So Much Love!

Every morning as I'm getting Captain ready for school, i can't help but look forward to the love his friends and teachers give me when i get there and especially as I'm leaving.

This morning i wanted to blog about something else, but here I am blogging about "all the love" i get every morning. There are times when I'm not in the best mood. Probably because Captain gave me a hard time to brush his teeth and wash his face. Maybe he took forever to eat his breakfast...or he just simply did not go to bed early enough which causes him to be in a very bad mood :-((  he may lay down between 8 and 8:30pm but won't shut his eyes until 11:30pm...yeahhhh crazy right?
But as soon as we get to his school i feel 100 times better.

First when they see Captain, they all run to the door or fence (if their out in the playground) and they literally argue and fuss to hug him first. They are all saying his name at the same time and if he is not in a good mood they give him even more love. It is very clear that Captain is "loved" at school. He sometimes just stands there but most of the time he hugs them back and is giggling. He feels good.

That makes my day. Then there is ME, as I'm leaving and saying bye to everyone, they all come and hug me and tell me they love me. The teachers say they don't do it with any other parent. Goshhh that makes me feel like a beautiful flower. His best friend "Yosa" always tells me, "Captains mom, i love you so much...with all my heart." Oh! You have no idea what that does to me. To be loved by innocent children is the best feeling in the world. I would not trade it for all the money out there.

I know all their names and when i say bye i make it personal. I take the time to hang with them every time i drop off Captain. Even if it is just 3 minutes (usually longer) i never leave in a rush. When i do leave, they all stand at the door or fence saying bye. I must admit, there has been a few times where i get into my car with tears in my eyes. It just amazes me how children can be SO LOVING to one another.

It is the most beautiful thing ever!

My Life Revolves Around Them!

I realized this weekend more than ever that i have nothing to complain about. Truly.

I have three beautiful boys that adore me and depend on me just as much as i depend on them. Keeno is my first love. Captain is the love of my life. Kirk (my foster son) completed our life. They are amazing boys and would do anything they could for me. As i would for them.

My weekend was beautiful. Thursday; Captain helped me cook Ackee & Saltfish with whole wheat boiled dumplings (i only ate one) He loves making dumplings and he is so good at it lol.

Our summer has been awesome. Friday- Captain and i went to the barbers before we went and spent a couple hours together. He needed a hair cut badly (lol). We went and had ice cream at our "private spot" while we waited for his barber to have an opening. Yeah, we ended up waiting 2 hours. But we enjoyed that time together. We went browsing downtown Brampton. They have a new spot there by the old theatre and even a Starbucks. Impressive. We had ice cream and after his hair cut we went walking by the Petting Zoo and then off to his dads.

I have been back in the gym and feeling AWESOME! I headed to my brothers gym "Extreme Fitness" and had an amazing workout. He is a personal trainer so i promised i would go see him every Friday. I'm glad i went. After that i met with my gurl Nicky for sushi. We had a great time. I stayed at her house for the night so that we could wake up and go to "boot camp" ohhhhh my gosh when i woke up, i could barely move. I thought i would not make it to the boot camp. But I'm glad i did :-))))

Saturday was a great day.

I was suppose to go to a kids bday party but i did not have Captain and did not want to go without him. So Keeno decided to take me out. We headed to Earles (his workplace) and met with Kirk and had a yummy dinner. We laughed and conversed about school etc.

After that Kirk had to work so Keeno and i headed to the theatres where we watched a VERY scary movie. I did NOT like it. At all. I can't even remember the name. But it  was so gross. It was the one where the group of young people all ended up dying because of.......you know it was awful. Don't even want to talk about it.

Keeno was laughing the whole time while i covered my eyes. I think I'm still dramatized (LOL). When we left the theatre it was pooring rain and we parked pretty far but my Keeno put his sweater over my head because my hair was semi blowed dried straight and we walked back to our car. It was a moment for me.

Sunday was a FAB day. Captain and i went to the CNE.

We had a blast. I mean a blast. We played games, went on rides, watched the magic show, went to the farm and we ate all the food we wanted. I was careful. My cheat treat was ice cream. Well $150 later we went for a walk by the beaches and than home.

I was present with my boys all weekend. With nothing on my mind but them. I saw a mother hit her son because he ACCIDENTALLY spilt his juice. Why do parents do that? It's an accident. It is not like the child said "ok i want to spill my juice" it's just crazy. We need to be patient with our children. Listen to them and speak to them the way we want them to speak to us. It's only fare! RIGHT???

