There are a great many opportunities throughout life for a person to learn valuable lessons in which to build their character. Adversity and circumstance shed light on the truth of who we are. The worst mistake someone could make is to not gain any knowledge or advancement from the trials in our lives. It is how we grow. It is how we go from darkness to light.
Every parent strives to give something to their child that will improve their life. Every parent also strives for simplicity. We always run the chance, throughout everything we do, that it may somehow explode into a swirling vortex of hectic chaos. There’s one thing I know about chaos: it’s…uh, chaotic. So where does that leave us as far as unique and fun experiences for our children?
Visit California recently reached out to me for my experience and expertise to help spread the word about National Plan for Vacation Day. They wanted my take and advice on helping people better use their unused vacation days. I love traveling with my kids – especially in southern California – and proposed a plan that they loved and agreed to sponsor for our blog. So this is my take on how to use those stowed away vacation days to improve your standard of living!
Life is an adventure that is full of many twists, turns, lessons, hardships and joys. Hopefully, the overall net result is something that leaves one satisfied and fulfilled. Some vest their value in family and some find their pursuits aimed at the overall experience. Some seem to wander aimlessly while others are driven toward something great. I went to high school with plenty of aimless wanderers. They bounce off a lot of things.
Every dog will have its day and every day will have its dawn. A cold, bleak, bleary dawn meant only to torment those of us not born to the fragment of the mutant population known as “morning people.” You know, the ones who wake up singing This Little Light of Mine as they dance their way into the warm shower. No sir, it’s only cold showers for me. This sensation, of course, is only multiplied when camping.
They say necessity is the mother of invention. When there is a need that must be met or supplied, surely a solution will follow along riding on the back of ingenuity like a mighty knight to save the day. Over hill and dale, through snow or shine, atop rivers or lava. But what happens when the mother of four sons needs her coffee?
There is a whisper in the trees. A soft song that comes and goes as faithfully as the wind, emanating from the needles of pines. … Read more
School is starting back up! For us that means that at about 2pm every Monday through Friday we have a preschooler, transitional kindergartener and a 1st grader all rolling through the door demanding food at once. That and telling the legends of the playground. Very similar to a show involving dragons, armies and intrigue…just smaller.
As I grow older, I really get the sense there are no guarantees in this world. The markets, employment, housing bubbles, and so on. Well, I suppose traffic in southern California is something you can always count on. That runs like clockwork! So many other things, though, don’t go as planned. I guess this is where the old adage comes in, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
Chelsea and I recently flew with the kids across the country to Orlando for a conference and some much-needed vacation time. We waited until just days before takeoff to book our car rental, so we wound up getting the very last 7-seater in Orlando from a sketchy-looking off-airport spot that had a shag sofa in their waiting room.