How Much is Watching TV Costing You?

This is an interesting, short article from 37 Signals.

Dinner with the DeYoungs

Happy Birthday Josh!

We miss you!

Ella Holding Jack

Little Peanut

5 Things: Video Hodgepodge

1. No One Better.

(HT: Z)

2. Fight for Kisses


3. Visualizing the $100 million cut from the U.S. budget:

(HT: BTW)

4. John Newton Bio


5. I'm getting these for my sister this Mother's Day.
I'm sure "she'll love the 9 inch zipper and casual front pleats."

(HT: Sarah)

Looking Up At Grandma

Jackson lifting his head up at 6 days old:

And here's Ella doing it at 4 days old:

Jackson's Baby Announcement

(Click the photo to enlarge it)

In an effort to save money on postage, we're sending these announcements out electronically. If you know someone who doesn't check this blog that might be interested in this announcement, feel free to link to this post or save the photo and email it to them. You may also print it out and hang it on your fridge in case we show up at your house unannounced.

Is There Anything More Manly Than This?

From Uncrate,

"Protect your clothes from splatters, hot grease, and other cooking-related shrapnel with the Outset Leather Grill Apron ($40). Made to withstand abuse that traditional cloth aprons simply can't handle, the Outset features a durable brown suede exterior with flame-retardant lining, an adjustable neck strap, and two front pockets to keep your cooking utensils at arm's reach."

Meals on Wheels

We've really enjoyed the meals that people have been bringing to us this past week and a half. We are fortunate to have several talented chefs as friends. Last night, Jason, Nicole, and Alex joined us for dinner and left just as the kids were reaching their breaking point.

Thanks to all who have helped us out with food since Jack's entrance into the world. We really appreciate it.

Monday @ the Mall

Yesterday we took our family out to the Jordan Creek Mall. Melissa fed Jack, Ella ate an apple, and I received some one-to-one training at the Apple store (in preparation for an upcoming contest pitting one creative titan against another - more on that later). We all met up at the Play Place to burn off some energy and make some memories. It was Ella's first time.

RSS readers may need to click through to see this video:

Free Cellphone/Service

You work hard to make money. You try not to spend more than you make. You delay current satisfaction in order to have greater wealth later.

Congratulations, you are paying for free cellphones and service for people who "qualify."

Anthony Bradley writes,

"This could include, then, college students, graduate students, my 21-year-old friend who is in and out of jail, had a kid outside of marriage, sells drugs occasionally, hasn't worked in 3-years because he gets a check from the government.

THIS IS CRAZY!!

What's next: free government "green cars" for "the poor."

Read the rest here.

(HT: Z)

Ella & Jack

Jack Got His Sissy

Ella has been really helpful with Jack while I am changing his diapers. She hands me his diapers and then throws the dirty ones away for me. She loves to help out.

Well today after she handed me a clean diaper, Jack projectile pooped and it sprayed all over his sissy. I screamed and Ella just froze and started bawling immediately. Todd ran and got some rags to clean Ella up and calm her down. Todd and I haven't laughed that hard in so long.

Sunday Afternoon Naps

Almost everyone is asleep in the Schulz home.

John Deere Girl

Ella really enjoyed playing with Ryan Putney's toys at his birthday party on Friday.

Blog 101: Best Way to Increase Site Traffic

1. Have a baby
2. Live-blog it.

Cashed

Baby Jack

Ella's Vacation Photos

Here are a few photos from Ella's vacation in Hartley

One Year Ago

Ella was making funny faces.
(RSS readers may need to click through to the blog)

Ella Returns Today

Ella has been on a little vacation to Hartley with her grandparents.
We can't wait to see her today.

Two Roses

ROSE ONE

Matt Chandler, pastor of Village Church, at the 2009 Desiring God Pastors Conference:

ROSE TWO

I can't get this Johnny Cash song out of my head. It's called "Rose of My Heart." But it's not just the words, which are very simple, or the melody, which is as basic as it gets. It's the story behind it, and the meaning the words convey about the richness that love takes on when there is an attitude of permanence and steadiness. Not one for hallmark sentimentality, Cash combines heartfelt love with covenant conviction in this short ballad. His voice is brittle, trembling, and oozes authenticity. He recorded this song just months before he died in 2003.

