Over Christmas my in-laws had a house full, everyone was home. It was so nice being together. My father-in-law shared afterward that one of his favorite moments was on one of the mornings after his shower. He got dressed, came out of the bathroom and found his five-year-old granddaughter, our niece and god daughter, standing proudly next to his bed. She had decided to surprise him by making his bed. And what a surprise it was! We later found out from her mom that she likes to do this sort of thing for her in the mornings, too. It's not uncommon for my sister-in-law to come out of the …
Maintain Perspective
In Search of Good News
Is it just me or does watching the nightly news make you want to jump off a cliff? Filling my head with images of tragedies, war, and political fighting is not my idea of a natural transition to a peaceful night of sleep. It's no surprise studies show that tuning into the news leaves viewers needing psychological intervention to get back to a relaxed and healthy state of mind. Yikes! No wonder Adultitis is so common and widespread. My childlike optimism refuses to believe that the ratio of good to bad news is that far off. Somewhere along the line, producers decided that bad news sells …
What Does Bill Gates Know That You Don’t?
I am a die-hard Apple dork and I don't much care for anything made by Microsoft. But I have to give Bill Gates credit for at least one thing: he doesn't take himself too seriously. If ever there was a dude who could be expected to take himself seriously, it would be Bill Gates. I mean, the guy is as smart as a whip, changed the face of computing on the planet Earth, and is a gajillionaire to boot. (By the way, whoever decided that whips are smart?) This video from this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) demonstrates Gates fun side, which is often overshadowed by his über-wealthy …
[Read more...] about What Does Bill Gates Know That You Don’t?
Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
Some smart person once said, "If we keep doing what we've always done, we'll keep getting what we've always got." And I know it was Einstein who said in a similar vein, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Makes sense, right? Any time we try something different (with the admirable and sensible intent of seeing different results), we can expect the road to be a bit bumpy, because change is always uncomfortable. If we wanted to be comfortable, the best way would be to just keep doing what we've always done (and keep seeing the same …
[Read more...] about Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
The Hoop and a Stick Theory
My friend Matt pointed me to a story from reveries.com that matches up with his personal "Hoop and a Stick" theory of raising kids which states that all kids need is a hoop and stick -- and certainly nothing that requires batteries -- for a good healthy upbringing. Here's a snippet from the article: It also turns out that the best way to encourage kids to exercise is simply to “give them a ball, jump-rope or hula hoop” — along with more in the way of “active play time.” That’s according to a report due out in next month’s American Journal of Preventive Medicine. This gets me thinking about …
Capture the Clarity
Jason and I got the chance to sneak away recently for a weekend of warmth to Ft. Myers, FL. There's nothing better than putting lotion on your sunburned cheeks while watching The Weather Channel report that your zip code is getting pounded with inches of white stuff. With all the talk about life lists this past year, I was motivated to check another thing off the list before the end of '07, so when the opportunity arose for us to go parasailing, I jumped on it. Jason recalled that he had it on his life list to not only parasail, but to parasail in the Gulf of Mexico. So, it was meant to be! …
Fuzzy Memories
Jason and I have been doing lots of interviews regarding our 12 Days of Wishmas festivities, which starts this Saturday already! (Are the weeks flying by for you too?) It's been fun sharing about all of the childlike activities we have planned, things like building gingerbread houses, making paper snowflakes, and decorating cookies. One of the radio hosts made the point that it's neat to be able to help kids, while renewing that kid within. Amen to that! One of the best questions has been, "What's your favorite holiday memory from childhood?" My answer brought an instant smile to my face. …
Second Childhood
The other day in the comments of my post about the Pajama Run (a fun idea about going on spontaneous ice cream runs in your pj's after bedtime), a woman left a heartwarming comment that made me smile. She basically summarized the entire message of Kim & Jason in a few insightful words. TadMack shared, Sometimes stuff like this makes me tearful, and I think, 'Dang! I want a do-over! I didn’t get a childhood like that!'…and then a little light goes on. OH. See you at the ice cream parlor. I’ll be the one with the curlers and the cloud-printed flannels… …
Martha or Mary Thanksgiving?
It's one of the shortest stories in the Bible, but I think it's so relevant to our modern day- the story of Martha and Mary. I reread it this morning (Luke 10:38- 42) and couldn't help but think about all of the busy people this week, preparing for Thursday's feast. Let's be honest, it's a lot of work... the bird, the side dishes, desserts, and don't forget the cleaning (before and after). Some people love it, and then others are quite resentful. A lot depends on the amount of support received with the busywork tasks that need to be done. You may remember in the story Jesus and his …
10 Ways to Have a Childlike Thanksgiving
In case you've been wondering, yes Adultitis is contagious, but so is being playful and young at heart! Which would you rather spread? There will always be the "Scrooges" of the world who turn their noses up at you, but there is hope... just look at the Grinch, an Adultitis survivor. So, I challenge you to be a real live Adultitis Antidote by modeling a childlike (not childish) existence this Thanksgiving. Be an example of someone living life with less stress and more fun. Does this mean you should channel the 6th grade class clown at the dinner table? Not so much. Crossing the line into …
[Read more...] about 10 Ways to Have a Childlike Thanksgiving