Memorial Day Murph

I wrote this exactly one year ago as I was gearing up to attack my first crossfit "Murph" WOD.  That very same day, I began reading The Lone Survivor, possibly one of the most influential books I have ever ever read (DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE- read the book!!!)

Tomorrow we celebrate Memorial Day.  It is a day to specifically honor those who have fallen to protect us and our freedoms.

It seems to me that the true meaning of this day is not understood by most, and admittedly, I will include myself, until recently.  Most people look at this day as another free vacation day from work or a chance to have a BBQ to kick off summer.

In this great country, America, in which we live, we are so sheltered from so many things that go on in the rest of the world.  Our reality is skewed by the delivery from the nightly news report or a quick article we read online.  Most of us do not even realize how fortunate we are for so many things.

These things we would not have if our brave men and women did not stand up for us in battle and protect us from evil, from dictators, from selfish rulers, from malicious people.  

A few years ago, I read a book about an American hair dresser that moved to Afghanistan to secretly teach women how to do hair and how to wax.  Awful things were happening to the women in the story, and then she mentioned the year, 1994- this was the year I graduated high school.  Then it hit me… while I was worrying about what college to go to or who to go to prom with, girls were being forced into marriage and women were not allowed to learn.  War was happening, but in my safe country of America- tanks and bombs were things I did not have to worry about.

These are things we do not have to worry about because of brave men and women who serve for us, who have served for us, and who have died for us.  

We can pick up a Newsweek or a Time magazine and read about what’s going on, but then we put it down and we can forget about it, because it is not our reality.  Reality is some day our sons or daughters may be the ones going overseas to defend our freedoms.  Reality is we enjoy our freedom and we want to keep it.

“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.  Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”- General George S. Patton

Take the time tomorrow, even a brief moment to thank a hero for the freedoms we enjoy and often take for granted.  Problems like the apple TV not working in my bedroom and having to walk down the stairs to the living room to watch TV pale in comparison to not being able to sleep at night because you hear bombs going off in the distance.

Amongst us, we have many heroes- thankfully none of whom we need to mourn tomorrow- but they put themselves at risk for us in their daily jobs.  Firefighters who will go into homes to rescue us and our precious belongings- sometimes they don’t make it - we honor them.  

We honor police who risk their lives keeping us safe in our community, safe from theft, attack, drugs.  They risk their lives with the most gruesome of people so that we can sleep safer at night.  

We honor military for they go to places we cannot even imagine going, they experience such tragic things, we can’t really understand.  We thank them for their bravery and honor in defending our country’s name.

“The brave die never, though they sleep in dust:  their courage nerves a thousand men.”  Minot J. Savage

Tomorrow is Memorial Day and we have a lot of fallen heroes to be thankful for.  You do not have to know one personally to thank them.  You could visit a cemetery and place a flag or flower on a tombstone, you could thank a parent who lost a child fighting for us, you could place a picture of a lost loved one on display at your bbq and share their story, you could read online about one, you could just take a moment of silence and be thankful for all the freedoms you have, and just be proud to be an American and wave your flag high.  

I encourage you to take a moment tomorrow to stop and look around, look at what you have- be grateful.  Life is precious and short, and no matter how bad you think you have it, you are alive and you live in America, land of the free, home of the brave.  Thank those brave people for all you have- because we all have a lot to be thankful for.

Work hard and always be proud of what you do.  Do not be afraid to stand up for what you believe is right.  Push yourself harder than you thought you could.  This week, you step foot into the box to do some hero WODs and when you think you can’t go on, you stop take two breaths and you push on.  

These heroes we celebrate, they were human just like us- they did not wake up and say “hey I want to be a hero”, it happened and in that moment, they did what was right.  A hero lives inside each and every one of us- exercise your potential each and every day so that when your opportunity arises, you will be ready!

We are training too, we are training for life, for something greater than we know- if I have to carry my kids out of a burning house, I want to be capable, if I need to save my drowning child from a pool, I want to be capable, if I need to fend off an attacker, I want to be capable, if I have to run to escape danger, I want to be capable, if I want to spend my life enjoying every minute, I want to be capable.  

