Beach Trip

We went to the beach last week, and had a fabulous time. My brother and sister flew out from Seattle to join us with their families, and my mother went too. There is just something about the beach that brings me back to good. All the kids were so cute playing together. My brother, sister and I don't have any first cousins, so it's just nice that our kids do, and they are all around the same ages, and play so well together.

Filling the Void

This summer we have had plenty of good times, but lately I feel like there is this certain void that I haven't been able to fill. I guess I have felt a little home sick for the west end of the country. I did grow up out there, and I still have some friends living out there, and I guess lately I just want to get back to the old times. I like my life now, but I think about how nice it would be to have no extra responsibility of paying a mortgage, or taking care of a family. I would love to be able to see the mountains out in the horizon again. Thinking back on it now though, I probably didn't know what I had when I had it. I have looked at pictures of myself from years ago and I was so much thinner, but sadly I thought I was fat then, I couldn't just like who I was.

Okay, this has become a depressing post. I am off to the gym, hopefully I will have a better mood upon my return... Exercise usually does help to fill the void and stops my negative thoughts.

my dream, before Father's Day

Last night I dreamed about my dad. I did not even remember that I dreamed about him until later this morning, and I thought, "oh yeah, I dreamed about dad last night..." This may be no big deal for most people, but my dad died on May 20, 2004, and I like being able to see him again. What I remember about the dream was good, I greeted him, I was very excited to see him, and I told him that I was so glad that he came by to see me. It seems like I was at a party or something, I was holding Little Princess, and I lifted her up to him and introduced them. I remember also that it didn't feel like a dream, I remember even consciously thinking, during my dream, "wait, this feels real, it's not a dream!"

I really miss my dad, and even if it was in my dreams, I was glad to see him again especially the night before Father's Day.



That is the latest picture I could find of Dad, it's probably the Halloween before he died. He is the guy sitting in the chair petting the dog in the background. Big Princess is performing, playing witch for everyone to watch.

summer time is play time, kinda.

I feel like a bad mommy sometimes, I just don't like playing with the kids all the time. My favorite summer time activity this year is great because I spend good quality time with the kids and I can just sit and watch. We have made a habit of catching lightening bugs every night starting at about 7:30. The kids catch them and let them go. They have started naming them and Little Princess will even decide who is related to whom. Big Princess seems to get bored with it sooner than Little Princess, but it is still good time spent with the Princesses before we go inside to get ready for bed.

my therapy

I love sewing. I'm sure I have posted about it before now, and now I feel so proud of my latest accomplishment, which Little Princess wears in the picture. Big Princess wants one too, so I need to go find the pattern in her size.

On Bullies.

My heart goes out to the parents in Massachusetts that have lost a child to suicide because she was bullied. Yes, I think bullies are much worse now than when I was in school. There is so much more technology with cell phones, Facebook, and MySpace, even the comments of a blog left by anonymous people. People lose any fear of saying something truly ugly because they can post it somewhere, whether it is a text message (unlike the notes that were passed around in my high school days), or posting an ugly comment on a social network (unlike a public wall like when I was in school), there is just too much, and it gets to people all over the world. Sadly, being a bully has stuck around for some people. There are women in their 30s and late 20s that don't know how to behave. I see this bad behavior not just on the reality TV shows that I like to watch, but with women that I have been in contact with, even called them my friends, which I use the term loosely now. I have learned that true friends don't talk about me, and don't say ugly things about me behind my back.

When I posted about the Golden Rule, I meant that we need to treat others the way we want to be treated, not that you can be mean because they were being mean. The bullying shouldn't be all blamed on the media, or television shows, movies, or books. I think that many parents need to take a step back and notice the behavior their kids are seeing. A lot of bad behavior is learned by example. If you like to gossip, there's a good chance that your child could pick-up this bad behavior from you. If you judge people because they don't do exactly what you are used to, there is a good chance that your child can learn that bad behavior too. If you leave a mess in a public restroom, at a restaurant or even at the grocery store, because "they have someone for that," your child could learn that impolite bad behavior too. If you have something ugly to say about someone wearing an outfit that was bought at a discount store, your child could have that same opinion, and possibly hurt someone else with that bad behavior too.

I also compared The Golden Rule to Karma. I really do believe that what comes around goes around. If you put out a bunch of negative energy, that will come right back to you, just like when you put out more positive energy, that will come back to you too. Please, everyone just be nice! Also, encourage your children to be nice, and please make sure your kid is comfortable telling you if they feel bullied by someone. You need to ensure that your child feels safe going to school, church, and going anywhere they may go that is an extra curricular activity.

Before dropping my kids off to school I always give one last instruction before I see them again, "Be sweet!" That is something we can all do in our daily lives, just be sweet.

Karma - like a Bible verse

The Golden Rule states, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." - Luke 6: 31