Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

What Fills You Up?

By

The strangest, most unexpected, most satisfying thing happened a few nights ago.

While folding laundry, I heard my little guy holler from the staircase. Since I regularly have visions of the boys tumbling down the steps, I hollered right back, “Get off the stairs! Either up or down, make a decision!”

“But Mommy”, he complained. “I want you to come here.”

Since every battle with a 3-year old has to be carefully considered, I decided to go see what he wanted. I found him on the landing of our staircase, ready for bed in his pajamas. He looked up at me, eyes alive with excitement.

“I want you to take pictures of me,” he said. “I want to model for you.”

At first, I was taken aback. Reid is the worst person to take pictures of – yep, he’s one of those kids who never looks at the camera. So the fact that he willingly asked to be photographed was a surprise in itself. Second, I have no idea where he learned the word “model”. We’ve never mentioned it, and I questioned if he even knew what modelling meant. Still, I decided to play along, and grabbed my iPhone from my dresser.

“Okay,” I allowed. “What should I do?” I asked.
“Just take a picture when I say so,” my wise-beyond-years little guy responded.

And then, he struck a pose. 

Our resident Baryshnikov gave me his best Travolta-esque stance. And just like that, he grew years in my eyes; I no longer saw him as my little baby. He became my little boy. And although the lighting was poor, the flash caused owl eyes and he was decked out in his old pajamas, this instantly became one of my favourite photos of Reid ever.

In this moment, I was fulfilled.

What fills you up? Satisfaction goes beyond just eating food; it’s about being fulfilled, feeling energized and, for 63 per cent of Canadian women, spending quality time with family. (Interestingly, men do not place as much emphasis on family, with only 48 per cent saying that time with their loved ones is what fills them up – a 15 per cent difference.)

Kellogg’s Special K Protein Cereal took to the streets and asked, “What fills you up?”

According to the Special K Protein What Fills You Up Survey, recently conducted by Angus Reid Forum, a remarkable 94 per cent of women know that eating protein in the morning will help satisfy their hunger. However, nearly one in three admit their breakfast doesn’t provide them with enough of this essential nutrient. To provide Canadian women with a protein punch, Kellogg’s has introduced NEW Special K Protein Cereal with 10 grams of protein and nine grams of fibre to help satisfy hunger and keep Canadians filled up.

Okay, so a photo of my budding disco king brings me satisfaction. Tell me… what fills you up? 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Love the picture of your little guy….such a cutie. I would have to say my family fills me up (right down to our 4 furbabies). They make me happy and content!

    • Thank you Judy :) And I can’t believe you have 4 furbabies – that’s a lot of fulfillment right there!

      • It is and they keep me very busy but wouldn’t have it any other way! They are a big part of our family!

  3. Reid looks adorable!

    I am so blessed that I have a hard time picking just one thing that fills me up. For me, it’s:
    1. colouring with my girls on our window seat when the sun is shining in.
    2. date nights with hubby (so so rare but oh so great)
    3. getting mani’s and pedi’s with my mom and sisters (again, way too rare)
    4. parking my butt on the couch while hubby and i catch up on episodes of Homeland

  4. my two beautiful girls spending time with their mommy, fills my heart till it overflows.

  5. 1. Variety of food!
    2. Spending time with good company
    3. 80s music
    4. Orange juice, soy milk, water. ;)

    You’re the best Reid! Have you been watching Zoolander lately…

  7. Good music and spending time with the family definitely fills me up! P.S. Haha, “Second, I have no idea where he learned the word “model””.

  8. Spending time with my grandchildren fills me up. They bring so much joy and laughter into my life.

  9. It’s different things at different times. It’s not always the same. the latest was getting an unexpected hug and they didn’t want anything.

  10. Love that photo ! The thing that fills me up most is going over to visit my grandchildren and having them all come running to the door saying “Nana ! Nana ! Nana !”. Even the 4 month old looks around for me now when he hears my voice and the others calling my “name” LOL

  11. That sounds like a beautiful interaction. He’s quite the cutie! I would say making a great meal and sharing it with loved ones fills me up.

