Hot Cocoa and "The Polar Express"

I love a good cup of hot cocoa. I really, really do.

Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside (hmm, just realized that 'fuzzy' is an odd term for an internal feeling, but we'll let it slide since it's an accepted phrase).

The cup also reminds me of Christmas-time back in elementary school, because we'd visit the school library and watch a slideshow with an audio-cassette that read The Polar Express book to the class.

Does that sound familiar to anyone? It was the version where the audio-cassette would make a beep sound when you needed to change to the next slide. And let me tell you, it was a big honor to get to be the kid in charge of clicking to the next slide. I can't recall if I ever had that opportunity, but if I did, I assure you I was on cloud nine the rest of the week.

Maybe that version is out of print now, because I couldn't find a digital copy online. There were a couple mixed-media items on eBay, but I'm hesitant to buy it without knowing it's the right set. 

Anyway, my favorite part of the audio-cassette was the page about how the kids on the train were given hot cocoa. After that page's text was read, but before the beep, a server on the train sang "Hot cocoa cocoa cocoa! Hot cocoa cocoa cocoa!" Not sure why, but I absolutely loved that part.

So each time I make hot cocoa, whether at work or home or camping or wherever, that little tune pops in my head. Would you like a cup? I'll even sing the song to you when I deliver your warm beverage.

Child's Own Studio: Turning Kids' Drawings into Reality

I'd never heard of anything like this before, but I came across a post on themetapicture.com that highlighted a company which will make your child's picture into an actual toy.

They're called Child's Own Studio, and I'm loving the idea.

For example:

Note: all pictures from http://www.childsown.com, and they reserve the photo rights.

Genius.

Since they seem to be pretty slammed with requests, maybe I'll have to get some of my nephew and nieces pics and try making them some plush toys for Christmas.

And yes, I'll have to start soon in order to have them ready in 9 months haha

Flashback Friday: Happy 80th Birthday, LEGO!

This was a big one in my childhood.

My family played with LEGOs a lot.
We built the sets, and often we'd just let our imaginations run wild and make our own structures, vehicles, and random shapes.

And then they made Star Wars LEGO sets. So of course we had to get those.

Have you ever wondered about the backstory for LEGO?
I hadn't.

But here it is in case you're curious.

The LEGO story


Happy 80th birthday, LEGO!

Now who feels like making a LEGO Empire State Building with me?

How to Keep Kids Healthy (Good for Adults, Too)

I read this article today from Yahoo, and it made me wonder how much healthier we as adults would be if we followed this simple advice for children.

6 Ways to Stay Healthy

1. Wash your hands: 15-20 seconds (sing the Happy Birthday song twice)
2. Be active every day: regular, moderate exercise (you don't have to be training for a marathon)
3. Get plenty of sleep: I bet getting 7 hours would be a major improvement for most people
4. Avoid touching your face: this goes along with the hand-washing in #1
5. Consume a balanced and healthy diet: colorful fruits and veggies are delicious!
6. Get the flu vaccine: this is pretty self-explanatory, and doesn't insurance cover some of the cost?

Who wants to try this out with me? Maybe a one-month trial period?

Flashback Friday: Utah Commercials

It's been a while since I did a Flashback Friday, but yesterday I was inspired.

Being back in Utah, I saw a commercial for Primary Children's Medical Center, and it ended with the old "Hold on to Dear Life" jingle from my childhood. Thank goodness for YouTube and people uploading old commercials, because I thought of another Utah commercial to go with that one.

Don't Waste Utah

Hold on to Dear Life

They're maybe kinda downers, but isn't the 'Don't Waste Utah' production value classic?

And didn't you want to be this guy when you were a kid?

Because I did.

Happy Father's Day!

Just a quick shout-out, because I'm always happy to celebrate my dad.

Thanks for all you did, do, and will do.

Happy Father's Day, Chetjet!

3 Life Checklists for Self-Evaluation

I've come across a couple lists that I just felt needed to be shared.

8 Things Every Kid Should Experience
[article here]

1. Being part of a team
2. Camping
3. Chores
4. Snow
5. Farm life
6. A lemonade stand
7. Flying a kite
8. Bowling

My mind is boggled when I come across some city kid that has never been camping or played in snow or tried bowling. These are essentials. While I didn't live on a farm, we visited them semi-regularly and went to Bryce Canyon for horseback riding often, so I'm gonna count that as a valid substitution. Also, as a Utah boy, I am used to (and kind of like, just a little) that cow-pie smell.

Oh, and if you missed one of these as a kid, there's still time. Get out and do them!

