Messing with the camera

I still find that the indoor shots are the toughest for me.  Of course the dog and my son never really cooperate.  If I keep practicing, maybe I'll get better at the settings.

Here are a couple of shots that I was practicing the basics with (once again):

focus on the first shot is the checkbook, second shot on the Easy Button and final shot is the white door.

Shots are still a bit dark but not too bad on manual.  Can't get my shutter speed this weekend.  Need to work through my lessons again, seem to have forgotten a basic component somewhere along the line.  I'm going to refresh my memory.