May Monthly Photo

Em’s Spring Recital

Spring Dance Recital

Emma’s spring dance recital was last night.  Her dance was to “Single Ladies” performed by the Chipettes.  It’s going to be tough to top this dance.  It’s my favorite so far.  At the beginning, Em’s in the front row, second from the left. 

     

Ladybug, Ladybug…Fly Away Home

Our community had a ladybug release day on Friday at one of the community gardens.  We were able to get a container of 1200 (or so they said) ladybugs for only $1.00.  Awesome.  For the mere cost of $1.00, we got to be cool parents for a night! 

Here’s some photos of the event, some awesome photos hubby took of the flowers in our backyard, and a short video clip. 

                                

 

Ladybugs

I AM…..

I’m going to miss the Oprah Winfrey Show for a number of reasons, but among those is the many opportunities she provided to help us become better.  One show from a month or so ago has stuck with me. 

Tom Shadyac, multi-million dollar director had an awesome life.  He directed such movies as Bruce Almighty and The Nutty Professor.  He lived in a mansion, flew in private jets, drove fancy cars, etc.  Despite these many luxuries, Tom says something just didn't feel right.
"I was standing in the house that my culture had taught me was a measure of the good life," Tom recalls in his documentary I Am. "I was struck with one very clear, very strange feeling: I was no happier." 

After a brush with death, he set out on a journey to find out what would truly make him happy and help unearth what's wrong with our world.  He made major changes to his lifestyle. Today, Tom lives in a modest mobile home, bikes to work and flies commercial airlines—and he says he's never been happier.

He has filmed a documentary, I Am, about his findings from research and explorations. 

What he discovered revolves around three key concepts that are explored in I Am:
1. It is scientifically proven that the entire human race is connected.
2. It is human nature to be cooperative rather than competitive.
3. If you don't do what your heart wants you to do and follow your passion, it will destroy you.

It’s the second concept that has stuck with me.  Competition is all around.  Who’s prettier?  Who’s wealthier?  Who has the biggest house?  The nicest car?  The biggest diamond?  Whose kids are better?  Who has more trophies?  Who has the best behaving kids?  So many things to be competitive about.  So many opportunities to show we’re better than someone else.  So many opportunities to hurt someone else. 

During natural disasters, the stories that tug at my heartstrings, the ones that are the most memorable are the ones where real people emerge as heroes, helping each other.  Even in less dramatic circumstances, who won’t help out a neighbor or friend after a baby was born or someone has surgery, etc.?  That’s human nature.  That’s what matters. 

In our culture, despite us being a democratic society, cooperation is discouraged.  We should work as a team, but only so much as it gives us the opportunity to stand out from the crowd.  Be an MVP.   Don’t get me wrong, competition CAN be healthy.  It encourages us to strive to be better…to do our best.  That’s good.  It’s when we become competitive trying to make us ABOVE others.  Not just trying to stand out in a crowd, but trying to be so much above the rest that the crowd ceases to exist.  

So, who AM I? Who are YOU?  Whatever I am, it never feels like enough.  Not in a bad, feeling sorry for myself way, but in the way that I feel there is always something to improve, to work on.  It gives me inspiration.   I am…….

Birthday and Group Photos

On the Jones side of the family, we like to take a cousins’ photo on Easter.  We’ve done it for the past few years.  Totally forgot this year so we tried on Mother’s day, when we also celebrated birthdays.  It’s always a challenge to get them all happy, smiling, and looking the same direction! 

   

It’s amazing how much these kids grow in a year: 

2009:
   

2010: 
     

2011:
   

Life Lessons from Kung Fu Panda?

My husband and I took the kids to the movies this weekend.  That’s something we almost never do.  But the oldest was dying to see “Pirates of the Caribbean,” so dad surprised him with that.  I took the younger two to see “Kung Fu Panda 2.”  I had really no expectations for it.  The first one was cute, but not my favorite movie.  I was delightfully surprised by this movie! 

I was also surprised by the “life lessons” weaved into the movie.   Without any spoilers, there’s a point in the movie where Po, the panda, realizes that the goose who has raised him isn’t really his dad and he begins to question who he really is. 

He meets someone who tells him, “I’m sorry your story has a really horrible beginning, but that’s not who you are now.”  Pretty deep thought for a kids’ movie! 

I’ve known people who have let their future be predicated by their past.  They had a horrible upbringing…... their parents didn’t love them enough...their parents loved them too much...they were foster kids...they didn’t have the childhood they thought they deserved…...whatever it was, they used that as their excuse for not doing anything with their future.  Sad. 

I’ve also known people who came from those same kinds of backgrounds and have done everything to rise above.  Those are impressive people.  Those are people I look up to. 

It makes me think of a phrase that I learned from a teacher in school.  It’s a 10-word phrase made of all two-letter words, “If it is to be, it is up to me!”

I made a digital sticker for a reminder for you and me!  I put a butterfly on it because the butterfly is a great symbol of change! Click on the picture or the link to download. 

DOWNLOAD

Fly On The Wall

Preface:  We live in a wonderful community with a lake and boats for the residents to take out.  My mother-in-law lives in the same community and takes the kids out (Ty mostly) with her. 

On the way home from scouts this week: 

Ty:  “Hey mom, when the boat docks open, can I see if I can go out on a sailboat with Grandma?”
Em:  “I wanna go too!”
Me:  “Well, we can all go.  We all went last summer and had fun, or you guys could take turns with Grandma.”
Ty:  “Well, I get to go, because I know more about boats than she does.”
Me:  “Ty, you know more because you went more with Grandma last summer, but she can go too.”
Ty:  “Mom, I know more about boats, because I’ve been playing ‘Lego Pirates of the Caribbean’ a lot.”

Yep, he said it!