Miscellaneous Updates

I know it is has been awhile but after my last post just was not feeling it! Decided it was time to update a few things:

Allysa- She continues to make honor roll and wrote a really awesome persuasive paper on "Why Junk Foods Sales Should be Banned in School". She tried basketball, not sure it is her sport but it was her first year and maybe with sometime extra practice she might have done better. Kevin was one of her coaches and that was good and bad. You have to love pre-teen hormones. We had nice little melt down last week over not finding a certain water bottle. Yes, you read a right a water bottle. She now realizes how crazy that was and now we can laugh about but that night I was not sure who would survive.

Ashlee- Doing well in school. She started back in tumbling but due to an ankle injury is back on hiatus. She said she did something in gym and although no fracture was seen she had to wear a hard sole shoe for 5-7 days so now we are waiting to see if that did the trick or if more imaging needs done.

Kevin- Well he is Kevin. He did manage to lose his cool Saturday at the basketball game and had to leave. He did cross the line yelling at the ref. and was smart enough to leave before being tossed out. Ironically it was more traumatic on Ash and me than Allysa. We had to listen to idiots in the stands (again he deserved some of this) but the guy behind us said some really nasty things and scared Ashlee to the point of uncontrollable sobbing because she did not understand why he was being so mean. She literally said "that man is scaring me"!!! Needless to say, I did not keep my cool well and I went into PROTECTIVE MOTHER MODE. I turned around to remind him that he was scaring the coaches daughter and although what the coach did was wrong his behaivor and words were not any better especially when you never know who is sitting around you. For the most part, I held off what I really wanted to say because there were children in the stands but I did call him a jerk in the end (not my proudest moment). However, I really think people in the stands need to watch what they say and how they behave- you never know who may be right next to you and the effect it may have.

Me- Just busy with work and kids. Still seeking some of the answers from the last post. A few things have happened that have given me a clearer picture about where I stand. Now the challenge is what to do with this insight, if anything? I guess time will tell and I pray God will help me with those answers and lead me in the right directions.

With that said it is FRIENDSHIP week and as I searched for what it meant to be a good friend, I found a couple of lists and many of those points hit home and I thought I would share. Sometimes I wonder if I expect to much of others but in the end it is the very last sentence or two in blue that hits home for me . So I will continue to be the best friend I can be and remember some items below that get lost from time to time. Of course teaching the girls these points so as they get older they will know what it means to be a good friend/person. In the end, I hope those that I consider my friend will do the same for me.

Spend quality time together. If you can’t go for walks or to yoga class together, then telephone or email your friend regularly. The conversations needn’t be long or personal; those quick “I’m thinking of you” moments can go a long way in making a strong support network.

Be there for the good and bad. Show up for the funerals and the weddings, the surgeries and the celebrations! Be sincerely sad or genuinely happy for your friend – and include them on the good and bad in your life, too. One way to be a good friend is to be inclusive.

Don’t keep score. Who called who last? Who bought lunch last? Who spent the most on Christmas gifts? Who forgot whose birthday? Who cares? If you have a good friend, cut a little slack. If your friendship really isn’t that great, then maybe you need to re-evaluate it. The health benefits of friendship will outlast the score-keeping cards.

Notice the little things. The conversations that matter the most are the quick little ones that last only a few minutes. It’s not always the deep long heart-to-hearts that bond friends together -- it's the day to day minutiae of everyday life. One way to be a good friend is to have short, sweet conversations.

• Focus on the positive. We all have quirks and weaknesses; focusing on your friend’s strengths and wonderful qualities will keep your friendship alive and strong. To be a good friend, forget about the things you wish were different

Do not bad mouth you: A good friend does not bad mouth you or talk behind your back. A good friend is a friend you can trust and won't gossip about you.

Happy for you: A good friend never gets jealous on your success but would be happy for you. He celebrates your success and his success with you. When you are down and needs support he would be there to support and care about you. An ideal friend has a sensitive side which would make them understand others feelings. They may not be able to read your mind, but chances are they can usually tell when you're happy, sad, excited, shocked or upset. A good friend will likely know how to lift your spirits and make your day.

Giving: Good friends give more than what is asked. When they see a need they respond before the other has a chance to ask without expecting anything in return and without anyone knowing about it. Good friends are generous with their time, money, possessions and knowledge. Best of all they have a generous spirit
There is a saying that what you give is what you get back. The qualities you want in a friend should be the same that you are offering to someone else. How else can you expect to have good friends if you aren’t one yourself?

Until next time!