Archive for the ‘inspiration’ Category

Apple Boy

Thursday, February 11th, 2010
Apple of My Eye

Apple of My Eye

Danny marched down his elementary school hallway today at pick-up time wearing the coveted Apple of My Eye crown. It’s a good day.

Apple of My Eye is what select first-grade kids earn on Fridays for a week of stellar behavior. Danny has been working really hard to score the honor — well, when he wasn’t talking during tests, pinching kids and being silly.

My man’s efforts paid off on this fine February 11 (”I’m working on being Apple today,” he announced on the way to school this morning), and along with his construction-paper hat, he brought home a hand written note from his teacher:

You have been trying very hard. This week was much improved. Good job helping and doing what you need to do. You are a great friend to others as well!

He is very proud. We are, too. That’s why we’re taking him to the restaurant of his choice (Sonny’s), right after he finishes up his Apple homework — he has a journal entry to write, an illustration to make and a questionnaire to complete (he’s already revealed Mac and Cheese as his fave food, and he wrote that he wants to be a NASCAR racer when he grows up).

Danny will also take in some photos and a special show-and-tell item on Tuesday when he goes back to school, because next week he will reign as top Apple. Then on Friday, someone else will march down the hallway after school all happy and beaming, just like Danny did.

Boy Smiles

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

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Photo: One in a Million / [ tumblr ]

I much prefer when my boys make me smile than frown, cry, yell and scream. Sometimes, I have to make a focused effort to ensure my face looks happy, though, and it also takes some pretty heavy-duty work some days to flip-flop my head around so that frustration doesn’t take over. Silence helps, so do candles, hot bubble baths, long runs, kid-free dinners out, and when I’m feeling extravagant, pedicures. But one of my best methods for reversing the ragged moments is reading inspirational quotes. Perfect then that I just found the fantastic site called One in a Million. It’s “a place to come when you really need to smile,” writes 22-year-old Sara, who put this masterpiece together for herself and her mother — her goal was to keep their spirits up in the face of her mom’s incurable cancer, and I’m telling ya: This really is the place to find a smile, and now that I know about this mood-altering spot, you can bet I’ll be visiting, like, all. the. time.

It’s just that good.

See for yourself.