Mom's Dream House - by Naomi & Ben

My son Ben was drawing in his new book - The Wimpy Kid Do-it-Yourself Book.  The drawing was titled "Dream House".  He was proudly showing me all the great things that he would include in his dream house...a Pizzeria, indoor pool, elevator and a singing toilet too!  Naomi quickly got in on the action and suddenly it was no longer just a Dream House but a Dream House for Mom - aka - a competition was brewing.
The competition grew fierce - money was added (a whole room of money - in any currency), Oprah would be my best friend and I would have a slide to take me to a)work or b)the pool.  Naomi was at my side adding ideas (they were getting wilder by the minute!) tapping at me every 5 seconds to make sure I was paying attention.
Ben added a time machine and a hand couch and a bakery that was part of the Pizzeria.
Naomi's last grab at the prize was a "crowd room" - a music room with 10 people that would always cheer for me after I sang for them. LOL!  I love it!

But the best was their "No Place Like Home" room.  They came up with the idea for this together.

Ben's Dream House

I love this room.  The concept is simple...one room in our new house would always feel and look like our old house (the one we actually live in).  

Naomi's Dream House

The Dream House?  I already have it :o)

Keep smiling! And may you all have a healthy, happy, smiling 2012!

Welcome 2012!

Here it is...the last blog entry of Adventure Mommy for 2011...

Well, this year has been an adventure all right.  I had this imaginary deadline in my mind that by December 31, 2011, I would be back to my old self.  Except that that hasn't happened.  What has happened instead is that I'm onto my new self.  Happier?  Check.  A little lighter in spirit?  Check.  Accepting?  Check.  Forgiving?  Check.  Still a little crazy?  You bet!  All this is what makes me who I am.  I have learned what I do like, and want from life.  At least at this point in my life...because you know what?  That may change again - and that's okay!  And the yes man is always reminding me that life is all about the journey...not the destination.  Well said - and better practiced.
Happy, healthy, lovely New Year to you all!  Can't wait to see what 2012 brings with it!
Keep smiling!

Karma Strikes Again

Funny how things happen.  Good things, I mean.  Take today.  My friend Steph and I went to Walmart.  On her agenda was to scan a Christmas photo of her kids (she didn't make enough the first time around - let me tell you, she made 100 the first time...) On my agenda was to grocery shop (I love our Walmart grocery section).  There was a small lineup in the photo shop and Steph was waiting.  There was an older lady in front of us who was having difficulty working the computer and getting what she wanted from it.  So she let Steph and I go ahead. I helped Steph with her order an in under 5 minutes we were done.  I looked behind us and there was the lady.  She was going to try again.  I offered to help her out (I'm fairly savvy with technology and people).  We scanned her photo, enlarged it and ordered it.  Voila!  She looked at me and said thank you and that I have really done my good deed for today!  I looked at it as sharing my expertise - and hey!  I enjoy it.
My story goes on...
So now I'm shopping around the store - grocery cart full.  Oops!  Forgot that I was looking for the Polar Express DVD for Steph - her's crapped out after watching it too many times.  The staff at the store said they hadn't seen Polar Express in the racks this year.  There was another customer listening in - and we started talking about how great a movie that was.   I carried on slightly disappointed.
In line, I had just paid and was loading up the cart to leave when this same customer found me in line and handed me...Polar Express!  He had dug through the racks and found it!  If that's not karma then I don't know what is!!!  He went through the entire store looking for me!!!  Well, Steph's kids have their Polar Express and I wished that man a very Merry Christmas!
And a very Merry Christmas to all of you!

Keep smiling :o)

Thank you to that man...

Beautiful

Smile.  You are beautiful.  Powerful words!  Love this one!  Sometimes the most profound quotes are the simplest.  I hope that you are smiling today.  I think about all the lovely ladies in my life when I see this.  May you smile and have a wonderful day too!

Yes. I like this quote.  My voice has been shaky a few times in my life.  Once I had so many words in my mouth that I was afraid to talk.  That the words would tumble out all on their own.  And they did.  And it was okay.  This is why I am able to smile.  For real.

Contagious

A smile is so contagious.  When I'm wandering through the mall, I smile at the people I'm passing.  Guess what?  Most of them smile back.  And know what else?  They seem surprised.  At what?  Are we so caught up in being caught up with each other that we have forgotten how to interact in person?  How to connect with one another?  Try it yourself.  Make it a mission to smile and say hello to everyone that you pass.  You may even have a little conversation with someone that is in one of those long Christmas shopping lines.  Have fun with it.  It may even make that long line a little more bearable.  Who knows?  That one act of kindness may change someones perspective today.  Maybe it will ripple through one, ten, a hundred other people...imagine that!

Keep smiling!

Not Perfect - Yup! That's Me!

This seemed like a perfect fit for today!  It is okay to not be perfect.  It's too hard trying to be perfect (which, by the way, is impossible to achieve - and not much fun in it either!)  Just try and enjoy what you have.  Be thankful for friendships, family, quiet time, a hot cup of coffee...whatever you have in your life.  I'm working on that everyday.  I remind myself everyday.  Because when I try to be perfect, guess what?  It doesn't work out so perfectly...just the opposite!

Have a wonderful, not perfect day!

Keep smiling!