Laughter

I finished the Happiness Project book! Started in March, took my time perusing and underlining, and I finished up this weekend. I usually don't make it through non-fiction completely, but this one was linear enough for me to do just that. I have many notes and ! marks in the margins for future blog posts...so stay tuned.

BUT FIRST...

I was reading her November chapter, and I realized I really do not laugh enough. Children laugh more times a day than we do in a week, and it's just time I found a reason to do it. Remember the column in Reader's Digest, "Laughter, the best medicine?" I loved it. As a kid, I'd find my grandparents' copy of the magazine so I could learn some new jokes. My son's giggles should be inspiration enough, but I do forget.

Certain comedians make me laugh so hard I cry. Why don't I download it and listen to it in the car? I have no good answer to this. This swept the news for a day or two...and I love it. Seeing someone who is usually so serious be so tickled makes me giggle.

Seriously, click here. I can't embed on blog, but it's. so. funny.

Maybe it could be a good laugh for you today, too.



Who/what makes you laugh?

52 Weeks of Happiness, Week 10

I hate to say it, but my week was kinda mundane. And usual. And though I find a little happiness in many, many things throughout the week, it's not quite the thing you take a picture of, so my picture only comes from last night.

And this is about things that make you wildly happy, right? That was last night.

A fellow teacher threw a Cinco de Mayo party.

Awesome part #1: It was 4 minutes from my house. SCORE!
Awesome Part #2: I got to bring my 16 month old!
Awesome part #3: Hubby came!
Awesome part #4: Hubby took son home, mama got to stay!

I stayed with good work girlfriends until 10:30. On a Thursday.

Here's a fun pic from the event. The much needed lovely wonderful event!

PLAY!

I just bought this book, a mere $6.40 from Amazon, at Gretchen Rubin's recommendation.

In the blog post, she gives a brief summary of what the author has to say. As an early childhood professional, I know very well that nothing is more important than play. Play is a child's work. It fosters tremendous social and emotional growth, problem-solving skills, motor skill growth, and countless other benefits. Playing together is just as important as playing solo.

Play never stops being important, we just start to call it something different. Obviously, board games for adults or children are forms of play, but isn't anything recreational really play? I enjoy running, so that's a form of play for me. I am lucky to be an early childhood professional, so the child inside me gets her fill of kid-like play, and that makes the adult me happy, too.

I feel a little like I might be doing a thesis. Hubby is working on his Master's thesis, which will be completed for graduation in May. As I have watched him do this, I've noticed how one discovery leads to the need for a new book, and I feel like the deeper I get into it, the more I want to read. Especially if the extra research costs under seven dollars.

One of my favorite quotations:
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
-Bertrand Russell

More on that quote here.