The Best Job Ever...

In light of Mother's Day - I've attached a link that is awesome (I know, it's an ad for P&G but its fantastic).  I highly recommend watching it with a box of kleenex close by!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NScs_qX2Okk

Keep smiling!

Dare to...

When I saw this I immediately thought of my nana (she loved butterflies).  I love all the sayings on this...which are your favourites?

Keep smiling!

Thankful...by Ben

Ben came home with this list on Thankfulness they had made in class.  I'm so grateful that his teacher recognizes the value in bestowing gratitude in young children.  Here's what Ben had to say:

I was a bit surprised that his sister made the number 2 spot on his list.  Only because sometimes sisters can be, well, mean.  But that just shows you Ben's character.  He is kind.  Thanks for that Ben!

Oprah talks a lot about keeping a gratitude journal.  I think it is a great idea - to write it down (as opposed to just thinking about it).  You really have to stop and think about everything that you have in your life.  Sheryl Crow sings about that in one of her songs "...it's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got". Wouldn't it be a great world if we all thought that way all the time?

Which brings me round to a conversation that I had with my aunt the other day.  She was talking about nana - and that nana had kept a journal that contained many thoughts on what she was grateful for.  It was usually simple things - the blue sky, her family connectedness, the garden.  That was how nana was.  She felt blessed.  And so do I.

Keep smiling!

Worthwhile

Working on it. “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”

Paul Boose

One Big Ahhha Moment

On Monday I was fortunate enough to cross Oprah from my bucket list.  Oh yeah, I have to still make my bucket list, but I know that Oprah would be right there up at the top!  My friend Andrea and I headed downtown on Sunday and made a real girls trip out of it.  We each had our own rooms (right next door to each other) and went out on the town for a lovely, long and lingering 3 hour supper.  We enjoyed a glass of wine and talked about our upcoming adventure - seeing Oprah's Life Class on Gratitude.
Actually, I didn't know that it was based on Gratitude...but isn't that fitting?  I have been writing about gratitude for almost a year now.  Funny how things work out.  What I really believe is that things that happen in your life don't just happen.  I think there is a bigger reason and that I am following my path.  Oprah's visiting Toronto with a panel of experts on Gratitude - almost like it was an affirmation of all that I have been working on.  How thankful I am for that.
So, back to Oprah...we lined up with 8,500 other excited fans of Oprah (and I think 20 were men) all down Front Street in Toronto.  What a site we must have been!  I bet Oprah had an ah-haaa moment looking out her hotel window on that magnificent view!!!

Well, we were fortunate enough to hear some wonderful speakers.  Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins (more on him later), Iylana Vanzant and Bishop T.D.Jakes.
I enjoyed all the speakers and the energy that they had as individuals...but the best was when Oprah came on stage and they worked together as a group.  Boy!  What energy!!!  I loved loved loved it.  I had moments of total awe.  She is just as amazing in person (I knew she would be!) as she is on her show.
I took many many things away from that experience.  One of my favourites was Tony Robbins - he had many amazing things to say (he is so powerful to listen to!) "Life happens not to me, but for me".
My friend Stephanie was fortunate also to have a ticket to Oprah's 2nd show that day.  On Forgiveness.  I am going to make it a priority to speak with her about that and to get a copy of it from the Life Class series.  I think that is the next big thing for me.  That is on my path.
Well, I'm sure as all this information is assimilated into my soul I will have lots more to say...
Thank you Oprah!
Thank you everyone for following my blog...I am truly grateful that people are interested in what I have to say.

Keep smiling!

Count Down to Oprah!

Yes that's right!  Oprah.  Really my number one favourite celebrity.  Why?  Because she seems so personable - like she could sit in your living room and have a conversation over a cup of coffee with you.  So anyway (I was off daydreaming about my conversation with Oprah...) my friend and I are going to have an afternoon in downtown Toronto then a sleepover at a nice hotel and then Oprah on Monday morning bright and early.  Yipee!!  My daughter Naomi asked me why was I so looking forward to seeing Oprah?  I said that I hoped to learn something from listening to her.  Something about myself.  That would tweak with everything that has been going on this past year.  I can only hope. :o)

I look forward to filling Adventure Mommy with all the wonderful and wonder-filled things I'm going to experience.

Keep smiling!  And stay tuned!

Wunderbar

I went to my yoga class tonight and our teacher said that when we are able to make space we generally find release (she really is so wise).  That is what I've been doing. Making space and releasing.  What exactly?  Old patterns.  Fears.  Sorting things out and sorting through.  Kind of like when you clean out your closets to make way for new stuff.  Great stuff.  Stuff that really works for you. I'm making way for new stuff. Goodbye chatterbox and hello Lea!  I can hear nana..."Wunderbar!"

Keep smiling!

Smiles and Laughs

We were lucky enough to have the yes man home yesterday (he was working- really!) and he invited the 3 of us to join him for lunch.  So we went down to the little restaurant near the beach (my favourite spot) and I even drove :o)  Yeah!!  Anyway, they had a menu board nicely decorated with all their weekly events - Salsa Night Thursday, Brunch Saturday and Sunday and Friday night Date Night.  Naomi suggested that the yes man and I go on Friday night and have a date.  This was the conversation that followed:

Me: I'll keep him around forever and that I'm lucky to have him.
Brad: (typical response for him - really) "and I you".
Naomi hears this: "Really, dad? It's all me and not you? That's not very nice".

We laughed and laughed!  So cute!  It's amazing how a mix up of words can bring smiles and chuckles for years...right, Bubnut? (thats a story for another day)LOL!!


Keep smiling!

Yahtzee!

I read a quote the other day that said "Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6".  Wow!  I must be on the right track!! LOL!!  It's a great way to gain perspective on your own life.

This week during my weekly dog visit with Roxy at the retirement home, one of the residents was a little down.  She couldn't wait to get outta that place and head home. Although she knew that she was home.  I asked her if she was able to think of anything that made her happy.  Anything that she could think of to look forward to. Maybe a friend?  Or the next meal in the dining room?  How about the beautiful day we were having?  She was able to smile...and I was thankful for that.  Some of the residents are soooo positive, while others aren't.  That got me to thinking.  Life is what you make it.  Not just for now, but the future too.  So I'm going into life with all I've got.  On that note, while I was sitting at the table with my son Ben eating breakfast, I said out loud (really loud) "Life is great!  Grab onto it!"  and he looked at me and said "O-kay" (a little unsure of where this had come from).  Then he continued eating his cereal.  That made me laugh!

I was playing Yahtzee with the little guy I look after and let me tell you...he is the King of Yahtzee!  That kid gets at least 4 or 5 Yahtzees every game!  So I say to him "If you are the King then I must be the Queen because I've gotten 2 Yahtzees this game."  He says "I'm the King and you're the dirty rascal"!!!  Hilarious!

Keep smiling!

Oops!

Well, a few days after I posted my last blog, Naomi fell while rollerblading and you guessed it.  Broken wrist.  Ouch!  Same wrist as the fall from the monkey bars a few years ago... but what a tough girl we have.  She is a real trooper.  Her take on the broken wrist..."I don't really like the cast, mom, but I love the colour of it!"  She's a fashionista alright!  The permanent cast is her favourite colour...dark purple!

Temporary Cast

And the good news is...she can't wait to get back on the blades (with wrist protectors this time though!)

Keep smiling!