Well, i must admit; i have had the best summer ever. It's all about my familia and kids this summer. I have never really taken a summer off just for them. I'm so glad i did this and i will continue to do it every summer. Put all "business" things on hold for my familia. Why work so hard and not play hard? I do not want to live to work. I want to work to LIVE!

Couple more weeks until my mom's birthday gathering at my sis Sue's house. We are all so excited.

Only a bit of summer left. Enjoy these days the best you could. Relax. Have some fun. Take your kids out. Play in the park with them. Swim with them. Go for walks. Take your time and look at the beautiful things God has created. Trees and clouds. Go apple picking (Captain loves it).

Life is so short. It really is. Don't let this time run out on you.

I Feel So Inspired!

I had such an amazing day yesterday. The entire day was so inspiring. After my hot yoga i went home and did some writing, reading and relaxed. I decided to call my friend Ernie to chat and we ended up conversing for about an hour. We laughed, i cried.....as always lol....but the most amazing thing is that she totally inspired me. She told me about this big white board that she wakes up and sees every morning on her wall in her bedroom. It was given to her by a friend she works for.

"Liz, go and buy one...write down all your dreams, goals and things you think about or daydream about....as you accomplish one, rub it off and add another. You will always want more as you accomplish more. Don't limit yourself. You won't be given another chance again. This is the only life we have," she said.

Her words stuck with me the entire day. We continued our conversation and spoke about things we are working on and where we see ourselves in 5 years. It was such an amazing chat. After i got off the phone with her i went to Wal-Mart and bought the big white board with the rub off markers in four colours. As i was in the line up, i noticed Oprah's Magazine that i use to buy on a monthly basis but i have not bought one in about 3 months. This month's issue is about "reorganizing your life." I feel like i have hit the road block in my life (it happens every 5 or 6 months or so) and decided to pick it up. I spent 2 hours last night after putting Captain down, reading the magazine.

When i got home, i made dinner for me and the boys. Ohhhhh it was a quick dinner but it was sooooo yummy. Captain's favourite actually, baked barbeque chicken and mash potatoes with broccili :-)))))

Afterwards, while Captain watched a movie after his dinner and shower, i filled my board up with all the things i have either stopped doing ( i tend to stop half way a lot) or things i would like to do, things that inspire me, plans and goals etc. I felt so amazing afterwards. I can't describe it to you. I was sitting on my floor in my bedroom with papers, books and pictures of all the things that make me happy and i started from there. It was one of the best feelings i have had in a long time. Just me and my board.

I encourage you all to get yourself a board and start a project.
When i woke up this morning, it was the first thing i saw on my wall at my bed head. What a beautiful sight!

I Feel Amazing-Sometimes!

Everyday is a beautiful day. Why? Because we are able to wake up! Every night before i lay my head to sleep, i thank God for the day and ask Him to keep me through the night "safely." Than i pray over my kids. When i wake up, i thank Him again...and ask Him to keep my kids and i throughout the day.

It is such a challenge to become what YOU want to become and not be what the world around you wants to be. Or what you think "they" want you to be. I struggle with believing that "I'm good enough" for ME! Much less for the world. I don't want to feel this way. Landmark Education helped me with this feeling but i think it's time for another Landmark course.

After dropping off Captain at school this morning, i drove one minute to Moksha Yoga. It's been a few weeks since i went and i miss it sooooo much. I did a 70 minute class and let me tall y'all, I FEEL AMAZING! I mean, i really do. I sweat like crazy, stretched my body in places that i have not stretched in weeks and i practised my breathing skills.
Did you know that your mental state is all in your breathing? Try it. Sit there right now and take 2 minutes to breath from your belly and than breath out. But the key is, think of NOTHING but your breathing. To start, you can close your eyes. It's magical...............okay keep going..................................SEE! when and if you are stressed or angry (any negative emotion) take 2 minutes to breath in and out and think of your breathing....

I have fallen off the gym and my physical activity a bit ( i do this from time to time in the summer). But when my brother Soni came over this weekend, we made a plan that he was going to train me for free (of course) once and maybe twice a week (depending on my schedule) He is a personal trainer at Extreme Fitness downtown so i figure i would drive down and get trained for free by my brother who is like the BEST trainer. We also agreed we would write up a daily plan for my "food intake" since i don't eat often enough throughout the day.

