Smoocheroo, I Love You!

It's our "thing"... it's what we do, it's what we say... "Smoocheroo, I Love You!" First thing in the morning we say it, when they get on and off the school bus or when I leave for work we say it. It's our thing. I just said it one day when Carter was really really little, and it has stuck ever since. If I'm in a hurry and try to just yell it up the stairs to the boys before leaving the house, they freak out and come running because they tell me you can't just say Smoocheroo, I Love You, you have to DO Smoocheroos too, and thats where I get my little boy kisses that I love so much.

I've often thought about what things will look like when my boys grow up and wish I could just freeze time right now for a little while longer. I know they won't stay little for long and so I really, really enjoy my kids. Some people aren't fortunate to realize this until it's too late and they miss out. I find comfort in knowing I'll have no regrets there. I do worry that once the kids grow and have their own lives, schedules and even families that what I have now will be gone. Will they want to come running to me to tell me about their day? Will they have a big smoocheroo for me in return when I kiss them as adults? Who really knows, but I have hope because of what I heard someone say the other day.

He is a grown 25 year old guy who was giving me a run down of what he figured his Friday night was going to look like. He had a blind date but said he hadn't seen his Mom in days because they had both been so busy and told me very casually he just wanted to run home first to kiss her and check in on her before heading out.... From a Mom perspective, those words make a mommy melt!! MELT! OMG! It can happen! They can grow up and still love their mommies like little boys are supposed to! Obviously his Mom did her job well and I'm hoping my boys feel I am too. I won't expect them to say "Smoocheroo, I Love You" at that age but if I can get the love, respect and acknowledgement his Mom gets from him.... I'll know I raised them right!

“Beauty is...elusive and eternal. It is many things: strength, confidence, passion, grace—a sense of style, a turn of head, a state of mind.”
— Rona Berg

via oprah.com

A life without cause is a life without effect. via Twitter @greensisters @paulocoelho #quote

This is so true... so very true!

When your thoughts are completely filled with positive purpose, there is no room for fear. ( via twitter @luvnnature )

Inner Peace

I had a conversation with friends on the weekend on Inner Peace. Clearly they haven't spent nearly enough time contemplating what that might mean to them as there were a few jokes made about it and of course "Jenn thinks too much" blah blah blah.

I believe Inner Peace means something different to everyone. For me, it's all about balance, boundries, fulfillment and gratitude amongst other things. It's an experience of knowing oneself and it can only come from within. Filling your mind with positive thoughts, living with simplicity & gratitude and being aware of how you and your actions impact this world, can all contribute to creating this state of consciousness..... in my opinion anyways.

My beautiful friend Susie, sent me this email today....

INNER PEACE

I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me today, and we
all could probably use more calm in our lives! Some doctor on the TV this
morning said that the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you
have started. So I looked around my house to see things I'd started and hadn't
finished and, before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of
Merlot, a bottle of shhhardonay, a bodle of Baileys, abutle of vocka, a pockage
of Pringlies, the res of the Chesescke a n a box a chocolets. Yu haf no idr ow
frigin gud I fel. Peas sen dis orn to anyy yu fee ar in ned ov inr pece.

So, she passed it onto me. Nice. I have wonderful friends. Hilarious, they are.... spiritual they are not.

X-Ray In Two Languages

Carter, who has begun learning cursive writing at school, was showing Callum how he can print and write. He wrote the word x-ray twice, printing it once then handwritten the second time. He then proudly said "See Callum, I can write x-ray in two different languages."

Where Have All The Flowers Gone?

Some might call them weeds. Not I. These yellow beauties that pop up all over my grass during the summer are sometimes the highlight of my day.

When I send my boys out to play, they pick them for me. They come running into the house with big bright smiles on their adorable little faces saying, "Mom! Mom! These are for you!!" They are full of pride when they hand them over and it makes me happy to know they are learning how wonderful it feels to give. I even have a special Dandelion vase that magnets to the fridge where I can keep them in water. (Yes, I keep my "weeds" in water.)

I do love Fall but now that Summer has come to an end, the Dandelions gifts from my kids are few and far between. I am treasuring every last one I get these days.

Ellen Rapping

I had this sent to me in an email today.... I like it. BITCHOLOGY When I stand up for Myself and my beliefs, They call me a Bitch. When I stand up for Those I love, They call me a Bitch. When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts Or do things my own way, they call me a Bitch. Being a bitch Means I won't Compromise what's In my heart. It means I live my life MY way. It means I won't allow anyone to step on me. When I refuse to Tolerate injustice and Speak against it, I am Defined as a bitch. The same thing happens when I take time for myself instead of being everyone's maid, or when I act a little selfish. It means I have the courage and strength to allow myself to be who I truly am and won't become anyone else's idea of what they think I 'should' be... I am outspoken, opinionated and determined. I want what I want and there is nothing wrong with that! So try to stomp on me, just try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me. You won't succeed. And if that makes me a bitch, so be it. I embrace the title and am proud to bear it. B - Babe I - In T - Total C - Control of H - Herself B = Beautiful I = Intelligent T = Talented C = Charming H = Hell of a Woman B = Beautiful I = Individual T = That C = Can H = Handle 'anything'