Pot Luck Hobby Night

Perhaps a smaller memory stick in my camera would help me download all the photos more often. I might not be blogging as often as I had hoped, but I'm still snapping lots of photos. Actually, I'm trying to spend less time at my computer in general, so blogging is falling by the wayside too. Plus, we've actually been really busy!

Tonight we went to a Pot Luck Hobby Night with our homeschool group in Hamden/New Haven. We had such an enjoyable time. It was great getting to meet some dads, and to have the opportunity to "break bread" with a small group of fellow homeschoolers.

E did an excellent presentation on his action figures. We were all *very* proud that he actually got up and did it! This afternoon the two of us went through all of the figures he wanted to display and knowing that he'd never be able to memorize anything to say, I asked him some questions and wrote them down. He said all his answers to me, and repeated them almost exactly when I asked them of him in front of the other families - including men he didn't know! Well you could've knocked me over with a feather. He is growing up. I might add that although all the preschool kids were too busy being adorable to be nervous, and none of the 10 year-olds seemed to have any problems, E was the only one in his age group who got up in front of the group to do a report.

R did an equally excellent job. He had all his Bionicles set up in his room last night, and took pictures of his presentation so he could match the positioning perfectly when we got there this evening. He showed off his $120 worth (yes, he told us) of "monsters" (including one made not from a kit, but from random pieces he had lying around) with perfect confidence. That is after I did *my* presentation.

Yes, after E's I did one (why am I always the only parent that gets into this stuff?) on my hobby of concert-going. I was going to do it on scrapbooking, but then today I was going through a drawer and came across 55 (R counted) concert tickets from throughout the years (mostly the 80's). I also brought all the concert programs I still have. It was lots of fun, and going before R helped him settle himself. He was quite nervous. The first time he got up he admitted to the group that he had really bad butterflies, so after a few moments of watching him have trouble composing himself, I jumped up and took my turn before him. Worked perfectly; no matter what he was feeling inside (haven't discussed it yet) on the outside he was as cool as a cucumber.

One of the best parts of this is that we did all this because we wanted to, and not because it was a school assignment. I did not make any demands at all, even on participation. No requirements to write anything (although R did take the time to write a "DO NOT TOUCH" sign), no requirements to present to the group, no requirements whatsoever. They did it all because their friends were, and because it was fun!

I actually took pictures of the event, but am hesitating posting them. Blogger has been taken over by Google and now all the photos I post will be stored on a server that Google owns, and they are saying they can use any photos...well, here, read it yourself:

"...by submitting, posting or displaying Content which is intended to be available to the general public, you grant Google a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, adapt, distribute and publish such Content for the purpose of displaying, distributing and promoting Google services." So basically, Google can use any of *my* photos for advertising their company. The "Terms of Service" does not indicate just *where* this advertising could take place. So, realistically speaking, I could find one of the photos of the boys running around with wooden swords in the backyard on a Google advertisement on the side of a bus, or even on TV! IN JAPAN!

I know I'm getting paranoid, but Google is collecting just a little bit too much from me in too many places these days. And we are living in an age when our privacy rights are severely deteriorating. So, I'll think more on it, but I don't know that I'll be posting photos here anymore. I'll have to check the lists and find a place to store my images where I will retain full 100% rights on their usage.

Okay, back on topic...
We had a great time this evening. I'm looking forward to spending more time with these folks. They showed up in our lives exactly when we needed them, and it's good to be part of a group again.