Angry Birds

This was also going around in FaceBook. I don't even want to get started with Angry Birds because everyone knows I can get addicted to computer games. I can still remember seeing the little green men going down the pages of whatever book I was reading after playing hours of Lode Runner.

Read Between the Lines

This was going around in FaceBook. Reminiscent of those MagicEye things I used to enjoy.

(Sorry in advance, Father. I know this will make you dizzy.)

More Skype Shots

No Arms, No Legs, No Worries

This book was on the 'recent returns' shelf of the library when I passed by about a month ago. I didn't pick the book up. It was one of those times when I wanted to read something light. I think I borrowed a bunch of cookbooks that day.

I suppose I was meant to "meet" Nick Vujicic because a few days later, I heard about him again. Next chance I got, I picked up the book from the library. Before I read the book, RD showed me one of the many youtube videos on this amazing young Australian.

Born without limbs on December 1982, Nick Vujicic is great inspiration.

In his chapter entitled, "Attitude is Altitude," he reminds people that by changing our attitude, we can change our lives (c/o psychologist and philosopher William James). There are many attitudes to choose from but Nick Vujicic recommends (1) an attitude of gratitude, (2) an attitude of action, (3) an attitude of empathy and (4) an attitude of forgiveness.

He has come to realise that as imperfect as he may be, he is the perfect Nick Vujicic. He is God's creation, designed according to God's plan.

In his travels to America (where he now resides, if I read the book right), he met Joni Eareckson Tada who was a 17-year old swimmer and equestrian from Maryland that broke her neck while diving into a lake in 1967. She was paralyzed from her neck down. (I read her autobiography when I was much younger. She learned how to paint with a brush between her teeth and later began to sell her artwork. Her story was likewise amazing.) Joni has become Nick's role model, his mentor, and his fellow traveller in this life.

He also met nineteen month old Daniel Martinez, who like him, was born with out arms and legs. Nick was like a window into what was in store for Daniel so Daniel's parents were very happy to meet him. But it was Nick's parents who were an even bigger blessing to the Martinez family because where else could they get insight on how to be a parent to a child without arms and legs.

Nick has been able to do so many things that most people with four limbs have not yet done. He has gone scuba diving, he surfs, he fishes, he has travelled the world, he has ridden an airport carousel (as well as gotten stuffed in the overhead cabin of an airplane) for the fun of it, he has made a movie, he was a drummer in the school band and an orchestra conductor. He graduated with a double major at Griffith University with a Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Planning and Accounting at the age of 21.

As an internationally successful inspirational speaker, he has spoken to thousands of people and affected many lives.

It is true that God works in mysterious ways.

Skype Shots

I took these shots this morning. I couldn't resist. It started off as just mother and daughter shots because Nicole was with Mindy and MyGirl was with me. But when young Luciano joined the call, I had to call RD for the photo shoot. (Check out the boys posing for the shot.)

Did I Need It?

OK. I admit it. I didn't really NEED it but I did KNEAD it.

MyGirl had been asking if we can have siopao and I had been wanting to make cinnamon rolls. So to make up for the fact that I wouldn't be able to celebrate a long weekend (since I had to go to work on Labour Day), I decided to do some baking on Sunday.

We had siopao for dinner.

And cinnamon rolls for afternoon tea.

French versus Dutch

Sister Deer taught me how to French Braid. I wrote about it in 2008 -- French Braid 101

The other day, MyGirl told me her classmate taught her how to do the Dutch Braid, which was similar to French Braiding except that instead of going 'left over middle, right over middle' one goes 'left UNDER middle, right UNDER middle', etc.

I asked MyGirl to show me what it looked like. On the spot, she immediately set out to braid her hair. (She's 10 years old and she can braid her hair like a pro!)

Dutch braids look nice but it requires some amount of concentration to get the braids done correctly since my fingers sort of default to doing French braids.

So what do you think?

Flowers Don't Lie

I took the first three pictures October last year. I was fascinated by the fact that when it was cold, the flowers along Old Northern Road would close. Then as the sun came out and the temperature rose, the flowers would open up.

Fascinating!

I hadn't manage to post the pictures on the blog so I planned another batch of "close-open" photos when I was walking along the road.

I took this photo a couple of days ago. See how the flowers are all 'hiding.' I knew that with spring moving into its second month, I was bound to catch these flowers in full bloom sooner or later.

Sure enough, when I took the two younger kids to Vinnie's (St. Vincent de Paul's) yesterday morning at about 11, the flowers were showing off.

So I asked the kids to pose with the flowers in bloom.

Later in the afternoon, GI and MyGirl joined me to the mall. Since I had already taken a photo of his other siblings, I asked GI to pose with the flowers. He was happy to do so (perhaps because we picked something up for him while we were at the mall) and by this time (3:30pm), according to the flowers, it was cold.

Cloudy Weather

I was with RD and MyGirl this morning. As we were crossing the street, we saw this cloud. RD said it looked like one of the clouds in cartoons.

If you check out the picture below, you will see that there are dark clouds looming. I was actually thinking more in the lines of 'Is it going to rain? I've got a load of laundry on the clothesline.'