15 Things You Should Give Up to Be Happy
[article here]

1. Need to always be right
2. Need for control
3. Blaming others
4. Self-defeating self-talk
5. Limiting beliefs
6. Complaining
7. Criticizing
8. Need to impress others
9. Resistance to change
10. Labels
11. Fears
12. Excuses
13. The past
14. Attachment
15. Living your life to other people's expectations

I fully recognize that I have a long way to go on some of these, but I'm making strides and am attempting to be cognizant and aware of making progress on them. Especially numbers 2, 8, 9, 13, and 15. Which do you most feel the need to give up?

11 Things to Know at 25(ish)

[article here]

1. You have time to find a job you love
2. Get out of debt and stay out of debt
3. Don't rush dating and marriage
4. Give your best to friends and family
5. Get some counseling
6. Seek out a mentor
7. Be a part of a church
8. Find a rhythm for spiritual disciplines
9. Volunteer
10. Feed yourself and the people you love
11. Don't get stuck

Yes, I'm into my 30s. You don't have to remind me. But I figure that my mission and a masters degree delayed this stage in my life a little. Or maybe I'm just rationalizing (yikes, I hope I haven't fallen into #11). I'm ok on some of these, and need some work on others. All have pretty good reasoning behind them. Which have you found to be helpful at this stage in your life?

Say It Ain't So! [MCA, Maurice Sendak, Utah Jazz]

It's been a rough couple days.

We lost two legends, one each from the music and literature fields.
In addition, my NBA team got swept out of the playoffs. Boo.

MCA (aka Adam Yauch)

As one of the three Beastie Boys, MCA made a huge impact on the world of hip-hop music. I still remember listening to their albums with my older brother when I was a kid, and how cool I felt rocking out to them while driving my first car. He'd been battling cancer for three years, though, which I can only imagine would have been very difficult for both him and his family and friends.

Maurice Sendak

He was the acclaimed and sometimes controversial author of many children's books, and was most-known for Where the Wild Things Are. I didn't know much about him as a person until recently, when Stephen Colbert interviewed him. Such a funny, self-deprecating, and crotchety old man.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Pt. 1
www.colbertnation.com

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Pt. 2
www.colbertnation.com

Utah Jazz
This is just a quick one. Last night the San Antonio Spurs completed their 4-game sweep of the Jazz in the first round of the NBA playoffs. I didn't expect much from the Jazz against the Spurs, but I'd hoped they'd at least win a game or two. Oh well, there's always next year, right?

The first two are definitely sadder than the last, and/but hopefully the next couple days are bummer-free.

Jim Henson's Genius Pitch for the Muppet Show

My fascination/obsession with the Muppets continues...

This time I'm impressed by their creator: Jim Henson.

Have you seen the original pitch he made for the Muppet Show?

Isn't that great?!?

Pretty cool how he immediately catches the attention and builds the argument for his show.

And I'm just really glad they bought into what he was selling.

What did you think of Henson's Muppets pitch?

The Shel Silverstein 80's Kids Probably Didn't Know

Without checking Wikipedia or Googling him, I want you to say what you know about Shel Silverstein.

He simultaneously looks friendly and scary, right?

If you're around my age, you probably knew he wrote such childrens' books as "Light in the Attic" and "The Giving Tree". These are classics and I will read them to my kiddos whenever I have some.

He penned such great poems as "The Quick-Digesting Gink" and "Hug O' War".

But until recently I didn't know how much more there was to Shel Silverstein and his varied life.

Did you know Shel was friends with Johnny Cash? And that he wrote songs, including the hit "A Boy Named Sue"? Here's a clip if you don't believe me.

And did you know Shel also drew cartoons and wrote illustrated travel essays for Playboy (I guess they really DO have articles!)? Note: I won't include any here, as this is a family-friendly blog and I don't know what would come up if I searched for example materials. Not worth the risk.

For my theater-loving friends, were you aware that Shel wrote over 100 one-act plays?
I may have to look into them and see if any are short enough and also age-appropriate for my family's holiday/special occasion talent shows...

Isn't it amazing to learn that people actually have so much more to their lives than you thought?*

If you want more info on Shel, now you can go check out [his Wikipedia page].

Do you ever have this happen to you? Who was the celebrity/individual you learned more about?

*This also applies to school teachers and principals. It turned my world upside down to see one of my elementary school's 4th-grade teachers on a date with the principal at a University of Utah football game.

Flashback Friday: Early Childhood Bedtime Books

My siblings and I loved having our mom (and sometimes dad) read to us at bedtime.

Here are a few that still stand out in my mind as the very best reads from my youth.

Shel Silverstein
He wrote some fantastic poems for his A Light in the Attic book, including the 'Quick-Digesting Gink' which I recited for several poem-sharing assignments. The Giving Tree is also one of his most famous works, and its film is embedded herein.

Dr Seuss
There are so many great Dr Seuss books, but I believe the Smyth favorite was The Sneetches and Other Stories, which included 'Too Many Daves', 'What Was I Scared Of?' (a.k.a. the pale-green pants story), and, of course, 'The Sneetches'.

Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola
I know I mentioned this one in my birthday post to my mom last year, but it deserves repeating, because it's a family favorite.

Calvin and Hobbes
Yes, this came a little later on, but few comic strips or books of comic strips can rival the genius and hilarity of Calvin and Hobbes. I've included a couple, but you can see plenty more [here].

Taught me to 'fake it til I make it'.

Taught me proper TV-watching form.

Those were simpler nights and I miss that simplicity.

What books/series did your mom or dad read to you as a child?

Happy 100th Birthday to the Eagle Scout Award

A little Boy Scouts of America (BSA) history lesson to start this post:

In April of 1912 Arthur Rose Eldred earned his 21st merit badge, finishing the requirements to earn BSA's first ever Eagle Scout Award. On August 21, Chief Scout Executive James E. West wrote to Arthur formally notifying him that he was the first to earn BSA's highest award. Because the dies for the award were not yet cast, Arthur received his award on Labor Day 1912.

Yes, that means the first Eagle Scout Award was earned in this month, 100 years ago. Exciting stuff, eh?

Well, to a fellow Eagle Scout, I think it's pretty cool.

In those 100 years, there have been over 83 million Boy Scouts, and a little over 2 million have reached the point of earning their Eagle Scout Award. That's about 2.4% of those joining BSA.

So what does being an Eagle Scout mean?
It means you accomplished several tasks before turning 19 years-old, including:

• Earning at least 21 merit badges.
• 12 are required, ranging from topics such as camping, environmental science, first aid, citizenship in the world, and family life.
• Coordinating and completing a special project which benefits the community.

Reaching the rank of Eagle Scout is something that very few accomplish on their own.

Scoutmasters, family, and friends play an integral part of the Scout's progression and learning.

I know that my mom and dad pushed (and sometimes pulled) me to get mine, and it came down to the wire just before I turned 19. In the final interview, I nearly didn't pass because I got all flustered and couldn't remember how to tie a couple of the knots. Thankfully the reviewers let it slide (phew!).

But I got it done and looking back I'm very glad that I did.

I still proudly wear my Scouting shirt and sash
Halloween 2011

The Cub and Boy Scout programs taught me a great deal about various subjects and also about interacting with other people. Many of my best friends were in my troops, so we solidified friendships on camp-outs, at weekly meetings, doing service projects, and working on merit badge requirements together.

Congratulations to all the other Eagle Scouts out there, and let's show our appreciation for the BSA and 100 years of the Eagle Scout Award!

Flashback Friday: Marin, Aaron, and Caryn

Just a quick flashback today.

I don't remember what grade of elementary it was, but I was put in a class with two girls named Caryn and Marin, and I thought it was so cool that our names rhymed but all had vastly different spellings.

While we didn't hang out all the time, we stayed friends all through school.

Seminary graduation, 1999

Next time we see each other, we'll have to get a picture so we can compare with the one above.

Did any of you readers have rhyming-name friends back in the school days?

Flashback Friday: Hatchet and Island of the Blue Dolphins

My mom always read to us before bedtime, so I have fond memories of the books from my childhood.
Furthermore, she and my dad encouraged us to read on our own as well.

My school teachers and Pizza Hut* also gave us incentives to read Newbery Medal-winning books, which were/are vastly more intellectually-stimulating than the Twilight and Harry Potter books of today.

Here are a couple of my favorite books from elementary school.

Hatchet
As a Boy Scout, I loved reading about a boy being stranded in the wilderness and having to survive on his own. I could just imagine myself in his shoes, and the excitement and fear of such a situation.

For a little reminder, here is the first 15 minutes of the audiobook:

Island of the Blue Dolphins
This book captivated me, and I'm pretty sure I used it for book reports in grades 4-6 (recycling is good, right?). Another tale of survival, this one includes facing the elements and nature, as well as invading foreign forces. Learning about and relating to a culture very different from my own also intrigued me.

Again, in case you've forgotten the writing style, here's the first 15 minutes of the audiobook:

Now that I've gotten a taste, I think I might have to re-read these again soon.

What were your favorite books from elementary school?

*Remember the program where as you read books you could earn a personal pan pizza? I loved that!

Flashback Friday: Garbage Pail Kids

Today's Flashback Friday is about trading cards.

But although I had many baseball, basketball, and football trading cards, there was another set that I remember from elementary school.

A set of a less-savory nature.

Garbage Pail Kids

Do you remember these?

Maybe they were only a guy thing, as they're clearly a response to Cabbage Patch Kids for girls.

Pretty gross, and these aren't even the worst of them.

Were you into Garbage Pail Kids? Any other trading cards you collected?

PS: I'll admit I also had a lot of Magic: The Gathering cards, but at least those were for a game, so maybe that makes them slightly better. No? It doesn't? Darn. Was worth a try. #nerdforlife

Flashback Friday: Christina Aguilera vs Britney Spears

Okay, so this week I'm not going back to my childhood, exactly.

