Reflections-

I have been thinking a lot lately about what it is I really want my kids to learn from me....not the ABC's and the 123's of life but the things that get you though the day....

Here i a go at it...

General Rules or Thoughts I would like them to take away from their early years....

Be a friend and a good one at that!

ALWAYS ask someone with a broken down car if they need help, even if you have no idea how to help them, just offering goes a long way for some one who is having a bad day!

SMILE- A friendly smile on your face can take you twice if not more the distance of some one with a sour puss...people will look forward to talking to you and will listen more intently

BE KIND- Hold doors, say "bless you" to complete strangers... they will not help but smile.

BE INVOLVED! BE THE CHANGE....some times it will be fun, others a challenge, other times blood sweat and tears but I promise it will all be worth it!

Be thrifty but not cheap

Be genuine! When your words and actions come from your heart, it shows....

LAUGH OFTEN

EVERYTHING in MODERATION- Don't set your self up for absolutes" I will never do___" Try it all (if it's legal and safe)

....leave only foot prints....take only photographs...

Hike and enjoy the outdoors- Your grandfather will smile upon you for such things

Observe but then join in! The doing is always more fun and rewarding than the watching!

Don't expect others to think they way you do, you will just be disappointed- plus a lively debate is good for the soul....

Do what you love with the people you love!

Always send out Christmas cards! Everyone loves to get mail!

Always take time for family, yes we are crazy but we do love you so!

Fall?

When you start thinking back to school, it in my mind elicits thoughts of FALL. In Arizona it is w whole other story! We are now on our second week of school and it is 107 degrees as I type this. Just waiting for the kids the amount of sweat is amazing. The stranger thing is store here such as Target and well all clothing store turn over to their fall lines. I hear many a story at open house of mom snatching up the last pair of clearance shorts because there were no new ones in the store. Did Target not get the memo?? I know national chains all that but it would be like selling swim suits in Alaska in January!! It just doesn't make much sense to me at all.

I love Fall the idea of it at least the leaves changing a crisp to the air...that is pretty much winter here! When you go for so many months of hot hot and hotter the the image of putting on a sweater is a nice thing!

So here is wishing everyone a cool start to school and dreams of cooler weather!

These pictures can only mean one things!

School is back in session! Yippee!

Abby is starting 5th grade and is elated that her wonderful teacher from last year moved up along with the kids! I had never seen her so excited about learning as she was last year and it was a great year for her so I hope that trend continues!

Tim is excited to be in sixth grade and be the oldest kids in the school. He has his ambitions set high...he is running a grass roots campaign to get vote class clown in the year book.... When he approached me about it he asked would you be mad, I said no as long as he is not disrespectful to anyone to reach his goal.

Max is starting school this year too! He is very excited and he actually starts on Wednesday. My friend Marin is going to be his teacher, we are working on calling her by her last name, but she insists Marin is just fine for him to call her. She has an amazing perspective on kids and a true passion for it.

Jim is going to get to go to school too! Max's school is a cooperative school and since he will now be off on Fridays he will get his turn at working in the class. I think it will be great for both he and Max.

As for me I am also starting a new adventure, I will be working with the Shade Foundation, an opportunity I am really excited about! I have also joined the committee for the 57th annual Parada Del Sol, Scottsdale's annual horse drawn parade. So it is expected to be yet another busy year!

The boys are making their bunkers...

Tonight I decided to throw all caution to the wind and let Tim have 3 of his closest friends spend the night. Abbey is at her friends house so one part of the disaster waiting to happen has been taken out....Jim not being as brave as I, when to the movies by himself just to get out of the house!

Max is here and as you all know he has no idea he is a 3 year old so he is helping build the bunkers. This bunker building took almost an hour with the instructions that it all must go back where you found it...we will see....

They are having a Nerf war, there is an intrinsic flaw in "Nerf waring"...you have to reload...and reloading requires everyone stopping the game and picking up all the bullets...They lasted all of 3 and a half minutes before they had all unloaded their weapons and well got too hot to reload...Now it is not like they have just one gun each or a few bullets each they have an arsenal! Clips full of bullets and still just a few minutes, then they all have their bullets labeled so they sort it all out....it is more than I want to even think about...They promise they are going to go out later when it is "cooler".

Stay tuned for more war coverage....