I realize that I had my kids slightly later in life than the average mom but I didn't expect that I would feel like my life used to resemble Little House on the Prairie more than the world my kids live in. Here are 5 things my kids have asked me about recently that have made me feel like I was born in the Jurassic era. What's a card catalogue? Once the explanation was given, the child in question said "that must have taken FOREVER." Music tracks used to be...tracks. Remember the Monty Python album that had different routines depending on where you dropped the record player's needle? No? How about a "B" side? Why do we say dial the phone? It wasn't this question that actually slayed me. It was the follow up: Why did the handle have to attach to the bottom like that? What do you mean it's over when it's over? My family's media consumption mostly goes on via on-demand methods (DVDs, Netflix, YouTube...) so I suppose it shouldn't have been a surprise that my three year old threw a fit when we were not able to replay the Thomas the Tank Engine episode he saw via broadcast TV. Imagine waiting a whole year for that Sound of Music special. The ephemeral, unrecorded life My eldest was participating in a math competition and I told him I kind of understood his nervousness because I used to perform in music recitals. He wanted to see video. (In fact there is one VHS recording somewhere, but I don't think any of us have VCRs so that we can watch it.) What makes you shake your head a bit when your kids are surprised at the "olden days"? (Photo courtesy dfulmer via Flickr)