But it does go back to my senior year of high school, which was over a decade ago.

Crazy, because it seems like several decades ago.

A few years earlier, all my female friends had the apparently-difficult choice of picking between a trio of boy bands: Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, and 98 Degrees.

My senior year, it was the fellas turn.
Two girls came on the scene for us to decide between: Christina and Britney.

Some guys struggled with the decision.
Though I have learned to appreciate some of Britney's club tunes, I've been a Christina fan from the start.

Christina Aguilera

Come On Over (All I Want is You)

Britney Spears

...Baby One More Time

Both have changed a lot over the years, and they've made some questionable personal decisions.

But let's keep those out of the equation and just focus on the music and performing.

Based on their professional product and ability, which do you prefer?

Flashback Friday: Tysman Rap & Mormon Rap

Since this is the first week of my Flashback Friday series, I figured I'd throw in a bonus post.

I grew up in Utah, and my parents are both BYU alumni.
My dad took us to BYU football games, and we loved seeing the "QBU" passing attack shred opponents.

Though I was pretty young, I still remember watching Ty Detmer pass his way to the Heisman.

My dad followed that year with the same fanaticism that the BYU faithful followed Jimmer Fredette's senior season. All the publicity and staggering statistics made for lots of excitement.

As a natural result, my dad's football-loving sons were all about Ty and how great he was.

Ty Detmer, BYU's Heisman winner

And when it was clear that Ty Detmer was leading the Cougars to a special accomplishment, some guy seized the moment and wrote one of the worst raps in history. Which I loved back then, by the way.

The Tysman Rap.

Yes, it's pretty bad in retrospect. But at the time, I thought it was the bee's knees.

A couple years later, I guess some other guys figured white people (other than the Beastie Boys, of course) deserved another chance at rapping about something totally not-rappable.

The Mormon Rap.

It's so bad that it's good. Also, many of the references are still surprisingly relevant.

That's kinda scary if you think about it.

I hope we (meaning BYU and Mormons) learned our lesson and don't try any more rapping like this.

Or perhaps there actually are some decent raps by/about these topics now.

Nah, I doubt it, and it's not worth the time or effort to research.

Flashback Friday: ColecoVision

The header to my blog used to mention some influences from my youth, like the movies Sandlot and Labyrinth. Now my header is more brief, so people can get right to the meat of posts.

In order to hearken to the olden days, I'd like to start a series that will highlight topics from my childhood.
It will be called Flashback Friday, and will be posted on, you guessed it, Fridays.

To start, I was thinking the other day about my family's first video game console.

ColecoVision.

Did you have a ColecoVision? Or did your friend from Mrs. Jensen's 3rd grade class have one?
Perhaps you're too young to remember anything before Nintendo, or even SuperNintendo?

It looked like this:

Yes, now it looks positively archaic. But it was cutting edge at the time.

It made having an arcade game possible in your very own home. No more dropping quarter after quarter into that slot, wasting all the loot you earned by taking out the trash and drying dishes.

And I think I can speak for the whole Smyth family when I say we loved the Smurf game the most.

Not The Smurfs or even Smurfs, but simply Smurf.

Over the past 20+ years, I'm sure my mind has greatly romanticized the quality of gameplay.

In fact, playing it now would probably frustrate me to no end.
Those stupid fences, stalactites/stalagmites, and bats always got me.
But I'd also love every second of it.

Memories can do that. Even if technology has been innumerable improvements, those memories still make the experience wonderful and exciting.

Anybody got an old ColecoVision laying around that I could borrow?

If you have any suggestions for other Friday Flashback material, I'd love to include them.
And believe me, I've got a bunch already listed out to start with. This will be a fun trip down memory lane.

Venn Diagrams for Grown-Ups

Do you remember learning about Venn diagrams back in school?
I think it was initially a way to teach us the color wheel and how colors combine to create other colors.

Here are a couple grown-up versions, which I happen to think are quite humorous.

[Note: I claim no credit for these, as they were found on various sites from the interweb.]

Santa

Men

I sure hope I'm a nerd, or maybe dumb

Girls

Just FYI, that middle piece doesn't apply to girls my friends, family, or I date

Junk Touchers

Grandpa

Star Wars Villains

Firefly

I need to watch more Firefly; shame they cancelled it

Wish I could come up with something as clever as these.

Do you have a favorite, from this list or somewhere else?

Sesame Street Answers "How Does Santa Get In?"

Do you remember when the Sesame Street characters would ask kids to explain things?
I had forgotten about this, but just felt joy at coming across this video about how Santa gets into houses.

Kids are hilarious, and I'm definitely digging those clothes. Wish I had sweet vintage duds like theirs.