  12. I was thrilled to have a Girl’s Only” weekend with my daughter, who lives in a different city than I do. It was mom and daughter dinner – a new vegetarian recipe, movies, jigsaw puzzle, laughter, late night talks and constant hugs. That made me full to bursting!

  13. aww your little man is going to be a huge heartbreaker one day! My family fills me up! In every sense, mentally, physically… they wipe me out, emotionally them girls drain me lol.

  18. watching my teenage boys take the time out of their busy worlds to sit down and play with their 8 month old little sister

  19. I homeschool my girls and it fills me up when they learn something new, perhaps something they were struggling to understand, and when they finally figure it out or complete the task they are super proud of themselves and full of smiles. “Look mom! I did it!” “Look mom, I can read it!” “Look mom! I figured it out!” Love those moments.

  21. i was so proud when i see my girls in first grade loving to learn and be really good :) Proud mom

  22. When my 14 year old son walks up to me a gives me a hug for no reason and says “i love you, mommy”. I’ve heard teenage boys go into a non-communicative grunting phase. So far, I haven’t seen it. I will take hugs and an “i love you” any day!

  23. Getting out with my hubby and two kiddos. Could be a walk, the park, going to a restaurant. Or, just the four of us hanging out on the weekends together.

  27. Spending time with family, friends and pets fills me full of love, because they are the people and things that I love and I know that they love me. There is nothing more that fills you with love then known that you are loved

  28. spending time with my family. my as my two girls live away from home to attend college and my husband works in Alberta

  29. Spending time with my 3.5yo daughter :) She is my wholr world. I love her to peices, she is my.miracle baby !!! She fills me up and keepa me going with her presents ;) My childcare kids alot fulfill alot of excited and joy in my life xx
    We eat special k every mrning. My daughter just lovesss the new protein granola special k which is perfect :)
    Thanks Lena, your son is adorable!!

  31. spending time with my 3 girls is what fills me up , I dont get the chance so much now that they are grown .one lives on the west coast and im on the east coast and one lives in ireland so just one close at all times.

  32. lots of different foods, breads, veggies, fruits, meats, sometimes cookies lol and of course the joy I get from my 5 sons :)

  34. Being with my kids fills me up! AT times they bring so much frustration, but they also bring so much laughter!

  44. Watching my two children finding their way in the world and in their chosen post secondary education success fills me with pride.

  45. The laughter of my four children definitely fills me up! There is nothing more satisfying than seeing joy and happiness on their faces!

  48. My teens fill me up completely! Love them dearly. And of course protein early in the morning also does the trick.

  49. What a pose!! I feel filled up when I see my children use their learning in action. It shows me that they’re really soaking up things even that I don’t notice every day.

  50. Spending time with my teenage twin boys, when ever I can. At 18 they are not home much so enjoy every moment

  51. My family fills me up and I don’t mean husband and kids, as they do help, but I mean my whole family. Mother, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, I love them all and miss them every day now that I live across the country from them.

  57. nothing beats breakfast food – my hubby’s banana cinnamon oatmeal (recipe found on the oatmeal artist’s website – & it is insanely addictive) with some turmeric tea, a bowl of fruit is what I’ve been craving all the time lately

  58. If we are talking food, love a good breakfast. Heart wise, have to say having a hug from my kids fills me up on happiness for the day

  59. Your boy is so cute! The post cracked me up. My two gorgeous boys fill me up…dunno what I’d do without them!

  62. my daughter, hands down, she is absolutely everything i strive to be, caring, funny, compassionate, she’s amazing.

  64. Being with my newborn grand-daughter fills me up, as does watching my daughter, interacting with her daughter.

  68. I would have to say spending time with my loved ones fills me up – my mom and I have a tradition of baking our Christmas shortbread together; just a day of her and I. Small things like that mean so much!

  73. I try to get protein in but often end up grabbing a banana and bran bar which fills me up and keeps me going until break!

  77. Reid is such a cutie and growing i see intl a handsome young lad.My family fills me up,i have so much love for them !