Where were you tens years ago.....

...today? I remember very clearly what transpired that day for me. I had just woken up to get ready for work, my husband of ONE month (exactly) and I turned on the news to check out the weather, etc., and could not believe our eyes. In horror, we watched the news of the twin towers being struck by a plane, then the other, then the pentagon, then heard of the plane going down in PA......it was absolutely unbelievable. Unbelievable. Unreal. Our workplace was closed down for the day, much like the rest of the U.S. As we spent the day absorbing the news, loving and appreciating what we had, taking it all in, pondering the repercussions of these violent actions taken against our nation...what we going to happen next? Who did this? Why? Why? Why? Then to be at war for the past ten years....and here we are today, as if it happened just yesterday. We will never forget, I will never forget. It is a moment in time, that will forever be embedded in my mind. I am thankful to be here, in this wonderful and free country.....I am thankful for my loved ones, and that I have a small piece of the world with a roof over my head, and a beautiful family, all thanks to our troops protecting and serving us. For that, I am forever grateful....so, I will take a moment of silence today, at 9:11PM, PST, to say a little prayer and light a candle as a small token of appreciation......

The beginning of school is like....

....a tsunami! A good friend made this analogy to me on Wednesday, and it was like a light bulb. All of the paperwork, the sign-ups, the new carpools, the activities: soccer, football, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, play dates, packing the lunches, the PTA meetings, the back to school nights, the room mom meetings, the beginning of the school fundraiser that I am chairing....etc....the list goes on and on. I just want it to be summer again! I am an organized person, I make lists, I am neat....not this month....my house is a mess, I am exhausted, and I don't know when I will be able to get it all together....there are birthday parties, sports photos, visitors coming.....no end in site. But you know what...my life is so full of joy, friends, family, and although my cup runneth over, I am so lucky to have this life!!!!

How can you prepare for life's...

......hand outs that you were just not prepared to deal with? It is with a heavy heart that I am going to talk about the loss of an amazing person today. My friend, Kristin George Porter, is now at rest after a short battle with cancer. No battle is short, it is all relative. She only found out last April, 2010. She had been treated and was doing well....I only found out in December of 2010. She started not to feel well again at the beginning of 2011. She was being treated, however, things did not seem to be working....she had an amazing 40th birthday celebration...her husband surprised her with a trip of a lifetime. Then, there was a tumor found on her brain which was removed on Friday, June 24, 2011. Success....however, the cancer of the liver was too much for her body to bear. She lost her battle today, Tuesday, June 28, 2011. She made a trip out to CA earlier this year to visit family, I asked her if she could visit again. She emailed me when she got back and said that she was very much needing to rest....her body was very tired. But promised next time......next time......next time......there is no next time. I held on to that and had so much hope that she was going to win the battle....she did not. Now, her beautiful soul is in heaven....we are all just shells, and our souls live on forever....until next time, Kristin....I love you, and hope that Brian, Elise and Gardner will be at peace now that you are not suffering. Thank you for being in my life, it is that much richer for it.

Girlfriends....

....really GET you.....I am SO thankful that I have the most amazing friends! About a year and a half ago, I thought that I would put together a monthly event where women would get together, talk, eat, drink and be merry SANS hubby and kids. We call it "GNI" aka Girls' Night In. The idea is that we don't spend a lot of money, we all get to know each other, we all talk about kids, hubby, life, jobs, what-have-you, and get to have some time to ourselves. As a matter of fact, last night was the June GNI, and one of my friends said that this was just about the only time she gets out. For a lot of moms, it is true. I have to say, that last night, I had the most amazing discussion with a dear friend of mine....such a great conversation that I now have a girl crush (lol), she is just an amazing soul....she has a heart of gold, she has an amazing drive for life, and her family, and her friends, I just love her. This is a thank you to her for being just what I needed last night because I almost didn't go....so glad that I did. She nailed it....she is the one that turned it into a great time for me. All of the women who go are amazing! Each time, it is a little bit of a different group, which makes it so much fun. Thank you ladies for participating and making a little something to look forward to each month! I am so thankful for my girlfriends!!!! ;)

When you have pulled out....

....all of the stops, what now? My daughter who is 5 1/2 years old, has been having nightmares. My husband and I were at a concert on Sunday night, and I received a text from the babysitter that she was having nightmares. I texted back to let her sleep in my bed, by the time we texted back and forth, she was sound asleep in the living room next to the sitter on the couch with all of the lights on in the house. So, the next night, she wanted to fall asleep with the lights on in her room, we let her. The next night, the same, and we let her. Tonight, she came into the living room where hubster and I were finishing dinner, and announced that she must sleep between us. We told her no, and that she needed to go back to bed but she was not having it. I told her that she could push the "magic button" that puts a "magic protective bubble" around the house....then I thought, what is going to be the button? So, I went into my night stand and found an OOOOLLLLDDDDD massager that I use to use with the hubster pre-marriage, pre-kids...of course the batteries were dead....I brought it into her, and let her push the button. I tried taking her to bed, and telling her all about the birthday parties coming up, the beach days coming up, the friends over coming up, and she only had questions about how to get through the bubble, and does the bubble know us, and does the bubble let in police guys, and does the bubble let in our friends, etc.....she will not go to sleep...now hubster is in there...wish us luck....this is a new one for us. Our 8 1/2 year old son never did this one...

What to do, what to do...

....what to do this summer with the kids? I really just want to PLAY!! The beach is beckoning for sure. Last summer was not that great for beach days, but that is where I want to be! Wednesday is the dedicated day for the beach....free movie day, parks, picnics, Wilderness Park, aquarium, vacation....ahhhhhh. I am ready for school to be finished. It was a long, busy year. I am tired....I cannot wait to sleep! I figured since my daughter is starting kindergarten this fall, I am not going to place them in camps or have schedules. I am looking forward to my Mondays of teaching, and every other Friday of working with kids at the Botanical Gardens! It will be the perfect balance of just a little me time, making my own money, and having fun with the family! That is all for now....summer dreaming is only a few days away! There are only 7 1/2 school days left!!! Ahhhh.....

Some days you just want to....

......scream because your children frustrate you, but most days you just melt, adore, admire, love, die for your children. I know this may sound silly, but I just experienced my daughter's first dance recital was this past Sunday and I could not have been more proud! I asked to just have fun on stage and to put a big smile on her face, and SHE DID!!! I thought that my 5 year old was going to be terrified! She was AMAZING!!!! I literally had to hold back the tears. Who knew that having children could and would be the most amazing experience in life. There are more times during a week, a day, an hour, that my kids amaze me. It is the most satisfying thing to watch them grow, to watch them choose what they would like to experience for themselves. My 8 year old son just finished taking keyboard class, and he really has a good ear! He LOVES music, this afternoon at the end of his last class, the kids put on a little performance for the parents. I could not have been more proud of him either, although he only performed in front of about 25 people and my daughter performed in front of about 800 people, they both made me so proud!!! Thank you God, karma, life for giving me these two beings, I don't think I could love anyone any more than I do these two creatures! I look forward to seeing who they turn into, however, I do not want it to go by so quickly!!! Slow down, Father Time!!!!