Out of a strange series of events, what started out as a school project soon became an opportunity for quality time. My daughter needed to bring a small pet to school for a science class. I didn't know it at the time, but the goal was to keep the pet alive. We ended up purchasing two Molly fish for the project, but only one was needed. So, with nothing better to do with the fish, we bought a small tank and named both fish appropriately.
My daughter and I can be pretty imaginative with life events and our new family members became instant fodder for discussion. Before we knew it, we had developed a small storyline with characters. We were talking about things they would do and people they would visit. We gave them a life of their own! We even spoke about developing an animation show about them. She seemed really excited about developing an animation show, so I really wanted to take advantage of this opportunity for three reasons:
- I think it would be cool to develop something out of your wildest imaginations.
- I'll be able to spend time with my daughter.
- She'll have the opportunity to expand her imagination and vision.
This afternoon I received an e-mail from an animation software company. I had downloaded a trial version of their software, but I hadn't really used it. However, I was impressed by some of the sample animations on their web site and features of the program. They have two versions of their software product and neither is expensive.
When I opened the e-mail, I found that the company is offering their lower end version 40% off their original price. Praise God! The original price wasn't expensive anyway, but 40% off becomes even more appealing! (Now, I figure the lower price is to slowly get people to purchase their 'higher-end' version, but that's OK.)
So, I talked with my wife about purchasing the animation program and my request was approved! I also told my daughter to start thinking of other characters to include in the show - she had one within a minute!
I'm really excited for what the future holds and I'm thankful for the opportunity to share these moments with my daughter. Even if a nation-wide movie doesn't come out of our endeavors, at least we'll share some good ol' quality time together.
