Not a bad plan for my week...

You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face, and show the world all the love in your heart. Then people gonna treat you better; You're gonna find, yes, you will, that you're beautiful as you feel.
-- Carole King

I was worried on Friday when I looked at my schedule for next week (now TOMORROW) that I better just sleep at work. My colleague even offered to put cots in one of our downstairs training rooms for purposes of napping and then getting back up and starting to work again... kinda like what they do in hospitals for doctors.

THEN I thought a little further about my fab four and their 2nd week of school, and all that entailed... and um... honestly... I had a moment of panic! I have enjoyed my time off this summer with my kids more than other summers I think. Or... it is just that all that seems so long ago that I enjoyed it just as much, I just can't remember?

I love the look on their faces when they ask if I will be here when they get home from school and I can say yes. I love the look on their faces when they ask if it is a "stay home day" aka the weekend... and the answer is yes. Sunday mornings are my favorite too. Nobody cares about staying in pajamas. Nobody feels the need to eat breakfast quick and run out the door. The first trip of the morning ends up being one to get donuts :)

If I think about the whole week all together - every piece - work, kids, money, commute, bills... you will hear a scream to encompass the globe. So... I try to follow Carole King's advice... keep a smile on my face... and just focus on the next thing at hand. For now, that next thing is just enjoying the moment that is Sunday morning. We have a Bedrock party tonight on SL. Blissie promises to be home today for a Sunday field trip. I have helped D figure out facebook. We have tried to curb Simon's endless 5 year old requests with sugar and tickles. Rachel is off playing the newest online fascination Barbie.com. Life is good... despite the fact it is August and over 105... life is good :)

One other note... saddened by Bernie Mac's untimely death... I thought this was a clip worth sharing. He had the right idea too - do what makes you happy... and most importantly choose to be happy!


and... if choosing to be happy isn't enough... choose to be tough and take a page out of Bernie's book... from the Bernie Mac Show:

Lazy Sunday... After Being Back in the Saddle Again

Nothing better on a Sunday than laying in a hammock at the ocean's edge and deeply breathing in the salty sea air. My body is tired but I'm not sleepy. It feels good to just be. Six days of work make me so grateful for the serenity that is just being.

Yesterday was a statewide kickoff of a new program we are doing for PBS resources in Arizona classrooms. After months of waiting and reinventing ourselves, it felt so good to be back. Being with teachers who were excited about bags of PBS giveaways like stickers and mousepads and teletubbies headbands. Sharing preview reels of upcoming programs like Carrier. Delving into all the resources for educators, families and kids on all the PBS sites. It was invigorating. It was exciting to have educators who are willing to give of their time on a Saturday, without pay or mileage/travel reimbursement, and open their schools and classrooms to the resources we have to offer them.

PBS is so much more than just Lawrence Welk and This Old House and Antique Roadshow. PBS Kids is more than just Big Bird, Elmo, and Teletubbies. Have you taken the time to explore the resources that build literacy skills for children who are even too young to read words on a page? Have you seen the resources they have about the developing brain or the teenage brain? Have you participated with interactives in science that allow you to divide a cell? Have you helped Word Girl solve the mysteries of the dastardly Butcher (butcher-er of the English language)? Make sure you click on the link to Heros, Villians, and Mere Mortals :). Logins are free. Experience is priceless, as MasterCard and Visa would say.

I have been pleasantly surprised to encounter PBS friends inworld in Second Life. It seems to be universally human to now be able to identify a PBS character you remember from your childhood. Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters have traveled worldwide. It makes sense that eventually they would sneak their way into Second Life as well. Better yet, when it ends up really being my friends Carly and Josh inside Elmo and Cookie, we are all able to have a quick dance together. Who would have thought Cookie Monster was so light on his feet?

I must admit though - this wasn't the first time I encounterd PBS characters inworld. In my early SL newb days, I had a dance with an Italian friend, Kemi. Kemi was always bold in his avitar looks. Is it a shame to admit there is something captivating about having a quick ballroom dance with Baby Bop. I was a bit shy about asking him for a dance - but he was quite willing and surprisingly also light on his feet!

Bottom line - and ultimate purpose of this post? Hmmmm. Enjoy a lazy Sunday on SL. Relax knowing yesterday was a success in RL on so many levels. And recall how fun PBS can be - for everyone - in RL and SL. Now... back to the beach!