Take the time this summer to read a book about a fallen hero- find the whole story behind them.  There are so many incredible stories out there, I encourage you to read one and be inspired.

"The Murph"
WOD:  1 mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 air squats, 1 mile run

20 minutes a day

I used to get annoyed by my kids bringing home baggie books every.single.night.  Trying to find the time to sit and listen to four kids each read me a book was a lot. Sometimes, I'm not going to lie, I'd sign off on my  two older sons because they can read a 300 page book in a day- I was not worried about them.  Then, my third son came along.  It's been a journey getting him to love reading.

This year, I vowed to commit to sitting with him for 20 minutes a day while he reads to me.  I vowed that no matter what, I would listen to him read.  I make a point to stop what I'm doing and sit and listen, even if it means dinner will be served 20 minutes late.

Two weeks ago, my kids started bringing home book orders.  I've been less than thrilled with the selection Scholastic chooses to offer on their order forms (I do not particularly enjoy paying money for stories from cartoons or popular movies or ones about zombies) I decided to go to a local bookshop and purchase books for each of my kids instead.  I placed the books on a mantle in our kitchen and told them at the end of the week they could have the books if they did all their chores and homework without complaining.

The lady at the bookstore helped me choose the books.  I told her my 8 year old had trouble getting interested in a chapter book and she suggested The One and Only Ivan.  (I love shopping at a store where the employees really love and know the books).

In a nutshell, this book is about a gorilla named Ivan that was kept solitary in a glass case in a mall in Washington for 27 years.  I love how it is written from the perspective of the gorilla and how heartfelt it is.  We are only 40 or so pages in, but it is a great story so far and I look forward each day to my son reading to me.  Not only are we getting to spend one on one time together, but I can tell already his reading is getting better.

These 20 minutes a day will add up to 3600 by the time the school year is over.  I'm hoping for my son and I to enjoy many adventures through new and exciting books together this school year.  I love that I was able to find a book that is new to the two of us and is based on a true story.  I hope that it will deepen his appreciation for reading, as well as spark an interest in something greater in him.

I've never been a big animal lover, but this book is evoking some emotion, listening to the gorilla recount how many days it's been since he had a visitor, or how mistreated the animals were.  The chapters are short and the words aren't too big.  I believe it could be read and understood by kids as young as first grade, but even adults would enjoy reading it as well.  If I weren't waiting for my son to read it to me every night, I would probably go ahead and try to finish it on my own.

Listening to the story of the lonely gorilla trapped in his cage, makes me think of how fortunate I am to have a loving husband, five healthy kids, and a warm cozy home to live in.  I can't imagine being confined to a room for a day, let alone 9,000+ days.

Ivan doesn't have much contact with other animals or humans.  Makes me sad for him.  Makes me think of people who live alone or who have no friends or who are isolated.

“Is there anything sweeter than the touch of another as she pulls a dead bug from your fur?” - quote from Ivan in the book.  

Take 20 minutes a day to do something that may help someone who is lonely, or needs an extra boost.  In 20 minutes, you could drink a cup of coffee over a short conversation, you could listen to a small story, you could take a short walk, you could enjoy a short meal, you could spread some good cheer, you could provide someone with their only human contact for the whole day, you could make a phone call, or even handwrite a letter.

If you're a parent, take 20 minutes to spend undistracted with your child.  Make them feel special as you spend time with them without your phone, email, or text interrupting.  Look them in the eye when you have a conversation, rub their back, put your arm around them, give them some affirmation that they have your undivided attention and that they are special.

Take 20 minutes and help make someone else's day a little brighter.

Homemade Photo Bookmarks

I can't believe it, but today is my son's last day of Kindergarten.  I am in shock that it is already June and that the school year has already zoomed by.  This was not only his first year of Kindergarten, but it was also his teacher's first year teaching.  I thought she did an excellent job and wanted to give her something nice as a thank you.