There are a few things I really want to do in my life. One of those things is to be an old man, sitting next to my little old wife, recalling a lifetime of memories (some difficult, some happy, but all good) shared with this woman. And with a thin, shaky voice, grab Melissa's old, wrinkly hand and say something like this:

"So hard times or easy times, what do I care?
There's nothin' I'd change if I could.
The tears and the laughter are the things that we share.
Your hand in mine makes it good.

You are the rose of my heart
You are the love of my life
A flower not faded nor falling apart
If your cool let my love make you warm
Rose of my heart."

Preview/Buy the Album: American V: A Hundred Highways
Preview/Buy the Song: Rose Of My Heart

Resemblance

Many people have said that Jackson looks a lot like his grandpa David.

Jack's First Mattern Family Dinner

Is It Ever Wasteful to Save Money?

Matt Perman seems to think so. And I would agree.

Ella @ 5 days

Here are some photos of Ella at Jackson's age:

She's been staying with G & G Schulz in Hartley for the last few days. Here are some of the highlights of her vacation as reported by her loving grandparents:

• What a conversationalist you have. She is very easy to talk with and she understands very well
  
• She pooped her pants this evening and said "poop"
• Ella and Papa are "side" (outside) - she is on his shoulders and just looking around.
• She loves keeping track of where Mickey (which she pronounces well) was going night-night. She loves just watching Mickey.
• We play lots of games, hold her whenever she wants and either are looking outside or we are outside a lot.
• I can not describe how wonderful a time we are having. WOW it is great.

Jackson on a Brown Blanket

The Gospel Coalition

The Gospel Coalition's National Conference is currently under way in Chicago. There are a number of ways to follow the action. Twitter (TGC, attendees' comments - hash tag gcnc09), Facebook, or Live Webcast. Some of the most solid Christian teaching comes out of this conference - Keller, Piper, Driscoll, Carson, Ryken, Duncan, and more.

For a good introduction to the conference, go here.

The Marshmallow Test

A few years ago, David Brooks wrote an interesting article called Marshmallows and Public Policy, describing a classic experiment and the ramifications of teaching self-control to children.

Around 1970, Walter Mischel launched a classic experiment. He left a succession of 4-year-olds in a room with a bell and a marshmallow. If they rang the bell, he would come back and they could eat the marshmallow. If, however, they didn't ring the bell and waited for him to come back on his own, they could then have two marshmallows.

In videos of the experiment, you can see the children squirming, kicking, hiding their eyes — desperately trying to exercise self-control so they can wait and get two marshmallows. Their performance varied widely. Some broke down and rang the bell within a minute. Others lasted 15 minutes.

The children who waited longer went on to get higher SAT scores. They got into better colleges and had, on average, better adult outcomes. The children who rang the bell quickest were more likely to become bullies. They received worse teacher and parental evaluations 10 years on and were more likely to have drug problems at age 32.

And yet the Mischel experiments, along with everyday experience, tell us that self-control is essential. Young people who can delay gratification can sit through sometimes boring classes to get a degree. They can perform rote tasks in order to, say, master a language. They can avoid drugs and alcohol.

For people without self-control skills, however, school is a series of failed ordeals. No wonder they drop out. Life is a parade of foolish decisions: teen pregnancy, drugs, gambling, truancy and crime.

For more on this fascinating experiment, read the rest of Brooks' article here or listen to WNYC's interview with Dr. Mischel here.

Funny Faces

Marcia, Amber and Anna visited us tonight.
We pulled out the MacBook Pro and things turned silly fast.

More Visitors

Grandma Mattern was finally able to spend a little time with Jack

And we were glad to see the Putneys, who brought us some killer fajitas.