Paris Chick Unplugged

I think I have mentioned in the past that I believe one of the "duties as assigned" for a mom is to help your kids find their passion. Not my passion, their passion. Reagan had to play an instrument in 6th & 7th grade, she played the viola. The day she could stop was they day she was ready to turn it in for good. I mentioned, "How about the guitar?" When we went to the music store and saw her sit on that stool with a guitar, it was natural. The way she sat, the way she held the instrument, the look on her face. She now takes guitar lessons and seems to really be enjoying it. She took this picture of herself on her iPod. I said it looked like her first album cover. I melts me.

Exercise in character

One of my most favorite ways to exercise is with the fit ball. I have a Pilate's DVD that is so great using the fit ball!!

This is mine, love it. Tennison uses it to play on.

I'm just waiting for the day he pops it.

Here is something I don't use often, but freely admit I own. I'll give you a high five the next time I see you if you can name it in under 5 seconds.

 

Does this help you? 

You got it!! The Thigh Master... even Moka is running from it.

There are other styles of exercise too. Like an exercise in humility. An exercise in gratefulness. An exercise in honesty and generosity. An exercise in just about anything that helps build your character. Today I had an exercise in patience. Here is why...

In this mornings rush it was only 1 egg on the floor.

I had to just keep telling myself... just one of 8 eggs.

Then it was the dough rising in the fridge overnight. It wanted out!

Then it came again. I had to have one of my teeth redone today. I hope you moaned on my behalf. As I was getting situated I asked for the headphones. "Oh, the TV isn't working." Huh? "We can try to get a radio station on the headphones." No can do. Shoot me now. Patience.

My biggest exercise was in forgiveness. As I said mean, mean things in my head about my dentist last week, I realized he is human. He didn't mean to mess up the tooth, he didn't mean for me to come back, he isn't mean... like I thought he was. So in my head I forgave him and decided to let it go. Exercise can be a real pain.

I leave you with a little something from Queen Latifah: "The reality is, I like imperfection. You take away from the world when you're not yourself. Whatever is unique and special about you was designed by God. And when you try to be someone else, we don't get you. Who knows what you would have contributed to the world had you just been yourself, if you just celebrated who you are and just walked boldly?"

Keep exercising in all different ways

 to become the You God wants you to be.

New Years Time Capsule

We started a super fun tradition New Year's Eve 2005 when we hosted a party with a group of families. We gave each family a shirt box to decorate with stickers and markers... their Time Capsule for 2006.

We still use the same box and keep each year's capsule items in it.

We handed out sheets of paper for the kids to work on. The current year was at the top followed by fill-ins to complete about the year. It started with their age, height, & hair color. Then it went on to their favorite food, candy, animal, sport and so on. The questions have evolved over the years, but one thing has never changed, a square for them to draw their self-portrait. We have had more laughs at how the kids drew themselves. Here is a sampling:

Every year Reagan puts a disclaimer by her portrait about her drawing abilities...

and every year she says she wants to be able to fly in the next year.

I'm so glad Whitney let me post this drawing. This picture makes us laugh every year. She'll be the first to admit she looks like a puppy in her drawing.

How cute is that?

Tennison's drawing that same year.

Looks like we have a puppy and an alien.

There is also a sheet to fill out as a family, we call it Family Dreams. These are items we hope to accomplish in the new year. The year before last Tennison's dream was "Fresno". We all cracked up because he was referring to the movie Monsters vs. Aliens when the man said they were moving to Fresno. Surprisingly enough we got close, we went to Los Angeles and did our big Disneyland trip! I put World (Family) Peace... who doesn't want their kids to get along?

We've started to include that year's Christmas picture in an envelope with the year marked on it. That way we can see what we really looked like! I store the time capsule with my Christmas decorations so it comes up from the basement in time for New Years.

Here is what the time capsule sheets included this year:

· I am ________ years old.

· I am ________ tall.

· I have ________ hair.

· My favorite color is

· My favorite food is

· My favorite sport is ____ because

· My favorite teacher this year is ____ and my favorite subject is

· One of my favorite things to do with my sisters & brother is

· The most fun thing about summer was

· In the winter I like to

· My favorite movie is

· My favorite game to play is

· My favorite thing to do outside is

· My best friend is ____, I like to________ with him.

· One thing I remember about my birthday this year

· I like to _______ with my dad.

· I like to _______ with my mom.

· When I am alone I like to

· I wish I could

· Next year I want to learn how to

· My favorite Christmas gift this year was

· My favorite thing to do over Christmas break was

You can always start a time capsule anytime you want, like the beginning of the school year (I started the girls doing them in middle school). They are so fun to look back on and this year we are starting something new. We are going to make a copy of the Family Dreams to keep our sights on some things... like climbing Horsetooth once and for all! World Peace will have to come another year!