Fried Pineapple and a Soccer Ball

Mmmm mmmm. Nothing says lovin like the ooey gooey-ness of pineapple slices fried in their own juices...the thick brown crust that forms around the edges- how the natural sugars seep out and solidify. Yes. Frying pineapple is one of my most favorite preschool activities to conduct. Today the children laughed and pointed as the steam rolled upwards from the hot plate, fogging my glasses. We feasted upon fried fruit as the coolness of the morning whipped around us.

My fellow teacher assistant Sarah L. asked me to save her a slice. I looked up a bit later to find her replacement. She'd gone on break, so I saved her a bit of tropical heaven. When she returned, the pineapple was still warm. She smiled and said, "aww. you really do care about me." Then skipped over to the sand box. It filled my heart with joy. Like I'd given a little secret treasure. It is such a good feeling to connect and to give. Back to giving- I want to give more. Maybe 2 RAofK a day...

Right before lunch I got involved in a rousing game of soccer with the kids- I had SO MUCH fun. It was 5-8 against 2. The odds, although fair, (I was on the 2 member team), made me laugh. I realized once again how great team sports make me feel. I never played them growing up and didn't appreciate them then, but I certainly feel the benefits of them now!

One more thing. Morgan, our preschool chef, made the best chicken mac n' cheese and cucumber salad today for lunchy! And Sara the kid brought her hamster to school:) Toot-sey Sparkle Diamond is the hamsters full name.

D to the P

Yesterday, friends from Charles Lauren Films came over to help with pick-ups (shots/scenes still needed) for my doc. I am so grateful to David and Kelsey for all their help and hard work! You can see some of their commercial work at: http://www.charleslauren.com

They are brilliant and talented!

Ahhh Sunday

As I sit at the computer, my grandma is occupying the room next to me, giggling away at the Sunday funnies. Laughter is one of the things I love most about living at home. No one can cause fits of laughter to seize upon my soul like my family can. I think it's one of their superpowers. Yesterday for instance, my brother at I were driving homeward, he'd just gotten head shots done. One of us made the comment, "it's a small world..." This sent Justin into a seismic sing-song production, rearranging the words of Disney's It's A Small World. "The world is someting, the world ah ah,...the world is smaaaaaall!" What made it so silly is the nasally-whinny-latin accent he was singing with- I love my brother.

My dad is endless quick-wit. I was on hold with the DMV customer service line this week- every few minutes this automated voice would come on the line encouraging me to hang up and opt for clearing up my issue online- "Your hold time will be more than 10 minutes..." I ignored the prompt, leaving the phone on speaker. My dad and brother were putting about the kitchen also encouraging me to end the call. The 5th time the automated voice came on, there was a glitch; "Yer...yer...yuh". The machine was trying desperately to spit the phrase out. My dad chimes in, "It's laughing at you." He mocked the recording (and me for waiting so long) adding repressed laughs between each "Yer".

Maybe you would've had to have been there, or get my family's humor. :) It's a blessing to have so much fun con mi familia.

I Like this List A-Lot.

So I'm gonna share it:)

9 Things You Can Do to Be Happy in the Next 30 Minutes (+2)

1. Raise your activity level to pump up your energy. If you’re on the phone, stand up and pace. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Put more energy into your voice. Take a brisk 10-minute walk. Even better…

2. Take a walk outside. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning.

3. Reach out. Send an e-mail to a friend you haven’t seen in a while, or reach out to someone new. Having close bonds with other people is one of the most important keys to happiness. When you act in a friendly way, not only will others feel more friendly toward you, but you’ll also strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.

4. Rid yourself of a nagging task. Deal with that insurance problem, purchase something you need, or make that long-postponed appointment with the dentist. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a big rush of elation.

5. Create a more serene environment. Outer order contributes to inner peace, so spend some time cleaning off your desk and tackling the piles in the kitchen. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Set the timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do.

6. Do a good deed. Introduce two people by e-mail, take a minute to pass along useful information, or deliver some gratifying praise. In fact, you can also…

7. Save someone’s life. Sign up to be an organ donor, and remember to tell your family about your decision. “Do good, feel good” — it really works!

8. Act happy. Fake it 'til you feel it. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile boosts your mood. And if you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.

9. Learn something new. Think of a subject that you wish you knew more about and spend 15 minutes on the Internet reading about it, or go to a bookstore and buy a book about it. But be honest! Pick a topic that really interests you, not something you think you "should" or "need" to learn about.

10. Pray sincerely, even if you don't feel like you want to. The adversary wants to keep us from praying because he knows how helpful and potent it can be- not to mention, his main objective is to cut us off from the presence of God-

11. Read from the scriptures- return to a favorite verse and try memorizing it. My current favorite is 2 Ne. 8:12

Maya the Brilliant!

Maya pulled off a intensive full night of editing successfully and I am ecstatic! She stayed for my Doc production class, watched the rough cut with us and we were able to take in the positive reactions together:) I am SO grateful the 1st rough cut came together!!! And I am SO GRATEFUL for Maya! 3 more weekends of filming, a 2nd rough cut, and hopefully a lot of changing for the better will be wrought in the life of the main character because of this experience!

:)

You want a Necklace Beard too!

And I want to make you one! :)>

On Tuesday, one of the girls arrived to school clutching a handmade necklace for her friend. Her mom marked how excited her daughter was to Give. It was another inspiring moment for me- I want to get into that habit of finding Joy in Giving to others just for the sake of Giving-

Speaking of giving, Saturday March 28th Matt came over to help me film- I interviewed my parents talking about their hopes and fears for the main character of the doc- It was during this interview that my parents taught me I don't have to be perfectly prepared to find love- we're never really prepared for marriage when it comes our way, and the right-person-for-us can help us become the person we need to be-

The following day at church, preparing for Linger Longer, I learned that one of the mellowest people I know used harbor a boiling temper. They had ripped down the garage overhang and pulverized it to bits the day they banged their head on it- they were married to a easygoing happy person even!!! One day they finally decided it wasn't worth it to lash out in such violent bursts. Slowly over time they changed- the point is 1. they decided to change and 2. That change came after the person had married a wonderful companion-

I'm not saying we should enter into that most sacred union nonchalantly, lazily, or purposely under prepared. I realized however that what's Ideal, isn't always what's Real.