Fabulous Parenting Idea

I was reading one of my favorite blogs today, Redneck Mommy, and felt compelled to pass on a bit of her wisdom. I do not yet have children of my own, but am in the process of gathering an arsenal of creative ideas for torturing my children whenever they should arrive.
In one of her archived posts on punishment, the lovely Mommy mentioned a story where her son damaged her pantry door. Instead of morphing into a banshee and screeching at the child, she had her son pay for the door out of his own fundage and write an essay on what he had done. Nothing too crazy here, right?

Here is where the brilliance kicks in: She is compiling these essays for her lovely son into a book to present to him when he has a family of his own. Not only will he suffer through the writing of the essay, but again later, when his kids get to read through it. Oh, how kids LOVE to hear about their parents misdeeds as children.

I just got back from a trip to where my own parents grew up, and loved every minute spent with their siblings and friends, hearing about what they did as kids. (I was sad, however, to find that I was nowhere near as "cool" as my parents. They got away with a LOT more than I did!) It was great, my family laughing, me openmouthed, and my mom justifying why it was okay back then to party in some unsuspecting farmer's cornfield. Hmm, maybe I'll interview some family members, and make my parents some books of their own. Whaddaya think, mom?

One Down, 75(ish) More To Go...

We made it through our first year! YAY!


Congratulations, Team Jones.

I've Realized...

Tequila lunches are an EXCELLENT job perk.

Amazing Story of Love and Friendship

Many of you may have seen the Youtube video of the Hugging Lion, but if you have not, please take a moment to watch.

The story begins with 2 artists in London who in 1969 purchased a lion cub from Harrod's department store. Captive in a very small cage, they decided they would give him a better life and raised him as their friend and companion. When he grew too big and they were unable to continue caring for him, they decided to reintroduce him to Africa in hopes of rehabilitating him back into a normal life in the wild. In doing so, they were told that Christian would readapt to being a fully wild animal, and would forget who they were.

The two men waited a year, and then traveled five thousand miles to Africa in hopes of finding Christian again. The following video is footage of the lion as their pet, and then the reunion between the lion and his two friends the following year.

This just proves that love knows no bounds, and true friendships last forever.

My Greatest Lego Moment Ever (via Cap'n Jones)

So we received a comment on E's post about the awesomeness of Lego's and asked for people's best Lego moments ever. One response we received from Cap'n Jones was just too good to leave buried in the comments section and had to be posted itself for the enjoyment of the masses. For your reading pleasure:

When I was a child, I was a Lego prodigy. I mean it. I didn't do much of anything else to be honest. While all the other kids were playing tee ball and learning to skateboard, I was tucked quietly away in the corner of my bedroom, building a version of what I call the "Lego demise" that you cannot even comprehend.

The setting for this moment began around Christmas time. I had just unwrapped the ultimate gift from Mr. Claus....the Legoland Forestman's Hideout.

Best. Present. Ever. Period.
























I unwrapped the present, and I immediately knew what it was. I tore into it right then and there, determined to build the hideout before I opened any other gifts. I pulled out all the Lego’s, sorted them (as any experienced Lego engineer would) by color, then type. It was at that time that my dreaded nightmare…the day I hoped would never come to fruition…began:

My grand father wanted to help “little baby Jones” put this “dang ol thing” together.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I despise my grand parents. I just hated, and I mean HATED the idea of someone trying to manage a project…something of this unbelievable magnitude, with no experience. And, this wasn’t the first time someone tried to baffle my progress with silly nuisances like instructions, foresight, and reasonable timelines. What!?!?! This is fucking LEGO LAND! This is the only sacred ground that Lego engineers had left! I wouldn’t stand for it. I decided to fight back.

“Grandpa, here are the instructions” I said calmly to him.

I had set a trap for him. I set the bait, and waited as patiently as a 5 year old kid could for him to take a nibble at the bait I presented.

It seemed like months went by…tick tock….tick tock. Then it happened.

“Sure thing, let me get a hold of these instructions and I’ll show you how this is done boy” My grandpa said, as he took the bait.

“FISH ON!!!!” I thought to myself. I couldn’t believe my plan worked. As I handed him the instructions, I took the box back. The box contained all my little hands and head needed… the parts, and the picture of the finished product.

Five minutes passed. The instructions were opened and displayed as they should be (for a rookie….sheesh) and my grand father was ready to begin.

“You ready to tackle this son?” He said, as he turned around.

“Grandpa, thanks, but I’m done!?” I said, rejoicing inside.

“How the….what the….no instructions…My lord son, that was fast..”

My grandpa was baffled. He didn’t understand how someone could get something done that fast without instruction, and guidance.

I smiled, and played dumb. He didn’t need to know that my plan was a success. There was no need to hurt his feelings. I mean, it’s not like he wasn’t needed. He filled the political role of staring blindly at a set a prints beautifully. And, his marketing, it was genius. He not only sold the new fortress well, but the complements about my idiot savant ways were an addition only he could have conjured.

