To my Friends and Family

To all those who know and love me,

My declaration of friendship and love:

1. I promise all of you that I will never lie to you unless forced by uncontrollable circumstances. Such as asking me if your fat that is a sure fire way to get me to tell a lie. Okay so maybe I might tell you a white lie now and again but just to spare your feelings. Overall, in most situations I will tell you the truth.
2. I will offer my opinion and suggestions only when asked. If I make the mistake of telling you what to do with your life please remind me of my declaration. The road less traveled is often the best one to choose.
3. Judging is something that remains for God to do. Even if I hate the new color of your bathroom which is the worst shade of orange. I shall not judge your poor taste.
4. Parenting! I'm not perfect that is all I have to say about parenting. Know that if if your kid bites my kid my kid might bite him/her back but no hard feelings.
5. Always know I'm a phone call away but the hours of operation are M-F from 9:00am-10pm.
6. My love is unconditional unless you lie first or you are just not a nice person. Consider our friendship over.
7. This one is only for family. Just because your family does not give you the right to disrespect me or anyone else. I will be the first to let you know and just know in the dark that someone is out to get you. Maybe that is a little harsh...
8. Life is to short to harbor resentments so I forgive the first, second and third offensives but it is time out after number 3.
9. Guess what is around the corner number 10 that is all I got for nine.
10. Finally, I want all my friends and family to know I got your back even when you fall. I know some of you guys are super tall but I have strong legs it's all good. Cherish the good times and work through the bad times but tomorrow is another day. Know that no secret is to hard to talk about and if I ever offend it is better to talk. Than hold on to the negative aftermath.

Converstations

When does talking about the coolest new trend become talking about how many poops your kid had in one day! When did talking about new art become the first time your kid said a curse word? I never thought that my children would become my whole world and control my adult conversations. I always wanted to debate about everything now I just want to have fun with my kids. We plan play dates for our children, vacations, and want to find places that are kid friendly to keep our kids entertained. I wonder what type of conversations people in different places all over the world have about their children. If mother's talk about poop in France or mother's in Africa worry about kid friendly restaurants. I feel blessed to have this life! A life which allows me to talk and worry about the little things my kids do and if they are happy. Being an American is a gift and having children in this country is a relief. We have medical care at our fingertips, government support when we need it, we are treasured people with many resources. Conversations can remain centered around our children and their needs.

Quiet

Quiet is such a great sound! When all day you hear are the loud screams of a 1 and 3 year boys playing. I savor the alone time and daydream of my younger days when all I had was alone time. I guess I never realized how valuable time is and how one should cherish every fleeting moment. I wake up and instantly feel very grateful to be alive and long for 48 hour days. Life is wonderful! My kids are amazing and I feel so proud to be a parent. I am glad that I choose to grow up and remain stable. To remain present and keep my focus on someone other than myself. Letting go of selfish intentions is a freeing experience. I want to remain open to life and all the roller coaster adventures that are thrown my way. The quiet helps me to reflect on the blessings and joy that God has given me. I take the best of the worst and make lemonade out of lemons. Sadness can be overcome with time and forgiveness can occur when you least expect it.

My Brother

Mom tells me today "Daniel is leaving mid-April for New York for good." I wanted to cry. I feel like I finally found my brother not that he was lost but we never knew much about each other. We are eight years apart and had very different childhoods. I left the house when he was ten and missed out on most of his football and basketball games. You know all of the cool stuff you do in high school. I did not see him go to prom or meet any of his high school girlfriends. I was gone for most of his teenage years when it would have been nice to have someone to lean on. I never have regrets or look back on past mistakes but I would have enjoyed seeing him grow up into a man. The brother I know now is amazing with kids, shy at times, very competitive, and funny. He is really funny when it comes to making fun of our parents! He is has a huge heart when it comes to family matters which makes him an ideal catch. I do not want him to leave because I feel like I have so much more to learn about him and from him. So, why is he moving? He met a girl he claims "she is the one" and I have all the hope in the world that indeed "she is the one". I want him to discover the world and hold on to his dreams. I want to see him soar in life. But, I know nothing about her and that scares me. Because, it makes me think he will slip away.Or worse yet we will both fade into our lives and forget we are brother and sister. Forget we have another person in the world that shares our DNA. Also, the weirdness that bonds us forever to our family. My Dear Brother, hold true to your dreams, keep your heart open to everything, and make your love strong and stable with her. But, most of all do not forget me!

