How To Mend A Broken Heart

Growing up is a tough one.  Before school let out, my oldest found out that her best friend, a boy named Adam would be moving.  He was only moving about an hour away but to a 9 year old, that is forever away.  You see, my oldest isn't the most out-going child.  Once she knows you, she is more than willing to chat and open up but she has a real fear of people not liking her.  She is so scared that someone might say something and has had a hard time with bullies since the first grade.  Back then we didn't know she had Epilepsy and she seemed "weird" to other kids.  She was doing things that we didn't know where they were coming from and kids don't take very well to the kid who doesn't act "normal".  Even after she was diagnosed and started treatment, the meds did not always work.  It took us a good 8 months for her to finally find one that did the job.  In the meantime she would scream in class and not remember it later, she even once hit a kid on the back of the head before screaming and then crawled under desk and cried.  I am not condoning the assault on the boy but i do have to say, she remembered none of it.  It was almost scary when she said she had no clue what I was talking about and later that night before bed, she came downstairs crying her eyes out asking "did I really hit someone?  Is he ok?".  My heart broke.  Girls seem to be the worst in all of this.  There was a gang of girls who stuck together and they were set on making her life a living hell.  The ring leader eventually moved away and things got better but never 100%.  In the meantime, she made a friend.  A little boy named Adam.  I questioned it at first, shouldn't she be besties with a girl?  We surely cannot have a boy over for sleepovers and the typical girlie things, should I tell her to find someone else to hang out with?  I asked her why she liked this boy so much, wondering if it was a crush and she told me "he is just like me, he doesn't say mean things and he makes me feel happy".  During an open house in one of her journals she even wrote about her best friend saying he was "different like me".  Adam is in the special ed class with Cass sometimes so I guess in her eyes, he has some flaws just like she does and they mesh well.  So, besties it was and has been for 2 years.  And then he moved away.  I was never able to get an address for his new place so it seems, for now, they have lost touch. 

Today while I was making dinner she came out with a clay heart she had made at a festival a couple of weeks ago.  It was torn right in half and she was teary.  I asked what happened and she said she was thinking of Adam and it just feel in two.  We did have the talk about destroying personal property in a fit of rage but after that, it broke my heart.  She went to her room and after dinner was in the oven, I went to check on her.  She was sitting in a chair looking out her window with tears streaming down her face.  She told me without looking back at me that Adams favorite color is green just like the grass.  In her hands was her friendship bracelet he had bought her (they each bought one for one another, he actually bought her another one after she bought him one because it wasn't right for her to only have one, so sweet), she wears one on her wrist and the other one was too small to put back on after she had to take it off so she has it in her special box.  When I sat besides her, she melted into my arms and cried.  I don't know if I am prepared for broken hearts!  If she was older and it was a boyfriend, I am totally prepared for the "you deserve better, now lets go shopping and eat junk food" speech but how do you deal with losing a best friend?  As an adult it sucks, I cannot imagine how her little heart is breaking.  As I speak, she is moping.  She wants to snuggle on the couch and just chill and that is not her personality.  I told her I would try to track him down but that was all I had in my arsenal.  So, people help me out here, how to you help your child mend a broken heart?

Four Weddings

Is anyone else out there addicted to this show?  The other day when I was sick, my girls and I played bums and laid on the couch all day.  Between cartoons we would watch cooking shows and other age appropriate things and that is when I came across Four Weddings on TLC.

The show puts 4 brides up against one another.  They all attend each others weddings and give a score for overall experience at the end of the wedding.  Then, after all four weddings have happened, they all give points for first, second and third place for dress, venue and food.  After all points are tallied, the winner is announced when their husband arrives via limo with flowers and a card letting them know where they will go on their honeymoon.  They have been to Aruba, Maldives, Italy, all kinds of beautiful places and I am hooked!!  My oldest and I now watch together, I set my dvr to record first runs and repeats of all episodes and so I can watch whenever I want.  I know it may sound a little much but I love weddings.  And unlike all the other wedding shows where you want them to just get on with it and show the good parts, the good parts are all you see.  You get to see a snippet of the ceremony and then the fun stuff afterwards including the reception.  For the most part, all of the brides have been very sweet with one another.  They are all strangers so they could very well just be mean and talk about how much better their wedding was or will be but they all seem to enjoy the day along with the bride.  This morning I did watch an episode with a major sour puss.  This one chick made the worst faces during one of the ceremonies and then complained about the food and how much she didn't want to dance, it was pretty annoying........she ended up coming in last place by the way.  Anyways, if you haven't seen it but love weddings, I definitely recommend watching some episodes.  Or be neurotic like myself and tape them all for your viewing pleasure :)

Festival Fun

I have to say, living in Southern California definitely has its perks!  Over the weekend on a beautiful breezy beach day, my girls and I were able to head out to the Sawdust Festival.  For those of you who don't know what this is, it is a huge arts festival with tons of art vendors, food, music and kids activities.  It takes place in Laguna Beach, I am sure you all know that area from all the reality tv shows based out of here and yes, it really is that beautiful.  The actual festival sits inland from the beach in a canyon so you don't get any beach views but we did see a lot of this......

