Ryan's Big Day

We were so proud to receive a note from the school last month informing us that Ryan would be receiving an award at the school assembly.
He walked in to the cafeteria and saw us and his grandparents and waved at us all with a big smile. He still did not connect the fact that we were there for him because when his name was called he was completely surprised.
We clapped with pride as he received his award for "being a good listener and a hard worker".

A great relief after the Great Tanbark Toilet Incident of 2014 (I didn't post about it, but know that yes- there was a phone call from the school because Ryan was benched at lunch recess because he and some friends put tanbark in the toilet until it overflowed. Yes, there was a week long consequence. Yes, he did have to walk in the next morning and apologize to the vice principal and the custodian.Yes, we are hoping to not get calls like that again. Yes, the vice principal handled all of it beautifully and casually- we are the ones who made it a big deal. Yes, it was another lesson in parenting- I hope we handled it in a way that had impact. Yes, the gray hair continues to grow).

But we're not talking about that. We are celebrating Ryan's success!

Palm Springs Part 2

We just got back from our 2nd trip to Palm Springs with my family. Last year my parents took us for the first time and we went back for more this year. There is nothing like family time. The cousins played together, the adults played together, and the adults played with the kids. We swam, golfed, swam, went to a fair, swam, and swam.
Highlights:
- golfing with my dad, Jake, and Josh
- Haley staying up and playing cards with us
- having 4 dinners together as a big family

It was a special time with our awesome family.

It ended with a surprise trip to Disneyland for the kids. They thought we were driving all the way home. We pulled up to our hotel and Haley saw the sign for Disneyland. She had her earphones on and yelled, "Mom! We're close to Disneyland! Are we in LA?"
We then told the kids we were going to Disneyland. Haley's jaw dropped and she sat many seconds in shock. Ryan kept repeating, "for real? for real? for real?"

It was priceless.
Nothing better than making memories with family.

A Fantasssssstic Party

The kids get to pick what they do for their birthdays (within reason of course). This year Haley was thinking about ice skating or going to the beach. And then she got an idea and stuck with it. She wanted a snake party. We have been to events where there are live animals to interact with. That's what she wanted.

We had Brian from For Goodness Snakes (little plug there) come to the house. For an hour he showed his reptiles, included the kids, and educated them on the lives of reptiles. The last 20-30 minutes were spent with all of us interacting with the snakes. It was fun to watch as some children were comfortable right away while others' hesitation transformed to enjoyment.

Very cool!

9

Last weekend Haley turned 9. We have been on vacation so I didn't get to post right away. I went to write this post today and it took several sessions as I found myself looking through all of the old photos of her. This happens every year with the kids' birthday posts. I get lost in scrolling through the pictures and letting the memories flood in. It's a beautiful way to spend time.

Haley- you are 9. You are beautiful and soulful and sensitive and smart. I love that you sleep with your head at the foot of the bed. I love that you are a hard working student. I love that you choose nice/kind girls as friends. I love how much you love to read and how once you start a series, you get sucked right in. I love your sense of humor. I love that you love to try new things.You are growing up and I am trying so hard to honor where you are in life and not slow you down or speed you up. I see you changing every day and it is a glorious sight to see.

Your 9 years on earth have been pure sunshine. Happy birthday.

Friends

One, of many, beautiful things about getting older is that I really only surround myself with real friends. There is nothing like real friendship. There is a love and comfort that is fulfilling. We all meet people in different phases. I have my friends from high school, my friends from when I started teaching, my "mom" friends that I have met through my children, and my friends I have made by moving to middle school 7 years ago.

Every deep friendship starts at the beginning. You meet someone, you realize you have something in common, you talk, you connect, you laugh (a must in a friend), and you drink together for the first time (in which instance I almost ALWAYS wonder if I said something to turn that person off).At this point you are either growing closer or not. And then usually a defining moment happens when we see each other for who we truly are- either by a reaction, or a life event, or a hard or honest conversation. This is the point when I have shown the person all aspects of me. This is extremely liberating because we all have choice to invest or not. Each person who is still around adds distinct richness to my life.

All of my friends have seen me at my best and seen me at my worst. I know I can talk to my friends about anything and not worry about being judged. I invite honesty from them, even if it's not easy. I value that connection immensely.

Like everything else, the biggest challenge with friends is finding balance. I want people to know how important they are in my life. I do not take the gift of close friendship for granted. It seems like every time I get together with someone, the words, "it's been forever" are spoken. It's where we are and that's ok.

Last year we had a party and one of the guys there pulled me aside and said, "You have the greatest friends. Everyone I have talked to has been so enjoyable. You have been so wise in who you have invited into your lives. You are so rich in life."

I think that sums it up. I feel very blessed and rich in life.