My son Ben turned five recently. One of our favorite things about homeschooling is the freedom of schedule, which allows us to give our kids total control over the agenda on their birthday. And Ben was crystal clear on what he wanted. It started with cinnamon rolls and bacon for breakfast, followed by the opening of one present. Then a trip to the Lego store and lunch at Pizza Ranch (he loves the blueberry dessert pizza). When we got home, he requested that everyone change into their pajamas (which, I'll be honest, wasn't a tough sell.) The afternoon was spent putting the new Lego set together and playing nicely with his sisters. He requested "noodle pillows" (aka beef ravioli) -- with no sauce -- for dinner. The birthday dessert was peanut butter cookies, and after opening some presents his siblings bought with their own money, he finally got to watch the only Star Wars movie he hadn't yet seen. (Episode lll). As the evening wound down and I tucked him into …
Archives for January 2017
When You Are Entirely In Over Your Head
This is a snapshot of a painting I'm working on. I'm happy with how this little guy is turning out, because it was touch-and-go for a while. There comes a time in every painting (at least mine) where I think, "Omigosh this is a terrible hot pile of garbage. This painting is unsalvageable. I have used up any art talent I had and am completely out of my league." But instead of retreating to a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos, I persist, while every fiber of my being insists that I am playing the fool. More times than not, a little patience and a little persistence carries me to the other side, when I stand back, smile, and can proudly say, "Wow. I did that." When you're trying to accomplish something worthwhile that you've never done before, you will likely encounter something similar. Going back to school after years away from the lectures and homework...and wondering if your brain will be able to keep up. Making a big transistion to a new job or department with an increased level …
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Mary Eickemeyer, January 2017 Adultitis Fighter of the Month
An Adultitis Fighter is someone who rallies against rules that don't exist and engages in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. Once a month, we shine a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against a formidable enemy. Mary Eickemeyer's entire life is established on the idea that Adultitis can be beaten and she makes it looks easy, even though we all know it’s not! She has an amazing gift of creating fun and spreading the joy. She evangelizes by both simple and bold examples and also through very mindful sharing. She spreads the message of Adultitis Fighting near and far, from her co-workers to influencers at events she attends around the world. A few years ago she took it all to the next level. After hearing Jason speak at a local event, she was inspired to create her own memorial event as a tribute to her friend Deb who …
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When Was Your Last Unscripted Adventure?
Nature and kids. It’s a magical combination. I treasure memories from my own childhood, ones like rolling down that huge hill at Allen Park next to the Illinois River, and climbing the tree in my front yard on Shady Lane, with grandiose plans to spend the whole afternoon there. These memories get richer with the years, don’t they? One of my deepest longings as a parent is to provide these magical moments for our kids. I’m finding that with all things in life, when I give, I end up receiving way more than I ever imagined possible. This little story illustrates the gift my kids gave me, when I gave them an hour on the lake. We are blessed to live a half mile from Lake Mendota, Madison’s largest lake. It’s a magical land of ice and snow right now. The kids are enthralled by this paradise (and so am I). We had my nephew over for a sleepover recently so we were all proud to show him our lake. I was radically moved by our unscripted adventure. Did you know if you scream …
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The Thing About Easy
Building a business from scratch isn’t easy. Neither is homeschooling one’s kids. Or traveling across the country with them in a small SUV and two suitcases. Which brings me to fireplaces. Our basement has had a gas fireplace, but it’s in a really weird spot in the lower level and we spend most of our family time upstairs, so we’ve only used it maybe twice in the 8 years that we’ve owned the home. After this summer’s basement renovation, Kim and I created a little sitting area in front of the fireplace in the hopes of making it more usable. We also decided to convert it to wood burning. Now for some people, you would have thought that we were planning to permanently remove the roof from our house. To them, we are fools to ditch the ease and convenience of gas. We’ve been advised about how much more work is involved in a wood burning fireplace, as if we are aliens just settling in to this planet called Earth, unaware of a technology that allows you to start a fire by …
Chasing the Next
"I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. One.” This quote is from the movie City of Angels starring Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage. It’s delivered by Cage, playing an angel named Seth, who has lost the love of his life. In the end, it is these fleeting moments -- the ones that seem so insignificant, so intangible -- that become the most valuable. How easily we forget this as we chase the tangible: The big screen TVs. The home improvement project. The latest techno-fad. They seem to be substantive, on the surface. We can touch them, and they take up real physical space. But it turns out that these things prove to be not so tangible after all. They do, however, distract us from the things that matter. I passed by this abandoned television on a walk a few days after Christmas. I'm sure it was the top prize a handful of holidays ago. Now it sits, abandoned, on the side of the road among dirty piles of snow, …
Toddler Wisdom
https://youtu.be/aED0OOy7Rqg Who knew one of the most annoying traits of a toddler could actually be a superpower for us grown-ups? …
How to Do Life Balance Right
Welcome to the new year! I love a fresh start. A blank slate. A chance to get things right. (At least for a few days. ;) Here’s a question for you. If this were your last year on Earth, how would you spend it? In my speaking programs, I spend a lot of time talking about “life balance,” which is a term I despise more than wet socks, mostly because no one can agree on what it means. Does it exist? Is it attainable? And if it is, what does it look like? Ultimately, deep down, when it comes to the concept of "life balance” (whatever it is), most people fear they’re not doing it quite right. You know how you know if you’re doing it right? Here’s how: If you’re living your life in such a way that if you were suddenly given just one year to live, you wouldn’t change a thing. That’s a yardstick I use, and I think it cuts out all the fat. Am I there? Not all the way. I still worry too much about things that don’t matter. I don’t give as much attention as I should to the things …
Don’t Stay Sober
https://youtu.be/cTgUoA9zt0E When the last thing you'd expect your dad to say on New Year's Eve turns out to be pretty epic advice for fighting Adultitis. …
A Promise to Live Big
In this new year I promise...to listen to the whispers of my heart, initiate kitchen dance parties, stay up way too late dreaming with my husband by a cracking fire, invest in countless guilt-free pajama days with my kids, listen to ocean waves in search of real wisdom, walk countless miles with my God in the early mornings, attempt to savor the beauty I see, smile generously, and to love bigger and bolder than yesterday. Adultitis, please know I will fight harder than ever to bring you down, today, tomorrow and forever. 2017, "living big" is an understatement. Let's do this! #AdultitisFighter …