We all know what to do to feel good about ourselves. But, why don't we do it? Like seriously WHY?
It is so much harder to NOT take care of ourselves, yet we continue to do it. I'm done with that. It's time to stay steady!!!! I'm going to drink 2 to 3 litres of water again. Eat breakfast EVERY morning. Three meals a day. Do at least an hour of workout or some form of physical activity a day. Read every night. Write at least 20 minutes a day (in my book) and speak to God everyday despite how tired or "busy" i may be.

That is my plan to feel amazing again!

Bonding Time!

This pic was taken at 8am Friday morning.....

This morning i was up nice and early for my sister who was coming over for about
7am...we had a clients house to clean and organize. This is a regular client who lives on 18 acres of land and i DEF know she is living OK!

Well we spent the entire day there cleaning and bonding. The most amazing thing about owning this company with my sister is that we get to see one another A LOT! We love it. We laughed soooo much today and it was so therapeutic. I mean, my sister has the ability to just crack me up and i would say there is about 2 other people that can do that, Tamara and Natalia! Just naturally crack me up. Most of us have friends who give us different things...well my sister makes my day but keeping a smile on my face.

After work, we went and grabbed Captain and brought him out to eat. When Captain sees "Dinga" which is what he calls my sister...(short form for godmother. She is also his godmother) he goes bonkers. He woke up so fast this morning when he heard her voice (so did i) and he was UPPP!!! (lol) The whole ride to school for him was a "treat" and she even got him a treat....On the way back home when we picked him up, they acted as if i was not in the car AT ALL. It was the two of them in their own little world. It soothes my heart when i watch them together, because i know (God FORBID) if something was to happen to me, she would take such good care of him. She speaks the way i do. She kisses him the way i do. She squeezes him the way i do. She laughs and plays the same silly little games as i do...when he looks at her, he sees me. I know this.

When we got home, she was suppose to drive back to her family, but instead she came in and did his puzzle with him two times...just like she told him she would this morning. She kept her word.

I'm telling you, all kids are smarter than we think. They don't forget a thing. Whatever you say to them today, will not be forgotten tomorrow.

Today is sunday morning and my familia is coming over for a barbeque. I'm so excited to see them. It's like an every Sunday thing now. Thank you Lord for the miracle you have created......i could never describe how this makes me feel. For those of you who don't know, look out for my book "If You Played In My Playground" coming out shortly. There, you will understand what we have been through :-))))

GOD IS SOOOO GOOD!!!!!!

Ride' Em Babaaayyyy!

What a day!

Since last year, Captain and i have been enjoying some horse back riding. He loves it and i love the look of his face when he is riding. It's amazing because when i was younger, i loved horse riding.

When he knows we are going on the horses, he gets so excited. My little Captain.
He has two favourite horses at the ranch. There is "Peanut and Gyptian" I have attached two pictures of them.

I don't know what i would be doing or where i would be without Captain. He brings such joy to my life. My heart is filled with so much love when i look at him. He is amazing.
Keeno said to me the other day, "Mom Captain completed our life."

If there is two things i know FOR SURE without a doubt.....is i have been blessed with two of the most beautiful gifts in the world, MY SONS! They have saved my life, blessed my life and brought great joy to my life.....my brother John told me that i was "BORN TO BE A MOTHER."
I believe him :-)

What "INSIDE" Your Purse Says About you!

Above is a picture of everything that was in my bag.

So there is, my notebook/planner, a few pens, my wallet, my business card holder, a lolly pop, hand cream, lip gloss, cuticle oil, my deva postcards, and a couple GUESS booklets.

As you and i both know, there are many women who carry bags or purses that NEED to be cleaned out. There is no going around that (lol)

I'm so observant and everywhere i go, i look at women's hand bags. Be it at a doctor's office, the mall or just walking around somewhere....Immediately i judge. I know i shouldn't but i can't help myself. I really can't. There are the ones that make me wanna go over and say "I'm an organizer and i can help you get your life...i mean purse together" and then there are the others that make me wanna run!!!! lol

What is suppose to be in your purse?
Okay, i don't mean the baby bag purse, i mean the one that contains your wallet etc.

I'm not going to tell what is "SUPPOSE" to be in there, instead i have attached a picture of what is in mine. Your necessities. That's it. If i were to get stuck somewhere, i think i would be ok.
Remember when your parents use to tell you to "wear clean underwear when you leave the house just in case something happens to you (as if we had on dirty ones lol) Well we need to apply that rule to our bag! Seriously!

Take a look at what is in your bag. Receipts, loose papers, jewelery, napkins, garbage, loose change etc GET RID OF IT ALL!

