A Little Ditty

Okay - you know I love to write in my blog, but did you know that I love to make up songs?  I must have made up hundreds (well, tens at least) of songs for my kids when they were little.  My sister-in-law is probably rolling her eyes thinking back to all the singing I did at the cottage (I have a wagon...bringing back any memories, Nance?).  She used to make fun of me - but I think that secretly she loved hearing them!  So there!  Anyway, one song that I sing just about every night (still) to Ben is Hop into Bed.  It's just a little rhyme - but you know what? He sings right along with me.  And if Naomi hears it, she sings along too.  And for all the teasing that the yes man does, he remembers every song that I ever made up and sang to the kids.  Brings a tear to my eye - LOL!  Anyway, if you have kids, you can go ahead and sing this song to them, or sing it to yourself. Nothing wrong with that!

Hop into bed
Snuggle up tight
Roll on over and
Turn out the light
It's time, to say,
Goodnight

Just a catchy little diddy from yours truly.  Hmmmmm.  Big idea - maybe I should record them and post them on YouTube? LOL!

Keep smiling!

A Little Magic

Sometimes we all need a little make believe!  Thanks Sir Henry (of Casa Loma).

Keep smiling!

¡feliz cumpleaños!

Well today Adventure Mommy turns 42. That's right.  
My auntie Jul sent me this lovely email this morning:
"today begins another year of adventure, great joys, simple pleasures, giving, playing, learning, reflecting,Loving, growing, understanding, working hard, and  being a person who brings  a great deal of pride to our family! 
Happy Birthday Dear...Keep Smiling!!!"


My friends Steph, Michelle, Liron & Andrea invited me for a beautiful luncheon - complete with Sangria...it was spectacular!  Steph and Michelle could easily have their own successful catering company.  Just check out this lovely trifle...it was the best thing I think I have ever eaten!

And my daughter made this beautiful work of art for me...thank you, Naomi.  I love it!


And the birthday celebrations continued into the evening with a dinner out with family.

42 is looking good...


Keep smiling!

Lemons into Lemonade

I wanted to dedicate this blog entry to my friend, Michelle.  Michelle has had many changes in her life recently and is making lemonade from lemons!  She has started her own business - Set the Stage.  Go Girl!  I helped her with the tag line for her new biz:  "For all the stages in your life".  Seems to suit her new life perfectly.

So - I'll put up a few pics of my great room that she overhauled for me yesterday. She really knows how to pull things together and completely wowed the yes man and I!  In Ben's words, "Awwwwwesommmme!"

Thanks Michelle - looking forward to our next project...now if we could just get the yes man on board!

The Great Room (isn't it great!!)

Another shot of our Great Room (big thanks to Set the Stage)

Keep smiling!

20th Century Tom

There's a little indie pet store in our neighbourhood (one of the benefits to not driving far...I've really discovered all things necessary are close to home!).  The shop owner is Tom.  Now Tom is a little quirky, which is one of the things I like about him.  He is always smiling and has a positive outlook.

So I'm in there today picking up dog food and paying with my credit card.  Now he is just about to tell me to put the chip in the card thingy - but realizes that my card is "old school".  And then I make an appointment to have Roxy groomed and looking fine.  He asks me "Don't you have one of those blueberry things to keep all your appointments on? (yes, you read that right).  I said no, that I'm old school and have a good old fashioned cell phone.  He says "You really are from the 20th century, aren't you?"  Then I say back to him (sort of like you've done it now, Tom)  "All right Tom.  Now you're going in my blog!"  He laughed and laughed.

Isn't it great to smile and laugh?  Try it.  Try it now.  LOL!!  Got ya, didn't I?

Keep smiling!

Thoughts on Laughing (aka Mission Impossible)

Sometimes the best laughs come when you least expect them.  Not from jokes, or visiting a comedy club or seeing a funny movie...but just the regular, everyday little crazies that make us smile...or fall down laughing with milk coming out of our noses (uhhh, that's never happened to me, I'm just saying).  Well, my little guy was over the other day, and I was talking to the yes man - he happened to be hanging around that morning.  I was explaining to the yes man about cleaning our front windows.  Now, the windows are quite high up - and we have a "balcony" in front of them - it's really a glorified ledge with no railing, you get the picture, very dangerous.  Anyway, I was demonstrating how I was going to get from the front porch over to this ledge with the Windex and Bounty in hand...real Mission Impossible style.  Sound effects and all.  And crouching down with my arms outstretched shimmying around the corner (picture Tom Cruise - ....wait, I'm still picturing Tom Cruise)!  All of a sudden I realize that my little guy is totally cracking up at this - mouth open, eyes tearing up...full on, milk out the nose laughing!  I must have been quite a site. LOL!  I did it a few more times for effect - and still the laughing continued!!  Ha! Ha!  Sometimes I really crack myself up!  Isn't it great to be alive!!!!

Next time I'm cleaning the windows I'll try this method...

Keep smiling!

Secret Garden

We had the pleasure of going to Casa Loma yesterday with the kids.  They really loved it - the secret passageway, the scary basement and the long, dim, cold tunnel to the stables.  Isn't it funny what kids find fascinating!

