a Yorkie Terrier. As small as he was, he thought he could conquer anything, and he thought he was the biggest living thing in the world. He died at the animal hospital. He was out back one night. The Seals had forgot about him. Soon, everybody was out there looking for him. Kelsey went to the backyard with a giant flashlight. When she heard him yelping, she turned the light to the noise. He was bloody (not soaked) near a tree. They took him to the animal hospital. It turned out to be a coyote attack. He died because his heart couldn't take it any more while they were working on him. Of course he was asleep though. He was probably the bravest dog I ever met. 

When I heard about the news about Max's death, I walked right out of the room.

If you want pictures of him, I can send six to you.