Season's greetings! I am happy to anounce that a new little Adultitis-fighter has joined our family. Her name is Virginia Rose, and she arrived at 2:39 am on December 19, just in time for Christmas. Ginny was born at home and interestingly, she was born "en caul," which means she was actually born in her bag of waters, which is somewhat rare. Depending on what you Google, it is generally regarded as a sign of good luck (or an omen that she will grow up to be a vampire.) At 8 pounds, 15 ounces, Ginny weighed in a little over big sister Lucy but under big brother Ben, who was 10 pounds, 4 …
Archives for December 2013
Bill Murray and a Lesson On Slowing Down
I love this awesome video (via Don Miller) of Bill Murray with some fans. He agreed to slowly walk down a hallway with the guys so they could film it as though they were in one of his movies. It's pretty epic, and goes WAY beyond a simple autograph. https://player.vimeo.com/video/20089652 Here's Don's commentary: It just goes to show you how great life can be if you’re willing to slow down for people. Of course, none of us are Bill Murray, but slowing down for your spouse, your kids or your friends for just a minute to really give them something that will blow their minds is a magical …
[Read more...] about Bill Murray and a Lesson On Slowing Down
“Have To” vs. “Get To”
My final speaking gig of the year was last week. It capped off a very busy run that had me giving five speeches in four days and included long drives and early mornings. As I reviewed my week before it began, there were a lot of "have to's" running around my head: I have to do two programs in one day, then I have to drive this far, then I have to get up this early, etc. The general tone was that of overwhelm with a little self-pity thrown in for good measure. Adultitis was on my back like a monkey. However, the mere act of noticing that Adultitis had crept into my story was just the …
A Nine-Year-Old Declares the One Good Thing About Being an Adult
[This is a guest post by Champion of Childhood award winner Matt Haas (and his daughter Amelia.)] I just finished reading the latest installment of the Escape Adulthood newsletter and it reminded me of a conversation I had recently with my nine-year-old daughter, Amelia. We were driving home from school and she was lamenting that she “never wanted to grow up.” As a newly appointed Champion of Childhood, it was my duty to take a deeper dive on that comment and try and find a possible antidote to this dreaded disease. What did she know that we didn’t, and could it shine some light on this …
[Read more...] about A Nine-Year-Old Declares the One Good Thing About Being an Adult
Ornaments, Advent Wreaths and Holy Guacamole
We put our Christmas tree up last weekend. The kids helped out, and by “helped out” I mean dropped hooks on the ground and placed multiple ornaments on a single branch about two feet from the ground. Trimming the tree is one of my favorite traditions in a holiday season filled with them. Most of the ornaments we own have a story behind them, whether it's a souvenir from our travels, or a gift from a grandma, or a memento from our early years of dating. It’s fun strolling down memory lane as each ornament goes up on the tree. Here are a few of our other holiday traditions: I make up …
[Read more...] about Ornaments, Advent Wreaths and Holy Guacamole
One Minion’s Inspiring Message of Ridiculousness and Redemption
[ This is a guest post from a woman from Wisconsin. We've left out her name to respect her privacy, but she graciously gave us permission to post this because we think it's very awesome and downright inspiring She's a true Champion of Childhood. ] I haven’t worn a Halloween costume in years, but decided to change that for 2013. After 10 years of a tumultuous relationship (8 years of which we were married), I filed for divorce in May and have been riding the “rollercoaster of emotions” since, working through all the heartache and also adjusting to “sharing” our 4-year old …
[Read more...] about One Minion’s Inspiring Message of Ridiculousness and Redemption