**Solemn Day**

Yesterday was a solemn day.  It's hard to believe it's been ten years since the terrorists attack on our country.  I remember it like it was yesterday - Brennie was napping and I was watching The Today Show.  Al Roker had just been talking about what a beautiful day it was, and then, suddenly, Bryant Gumbel was on the screen announcing that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.  In the blink of an eye, the day had went from beautiful to tragic.  So, so tragic.  It was surreal seeing the World Trade Center on fire, watching the second plane hit the other tower, learning a third plane had hit the Pentagon and a fourth had crashed in Pennsylvania, seeing all the horrified people running for their lives, watching other people jumping to their deaths from the fire engulfed towers, listening to the message from my grandmother saying that she thought the world was coming to an end, and then, finally, the towers collapsing.  You would think seeing it all once would be enough, but I watched all the coverage yesterday - it somehow seemed wrong not to.  I think, it's important to feel the pain of what so many others have lost.  So, I watched, and I cried.  My heart still breaks for all the lives that were lost, and for all the families who lost those loved ones.  I am so grateful to have my family, and I try to appreciate every moment I have with them because life can change - in the blink of an eye.

Never waste a moment, it may be the last with someone you love. ~Unknown

**Torn**

I can't decide if I want to cancel plans for this weekend - I'm so torn.  Dave and I are suppose to go out of town for a memorial golf outing in honor of my cousin Brett who died in a car accident in 2004.  I made plans for the girls to stay home with Dave's parents, so Dave and I could have a kid-free weekend, but when I made the plans I didn't know that my sister was going to take her whole family to the outing.  I thought she was going to head down with my parents (or maybe her husband and youngest son), and we'd all have a kind of adult weekend away.  But now she's taking her two older boys, and I'm feeling really bad that my girls aren't going.  They don't get to spend alot of time with their cousins, and I know they would love being there to swim, and just hang out with them.  Plus, after thinking about it, they haven't seen my family downstate in along time, so it would be nice for them to be able to see them.  So, now, my weekend away is not looking as appealing since my girls won't be there.

If we didn't have our dogs none of this would be a problem.  My in-laws were going to stay with the girls and the dogs, but there's no way they'll come over for the weekend to just stay with our dogs, so we don't have anyone to take care of them while we're away.  I love my dogs, but it's times like this that I wish we were a animal-free family!

Anyway, I know a few people will be disappointed if we don't end up going, and I do feel bad about that, but I have to do what feels right for my family, and leaving my girls home while Dave and I, my parents, and my sister and her family go away for the weekend just doesn't feel right - especially when I know my girls want to be there with us.

**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.

**What? It's Summer?**

This has been our busiest summer ever, but it really hasn't felt like summer.  We weren't this busy during the fall and winter months!  Summer is suppose to be for relaxing, but there hasn't been much of that going on.  It's not even August, and my kids have done three different week-long camps.  My daughter has had a weekly theater rehearsal (over an hour away), and when that's done both the girls start another theater rehearsal three days a week for two weeks, which is, again, will be an hour away.  We've had something going on almost every weekend for the last two months.  I feel like I have spent almost no time with friends this summer.  I've made plans to, but I've had to cancel almost all of the plans because something always comes up.  My hubby has been working alot of overtime - he's working right now, in fact, on a Saturday!  And he has to go to Colorado at the end of this month.  Next week we have to drive to St. Charles for my daughter's theater stuff Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday!  I feel like I spend more time in my car than anywhere else!  So, this is just not what I had in mind for our summer. :(  And there will be no resting today. When Dave gets home from work today we are heading to the cabin, and I'm going to clean it from top to bottom on the inside.  Dave is going to take care of the lawn, and clean the porch.  But tomorrow - tomorrow we will rest, and relax!  Tomorrow we're going out on the boat to spend the day floating on the lake, and I can't wait.  We haven't done that since July 3rd!  I am going to cherish every single minute!

**Sibling Fighting**

My girls have been fighting non-stop, and I'm so tired of listening to them!!  I swear, I was nearly in tears this morning because I'm so frustrated by the constant problems between them, and I don't know how to make them stop.  I feel like all I hear all day is - "Sissy, STOP!!"  and "Aubbie, I'm gonna tell, Mom!!" and "Sissy, get off me!!!!!!!" and "Aubbie, don't touch me!!!!!",  but, mostly, I hear, "MOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!"", which really annoys me!!!  I want them to be able to work out their differences calmly and quietly, and without screaming for me to intervene, but, maybe, I'm expecting too much.  They are only 8 and 10, but, jeez, the stuff they fight over is just ridiculous.  I know part of the problem is that they are, pretty much, with each other 24/7 - with being homeschooled they just don't spend much time apart.  They do go on playdates and sleepovers, but they always go together, so even though they are spending time with friends they are still, kind of, together.  So, my plan is to start letting them have separate playdates and sleepovers.  Hopefully, I can work that out with the other moms.  For now, the girls are grounded for the week.  In the meantime, I'm going to talk to them (AGAIN) about how they can handle their differences with each other in a better manner.  Things will get better, right??!