Monkeying around...

Busy days, sweet people (VERY LONG)

These last few weeks have been very busy, but the last few days have been exceptionally busy! Normally I would be freaking out by now, well honestly I was freaking out up until a few days ago. Though I have been feeling like some one had handed me a stack of things to do and that the stack was so high that things were falling from it faster than I could catch them, there have been some really cool things happen that have caused me to slow down, refocus and keep trudging along with a smile even! That's not to say that there is less for me to do, but I have been pondering on other things that have made me so proud and happy that I have forgotten to be stressed.

So on to what has made me so happy! Well, our life has been like a train ride lately with many stops along the way, or you might could say like a roller coaster with many highs and lows. I really hate the lows. It is so hard to be at this point in the military life. Saying good bye to people, places and activities is never easy, but it seems to be even more difficult now that everyone is older.

For me it is the idea of leaving what is familiar that scares me as I am not good with new places and learning to find my way around as I am directionally challenged. For the children it is the idea of leaving their friends and activities. But as a military family this is just a way of life that you have to accept, whether you like it or not. It just is what it is ya know!

This past Saturday my girls, who are on the gymnastics team, had their last practice. Some of the mothers of the other girls on the team threw a party for my family. A good-bye party. They were so sweet! There were compliments that were so touching that it made me cry. It is funny that the words of another, affirmation as well as compliments, can make my heart soar when I have been so frustrated and worried about the goings on in my life.

I have been thinking on the words spoken to me and my family so much so that I believe that I have been a better mother and wife. I think that it is because I always want to live up to the very sweet words spoken to me. It has made me more concious I guess, more aware of who I am, who I want to be, and the kind of mother I strive to be to my sweet children.

As an unschooling mother, I have more influence on my children than anyone. I am responsible for my part in helping to guide them in a healthy direction. I am responsible for helping them all I can along their learning journey as well. This responsibility is incredibly frightening sometimes. What keeps me on an even keel is the people I see my children becoming. Each time they learn a new skill all on their own timing with absolutely zero pressure from Jud or myself, each time I see them treat another with kindness and compassion just because they care, and each time I watch them commit a selfless act in order to make someone else's life a little easier and sweeter, I am reassured that I am making the right choices as a parent. Thanks to sweet people in our lives who have taken notice and complimented our family we now have icing on our cake we call life!

There are also times where I get nervous. There are times when I don't see a lot of progress educationally, and times when they don't get along with each other as I would like them to. And it seems as though God knows when I need a little good feed back from others around us in our day to day life. I have recently been going through a period of self doubt. Probably, well most likely, it is due to the chaos that our upcoming move causes for me. Each time we move I go through this yuckiness (is that a word???) It has been especially difficult for the children. I can see it in their personalities here lately. No one likes to say good bye.

I am kind of rambing on here I guess. But I need to stop here because I have an errand to run of course. I just wanted to convey my gratitude for the kind words, offers of amazing generosity from a coach at the gym where the girls go, and from the trainer at the barn where B rides, and for the sweet and very touching words from the mothers at the gym. I am so happy that my children have touched the lives of others in such a personal way that the people around them are reaching out to touch their hearts as well. It is such a beautiful high amongst the many lows we have suffered with here lately.

So thank you so very much, Keisha, Pam, Prairie, Buffy, and Carmen! I hope you will always know that you have left the sweetest marks on all our lives and that we will strive to pass on your kindness to others we meet throughout the years as well. We will miss you more than you know!

Love Dana, Justin, Z, B, P, F, and M