Secrets

Secrets can be dangerous. What do people keep behind closed doors? Secrets can damage peoples lives and destroy families. What if one day you wake up and find your self living in someone else's lie? Secrets are not part of my mental makeup. But, every Mom knows little white lies can save a whole lot of time when you are dealing with toddlers and preschoolers. For the record I do my best to be honest with my kids even when it comes to the What is this question? I would never want to build a myth to big to follow. Secrets are feed to us on a daily bases! With advertising and sensational TV shows and those secrets almost justify the lie. We yearn for a life of normality and routine. I think lying is part of being human. It's not like we lie not to hurt people's feelings. We lie unconsciously. We use lies to cover when we arrive late to work or when we did not pay a bill on time. We tell ourselves lies to make life less shocking and hard to understand. Everyone is lied to and some lies are more damaging than others.

Adventures at Seaworld and PETA too

Adventures at Seaworld and PETA too!

• The Best Uncle on the block SUPER DANIEL!!!

Yep he was under the sea so to speak

He is half fish ya know!

Our Friendly sea lion and a person of interest for PETA.

Watch out Mr. Sea Lion your days are numbered at Seaworld.

Kamran and the Dolphins

It was pretty cool for him to be so close!

We went to seaworld this past weekend and we where greeted by middle aged protesters at the gates. The protesters belong to an organization know as PETA! Otherwise know as: People for the ethical treatment of animals.

Not only did the gates of Seaworld have protesters PETA had a plane circling over head and the message read-Free Whales.

So, I'm left to ponder................

• Why Ponder PETA?

My no meat Mantra!

In a life before kids I was once a vegetarian almost vegan (vegan people do not eat anything made from animals) for the purpose of being healthy and not consuming meat. I felt in my rebellious youth that all life should be respected and if you could not kill it yourself then you should not eat it.

The PETA plane worked in its subliminal message. Because my mind is wondering does Shamu need to spread its fin in the sea?

• I wonder what the world would look like if everyone stopped eating meat?
• Would chickens run around in people's front yards?
• Could Cows take dumps on my sidewalk?
• Would we spade and neuter the animals we used to eat?

I respect my animals friends almost enough not to eat them with my veggies. I think as humans on this planet we should worry about what scientists claim about heading for another ice age. We should be more concerned with cooling our planet. I understand the debate that animals release carbon and a ton of it when breed for the purpose of consumption. But, PETA why waste the carbon on a plane that you are using to create attention to free a whale that has lived in capacity for its whole life. Focus on one problem at a time and eat animals for now then cool the earth, and then stop eating animals. I guess my love for animals does not have the same intensity that most PETA supporters feel. All in all I felt a little guilty for looking at the mammals who share the same ancestral past as I. To sum up, I will remain an animal eater and Shamu will remain in captivity. On a side note the family had a great time! But, My oldest son has separation anxiety and I'm not sure how that is going to turn out! This could be a long battle because I love to travel and he does not. My kid is homebound!

Jake consuming a cold beverage Shamu style!

Jobless but not Lifeless

Peace comes from the weirdest places and when you least expect to feel serene. I lost my job well over a year ago and have yet to look back. I graduated college during my unemployment became a SAM full time which has it's days of bliss and chaos. I would never trade unemployment for time with my kids. However, not working has left me without a community of people. I get to see my boys grow, change, laugh, and cry. I become their everyday guide in life. I know my skill set is not 100% perfect for teaching children but what a wonderful time in all of our lives.