Fall Break

Yesterday was our first day of fall break. I'm ready to pull my hair out. The volume level in my house is off the charts. I think we are going to do a photo hike later, after baby's nap. I'll see if I can post some of our photos.

I'm a fan!!

I got to go cheer my sister on in the Portland, Oregon marathon this weekend. I was supposed to walk it with her but totally chickened out. I have to say that I had a much better time cheering on the participants.

We downloaded several fun songs from ITunes for the event: Eye of the Tiger, The Rocky Theme, Superman Theme, Walking on Sunshine and a few more. We got a hold of a bull horn and portable CD player and stood on the side of the road playing the songs on the CD player through the bull horn. You could hear the music a block away. It was awesome! At the beginning it was fun to get everyone pumped up. Everyone was all smiles and filled with excitement. Mile 7 was much the same. At about mile 19 you could see the fatigue and that's when the cheering became more than fun. It truly felt like a responsibility. My sister would pass and we would continue to play music for the people who followed. We stood for 2 hours in one spot to make sure we got everyone. At mile 26 we truly felt honored to play "We are the Champions" and cheer them on the homeward stretch. I didn't walk the marathon but I was so glad I went to cheer. I've realized I don't want to walk a marathon but I think I could be the world's greatest fan.

Kudos to my sister for finishing her second marathon!! Way to go!!

Thought for the day

A lazy mom is one who does everything for her children.

Bait and Switch

Any mother who has purchased a Disney DVD will know exactly what I'm getting at with this post. I have a bone to pick with the folks at Disney home entertainment. I would like to say to the far-reaching, ever-manipulating Disney machine: "stop putting a trailer for every movie ever made by Disney on the preview section of each DVD"! And by the way, that "Fast Play" option is nothing more than a bait and switch. There is nothing fast about fast play. In fact, it's the "scenic" way to the "feature entertainment". Here's a little news flash, the people who are putting your DVDs into the player are BUSY MOMS!! we're tired of having to "select the main menu" before we select the movie. I would estimate that I've wasted a good week of my life standing in front of the TV waiting for the movie to load. Trust me, you have enough of a PR machine to not need the endless previews before each movie. All you're doing is ticking me off!

Inspiring

I've taken a liking to the show "Kid Nation". I know that it's taken some heat in the press of late and that many people are upset that there are kids alone in the desert trying to survive without adults. I have to say that I am so impressed with the children on this show. Thus far they have conducted themselves with amazing intelligence and have accomplished things I didn't believe children of those ages could. I think it's an excellent study in allowing our children to be themselves. As parents I think we forget that it's okay for kids to have hard times and to feel disappointment. In fact, it's necessary. I don't think that as parents we trust our children enough. They seem to be smarter and more capable than we give them credit for.

On the flip side, these children are who they are because they have been taught well by their parents. I guess that's all we can do as parents, teach them what they need to know and then trust that they will use it. I think Kid Nation is an excellent metaphor for life.

I feel great excitement anticipating what kind of adults these children will grow up to be.

Fairy Tales are for Girls

I came across the movie "Cinderella" on ITunes yesterday and bought it for my daughter. I was excited to see it again after so many years and I thought maybe my little girl would enjoy it. After it downloaded I forgot about it for a while and was surprised when my three sons had it on. I could hear their banter from the kitchen. Here are some of their thoughts about the movie:
"Why does she like him,he's ugly."
"That dress is lots better than the one the mice made"
"Oh watch out, she's turning back" (into the maid)
(when the step mother is locking her in her room): "lock her up, lock her up."
(when they kissed) "that's stupid"

I found myself laughing at the view point my sons had versus the one I had of the same movie at the same age.

Boys will be boys.

GFC 8

Here is the newest Good Force Challenge: Pray for someone else. It can be for anyone or anything it just can't be about you. Consider praying for your neighbor, your family members, the leaders of your community or country. Pray for those who are sick or afraid. Pray for those who are abused or harmed at the hand of others. Pray for global awareness or simply for inner peace. If you are uncomfortable praying, meditate. Take a moment to connect spiritually with the world around you and ask for it's protection and direction. Faith is perhaps the greatest force for good.