A good friend can call you and dump her worries in your lap.

But a very very good friend will call you, dump her worries in your lap, then take a breath and ask what worries of yours she might help bare the burden of today.

Reciprocal friendship is a treasure.

Lops

I walk into the living room this morning as the kids are watching Diego ...

Aspen: Mom. Loot! We are watching the one with the mommy lop, the daddy lop and the baby lop.

Me (have just woken up, no tea): ???? What ????

Sage kindly interprets: Sloth, Mom. Mommy sloth. Daddy sloth. Baby sloth.

Me: Ohhhhhhhhhh ...


Time for some tea.

I just paid the bills. I am up early and feeling like I might be able to conquer the world or something like that. I go to cross off "pay bills" from my ever growing list of things to do. "Pay bills" is no where to be found. No satisfaction.

So ...the girls and I are in the car on the way home from the park yesterday and the topic of kindergarten comes up. We are 4 days and counting. Almost every Friday for 2 years both my girls have gone up to my dad's and then I go off to "work." (okay ...it's really a day off since I only work 4 hours at the most, but, whatever).

Me: Sage, tomorrow is your last day of going up to Papa's on Fridays because on Tuesday you start school!
Sage (disgruntled): I thought I got Friday's off.
Me: Um ...no honey, you will go to school Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.
Sage (still disgruntled): Do I get any days off?
Me: Yes dear, Saturday & Sunday

Too funny.

6/4

Dear Sage,
Words really cannot express how much I love you. Five years ago you came into this world and transformed my life. I am so thankful that today we get to celebrate your 5th birthday and eat strawberry cake and celebrate your life. You are a beautiful and brilliant little girl. My heart is yours little one.
Love,
Mom

Song of Hope ...

I ended my morning run with this song...


Song of Hope
by Robbie Seay Band

All things bright and beautiful You are
All things wise and wonderful You are
In my darkest night, You brighten up the skies
A song will rise

I will sing a song of hope
Sing along
God of heaven come down
Heaven come down
Just to know that You are near is enough
God of heaven come down, heaven come down

All things new
I can start again
Creator, God
Calling me Your friend
Sing praise, my soul
To the Maker of the skies
A song will rise

I will sing a song of hope
Sing along
God of heaven come down
Heaven come down
Just to know You and be loved is enough
God of heaven come down, heaven come down

Hallelujah, sing
Hallelujah, sing
Hallelujah, sing

Birthday Pics ...

Fun Birthday!

Well ... I was going to post some amazing pictures from all of my birthday festivities but the stink'n computer keeps saying, "connection interrupted ..." So ... you'll have to wait for the pics. However, the week has been amazing, despite a small case of the sniffles and sneezes. Tuesday night Ryan and I got to go for a night on the town, cruising in no less than a (borrowed) CLK Mercedes Convertible : ) We cruised Ventura until 7:15, at which point we dined at the Watermark -- which I highly recommend. Wednesday (the actual bday), we took a family trip to the Santa Barbarbara Museum of Art. The kids were facinated and it was a very fun but mellow outing. Wednesday night my sisters and mom took me out for sushi and some good laughs : ) AND ... this weekend I am heading down to L.A. to stay with a good friend for a few days -- SOLO! I will miss my husband and girls like crazy but I am so looking forward to the quiet train (YES -- I'M TAKING THE TRAIN) ride and weekend without meal making and dish cleaning : ) Off I go ...

Things we use ...

So last night I was putting the dishes away and, well, you know when you try to squeeze those everyday-use serving utensils back into the utensils drawer and inevitably SOMETHING is stuck in the back of the drawer, preventing it from closing? And I say SOMETHING because you haven't looked in the back of the drawer for um ... let's just say 5 years and so you really don't know what useful items might be back there -- clogging up the drawer mechanics. SO ... I proceeded to empty and empty and empty that little drawer and Oh My Gosh! I filled an entire grocery bag worth of unused utensils ... pie servers (?), a baster, a boiled egg slicer ... hahaha, I just have to laugh thinking about it. Okay -- so what is in the drawer now? Everthing that I do in fact use: 2 spatuals, 2 wooden spoons, wine bottle opener (!), salad tongs and 2 can openers. Back to the basics.

Hanging On

Just today I cleaned out yet another drawer of "stuff" that is never used but that I have kept around since (well, in this case) almost 8 years. Yep. Wedding registry gifts are somehow difficult to part with. Whoever I was when I picked out those satinny blue and off-white doily placemats ... well, that girl is gone. Not sure how those things ever made it on the registry -- but they did and I think I used them all of ... um ... 2 times. So, off they go to the thrift store. Still, I'm not sure what comfort was brought to me by hanging onto those ugly things. Today I was more than ready to part with them.

Ditch the Toys?

How many toys do you really think a child needs? Lately I am thinking 2 toys + a stuffed animal might be PERFECT. This is due to my utter hatred toward picking up and putting away and picking up and putting away and so on and so forth. So ... I want to know your thoughts ... do we really need toys? What are the best kind of toys? I am reminded of Laura Rhodes (missionary in Kenya) explaining that they didn't have toys (for their 4 children), and whatever "toys" they had were handmade. So ... let the discussing begin.