What Is On Your Wall?

The strangest thing happened this week.....I have always been curious about people's walls in their houses and what type of pictures they have. Is it art? Pictures of their families? Kids? Friends? Or maybe nothing at all.

I believe that you can truly tell what matters to someone by looking at their pictures they have up. Now I'm not talking about Facebook "Wall" or anything of that matter...I'm talking your HOME! Growing up, my parents had so many pictures of us all over the house. Some were even blown up real big! In my house now, i only have family pictures and a very few friends (not many) My sister's house is covered in family pictures. I mean, on the fridge, walls, rooms, and probably in the bathroom (lol) I have a couple other friends that don't have any pictures of family up but they have tons of friends pictures. Hhhmmm kind of reminds me of when i was a young girl growing up on my own. No family pics just a bunch of friends. Why is that? Well you do the math. There is nothing wrong with art pictures. I have lot's of that too. But there is something about a home filled with family photos.

Today i challenge you to redecorate your walls at home. Take a good look at the pictures that are in there. Or maybe you don't have any up...well take a trip over to Wal Mart and develop some. The frames there are sooo cheap. Like between $5-$15

Surround your home with LOVE. You will amaze yourself by the feeling you get when you walk in or look at the walls. It's a beautiful feeling. Even make a collage, i have a big one at the top of my stairs. It's all people i adore (mostly family)

Go ahead, start today!

My Bday Weekend- I turned 26 :-)))

I don't think I'm over my bday weekend yet. I mean i have been totally chilling since Sunday (my actual bday) but i can't stop thinking about it all. It was one of the best birthdays i have ever had.

Thursday, Captain had such an amazing soccer game. He played so well. He said it was for my bday
:-))) After that, we went to watch Zoo Keeper (since he went to the zoo with Keeno, my brother and his fiance and cousin Sophia)

Then, my Friday started off with my girlfriend Jo. Her and i went to drop off Captain with daddy and then went down to meet my friend Nicky at Thompson Hotel which by the way was stunning. She was there with her man from the states and family. She rented a room  there and had a RSVP for the rooftop patio which sat on the roof overlooking the beautiful city. What a sight. We hung out there for a few hours and had a couple drinks. It was amazing. Then my sister and her husband came down to the city to celebrate their friends dad's bday, so it was great. We went to meet them downstairs literally a 2 minute walk from the place we were at and we ate and chatted some more. It was such an amazing vibe and the weather was beautiful.

The next day, i made plans to get Captain in the evening so that he could spend the day with me and my family....but i grabbed my book (chapters) and pen and headed down by the water. Although it was the Caribbean festival (did i spell it right) i figured "why not" It was a great way to have some "me time" for my birthday.

Let me tell you how i got stuck in the traffic for about an hour and that alone gave me a headache. But i didn't allow it to ruin my plan. So i parked my car and walked one hour to the water, found a spot and began my writing. It was amazing. I have really got to do that more often. Then i got hungry so i walked towards the parade (about another hour) and grabbed some yummy oxtail with a coconut water....found another spot and ate my food and fell asleep for about 20 minutes on my towel. It felt amazing. After an hour or so, i went to get my captain at the basketball court with daddy. We went for ice cream and called it a day.

The next day my family came over and this was the highlight of my bday weekend. My brothers, nephew and niece, parents, sister and brother in law...Vanessa (keeno's girlfriend) and Kirk were all over having so much fun. We laughed, we cried (happy tears) we played and we were in no rush for the day to end.

My sister got the most beautiful cake made for me with a picture of us as kids on it. Captain and i made a wish and blew our candles together.  I cried when i saw it. Then she wrote me a letter that i had to read out loud and again i cried (lol)

My family ended up sleeping over. My big brother John went home because he said it was too hot and he need the AC (my AC was on lol) He loves it FREEZING! He had to crack a joke and lay on top of the AC vents before he left.....lol

I'm telling y'all there is nothing that feels as good as the love of family. Nothing. I have been there, done that and nothing can ever compare to that love. If i have nothing but i have my family, i have everything!!!
Growing up, i did not appreciate them.

We fought so much. But, we did not know any better. We were all too busy with "friends" and neglected one another so much. I mean it's in the past, but if you are a young woman or man reading this, DON'T make that mistake because i promise you, you WILL get to my age 36 :-))  and totally regret it. Hang onto your brothers, sisters and parents with all your love and heart...tell them you love them each moment you can....EMBRACE them. Be present. FORGIVE!

I love you all!