What are you? A 2-year-old?!

I guess it takes becoming a parent to truly rekindle that sense of amazement over the small and silly stuff. For example, when you first glance at the adjacent photo, do you wonder why the author of this blog would bother uploading a photo of murky dishwater? Why even take a picture of such a mundane subject in the first place?! Truth be told, it isn’t every day that you find a bear paw print in your kitchen sink! (At this point, you either look more closely and exclaim, ‘oh yeah!’ or roll your eyes and stop reading.)

But seriously… Not to imply that one needs to have kids to relive those early years of simple and literal observations. It’s just that young kids in the house better enable the ‘inner child’ within to come out of hibernation, stay and play a while. Guilty as charged… My wife and I watch cartoons and kids’ programs more frequently now that our daughter has discovered the invention of the television. Of course, we need to supervise her! Then there’s Harrison Park, which stands as one of our favourite local outings. These days, we look forward to feeding the ducks and wandering around the playgrounds almost as much as she does. Just wait until she’s ready for school. It’s been a long time since I’ve engaged in arts and crafts, not to mention fundraising bake sales!

Many of us look for ways to get back in touch with who we were once upon a long ago. Funny how in the midst of tedious adult responsibility, that reality hit me in a lukewarm mess of soapsuds! Caught yourself recently playing with a farm animal play set for toddlers 3 and up or enjoying a colourful pop-up book on potty training? I’d be anxious to hear other parents dare to tell their own occasional encounters with their ‘inner kid’.

Is 2011 the year to be #1???

From the 'this is simply strange' file...

This year we will experience 4 unusual dates:

1/1/11
1/11/11
11/1/11
11/11/11

Now go figure this out... Take the last two digits of the year you were born plus the age you will be this year. Add them up and it will equal 111!

Attack Take Stand on Bullying

They may be a menace on the ice, but when it comes to safety and fairness in our schools, they won't stand for rough play.

A race for a Midwest division title has not stopped the Owen Sound Attack in their race to end bullying in Grey-Bruce schools. Bullying has become a hot button topic in area schools the past few years and the Attack are there to lend a hand to area teachers to try and shut-out bullying.

The team has paid a visit to eleven schools so far this season, stretching as far out as Ripley and Mildmay-Carrick. With a little more than two months left in the season, the Attack still have 13 schools on the list. This is the third season the Attack players have visited the schools with their message, and each year the list of schools requesting visits increases.

Check out the rest of the Attack's home games this season by visiting our events page here.

Childhood Heaven In A Mug

If something good can be said for the chill of winter, it’s the chance to warm up afterwards with a cup of hot chocolate. Recently while thawing out, I thought I’d put a little more work into my chocolatey creation just for old time’s sake. Instead of boiling the kettle and digging out a pre-made packet, I heated up some milk on the stove for a good old-fashioned cup of Cocoa. The nostalgia was worth every drop. And Fry’s is still the unbeatable brand.

Try the following and I promise there’s no going back…

Blend 1 tbsp. Cocoa, 1 tbsp. cold milk & 1 tbsp. white sugar (or 2 if your sweet tooth insists) in a mug. Add 1 cup of hot milk (water… NEVER!!). Stir, and if you really want to top it off with perfection, add marshmallows and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Good enough to drink with a spoon like a decadent dessert!

Resolutions

As we enter 2011, I brace myself as usual for a fresh start. This time around, I’m slightly altering the terminology when it comes to my ‘to do’ list. Instead of calling them ‘New Year’s resolutions’, I’m opting for the broader sounding ‘2011 resolutions’ in an effort to condition my thinking to a more long-term approach to change. Sure, it may sound like an unnecessary and trivial word adjustment. But I’ve come to realize that the mind (or mine at least) has a knack for building beliefs, habits and justifications around simple word meanings. I just wouldn’t want to trick myself into thinking that resolutions could only happen at the beginning of the year.

So just what are my areas of focus from now until December 31st? For a change, I’m actually keeping the thoughts simpler but the actions more demanding. There is a great little book by Richard Carlson called, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and it’s all small stuff” that I am attempting to incorporate into daily living. Carlson does a brief write-up on 100 different techniques that one can use to keep molehills from becoming mountains. The chapter names pretty much spell out the message… Make Peace with Imperfection; Be Aware of the Snowball Effect of Your Thinking; Remind Yourself that When You Die, Your “In Basket” Won’t Be Empty; Learn to Live in the Present Moment; Create “Patience Practice Periods”; Smile at Strangers, Look into Their Eyes, and Say Hello; Become a Less Aggressive Driver; and so on and so forth.

Having a different thought or suggested action item to focus on each day is a good way to get the ball rolling. I hope you are rejuvenated and ready for a fresh start in 2011 also.

Happy New Year!!