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Archive for the ‘Just for fun’ Category

Laughter is the best medicine…

Posted in Humor, Just for fun, October Challenge, Random on October 18, 2011| 2 Comments »

I was sick all last week, and now my October Challenge partner is sick. Since I’m in Colorado and he’s in France, I can’t make him (and his pregnant wife who is also sick) homemade chicken soup, I thought I’d do the next best thing. Who couldn’t use a good laugh when they feel crappy? Unless it causes a painful coughing fit….I hope not, but I apologize if it happens! Here’s to finding something to chuckle about, and I hope Don and Ami heal quickly!

(All of these pictures were found while on StumbleUpon. Are you stumbling yet?)

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Pictures of Pete

Posted in Family, Homeschooling, Humor, Just for fun, Nowell Kiddos, October Challenge, Parenting on October 17, 2011| 7 Comments »

Pete is my goofy kid. He is highly entertaining! One of Benny’s favorite hashtags on Twitter is #randomcrappetesays. He loves making people laugh and he’s one of those kids that is just naturally funny. He uses a lot of big words-most of the time in the correct context, but it’s funny to hear those things come out of such a small mouth. Much to the dismay of his siblings, he also loves playing practical jokes on people.

Pete is a builder. He loves to spread things out so he can get a good look at what he’s got to work with, so it was no surprise when he covered our dining room table with Legos last night and spent hours dreaming up variations of speed cruisers, water/land boats, and various flying machines. He makes all the noises that go along with building things and it gives me the giggles. He plays with such abandon. I want to be more like that.

If we were a normal family –and believe me, I know we’re not – Pete would have been labeled already. I’d have teachers wanting him sedated medicated. The boy has loads of energy. A few years ago I was lectured by a woman who told me that at some point he needed to learn how to be quiet and sit still. Duh. He knows how to do that and I believe there is a time and place for it, but I also let him be him. He often stands up to do his schoolwork, or does a problem then spins around in his desk chair, then does another problem. He concentrates better when he can wiggle a bit. If I notice him getting too squirrely, I have him do jumping jacks or bounce up and down for a minute. It helps. I also understand that he can sit for hours at a time if he is engrossed in what he’s doing (like his Lego time), so I’m not going to let him be labeled. I’m going to take my cues from him, then direct him accordingly.

This pic (click on it to enlarge it) is proof to all who are familiar with his energy level that he can in fact sit quietly in a chair. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s possible. He can also sit still in public. This is him playing Chess with one of our street friends on the mall. He LOVES being there with us, and he talks to everybody.  He is somewhat fearless in public. For example, he took a blanket and his bongos to the Pearl Street Mall and played for over an hour hoping to make a little cash. I NEVER would have done something like that at his age.

He’s an amazing kid, goofiness, high energy, and all. I love him that way, I just wish he’d share some of that energy with me. 🙂

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What I read this week…

Posted in Book Reviews, Just for fun, October Challenge, Random on October 2, 2011| 3 Comments »

I’ve been on a dystopian fiction kick for a few months now and I’ve decided to track down the books that will be made into movies in the next few years. I like to be ahead of the game, which is a great segue into writing about The Hunger Games Trilogy, my current favorite in the genre, but that will have to wait a few more days. This past week I read 2 novels by Lauren Oliver, both have been picked up by studios already.

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last. Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.


Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love–the deliria–blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: she falls in love.

Delirium was much better than Before I Fall. I think it was because I get tired of bitchy high school girls. One can only take so many “mean girls” scenarios. I kind of like Lauren’s style, I’m just hoping she doesn’t become the Nicholas Sparks of dystopian fiction. I hate that someone always has to die, especially someone you’re rooting for.

I like the questions that dystopian books ask, and pondering how things might be in the future. I like “the system” being challenged and abuses being exposed. Some of my favorites in the genre are: Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Children of Men by P.D. James, and Jeanne DuPrau’s The City of Ember series, which is geared for middle readers. LOVED IT!

Next up for me is Divergent by Veronica Roth, and Uglies (a series) by Scott Westerfield. Also due out in November is Ally Condie’s Crossed, a sequel to her book Matched, which I also enjoyed.

Other than reminding me I’m not 13 anymore, care to share your opinions on this genre? 🙂

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Validation

Posted in Creativity, Humor, Joy in the Journey, Just for fun, Random on March 17, 2009| 3 Comments »

I stole borrowed copied this from my friend Kevin’s blog. 😉  While I am in total agreement with his point about this video, something else jumped out at me.  I’m astounded by our ability to change the world with one small act.  How you treat one person today can impact hundreds of others as the wave of love, compassion, and validation ripples outward.  It’s an amazing feeling when it comes back to you.  Enjoy the video.  It’s 15  minutes well spent.  🙂

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Facebook Addiction

Posted in Humor, Just for fun, Random on October 14, 2008| 6 Comments »

Benny has been teasing me for years about my online friendships.  Facebook is just another way to “be friends” with people I’m not actually friends with.  It’s a little strange to get a friend request from someone I’ve never met, but they know so and so who knows me through so and so.  Even so, I love Facebook.  I think it is SOOOO much better than myspace.  It is addictive though.

I’ve loved getting in touch with old friends, but it’s too easy to spy on them and peek into their lives instead of picking up the phone or writing and actually getting involved in their lives.  It’s sort of like blogging.  It can easily take the place of having real relationships with people if you let it.  On the other hand, it allows me to keep in touch with people I don’t see very often…people I probably wouldn’t call because we’re not that close.  Like everything else in life…there is a balance.  I’m still trying to strike one.

Through Facebook, I’m “friends with” people from high school, college, and all the places I’ve lived as an adult.  I’m friends with old college professors, former boyfriends, college club girlfriends, former teens in our various youth groups we’ve had, their parents, camp kids, youth ministers across the globe, family members I don’t know very well but love, my sister whom I never talk to or see, writers I admire but they have no clue who I am, writers I admire that DO know who I am, famous people, teens and adults from my homeschooling group, missionaries in Africa, a guy in China who makes me think and laugh, my best guy friend who quit blogging (lol), my husband who never blogs, and even my old nemesis turned good friend. (hehehe) I would wear a t-shirt that says, “Facebook…bringing strange people together!”

Facebook allows me to view and “save as” pictures of my friends and their families so I can miss them even more.  It lets me create clever flair (one-liner, bumper sticker style buttons like we wore on our jean jackets in the 80’s) to send to people to make them smile.  It reminds me when a fellow “friend” is having a birthday so I can “poke them” by serenading them or throwing cake or some other inanimate object at them.  I’ve had several sheep thrown at me.  It hosts the never ending movie quiz…which I have played for hours.  It’s my equivalent to a video game since we don’t own any gaming systems.  (I know Jared, you think we’re depriving our kids, don’t you?)  Facebook lets me connect with other LOST, HEROES, and ALIAS fans around the world.  That’s important stuff. lol  If it weren’t for Facebook, I wouldn’t have known that a few of my “friends” are pregnant, getting married, or are divorced now.

Facebook is fun, a wonderful way to waste time, and an easy way to procrastinate.  I could be addicted to worse things.  Speaking of procrastinating, if it weren’t for Facebook, I’d have all the laundry done by now and I’d be sleeping.  How boring is that? 🙂

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