Our Favorite Super Commercial

Somehow I think Tim might be a little more feared tomorrow at school



What was your fav?

Things I don't love

Savanna's glasses are broken...again. :(

Customers that swear at me. I don't remember any customers swearing at me until this last month and I've now had a few. :(

Grouchy teachers in the carpool area. YES I am out of my car. NO I am not blocking anyone, YES I will leave as soon as possible. NO not until my kids see me and they come. YES I know I shouldn't leave my car even for the tiniest instant. NO it is not a big deal because I am 3rd to the end of the line and no one is blocked by me. YES I'm irritable today.

That Brooke has not yet spilled the beans on where her nephews are going on their missions. So what if I'm nosy...I wanna know!

AND a COUPLE MORE LOVES:

LOVE that Savanna is doing so awesome in school and in the words of her teacher, she is top of the class. LOVE that her teacher scheduled us last so she could spend double the time with us to brag on Savanna. ;) (Sometimes a Mom just needs to hear that.)

LOVE the BBQ chicken pizza I made tonight. Darn yummy I say. I think I finally have the pizza dough thing down.

LOVE that my kids go around singing. "Spatula City We sell spatula's...and that's all!" {Honestly not sure I know why I LOVE this one.}

LOVE that Mike will edit my emails to obnoxious customers so I don't regret it later.

LOVE EVEN MORE that I got to write the email I WANTED to write...before Mike edited it.

I guess things are not soooo bad...I still have more loves than not.

Things I love right now

The little noise Ethan makes with his lips when he is either worried, embarrassed or scared.

The funny comments he makes when I am leaving his room after he goes to bed. Like "Hey Mom, I need to tell you something." "Ok, what" " I'll tell you in the morning."

That Emily and Tim seem to really be enjoying being on the same 'team' for Math Counts. Didn't think it was possible 6 months ago.

That Tim is learning a lot of good life lessons playing basketball this year and he has an awesome coach.

That Emily & Tim are brave enough to try out for the school talent show even though they did not get picked to perform.

That both Emily and Sierra have taken to just sitting down at the piano lately and playing to their hearts content.

That Sierra's mind is constantly creating and inventing. I love how she thinks of new ways to do things.

That Savanna has her glasses again. {New prescription...we got them home for 1/2 an hour and they were lost for a week + but Emily won the $5 today for finding them} AND that she says it is actually EASIER to see with them then without this time. *cross your fingers that that sticks*

That Savanna is LOVING reading. Not that I'm surprised, but it is awesome to sit down and have her read a 'real' book to me.

That I have been able to contribute in a meaningful way to our school. I like to be looked to to solve problems. I like being a problem solver. Unless the problem includes touching or looking at people in the back seat.

That Mike has only 4 days left until he can see the specialist again for his sinuses and hopefully they can quickly get him on the path to feeling better.

That the days are noticeably getting longer.

My photography obsession. I literally think all day long about what I am going to take a picture of. Unfortunately I have not been good at carrying my camera around with me all the time so I have missed some great opportunities.

The fantastic sunsets we have had recently (even though I missed them with my camera)

The idea that I might actually understand Isaiah (at least a little bit) for the very first time in my life in a few months.

The fact that I don't have to teach again for a month.

That there are only 15 days left until we leave for Disneyland.

Every post should end with "I'm going to Disneyland!"

You Go Girl!

Sierra has decided that Peach {the princess in the Mario games} is too 'Kidnappable'.

She is now designing the next game where Peach saves Mario.

I like how this girl thinks!

Pictures

It looks like since I started my photoblog that I have hardly posted any pictures here. I thought I'd just slip a couple in that I didn't post on the other blog.

I love that Ethan is developing a love for books just like his brother and sisters.
I love when this happens. (Notice the empty computer)
I love Grandmas.
I Love where I live.

Are you in your element?

I just finished (yes I know it's a week overdue now, the fines will be worth it) reading the book 'The Element-How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything' by Ken Robinson. {Thank you Marni! It was a great suggestion.} He is a school reformer/creative thinker/Inspirational Enabler. It was a fun read, a make you stop and take count kind of read. I like those.

The element is 'the point where natural talent meets passion.'

These are some of the ideas I identified with most in the book:

*Instead of asking 'How intelligent are you?' Ask 'How are you intelligent'.
We all have natural, and I would add God given intelligent and shouldn't we be searching to find out in what areas that intelligence lies?

*When you find your element you have periods when you go in and out of the 'zone' The zone is where creativity and imagination meet and nothing can stop them. The zone fills us with energy rather than exhausts us. Ideas fly, things happen. But it is natural to not 'always' be in the zone. Creativity fluctuates.

*Fear is the most common obstacle to finding your element.

*The Author quotes another book and the title says it all.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

*The difference between lucky people and unlucky people is attitude. We make our luck. Lucky people notice and act upon opportunities, they listen to their intuition, and the expect to be lucky. When misfortune arrives they 'see' it as an abnormality rather than what is expected. Lucky people reframe 'bad luck' into something beneficial.

*Just because you find your element doesn't mean you have to be a professional (meaning making a living) at whatever it is. The word Amateur means lover, devoted friend, or someone who is in avid pursuit of an objective.

*It is not too late to find your passion and your element. "Human lives are cyclical, different capacities express themselves in stronger ways at different times in our lives. Because of this we get multiple opportunities for new growth and development, and multiple opportunities to revitalize latent capacities" {my words talents}

So...are you in your element? What IS your element?

We are interrupting your regulary scheduled program...

A normal drive home from school includes an argument about who sits in the front seat. An argument about who said what, when and why. Perhaps one about lunch, or a teacher or an assignment or yadda yadda yadda. Today our regularly scheduled argument was interrupted by this interchange.

I picked Emily, Tim & our Carpool friend Katelyn up from school after the School Talent Show Tryouts. There was general consensus that none of them felt particularly great about their audition or chances.

Tim: I thought people should have clapped more for you Emily.
Emily: I was just glad I got any claps.
Tim: Well even if you had done the worst job of anyone ever there would be clapping...because I was there and I would clap for you anytime.
Pause
Teary eyes {Emily's eyes}
Emily: Wow...thanks Tim.


Now back to our regularly scheduled argument.