I saw the idea for these bookmarks online at Pink and Green Mama and Creative Family Moments.  I saw it again in Family Fun magazine, April 2012 issue, it was like a sign that I needed to make them.  For a gift, I thought it would be fun for his teacher to have this bookmark to remember him and also, we attached a gift card for Barnes and Noble.  Who wants a bookmark without a book?

While I was at Barnes and Noble, I checked out their bookmarks, which were upwards of $5 each!  This bookmark cost me 19 cents to make (cost of 1 hour print).  I plan on making a lot more of these for my kids for their own use, and maybe even for Father's Day, who wouldn't love to receive a unique homemade photo bookmark?

Here are some step by step instructions, in case you want to make your own.  Don't skip the tassles, I think they make the bookmark!

Take a photo of your child in a pose like they are hanging on- the morning I did this, my son was less than cooperative, so I didn't get a great pose:

Print it out, cut around the silhouette, laminate the photo, and cut out around the laminated image.  If you don't have a laminator, you can buy sticky laminating sheets, or use clear contact paper.  I had my son write his name and the year on the back before we laminated.  You can play with it for a while too:

1) Wrap embroidery floss around a notecard, about 20 times.

2) Insert another piece of embroidery floss, about 10-12 inches long through the wrapped floss.  I used ten inches because I wanted my tassle a little bit shorter.

3) Tie the ends of the long floss together in a double or triple know.  Trim the ends off.

4) For the wrapped floss, cut through the top of the loop.  Once you remove the notecard, trim the ends of the top of the tassle, so they are even.

5) Using a small piece of embroidery floss, about 4 inches long, loop around the bottom of the tassle and tie into a double knot.  Trim the ends of the floss off.  This will help keep the tassle ends together.

6) Punch a hole in the top of the laminated bookmark.  Pull the end of the floss loop through the hole.

7) Take the top of the tassle and thread it through the floss loop.  Pull tight and now your tassle is attached and your bookmark is complete!

Have fun hanging around all summer, reading!

Peek-a-boo, I can still see you!

Hooray for wonderful teachers!

Busy Playing: Family Games- Scrabble

It all started when I had Maeve- my husband got me an iphone a week later and I downloaded "Words with Friends" to play during her late night feedings.  During the day when an opponent would make a move against me, the phone would ding and my kids would jump up excitedly and grab the phone for me.  They were always watching me play, trying to get me to use their word suggestions.  When my husband left to go back to work and we weren't going to see him for a month, I decided to let each of the older boys start one game against him. This was a great way for them to interact with him daily since they wouldn't be seeing him for a while.  Well, the next thing I knew, they were playing against all three of my brothers, my dad, my sister-in-law, and several of my friends.  In fact, they had so many games going, when one of mine ended, I couldn't start a new one.

It is hard for me to complain about my kids monopolizing the game on my phone because they are reading, writing, thinking, calculating, and just plain having fun! When someone plays a word against them, they remember the word to play another time.  Example:  qi, the only 2 letter q word and it can make you a lot of points when played in the right spot.  We've looked several of the words up in the dictionary so they know what they mean.  

The other day, Nathaniel rattled off his letters to me and asked me what word he should play, I said "ninth", then from the way back of our car, Addison shouts, "Mom that's only nine points!"  OK- WHOA, he couldn't even see the phone from where he was- yes, my son has played so much he has memorized the point values of the letters and now can calculate in his head (not bad for an almost first grader).  

We also downloaded "Hanging with Friends", it's basically hangman for your iphone.  These two games are going to be a great way for my kids to communicate with their uncles, aunts, and grampa when we move 1,000 miles away in two weeks.  How fun is it to be able to play a game with your family and friends everyday even when you are so far away?

This week, I've been occupied packing, so two mornings I told the kids to get out Scrabble and play it.  How antiquated of me- no computer to do it for them.  They had to add up their own points and then verify with me if their word was real or not.  Even Owen, the almost kindergardener was playing.  Nathaniel would spell him the words and he would find the letters and place them where they belonged. Sometimes Owen just takes the board out on his own and lines up the letters and says them to me as he goes along.  

