Where Did My Kids Get Their Talent

The general assumption is, they got it all from their mom.
While there may be all kinds of scientific reasons to support such a claim, there is a mathematical argument against it. If they got her talent, why does she still have it? Ha! I propose that my kids got all their talent from me, leaving me destitute. That's why my wife still has all of hers.

My defense rests.

Anyway, comedy routine aside, a few weeks back several of the kids hinted that my website looked like it was made by a third grader. Not this website. This one is great, I didn't make it. I have another one that is about a boat building mission. I'll not describe here what is easier to look at there.

Back to our story.

My argument was that it didn't need to be fancy, cool, or anything else, it was merely a simple way to share how we were working to fill a unique need.
They alluded that if a corn maze were as complicated, there would be helicopters hovering over it performing search and rescue operations day and night!

They also pointed out that simple communication did not have to look amateur. That, I could agree with, I just did not know how to fix the problem.

Enter “the kids.” Mind you, they are spread out across the country. But, via technology magic, they collaborated, consulted, conferred, and conspired on how to rebuild it with all the essentials and none of the clutter.

It took twenty-four hours!

For real! From when I handed over the passwords, until I took down the old site and ported the URL, it took exactly one day. I was afraid it would be weeks. I think Rochelle didn't sleep at all during that time. She's the artist/photographer of the family, and naturally she did the aesthetic arrangement, which was the bulk of the work.

So I invite you to take a look around the website of Mission Navigation. I think it looks amazing. The work we do there is pretty cool too, if you're into that sort of thing.

The moral of the story is: Parents, don't be afraid of your kids exceeding your abilities. In fact, I think it's important to encourage it!

Fostering Creativity

You never know what creative talents your children may have tucked away in the back of their DNA. I think fostering their creativity is imperative to their development. It is also important to note that projecting your creativity on your kids is not the same as fostering theirs. That said, at times it can be difficult to tell if you are forcing a square peg into a round hole, or keeping your kids on task.

One such experience in our home was with our daughter, Rochelle. I'm not sure if she was emulating her big sister, choosing the least offensive option, or had a passing interest in playing violin. But somehow in her growing years, we connected her with a used violin, a good teacher, and lessons to make it happen.

The result was that she actually got decent with the violin. She followed through the prescribed training and played the obligatory performances. But she was not in love with the violin.

When her required training was completed, she asked if she could trade in the violin for a different instrument. No doubt, at the time, we wrestled with that decision. Undoubtedly, we wondered if that was just going to be her next muse. Ultimately, we agreed.

Rochelle sold the violin and bought a camera.

You can be the judge, but at our house, we've never looked back. I have included a link to her website. And you will miss a treat if you do not watch the video. The video was made by our son-in-law, Stephen. The model is our oldest daughter, Vanessa. And the score was composed and recorded by our son, Josiah.

http://srochellephotography.com/