Make Me Smile Monday

I'm looking for a line dancing instructor for a kids summer program I'm planning. There's a lady here in town who does this but I haven't been able to track her down. So, after doing a quick google search I dicovered there's a seniors group that meets every Monday morning to line dance. When I made the call I was immediately invited to go this morning and talk to the group myself. :)

So, today J and I went over to one of our town's rec centres to meet the lovely lady D I spoke with on the phone just yesterday. Dancing had already begun and there were a few people standing in the front entrance chatting amongst themselves. They greeted us warmly and asked if we were coming to dance with them. They talked to J and asked for his name and admired his Curious George shirt. D saw us come in from the other side of the room and she came over right away to greet us. She brought me up to the front and passed me the mic so I could make the invitation myself. 

After the invitation went out they went back to dancing. There were probably about 25 people there probably ranging from mid 50's to early 70's. They were dancing, smiling, laughing and full of life. But as I was sitting there watching I was thinking this is what life is all about...connecting with people, embracing the things we love and actually living!

Maybe I'm alone in this, but how incredible is that? And I don't just mean the dancing but the open, warm and all-inclusive way they welcomed us in. Because when I think about it, I'm not sure I would've had gotten the same welcome had the demographic been 20 to 30 years younger. And I can't help but wonder why that is? It was probably the single most inviting place I've ever walked into in my entire life.

I hope that at the end of my life people look back and say that I embraced it. That I didn't shy away from doing the things I loved because of fear or insecurity. I hope people say that I pushed myself beyond my natural comfort zone over and over again until it was miles bigger than it was when I began! I hope that people will say I was warm and inviting, and I always had a smile on my face. As adults, life can be busy and our responsibilities can sometimes distract us from lifes simple pleasures. I don't want to wait until I'm close to retirement to have be seen as a warm, inviting, brave individual. Besides, the danger is great that if I wait until then I might not be able to make the transition.

And for all of you, I hope that you take the time to do the things you enjoy regularly, that you connect with family and friends often and that your beautiful smile and sincere laughter are a part of your everyday life!

Make Me Smile Monday

My little man J turns 4 in just under a week, which is hard to believe. It's funny because he's 1 1/2 years older than S (our firstborn) was when we bought our first house 7 years ago. I remember how big Jason and I felt like she had grown. I can only imagine what it will be like to look back on this stage in another, say, ten years.

The other day when he was playing with his sisters I heard him call "Mother Gothel" (from the movie Tangled) "Mother Gobble", which for some reason I just think is the cutest thing ever. He has a very clear understanding that Mother Gothel is bad and likes to say that "she doesn't know best...she knows worst". (In response to the song Mother Gothel's character sings called "Mother Knows Best".)

He also likes to tell us that "Sidwey Wosby from the Pittsburgh Pengwens" is his favourite. And just recently I noticed that despite the fact he can say Nana and Ba, for some reason he can't seem to tie them together and say Banana. It always comes out Wana or Bawana. :)

I've always enjoyed the cute way my children say things as their learning to talk and marvel at the way their vocabularies clean up and those mispronounced words eventually disappear completely. But this time around there also seems to be this realization that he's my "baby" and once he loses all of his toddler vernacular I won't ever get to experience this with another child again. So I guess you could say I've been feeling a bit nostalgic lately. Feeling overwhelmingly blessed to have three healthy children with healthy speech development (something I never want to take for granted).

Right now the cute way J pronounces things is just that, it's cute. But one day the way he used to pronounce things will be a cherished memory. And if we're fortunate enough we may just just get the chance one day when he's a teenager to share those stories with his friends so he can pretend to be embarassed while secretly loving the attention. ;)

Make Me Smile Monday

Every once in a while I make breakfast for dinner. It's not the healthiest meal, but I make sure to sneak some fresh fruit in there and we don't do it too often. So last night the girls and I made breakfast for dinner together. Home fries, homemade waffles, bacon and fruit salad.

The amazing thing is they didn't just "help", they seriously were helping me cook! I'm sure you know what I mean. The "helping" stage. You do everything (read/measure/pour/stir) and then work at helping them help you. That too is a very fun stage and I really enjoyed it. But I'm also enjoying this new stage.

S made waffles. She mixed up the batter and even learned how to use the waffle iron (with an oven mitt and me standing just a few feet away giving step by step instructions). And R washed all the grapes, strawberries and even peeled and cut the bananas. And then of course gave everything a good stir.

I'm not exactly sure why cooking is so much more enjoyable when they're helping. But it really is. I don't mind cooking, and I enjoy the pay off of putting time into making a good meal, but I don't usually find it fun. But with my two little helpers I seriously love cooking! We talk and laugh all the while I'm gradually introducing them to cooking skills. I also find they have a bit of an air about them. An "I am so grown up and I am cooking with mommy" kind of air. It's really sweet.

I didn't think to take any pictures of the girl’s handy work but I'm sure that over the years cooking together will be an opportunity for many great conversations, much laughter and the building of many warm, fuzzy memories!