This is fun for everyone.  Maybe not everyone can make a real word (ages 3 and 5)- but they still have fun and when they do make a word, you could not wipe the smile off their face! I would much rather hear my kids fighting over whether a word is real or not or how many points it is versus over whose toy is whose or what show to watch.

How many words can you find in here?

Busy Playing: Our Judy Moody Summer Thrill Points Challenge

A few weeks ago, we went to visit some of our old neighbors from Japan.  The girls wanted to go see the new Judy Moody movie, The Not So Bummer Summer.  I was worried that my boys wouldn't be that into the movie because it was about a girl.  We went to the movie anyways because they got excited when I mentioned going to see the movie (they had seen previews on TV).

Well, they LOVED it!  They loved it so much, when I took them to the bookstore to get a kick off summer reading book, they chose this:

Look what it's created:

My 6 year old hasn't gotten into any chapter books until these books came along, in fact, he can't put them down.  So far, he and my 7 year old have each read the No So Bummer Summer TWICE!!!  As soon as we get a new book, they start fighting over who gets it first.  One day, we had to alternate, by each reading a chapter, then switching.  In trying to be cheap, we went to the library, but all the books were checked out (then we found out we can't get cards yet anyways).  Luckily, at Barnes and Noble's, the books are buy 2 get the 3rd free.

Look what I found at breakfast today- he just can't put it down:

For those of you who don't know about the Judy Moody movie, Judy is worried her summer will be boring, so she comes up with a list of challenges for her and her friends to complete over the summer.  Problems arise when one friend is going to Borneo with her mother, another is continuing a family tradition by going to circus camp, and the other has a hard time facing up to challenges.  Judy and her one friend left for the summer, try to complete the challenges, such as tight rope walking, riding a HUGE roller coaster, and seeing a scary movie.  Judy has a little brother who is trying to hunt BigFoot all summer, and her way cool aunt comes to visit for the summer too.  This movie was not just for girls by any means, and neither are the books.

One day, we were driving in the car, and my oldest son said "maybe we can do thrill points challenges mom".  The wheels began to turn in my head for ideas for challenges.  My oldest son is a picky eater, I could challenge him with trying new foods.  My kids haven't played many sports, I can challenge them to try new activities.  I can continue our Random Acts of Kindness by challenging them to do them on their own.  I can let them be silly by challenging them to do silly things and I can show them how to turn something boring into a fun challenge.

I came up with a point system and made a chart:

I put mine and my husband's names on it because this shows them we are willing to take the challenges too (but sorry,I am NOT holding a snake).  The way our point system works is:

 1 point for making a small attempt, whether or not you back out 

5 points if you attempt, but do not complete a challenge

10 points if you complete a challenge

20 points if you are the ONLY one to complete a challenge

I wanted to make the prizes worth it to get the kids really excited and willing to push their limits.  I made up first through fourth place prizes, and each one has two choices.  For example, first prize is either 1 hour of wii each day for a whole week (no exceptions) OR $10 worth of coins for you to use at Chuckee Cheese.  Second prize is going out to do something fun alone with me or dad OR choosing a new book at the bookstore.  Third prize is getting your choice of ice cream treat (sundae, shake, etc) OR being the LAST kid in bed every night for a week.  Fourth prize is choosing a movie of your choice from Netflix for movie night OR I will make them a batch of their favorite cupcakes.

Last week, when I made the blueberry pie, two of my kids refused to try it.  When they heard the prizes a few days later, they were begging me to try a bite.  My oldest son really wants to win that Wii time, so he actually ate the bite and didn't gag ;) My youngest son wants the Chuckee cheese time and he ate it and LOVED it!  Every day, they are asking me what is the challenge and can they add their own to the chart.  I hope by the end of the summer to have the whole posterboard filled with challenges we have tried.  

Here is a list of what we have come up with so far:

I hope you have a challenging and fun summer too!