Smiles

Yesterday had its ups and downs, as most days do, but for some reason I was very aware of the things that made me smile. And there were lots. I thought I'd share some of them.

1)  As I was driving, trying to find the KW Mompreneurs tradeshow in Breslau (It took me a half hour! In Breslau! Seriously poor signage and directions.. but anyway.. onto the smile...) my search took me through a new development. The first time I drove by there was a man carrying a little girl who looked to be about 4 or 5, and who I assume was his daughter. They were walking out of the house through a space that will become their front door. I smiled a little smile. :)

I drove back the other way (did I mention a half hour in Breslau?!...) and this time he was standing there on the front "lawn" (ok.. dirt pile), daughter snuggly on hip, pointing at this house and talking to his little girl. I imagine he was painting a picture of where her room will be or maybe they were imaging some of the good times they would have in their new home. They were staring at a shell of wood and holes where doors and windows will one day be, but you could just feel the dreams of these two as they stood there. Such an awesome moment to witness. :)

2)  Sharon and Racheal's posts. They both blogged about a mom's worth, or really, how we as mom's see our worth. They are both wonderful wordsmiths and their posts usually make me smile - or cry... actually, usually both. Racheal's post had actually inspired Sharon's post. Oh, and these two women are absolutely amazing people, too. I've had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with the both of them on a few occasions. Always a good time. :)

3)  Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was gorgeous. Sunny. Warm. Not too humid. There was one, brief thunderstorm, but the rest of the day was a great, outdoor day. Jean-Paul and I sat on our chairs while Alexandria and Zachary had an absolute blast in the kiddie pool in the backyard. They wrestled together for a really long time! The pure bliss on their faces while they were in there together was another big smile moment for me. :)

4)  When Zachary woke this morning, he toddled into our room and snuggled into bed with us for about a half hour before he got too restless and got up. I love those mornings. :)

5)  When Alexandria finally woke up (she had a nice sleep-in) she came out in her morning fogginess and crawled up on the couch with me, snuggled right in and said, "I love you, Mommy" in that quiet, morning voice. So sweet. :)

6)  When I finally got the KW Mompreneurs show, I walked around the booths and chatted with some of the vendors. A couple of them were just starting out on Twitter and I shared with them my one, big tip for new businesses on there. I love helping out. :)

7)  Our dinner last night was fun. We made build-your-own mini pizzas using D'Italiano Thintini buns - they make a GREAT pizza crust - and every single one of us cleared our plates completely. That's very rare. (Zach still took FOREVER, but he ate it all.)  :)

8)  This video makes me smile a big smile every time. Also makes me tear up a bit, but always with a big smile. I still love flash mobs, and this one takes place at the Toronto Eaton Centre. It's the "I Believe She's Amazing" flash mob and the message behind it is just as awesome. Take a look at the video. My absolute favourite part, hands down, is the mom in the crowd bouncing with her clapping little girl (just after the 2:30 mark until about 2:46.) Awesome. :)

9)  And finally... We caught up on some Glee last night. I love this show. This episode was made for me! In this episode, Joss Whedon directs. Cool! Idina Menzel makes another appearance - and sings 'I Dreamed a Dream' with Lea Michele. Fantastic! (As soon as I saw Lea in episode one, I said they should cast Idina as her mom.) Dream a Little Dream was performed, as was Safety Dance (two other songs I love.) Yay! Dream On by Aerosmith was one the songs. Love it! ... Oh, and Neil Patrick Harris guest stars. Awesome! The duet with Matthew Morrison and NPH (performing Dream On) was fant-freakin-tastic! :)

10)  Almost forgot... Hey, Soul Sister by Train was the last song that played on the radio as I pulled onto my street yesterday on my way home. Talk about a smile-inducing song. :)

So, that was yesterday. Those are the moments I am especially grateful for. That's what life is really about, isn't it? It's not the car sitting in the driveway, or freaking out about how much money is sitting (or not sitting) in the bank, or letting that half hour I wasted searching for a tradeshow ruin my day, or having the most stuff of all our friends and neighbours. Life is about people and the moments you share with them. It's about being aware of those smiles and riding that awesome feeling that comes with really being in tune with those moments.

What were your big smile moments?