I learned two lessons that day that still haunt me. First, Lego’s aren’t a toy. Legoland is the premier place where builders go to be uninhibited by garbage politics and relentless processes that inhibit innovation. Second, for 25 years I’ve been striving to recreate a real life version of the Legoland Forestman's Hideout (set 6054 if you’re doubting me) and I still continue to have the same problems. Well, that and I can’t find any land with conveniently placed round tabs to connect my blocks to.

Toodles, Cap’n Jones

Every Lego Set EVER Made

For anyone who has ever been a kid, this is just awesome.


What are your fondest Lego memories?

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Today is Mother's Day, the one day a year we get to offer thanks to some of the most under appreciated workers on the planet. If you haven't yet, call your mom and tell her you love her!

I was reading Post Secret today, and some of the cards made me laugh, more made me want to cry. All of them made me remember how lucky I am, and I realized that I owe my mom (and a few other moms) a big thank you!

Favorite Memories and Things I Want To Thank My Mom For:

• Shopping until we wanted to drop, and then going to "one more store
• For sending me to Europe instead of sending herself
• For teaching me that while they may not truly be a girl's best friend, diamonds sure are fun to look at
  
• For teaching me the value of experience -travel, the arts, great food, the beauty of where we live, and more
  
• Sharing meals at our favorite restaurants
• For standing behind, supporting, and cheering me on for every single want, need, or passion I've taken on over the years, there have been some crazy ones!
  
• A shared love for Coach bags, warm beaches, pedicures, a good book, and great food
• Endless chauffeuring -lessons, ski trips, drop-offs at the mall, friends houses, and many more
• Care packages in college
• St. Thomas, Maui, Mexico, Europe, the Bahamas, and all of the places in between
  
• Getting all dolled up and going out to a swanky dinner and the theatre
• Laughing at me instead of strangling me when I thought I was too cool for everything (I know there were some moments where strangling me would've been MUCH easier)
• A willingness to drive four hours to stay with me when Adam was out of town and I was too chicken to stay home alone
• My mom, scraping, scrubbing, and painting our "project house" -just so I wouldn't have to live somewhere so icky for so long
• Her willingness to drive three hours just to hang out with me now
• Her, chasing my crazy little brother around the house with a spatula, because he broke the wooden spoon
• Painting my living room when I couldn't
• Helping me choose the perfect wedding dress
• Driving to Vail for my surgery, and not making too much fun of me while I was still medicated, and then staying with us to help take care of the house so Adam didn't have to
• Birthday parties -from pool parties when I was little, to the dreaded pre-teen slumber parties
• Getting snowed in up in the mountains with $1.45 between us for Taco Bell
  
• The nights we stayed up late talking in St. Thomas, laughing until we cried
• For being the best Mother of the Bride ever
• For letting me "figure it out for myself" -bad friends and even worse boyfriends, college, big bangs, bad clothes, and everything in between
• For ALWAYS being there, even if it wasn't so convenient -school events, bad days, breakups, and everything in between
• For giving Dustin and me one more chance, even when we probably didn't deserve it
  
• Have I mentioned the passion for travel experiences?
  
• For being not only a friend to me, but also to all of my friends
• For doing a such a good job that I want to be a mom too
  
• I could go on and on, but mostly, thank you for being YOU! I love you Mom!
  

**Also, thanks to Wendy, Pat, Linda, and all the other moms that have helped mother me over the years!!

Share your favorite mom memories with us, and then send your mom the link to read all the reasons you are grateful to have her around!

Help Save Shelter Pets!

Please help save homeless shelter cats and dogs by playing a simple trivia game. Each correct answer sends food to shelters to help save innocent pet lives.
Save Pets

I Think...

Spring is making its way to the mountains -yay!
Even though allergy season is coming right along with it, I just don't care! I'm so ready for some warm weather, and all that comes with it -white water rafting, camping, BBQ's, lunch on the patio at our favorite cafe, and beer on our deck at sunset.

I Think...

Soft, fuzzy puppies make me smile.

Life is Good...

The sun is shining, I got flowers delivered to me at work yesterday, and to top it all off, the parking ticket lady is not around today, so I've been in 2 hour parking ALL DAY LONG.

...I don't need much.

Things I Like

It seems like today is turning out to be one of those days... You know the kind, coffee maker overflows, you're ten minutes late to work, and fifty people are looking for you by the time you get in. None of them have good news.
Days like this make me want to not be very nice. That doesn't seem very "candy" like, so I'm taking a moment to remind myself about some things that make me smile. Take a look at the list, and feel free to add on via the comments section, I'd love to know what makes you smile!

• Puppies - a special shout out to Rowdy here!
• Good coffee
• Sunshine
• Spring
• Pedicures
• Seeing your arch nemesis make an ass out of themselves at work (hey, the bitch has to come out somewhere, right?)
• Cupcakes
• My dog greeting me when I get home after a long day
• Vodka ...in the hot tub ... on a clear night
• Tropical Beaches
• Great Friends

Alright, I could go on and on. Let us know what makes you smile & maybe we'll all make it home tonight without the road rage!