Capture Today to Make You Smile Tomorrow

In going through a stack of DVDs this week I found a very special DVD. It was a little project my kids and I worked on a couple years ago. At that time, my boys were going through a phase in which they loved the children's book The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, & the Big Hungry Bear. They had heard it so many times, they had it memorized and could just recite it at the drop of a hat. Hearing these little voices reading their favorite book was so cute, I had to capture the experience and send it back to the grandparents and other family. That's what I found this week, and after hearing it again I decided I had to share it with others.

This is Caeden's reading of the book. He was 4 at the time and didn't have any front teeth so his S's were tough to say. Have you heard anything this cute!?

Finding this treasure was a great reminder of how fast our kids seem to be growing up. It was also a reminder that it's important to capture those special everyday moments (whether in writing, picture, video, or art) because while they seem ordinary and everyday in the moment, in just a short time they will turn to special moments you'll wish you'd have saved forever.

While, I don't have a recording of it, I'd also recommend another Little Mouse book, great for the holidays, Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear!

Revisiting Boyhood Dreams

This past weekend we continued in our efforts to burst our "Carmel Bubble" and experience more of our Indiana/Midwest surroundings. After the fun time we had on a day trip to Turkey Run a couple months ago, we initially thought another day trip to a state park would be fun, but the weather forecast scared us away and we instead decided to venture south to Louisville and visit the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. My father-in-law was in town visiting and with our shared appreciation for history and my love of baseball, I think we were more excited than the kids for the trek down I-65.

I haven't played baseball in 20 years, but I've never forgotten how much I enjoyed playing, and how good I thought I was as a kid. This trip also reminded me how much I still enjoy being around the game, not just for the sport itself but because it represents so much more and is woven into American culture and history so much . I've said before how much I enjoy watching my kids play sports, but this experience was special because it was a chance to explain a "fun" part of American history to my kids, to help them see American history in a different context than just what is taught at school. It was fun being one of the many groups of fathers and sons, running around the museum clamoring to hold a piece of history in Mickey Mantle's bat, or debating who could hit a 90 mph pitch (only to whiff in the batting cages at 40 mph), or just sharing memories and stories. I loved the opportunity to share the experience with my boys and father-in-law and it was a great opportunity to step out of our bubble and experience something new in the Midwest. It was also fun to watch my father-in-law connect with some of his own boyhood memories and share those with my kids. All-in-all, a great trip and well worth the 2 hour drive.