'Sassy-fras'

My Lexie Lulu...

She's sassy, she's quick, and she's funny... the kind of funny that makes you belly laugh. She imitates people, she uses different voices, she is bossy bossy bossy especially with her daddy...he stands NO CHANCE with four daughters that have bigger-than-life personalities. And she's growing up way too fast. Her daddy nicknamed her 'Sassafras'-- it suits her purrrfectly.

We had hilly streets in San Elijo Hills...not really conducive to the novice bike-rider. Now that we're on 'stable' ground, she's two-wheelin' it around town.

She was sick of waiting for someone to help her. So she took it into her own hands and strapped on her gear & headed out to teach herself. Her favorite pass-time is now riding a two-wheeler.

She doesn't love soccer as much as we thought she would, but it was fun watching her strut around the field (#6) and stand with her arms folded waiting for who-knows-what. She was great at running after the ball, was always on the scene, in the right place at the right time, but mostly yielded to her teammates to go for the big kick--- a confidence thing, I suppose. She announced tonight after her last practice that she's DONE with soccer. Forever. {giggle giggle}. One less thing for me to do!

To my friends, with {lOvE}.

You can't imagine how important you are to me.

Moving always comes with its own set of challenges and thank heavens we've only had to do it a handful of times. I have a bestie who deals with this every couple years and it has become a bittersweet battle for her. As a result, she has many fabulous friends ALL over North America. I don't have to move around that often, but I think our latest circumstances made this transition a bit more interesting and an overall difficult challenge for me.

I've loved the poem below since I read it years ago... it just puts things into perspective. Moving comes with its own set of challenges... and with some friends, you keep contact for a while and then one day it may fizzle. Sometimes, it's really for no particular reason. With other people you may not speak for eons and then you get together and pick up where you left off as if not even a day had passed. I have learned that friends come and go, and your life goes on. It's been tough this time around to have to leave my network of friends and attempt to rebuild. I miss the day-to-day interactions in a tight-knit community.

I'm thankful for my friendships that have bloomed for a specific reason, or for a particular season, and I'm especially grateful for those I've met along the way that are in it for a lifetime. It's fun to look back and see that I still have friendships with people I met when I was the tender age of five. I'm thankful for each one of you, in near and far places from every phase of my life!

I especially enjoyed having a handful of my San Marcos friends come meet me for lunch at a beautiful Temecula Winery last week. I'm always up for good company, amazing scenery, and yummy food!

Love you all.

(and please ignore the terrible lighting that looks like heads are cut off, etc.)

It was a short and sweet little lunch---let's do it again soon.

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you figure out which one it is,

you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,

it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty;

to provide you with guidance and support;

to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend, and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,

this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,

because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.

They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.

Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;

things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,

and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Unknown

Warm Fuzzies

When I returned home from running errands today I found this little treat:

What a lovely surprise... and just as lovely... the house wasn't even totally destroyed! I'm thankful for children who surprise me & show their loving and caring sides now and then when it's not even Mother's Day!

I feel loved & appreciated today and it's a wonderful feeling. They are quickly learning that they'll catch more {mommie good moods} with honey than with vinegar.

Today I'm thankful to be the mom of my six children. I'm thankful for the warm fuzzies my kids took the time to surprise me with. Maybe tomorrow they'll get a warm fuzzy after school that looks and tastes like homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Pure Glee

Six-kid pile-up! ...Or five kids and a Dad. I don't know where Vivs was when the laughter & subsequent tackle broke out. The kids {love} wrestling with Daddy and usually someone inevitably gets hurt as they hurl themselves onto each other in perfect glee to tickle Daddy to death...

I'm thankful the kids have a Dad that will get down at their level (or is willing to be tackled down to their level) and play with them until it hurts!

Tough Love

I'm sick of being the nag.

I'm sick of the lack of response when I call them down to do their jobs.

I'm sick of being known as The Sheriff.

I'm sick of the antagonizing that goes on daily. Multiple times daily.

I'm sick of the overall disrespect and OUTBURSTS!

I'm sick of feeling like the bad mom after yelling at my kids for their actions because it's the only way they'll listen!

Curt sings an impromptu song accompanied by his swift guitar skills (hehehehe) to explain these outbursts and family quirks... it's quite hilarious if you've been lucky enough to witness it.

So we threaten our children. We threaten them into submission.

Sometimes, it's the only thing that works. And they've learned that these are NOT idle threats.

(for the older ones, that is... the younger ones are just perfect as can be & we're hoping... really we're praying they don't end up demented and overly influenced by the negative behavior of these pre-teens and that we're better parents having learned our lessons with the first three. We can hope, can't we? hahaha)

We thought the first would be Monson or McKenzie. We were certain. I guess we're all human because Brayden was first to earn a night in the garage for repeatedly antagonizing Lexie.

He earned himself a night sleeping in the garage. It's cold for Cali standards so it was no party. And I'm certain that there's a couple of rat families nesting out there not to mention spiders of all shapes and sizes. But he had a good attitude... he knew he deserved what came to him and that ultimately he choose his punishment because of his actions. The kids know that if they show disrespect, if they are the cause of great contention in our home that they have chosen to spend a night in the garage to think about what it means to be a member of this family and how they can change their behavior to contribute positively in our home. It's our way of showing forth love in an effort to maintain some order.

Really, it's done out of love.

At 1 am we felt Bray had paid his price and had sufficient time to think, so we allowed him to come inside (mostly because he had a good attitude about it).

So in this season of gratitude... this time to reflect upon our blessings, I'm thankful that we all have the power to change and to become better people. Heaven knows I have a ton to work on as a parent. I'm just glad I'm not the one that has to sleep in the garage.

Truly, we do have good kids. But if we let these behaviors continue, we'd be terrible parents. And we've started getting all the kids in bed by 8... WORLD of difference.

Sleep is lovely on so many levels!