WordPress weekly photo challenge: A day in my life

WordPress suggested taking one photo every hour of my day and use the gallery format to display all of them. I won’t make you endure 12 hours of my life with my kids on spring break, but here are a few highlights of today.

We started the day by eating chocolate chip pancakes, since there were a few left from yesterday’s breakfast. Yum!

WordPress weekly photo challenge: A day in my life – chocolate chip cookies

Then the kids played Lego for a little bit. I’m usually the one who has to hunt for specific pieces through the huge pile. Mercy me…

WordPress weekly photo challenge: A day in my life – playing lego

We also spent a little time painting. My six-year old chose his favorite subject: the Green Ninja from Lego Ninjago. If you’re wondering, yes, it’s always a Lego day at our house.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: A day in my life – painting

After lunch, we stopped by the library to drop off some books that were due today and to pick up new books on hold. My bag wasn’t big enough to hold them all. Fortunately my kids helped me by carrying their favorite new arrivals.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: A day in my life – new books at the library

We then headed for the playground at the park for some well needed outdoor exercise. This is our favorite park in town.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: A day in my life – at the playground

While there, I discovered the wisteria is in full bloom and I regretted not bringing my good camera. Better luck next time!

WordPress weekly photo challenge: A day in my life – wisteria blooms

We’re finishing dinner now and after bathtime, we’ll have storytime, one of my favorite times of the day with the kids. Here’s what’s waiting for us tonight.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: A day in my life – storytime with the kids

And here’s my favorite part of the day, when I’ll be reading my own book, side by side with my eldest on my bed, while he stays up to read his own book after his brother goes to bed. Code Name Verity is fascinating, by the way.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: A day in my life – reading Code Name Verity

And what about tomorrow, you’re asking? We’re going egg hunting!

These are a few of my favorite quotes

Last July, I shared a list of my favorite quotes I gathered as part of my 101 in 1001 challenge. Since then, I’ve run across a few more quotes I really liked and added to my list. Even though I’m on my second book since last week’s WWW Wednesdays update, I’m skipping it this week because my kids are on spring break and my time is limited. Instead I’m sharing a few more of these new favorite quotes below.

Feel free to share some of your favorite quotesif you think they’re missing from my list.

Friendship

Just walk beside me and be my friend.” – Albert Camus

“Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” – Albert Camus
By far one of my most favorite quotes on the list of quotes I’ve gathered so far.

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” ~ Walter Winchell

Personal Identity

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” ~ George Bernard Shaw
When I read this quote the first time, I knew I had to read it again. It goes again almost everything we’ve been told in life, that we have to “find ourselves and our purpose”. If you think about it, life is more of a creative process than a discovery process. I also love the fact that creating is a lot more active than finding, which could be more random.

“Always remember that you don’t have to be what they want you to be.” ~ Mohammad Ali

Personal Growth

“Let go of the past and go for the future. Go confidently in the direction of your
dreams. Live the life you imagined.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
This is such a great quote, and something I should remind myself more often, especially in times of doubt.

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful

Beauty

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown and those who do not see.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci
I know people in each of these three categories. I always feel sorry for the latter and what they’re missing out.

Happiness

“If you want to be happy, be.” ~ Leo Tolstoy
It doesn’t get any easier than that.

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.” ~ Earl Nightingale

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~ Buddha
What a beautiful concept about happiness!

Hope

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” ~ Oscar Wilde
When happiness is not enough, there’s always hope and all we have to do is look up.

Goofy Monday: Chickens and butts, but no chicken butts

It’s another edition of Goofy Monday and this one is not R-rated like last week’s edition, but I think I still need to stick a PG-13 rating to it. What can I say, I live with two boys and I have a feeling it’s only going to get worse. Or better, depending if I’m on the receiving end.

Smells like…
Son #2 (hugging me goodnight): “Mama, you smell good! You smell like… chicken!”
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a guy say this to me, but from coming from my little man, I’ll take it as a compliment!

Tastes like…
Whenever I take my youngest to Souplantation for lunch, he likes to suck jello with a straw and extract “caterpillars” as a result (see below). Then he eats his caterpillar creations and comments on the taste:
“Mmmmmm, tastes like chicken!”
I’m starting to think I’m either smelling like cherry jello, or the Souplantation jello really tastes like chicken. I’m not sure which one to root for…

Jello caterpillar made with a straw

Butt crack
My kids like to play the Twister game. I can’t blame them, it’s a lot of fun, but I prefer to be the one turning the spinner and announcing the new positions because, well, my body doesn’t twist much. Once in a while though, I’ll take on the challenge and try to beat my kids at the game. And so I did a few days ago. As I was keeping up with the spinner and twisting more and more, this is what I kept hearing:
Son #2: “Mama, I can see your butt!”
Variant: “Mama, I see your butt crack!”
Note to self: don’t wear Old Navy low-rise jeans when playing Twister to avoid looking like a plumber crouching under the kitchen sink.

Look, I even have visual proof of our game. This is me as I started the game, and before my pants started coming down little by little with every twist. Notice how my son kindly cropped my upper body and face out of the frame when taking the picture with my cell phone. He may tell it like it is but he’s also a kind photographer.

Wear appropriate clothing when playing the Twister game

I like big butts
Son#2: “Mama, you have a big butt!” (while slapping me on the butt)
Honestly, I don’t think I have a big butt as I’m far from being overweight, but I guess it may look big if your little face is at my butt level.

Have your children ever humiliated complimented your behind?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Future tense

My six-year old recently blessed with the best post-it love note ever. It’s so good, it should go on a Hallmark card. This is my favorite prediction of the future. Here’s the front of the post-it note:

Weekly Photo Challenge: Future tense – see your future

And here’s the back. I’m such a softie, I felt like crying when I saw it.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Future tense – you will be loved forever

The best fortune I got in a fortune cookie is this one and I’ve kept it for years. It reminds me that all you need to live a happy life is a positive attitude.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Future tense – fortune cookie

As for my youngest, he got quite an interesting fortune prediction a few months ago. I shared it on my blog then but here it is again. I bet most young kids love to hear they’ll have a great time when they’re old!

Fortune cookie: happy when old

What do you see in your future?