This I believe...

     I recently finished reading an incredibly inspiring book, This I Believe: The Personal Philsophies of Remarkable Men and Women.
     It's a book that is based on the NPR series with the same name.
     There are actually now two books! And, I am eager to read the second. The essays are from famous and not famous people!
     I actually decided to have my students write these essays, as well, after we had read and listened to some. I was BLOWN away by what my students wrote. Seriously, I was moved to tears by their beliefs and the eloquent way for which they stated them.
     You should check out and listen to some online! Go to the THIS I BELIEVE site!
     I wrote both an essay and a list. The list was inspired from this great story about a kindergarten student who wrote a list of 100 things he believed for the 100th day of school.
     I loved the essays by Tony Hawk, Elie Wiesel, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, and Sarah Adams (BE COOL TO THE PIZZA DUDE), and soooo many more. I love both reading and listening to them, and I hope you enjoy them, too!
I may even submit my essay, but for now I will share with you my list!

Trisha's Top Twenty Truths

This I believe...
All children deserve to feel loved.

Becoming a parent is the greatest thing I have ever done in my entire life.

People should be kind to each other.

One person can make a HUGE difference.

Failures teach bigger lessons than successes.

Everything happens for a reason.

Random acts of kindness do make the world a brighter and better place.

It’s never as bad as it first seems.

Parents can put way too much pressure on their kids.

Love is not biology.

People can change if they want to.

What you put into this life is what it will return to you.

Every person has a purpose.

Chaos can be organized.

Music feeds the soul.

Nature is true beauty.

Tough times are NEVER forever.

Travel feeds curiosity.

Apathy is far worse than hate.

Adults need to play.

…I believe this.

St. Patty's Day!

     Well, we have all of our green clothes set out, and we are ready for tomorrow!
     We also accepted the challenge and made a...leprechaun trap!!
     We had so much fun making this project, and our little one is just sure that we will catch a leprechaun in the morning!
     Of course, I shouldn't be surprised because this is the SAME girl who asked Santa for a leprechaun and an elf for Christmas, so that she wouldn't have to do her chores anymore!
     She did tell us that if we caught one, she was going to make him do her spelling tests from now on. LOL!
     She added Lucky Charms inside the hat, so that when we catch our little friend, he won't starve!
     The top of the hat is a piece of felt across an oatmeal tub, so when the sneaky guy goes to grab the gold (almond Hershey Kiss), he will fall through!
     The sign says, DO NOT CLIMB LADDER! Because you see, leprechauns like to break rules!
     We had a blast making this! You should've seen our little one out searching for the perfect sticks to make the ladder!
     The quality of the pic isn't so good because it's from the cell phone, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like!
     Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Yummy!

     I bought Ricky a homebrew kit for Christmas this past year, and he has made a couple of batches. In the end, it's all kind of a science project, and it's actually quite an interesting process.
     Well, our six-year-old was quite interested in how all this worked, too, so we bought her a rootbeer kit for Valentine's Day.
     OH MY GAWSH!!! The rootbeer is to die for! I consider myself somewhat of a rootbeer coniseur because I have always loved rootbeer since I was a little girl!
     It has always been my favorite pop, and really I don't like pop much at all, but I will drink some rootbeer!
     This homemade stuff is the best, and I know it's not a fluke because Dad and Daughter have made two batches now, and it's delicious! I told them they should name it Double D (Dad and Daughter)! I am thinking about making some special labels for them :)

Recycle!

     Yesterday when we made our trip to Wenatchee, I made a stop into Goodwill! I love going in there!!!
     So, I found several pairs of jeans for me, and some of my favorite brands! I found both sizes that I wear right now and sizes I will soon wear, too!! They were all $2.50 a pair!
     Apparently I was on a $2.50 vibe because I found tons of stuff!
     Well, our little girl is a lover of western shirts, and we have purchased her several new ones. BUT, I found the gold mine at Goodwill, and I bought her five new western shirts in an array of color, and each one was the magic price of $2.50!!! Yeah baby!!!
     Jordan was also in the mode of getting ready for MORP, and he found some perfect items, and his costume was PERFECT, and cheap :)
     I love Goodwill!

Read Across America Day! Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

     Today was such a fun day! My National Honor Society members went down to the elementary school and hung out with the little kids. They read together. And, the big kids brought the little ones books for them to keep.

     The highlight...a very special visitor! My son Jordan dressed up as the Cat and the Hat, and he was a hit!!

     Our little one wasn't sure at first if it was her brother or not. She was so cute! In the end, she figured out that it was Jordan, as she said, "I knew it was my brother because I know his eyes and his voice!" Too sweet!
     She was absolutely proud that it was her brother!!
     So, what's your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Dine and Dash

     So, yesterday we all went out to lunch at The Corner Bistro. We were a big group: Rick, Jordan, G-Ma Pat, my dad, my little sister, and me :)
     The food was good, the service was OK, the fellowship was THE BEST!
     We had one waitress start us out, and then we had a different close us out.
     Right after dessert I excused myself to the bathroom, but really I was all about paying the check without anyone knowing, because then they would all demand to pay. [Where did this stubborn bit come from, anyhow?]
     My sister was getting impatient. She asked me, "Geez, what's the deal? Do we have to go and get the check or what?"
     I replied,"I dunno. This is the first time I have been here."
     To which she replied, "Well, maybe we should just Dine and Dash then!" [Note: She was kidding; she would NEVER do that.]
     I grabbed my coat, and I ran out the door! Jordan followed suit, and then we were dying outside!
     Jordan was just laughing because he thought I was leaving Rick with the check!
     Meanwhile I am watching my sister, who is looking dumbfounded about the whole thing!!
     To make matters worse, the waitress just kept telling them good-bye and thank you.
     I am busting a gut outside, DYING!! Finally, Rick asks the waitress if I paid, and she tells them all that I did.
     TOO funny! Good times!! My family was blown away that I would just leave them all with the ticket, so out of my character...which in the end it was!!! LOL

Another Super Saturday!

     Saturday we decided that since we were without kids that we should just GO! Off we went to Wenatchee...
     I love going to Wenatchee, and it's even more fun when we don't have it planned!
     Of course, I love spending HOURS in the bookstore. I could seriously spend a zillion dollars there! I did buy a book I have wanted for awhile, The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl. It's so inspiring and funny.

     Another favorite thing to do in Wenatchee is to go to Goodwill! I love finding books and clothes and whatnot.
     I also found some cool stuff to give our little one's teacher for this week of fun (Dr. Seuss all week!).
     We ate out (a milkshake at Sonic, made me think of my Grandpa!), and we just had a good time. We always laugh a lot! Lots of entertainment :)
     We jammed out to classic rock on the satellite radio and talked about everything. It's just relaxing and nice to mellow out and be adults together.