Not only did we enjoy the sights but the food as well.  Yes, we ate nothing but greasy food but the kids thoroughly enjoyed it.  Whats better than fish 'n chips with a side of fried veggies?  Oh yes, how about a salad for dinner to counter act all that greasiness sitting in your belly, it was much needed!!!  And not only was the art fantastic but we got to see a magician, get balloon animals and hats, make some crafts and even watch a glass blower make a beautiful bowl.  I can now see why they charge so much for one small item, ti takes so much to make one tiny piece of art, it is beautiful.  And the best part of it all?  My kids did not touch and we did not have to be forced into buying something expensive :)  In a setting where there is glass and art everywhere you turn, a mom is bound to be neurotic with the "no touching" rule and I am sure my girls heard it a million times that day.  However, it all paid off.  While perusing a glass necklace vendor, my girls sweetly glanced at the jewels and marveled at the pretty colors and picked out which one they liked best and the words a mother always wants to hear came out of the owners mouth...."you have such well behaved kids".  Did I just hear the angels sing?  I thanked her and smiled and then smiled at my sweet girls, I was so proud, all of the death glares and threats of "if you touch" (ok, so I don't threaten them but they know I mean business) totally paid off.  It was a great day that ended on a healthy fresh salad and sweet food coma note and I would love to do it all over again!

Exciting Things Are Happening Around Here

In the coming weeks, this "little blog that could" is going to have some extremely exciting things going on.  It may or may not have some flying pigs and one remarkable little boy stopping in, all I can say for now is "Pig Up"!!!  Don't know what that means?  I think you will soon and I am sure you will be saying it yourself.  Stay tuned!!!!

Short Stories

I love children's imaginations!  The other day I took my kids to the park and suddenly the playground turned into a pirate ship.  The Queen, Princess and lowly shipmate (my poor youngest, I sympathize, I was the youngest too) were trying to escape the dastardly pirates.  I sat there and remembered just how great the imagination of a child is.  I vividly remember when playgrounds transformed or my Grandma's hot tub was now the entire ocean and I was Ariel.  I don't know when that goes away but it obviously fades over time.  It is so fun though to experience it yet again with my own kids.  My oldest is in summer school.  They do a lot of arts and crafts and fun things but they also get some work in as well.  Last week she came home with a short story she had written.  I typically read her papers right away in case there is something I need to sign or send back, but in this case, it was work and so i set it aside.  I finally was able to read it last night and I had to snicker.  I love her imagination.  Her personality shines even in the papers she writes for school.  Remember, she is still only 9 so it is not long but I love it still.  So without further ado, a story by Cassidy.......

One day at the ice cream store, the owner was worried because the freezer was broken.  Next, Cassidy; the store owner, was going to buy a new freezer.  Then, Cassidy drove in her Chevy Cruze to go to Sears to buy a freezer.  After that, she got sad because they did not have a glittery freezer.  Finally, she found a glittery freezer at Lowe's.

She has had an obsession with the dang Chevy Cruze, it is her dream car and I think I am ok with that.  At 9 every time I saw a Mazda Miata I drooled and told my mom I would have that car one day.  At least hers is a practical sedan!  I can see her driving off to college in her dream car with her brand new glittery freezer for her dorm :)

When Life Gives You Lemons........

Dance in the aisles of a pharmacy of course!!!!!

Nothing quite like breaking it down to KT Tunstall in a pharmacy aisle :)



Dance Recital

Yesterday, all of the hard work my two oldest girls had been doing definitely paid off.  Costumes were on, hair was curled and make-up applied (applying heavy make-up to my 4 and 9 year old was never something I thought I would be doing but I guess it is a necessity when on stage).  The girls looked so cute.  Kendall did a tap number to a Shirley temple song called "Baby Take A Bow"....

Cassidy did an Irish number.........

They were both super excited and a little nervous to get on stage and show off what they had been learning.  The morning did make me nervous as well.  While doing Cassidy's hair she got overheated and had some small seizures, a part of me didn't want her to even go after that.  But she was able to rest before we left and said she felt fine so it was off to the theater.  Littlest sister was super excited, she had her program and her tickets ready......

Both girls did awesome!!!  Not a step was missed and they couldn't stop smiling and telling all their friends what a great job they all did.  I am not so sure of the oldest one will continue with dance.  She is more of a home body and enjoys cooking and helping out around the house and more indoor activities, this was a great learning experience for her though and she really impressed me!!!  I do think this is just the beginning for Kendall, she not only loves to dance but the studio told me they wished they could lower the age for company members because she is amazing.  I am sure you can only imagine how much she eats that up.  So You Think You Can Dance in the year 2025 may be in her future :)