Behind the Lens with Emily

Over the summer, Emily learnt how to use our phone cameras. In detail. Due to this, we regularly find several dozen photos of the same thing on our camera roll. Usually something very important, like a table leg. I can see most of you nodding. She's far from the only toddler to hijack their parents' phones. 

But before I delete them all, I thought I'd share some of her little masterpieces with you all. I'm making it clear, however, that the ones of David and myself asleep or undressed or in extremely unflattering positions won't be making it onto these posts. In case you wondered.

"It's a picture of you, Mommay. It's a good one!"

(She was talking about that first one)

Yeah. He won't love me for this when he's older.

Artistic, non?

The Moogies

In light of the recent article advising that children under 3 should not be allowed to watch TV (which I wholly disagree with*), this probably isn't the best time to mention this but hey ho, I don't care.

Emily watches TV, it has been my saviour especially towards the beginning of this pregnancy while I laid lifeless on the sofa. I felt bad about it for a long time - electronic babysitter and all that - but she only ever watches programmes that are appropriate to her age and that are educational. We can see the benefit of this now that she is recognising letters of the alphabet at 20 months of age, can count items in front of her, uses expressions that certainly didn't come from me or David ("oh dear!"), and can even mutter a few words in French and Chinese (she loves the Lingo Show!). TV isn't on all the time, we do puzzles, build towers and castles, use play-doh, dance, read, go out, cook, paint, etc.

There's no denying this generation is born into a technological age. Moderation is the key, as with everything. Denying it is like trying to pull the world to an age it simply doesn't belong in any longer.

But I digress. What I wanted to write about is an iphone app that Emily loves. (*shock horror* yes she also plays on my phone.) She's known how to unlock it since she was 9 months old. Like I said, they're born into a technological age. There's a little folder on my phone called "Emily" that she knows to go to and find her games (once I unlock the phone!!), and she will stay within this folder 99% of the time. She's good like that.

There are about eight apps in that folder. To name a few of her favourites, there are:
Phone4Kids
Playtime with Dora (a huge favourite - she loves the Memory games, better on ipad)
Baby Sign and Learn (this has been amazing, she is actively learning new signs and words thanks to it)

But the game she can spend hours on (or at least until it kills my phone battery entirely), is The Moogies. This is a clever little discovery game. A house with nine characters at nine windows. Each window reveals a different scene with different "tricks" to discover. The characters will dance or sing, even the frames on the wall and the moon or the sun have surprises up their sleeves. You press anything and something happens.

Emily has her favourites. The talking Parrot at window 8 and the fishing Cat at window 7, and lately also the dancing Sheep at window 4.

We didn't know what the parrot did at first. We thought he was really boring until Emily spoke one time and the parrot repeated what she'd said in a funny high-pitched voice. There was no turning back. Part of me wishes there was a Moogies toy in it's own right, not just an app on my phone. Because if there were, I could guarantee it would go everywhere with her. She has entire conversations with that silly bird, often interspersed with infectious giggles, she asks him things and accepts his repetition as a reply, then more giggling/dancing/jumping around.

This app has become an absolute life-saver in doctor's waiting rooms or times when Emily needs to sit down quietly (like my 12 week scan!!). Try it out on your toddler - trust me, it's worth the 69p - and let me know what you think! :)

(Note: this app will override the mute setting on your phone)



* Beth pretty much sums up my thoughts on the "no TV for under 3s" issue here

My Gripe with the Telephone

Alexander Graham Bell (or whoever really invented the telephone) was a genius, he really was. I can't deny that. I couldn't imagine a world without telephones in some form. Living in a different country from the majority of my family has been much easier thanks to our ability to simply pick up the phone and have a chat whenever we so please.

There are, however, the negatives. Telemarketers and scammers, mostly. They get hold of your number and they call and they call and they call, and even when you scream at them to stop calling, they call some more.

Sometimes, like today, even my mobile line isn't immune.

And the conversation always begins the same way: "Hello Madam, my name is X and I am calling you from Y. How are you today?" I don't know you, you're not interested in how I am, get to the point (this is not generally a silent thought). "Now, I must inform you that this conversation will be recorded for training purposes." (Lovely - I'm helping to create more of you.)

Today's call happened to be someone claiming to be calling from my internet provider. "Are you happy with the service, Madam?" (If I weren't, believe me, you'd have heard).

He started out by trying to get me to change my land line provider. I wasn't having any of it. He then claimed that my internet contract was about to end and said that he could renew it for me while giving me three free months. "Can you please confirm your full name and your address?"

Why?

"Data Protection, Madam."

(Bollocks.)

Sir, while you may be the most honest man on earth, you may also be the biggest liar and not in fact calling from X at all. Why should I give you my personal details when it was you who called me?

"But I'm telling you I'm calling from X!"

Yes, but that doesn't necessarily make it truth.

"I cannot help you without this information, Madam."

Well, I'm quite certain that if you were calling from X, you've already got all that information displayed on your computer screen and therefore do not need any further information from me. Again, may I remind you that you called me. I am quite sure that were my contract about to expire (I have since checked and it was automatically renewed back in October), I'd have received some form of correspondence informing me of such.

"OK, Madam, goodbye." :)

Call me paranoid, but wasn't there something just wrong with that picture?

And what on earth possessed me to answer the phone?!

The other day someone called the landline (a few times) claiming to be calling from some obscurely-named place that dealt with our "computer warranty". He claimed that our computer was at risk and he needed us to... (we didn't let him go on. I can only assume that he was about to ask us to give remote access to someone there to allow them to "fix" our computer. Big joke.) What didn't help his case was that he had no idea which of our computers he was actually referring to... "the Dell" was all he could say.

Gullible, we are not.

And when it comes to genuine telemarketing calls, despite having registered with TPS, it's made no difference whatsoever. I am one of those people who will instead just let the phone ring. As a general rule, I never answer the landline at all. And when it comes to mobile calls, I do not pick up if it's a number I don't know. My reasoning is that that's what my answering machine is for (failing which, my curiosity takes over and that's when google and sites like whocallsme come in handy).

David is appalled by this and always has been. He hates watching as I put my phone away when it's still ringing. He, like many others, believe a ringing phone is to be answered. Personally, I think a phone is there to assist me, not have me be it's slave. It's there to make my life easier, not to fill me with rage.

Then again, maybe next time I'll take this approach... or this ;)

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