**Time To Meditate?**

I think, I need to start meditating.  I've been SO on edge, lately, and every little thing is getting on my nerves.  I've been snapping at my family for no reason - yup, like I said below, I'm not perfect, so I need to remember to treat my family with respect, no matter what!  Anyway, I'm stressed, and I need to decompress.  So, I'm going to try to take time every day to decompress.  Here are some things I'll try:

• Take a 15 minute walk - alone!
• Read for 15 minutes
• Meditate for 5 minutes
• Stretch for 5 minutes - stretching always feel so good!

**Kids Are People Too**

I have a huge pet peeve - I HATE when people talk down to kids. You know, when they talk to them with disrespect, in a nasty tone.  I, especially, hate when someone does it for no reason - when it's an unsolicited "attack".  And I, really, hate when someone behaves this way with my kids, and it's been an issue, lately, with a couple of people.  I'm not perfect, but I try really hard to treat my kids with respect.  I don't believe it's okay to speak rudely to them just because they're children.  And I'm, certainly, not going to allow others to speak rudely to my girls.  They deserve to be treated with respect, and, so, I told my girls if someone speaks to them with disrespect (a child or an adult) they have every right to stick up for themselves....in a respectful way, of course.  I know many adults do not agree with this way of thinking, but, hey, you can't expect to get respect from children if you don't give it to them.  And, hey, people can do what they want with their own kids, but when it comes to my kids, well, if you can't treat them with kindness and respect, I think, it's just best you don't talk to them.  Problem solved! :)

**Friends Leaving**

My girls are very sad because their best friends are leaving soon to live in Switzerland for a couple months.  A couple months is going to feel like a very long time, especially because these are the friends that my girls connect with the most.  Brenna and her friend can spend hours writing songs together, singing, dancing, doing makeovers, talking about the boys they like!  And Aubree and her friend spend most of their time on all fours pretending to be dogs, horses, or wolves!  They are really going to miss them, so I feel bad for them.  I'm trying to put a positive spin on it for them by telling them  it will be fun to be pen pals!  And they can be a Flat Stanley, well, Flat Brenna and Flat Aubree. :)  We're going to print pictures of them, laminate them, and give the pics to their friends, so they'll be traveling with them, and, maybe, they can be included in some pictures taken in Europe!

I love that my girls have a great connection with these girls, but sometimes I worry that they don't have enough friends.  Besides the girls I mentioned I above, my girls only have a couple other friends, and if they're busy, there's no one else for them to call.  I don't think they need to have a whole gaggle of friends, but, I think, meeting a couple new friends would be good.  Plus, old friendships can change - kids might find that they don't have as much in common anymore, or that they've just outgrown each other, or whatever.  Brenna is starting a new dance class, so maybe she'll meet someone there, and Aubree is starting horse lessons, but I don't know if there will be other kids there - we'll see.

Of course, the girls meeting new friends means that I would have to meet new friends.  I mean, I can't let my girls spend time over at some one's house if I don't know the parents well, but the problem is...I don't want to make new friends!  And I know that sounds ridiculous, but I'm good, I'm set - I have my friends, and I can, barely, make time to do anything with the ones I have, so I have no desire to add more people to that mix!  So, it's hard because I can't very well say to someone - "Listen, I want my daughter to be friends with your daughter, and I would love for your daughter to spend time at our house, and my daughter can hang out at your house, too, but I, personally, have no desire to form a true friendship with you in any way, so you and I won't be spending any time together, at all.  Okay? Thanks!" - yea, they would take their kid, and run away, but, hey, that's what I would like to say.  Yup, I know - I'm a nut job!! Anyway, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.