Naomi took some beauty photos (I love the word beauty used like this - it reminds me of my dad) - and I wanted to share them on Adventure Mommy.

This photo might be an inspiration to my aunts who enjoy painting...if either of you want a copy just let me know!  This would be a beauty hanging in my house...LOL!

Keep smiling and please enjoy this beauty of a day :o)

Mommy Day

Mother's Day...I usually joke with my cousin every year about this day on the calendar.  Why?  Because Mother's Day is always so hyped up in the media - sleeping in, breakfast in bed, and that mom's are totally catered to on this one day a year.  And guess what?  It's so the opposite of that!!  Well, it was so the opposite of that until this year.  Yes, I had the mommy of all mother's days!!  I did get to lounge in bed with a good book, had a delicious fruit smoothie delivered to me and my daughter made yummy french toast with fresh fruit for breakfast.  And the yes man made a big pot of coffee.  It couldn't have been any better.  Only, now I've got my hopes up for this type of mommy pampering every mother's day...well, one can dream!

Keep smiling!

Milestone!

Wow!!  My blog has been viewed....wait for it....over 2,000 times since my first entry!  Thank you to all my followers - family and friends who cheer me on in my great Adventure!  Cheers to many more adventures!

And, Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in my life :o)

Keep smiling!

Lifeclass - Emotional Flood Exercise

When Tony Robbins came onstage at the Lifeclass in Toronto - wow!  He has energy like I've never seen before!!!  Tony can get the crowd going - and afterwards I was on this emotional high - and boy, would I love to keep that going.  Anyway, I found this link - which is excerpted from the Lifeclass that I attended with my friend, Andrea. Both she and I felt this exercise was so powerful that I wanted to share it with my Adventure Mommy readers.  Why? Because we're worth it.  We are all worth it.

Check it out when you have some uninterrupted time...it's well worth it! And who knows - it may change your life!  Thank you, Tony Robbins!

http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/Tony-Robbins-Emotional-Flood-Exercise-Video

Keep smiling!

Dragon Slayers (aka Big Guns)

Adventure Mommy has joined a Dragon Boat team and we call ourselves the Dragon Slayers. There were lots of other name suggestions - the 20 Oars (apparently if you say this quickly 5 times it's funny), the Cheeky Paddlers but the Slayers stuck.  I joined knowing only 2 other ladies - in a boat of 20...what a hoot!

Our first practice was last evening...as we stepped out of the car, the skies opened up - and not just to rain!  We had some good old fashioned hail stones too and thunder. But our trainer said get your lifejackets, paddles and line up.  So we all followed the orders of this young man (seriously, he cannot be over 25).  There we were, not really knowing one another, soaked to the skin and getting ready for "an experience of a lifetime" (that's what the brochure said).

I was partnered up with Marisa - in seat number 2.  I'm left and she's right.  What a great partner.  We laughed the entire hour (except when we were listening and paddling, of course!)  Or is that, off course?!  Ha! Ha!  I'm soooo funny today!!  At one point, Marisa complemented me on my amazing form - I said thank you - and you're form is good too.  We are now official members of the MAS - Mutual Admiration Society (thanks again for that gem, Auntie Carol!)

Anyway, here are the 5 main points we learned last night on our first time out in a Dragon Boat:

1.It's called a paddle, not an oar
2.Lean out as far as possible - you should feel like you're going to fall out of the boat
3.How many times a man can say the word "stroke" in a sentence and it not be sexual
4."Hit" means putting your paddle into the water - not the person in front of you (enough said)
5.When the trainer comes up the boat to show your partner how to position herself, don't look at his (very tight) butt

Well, wouldn't you know it?  The rain stopped as soon as we got out in the Bay and the sun started to shine through.  Now that's what I call "a sign".  A sign that I should've thought this thru a little more...what have I gotten myself into...? A super fun time, that's what!

Our Mascot (the Dragon-not the kid)

I still really think we should have called our boat "Cougar Town".  Really, you should have heard these ladies!  LOL!  Who am I kidding?  I was right in there with them!

Keep smiling!

Throwing Stones (at the beach)

I went down to the beach today with Roxy.  The sun was shining and the breeze was cool.  I've been feeling a little off today - I think I know why and I'll get to that in a minute.  Anyway, I picked up a stone and it felt so warm.  Immediately my thoughts focused away from myself (a good thing) and onto something bigger than me.  Wow. The sun could warm this cold stone.  And this warm stone warmed up my hand...now we're getting somewhere.  Guess what?  I started to cry.  I think that a big cry has been building up and voila!  There it was.  I decided that I was going to throw this stone into the water and as I did so, I was going to say "Goodbye!  Adios!  Farewell!" Goodbye to fear.  Goodbye to anger. Goodbye to the past (that BTW cannot be changed no matter how hard or how many tears I cry).  And the flip side of all this? Hello to the day.  To now.  To the future.

So there - sometimes throwing stones (at the beach) can be a good thing!

Keep smiling!

Oh yeah...nerves...fear, I mean, EXCITEMENT!  I am starting something new today - I'm a part of a team of Dragon Slayers (actually, that is our team's name for our Dragon Boat).  Look out, Yes Man!  My guns will soon be a big as yours!  LOL!