On our family website we were sharing funny things our children say and do. I thought I'd share one of mine here. My 9 year old son Joseph has offered his services as a handy man for the neighbors. He delivered flyers to several homes. He's been able to sweep, weed, shovel, and do a few chores for a few bucks. He feels very important. Our neighbors across the street have been great at offering Joseph odd jobs. He takes the jobs very seriously and always has a word of advice for both Katie and Shea. Here's an example: Joseph to Shea - "I notice you have some weeds in the cracks of your driveway." He shows Shea where they are. "I know how you can get rid of them." Shea - "You do? How can we do that Joseph?" Joseph -"My dad has a really big hammer and I could break up the concrete around the weeds and they will come right out." Shea, while holding back laughter - "Thanks Joseph. I'll let you know."
Another fun story came from our neighbors about their nephew, we'll call him Danny. I guess in his younger years, Danny would freely share his opinions with all around him. One of his neighbors was outside smoking one day. Danny had just learned at church that smoking was bad for you. He marched over to the neighbor and said, "You shouldn't be smoking; it's bad for you!" Neighbor - "I know. I've tried to give up cigarettes, but it's too hard." Danny - "Have you tried giving up matches?"
I love the way kids think! Their minds are free of preconceived ideas and they are honest and open with us. If you need a pick me up, have a conversation with a child.
We've been trying to teach our children to feel gratitude, even when things aren't going their way. I think that's tough for all of us. A friend and I started talking the other day about random things we would really miss if they were gone. I decided that today I would write a list of a few things I am truly thankful for and maybe have overlooked.
Today I received an email from Amazon.com that let me check out their MP3 players and MP3 downloads. I clicked. And what to my wondering eyes did appear, but Lily Allen's new CD, the clean version of course, for only $3.99! Cool! I'll get that. Then under that was a list of Various Artist CD's for FREE! So, I spent 30 or 40 minutes "buying" free songs. Oh, what a beautiful morning! An hour or so later I checked back and many of the free songs were 99cents. Wow! Did I luck out or what! I guess Amazon does this frequently, so give it a look now and then for the thrill of FREE!
My taste in music is very eclectic. To someone other than me, there may seem no rhyme or reason to my preferences. The key to what I enjoy is how the song makes me feel. I don't care for music that makes me feel uncomfortable or, in technical terms: "ucky". Easy as that. Raising Sand came out last year, but I gave it a listen after the grammys, and was pleased at what I heard. Robert Plant could use a make over, but hey, you don't have to look at him when you listen to his music (often a blessing) ☺ . The songs are different from what's out there and simply put...I like it. 
I discovered The Bird And The Bee last spring and they have become one of my favorite groups. Inara George has a lovely voice and their sound is very retro with a 60's flair; again, something new. Their new album Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future came out the end of January. Give it a listen. It will make you happy.
Yesterday morning, my 3 year old son jumped on my bed and squealed "It's Christmas!" "It is, is it," I replied. "Yes! Just look outside!" he said as he pulled me to the window. It had snowed during the night and the world was a wintery white. If I had awaken to this on my own, my first reaction would have been, "Urgh. It snowed," with thoughts of shoveling and piles of boots and wet gloves. Seeing it through my son's enthusiasm reminded me of the beauty of the seasons. There is a special peace and calm that can come with a blanket of white, as well as a bit of excitement too. So, thanks to my son, I started the day happy instead of bummed.
