Down to 2 cars

Since September 2010 when we purchased our 2010 White Nissan Titan we have had 3 cars!  That is a lot of cars for 2 drivers that mostly work from home.  There are days when neither of us leave the house!

Last weekend Kris said "It is time to sell the Durango" so he cleaned up the outside, took a few photos, did a little online research on how to sell a car in NY State and then listed it on Craigslist. 

2001 Dodge Durango SLT Plus 4x4-3rd row-Loaded - (Webster, NY)
Bright Platinum 2001 Dodge Durango 4.7L V8. Power windows, door locks, 2 key fobs, front and rear A/C (ice cold), 2 year old Nokian Vativa tires, dual climate control, power heated seats, CD/Casette player, cruise control, tilt wheel, Class III trailer hitch/wiring, new brakes/rotors, new ball joints. 116,000 miles. Great in the snow and for towing. 

Kris and I bought this truck in August 2001, just before Mason was born.  Both Mason and Anna came home from the hospital in this car, they were dropped off and picked up from their first days of preschool in this car. Camping trips, road trips from Chicago to Rochester to see family, road trips to Baltimore, Boston, and the Carolinas to visit friends and family,  
so many memories!

The good new is the lady who bought the truck is SO EXCITED!  

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Awesome and Even more Awesome

I have been reading another book from time to time:   
The Book of (Even More) Awesome 
by Neil Pasricha.
Publishers Weekly:

Pasricha was living in a "dusty suburb" and working an office job as the magic of his marriage sadly faded. So on June 20, 2008, he went online to recall bright moments: "I wanted to try to focus on the positive by writing about one awesome thing every night after I came home from work." His countdown of simple joys eventually resulted in 23 million hits at his award-winning site (1000awesomethings.com) and a bestseller, The Book of Awesome. Scheduled for publication the same week he completes all 1,000, this entertaining follow-up collection offers more reflections on life's little pleasures, such as "Getting the keys to your first apartment" or "Making it halfway." Not surprisingly, many of these short essays are food-related, such as "Eating cookies like Cookie Monster." With "The perfect egg crack" and "Kicking those clumps of frozen slush off the back of your car's mud flaps," Pasricha finds fun in frustrations, going from grit to wit. All 224 optimistic observations are neatly packaged in a great book design by Amanda Dewey. (Apr. 28)  

I also enjoy the little things online 1000 Awesome Things! When n the go the App of Awesome is neat too!

You are the...

Peanut to my butter!

I have no idea who wrote this (if you do, please share!) or where it started, but I LOVE IT! I purchased this canvas at T.J. Max as an anniversary gift for Kris, now it hangs in our bedroom!

Sometime in early August we received a Justice catalog in the mail. Usually, Anna gets ahold of thesse before I know they have arrived, but not this time. I leafed thru and found this t-shirt...

I LOVE IT! So, as you might have expected, I bought 2 of them - 1 for Anna and 1 for me :) I gave them to Anna for her 8th birthday at the end of August! So Fun!!!

Success

This really seems to be a topic hitting my radar every few days now...

Recently I started reading a new book that came highly recommended by Mrs. MaryAnn Krog - Principal at Klem Road South. 
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. 

Dweck proposes that everyone has either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is one in which you view your talents and abilities as... well, fixed. In other words, you are who you are, your intelligence and talents are fixed, and your fate is to go through life avoiding challenge and failure. A growth mindset, on the other hand, is one in which you see yourself as fluid, a work in progress. Your fate is one of growth and opportunity. Which mindset do you possess? Dweck provides a checklist to assess yourself and shows how a particular mindset can affect all areas of your life, from business to sports and love. The good news, says Dweck, is that mindsets are not set: at any time, you can learn to use a growth mindset to achieve success and happiness.

So far I think this is a fresh perspective and I like it! You can learn more about your Mindset online!

Two weeks ago a read an article from The New York Times - A What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?

Monday night Kris and I went to Curriculum night at school.  At our school parents are invited to come to school on Curriculum night to listen to the administration introduce new initiatives, policies, procedures, and teachers. It is a time for parents to meet their child’s teacher, and learn about the curriculum, expectations, and the classroom.Anna's 3rd grade teacher, Miss Palmer, included a reproduction of an article originally printed in the Rochester D&C in the 1980's - "Let Children Learn By Failing" by Nancy Davis. 

A similar article by Nancy Davis was also printed in the Finger Lakes Times "Don't be afraid to let your child fail."