Friends...

Middle school girls are cute huh? However....they can be moody, mean, jealous, and just downright fickle. BUT, Chloe and her cute friend Lauren seem to be able to avoid that with each other...Lauren helps Chloe be a better friend and Chloe does the same for her. They are so darn cute, and they are funny and they are good to each other. I have had my fair share of  the drama from Chloe and Caeley's friends...it happens at this age. And I am not one of those parents that think that their child is always without blame. I know they give it back too. BUT as a mother of 4 daughters I should be having conversations about what to do and NOT to do in a friendship. How NOT to act. How to admit when you are wrong or unkind , how NOT to pout, ignore, roll eyes, and gossip about your friends. I am constantly lecturing the girls on what NOT to do. I tell them before any school or church function..." don't pout if things don't go your way, don't leave another friend when someone better comes along,  don't invite a bunch of friends to do something and leave out ONE girl, don't act moody, include everyone the best you can...and last but not least...don't say one thing until you get home and then you can vent to your mom and sisters and be done with it" .For those of you with young daughters,,be warned..this list is from personal experience and it will probably happen to you! hahaha. I am probably doing this whole parenting thing all wrong, but I am taking my own advice and  trying to be better friend myself:) if evryone  did this how happy we would be with all our wonderful friends.

Caeley...

This first-born daughter of mine is quite unique...She never ceases to surprise me with her humor or her insights to the world. She is compassionate and tries really hard to be a good friend to her friends...She has friends coming out of the woodwork. Her phone goes off a thousand times a day with the buzz of summer plans. She is always smiling and really is such a sweet girl. She is a mother hen to the 4 other apparently helpless siblings... she likes to micro-manage them all.  I often find myself saying" I am the mother, and I will take over from here, thanks though":) then comes the slight eye-roll...like I can't manage on my own. I know I am under water most of the time, but I really do have my "stuff" together. She is growing up so quickly and I find myself realizing how little time I have left with her before she speads her wings and flies. I find myself asking " have I taught her everything she will need to know out there? Like, nothing good happens after 11pm and go with someone EVERYWHERE. I know, I watch way too many "Datelines"....I silently pray for a good young man to be worthy of her someday and hope he is being raised by loving parents who are good and kind to him. Ugh, its hard having a daughter, let alone FOUR!! She wants to do so many things and live for every minute and I can't wait to see what life holds for her....just not yet...is it bad to wish the clock would just slow down? ;)

The Hundred Dresses

As a mother to 4 daughters I often look for creative ways to teach the value of friendship. More often than not I probably fall short, but then I pull out our worn copy of The Hundred Dresses and I sit all 4 girls down and we read. It only takes us two nights to read the 7 chapters and at the end my girls roll their eyes as I tear up yet again...but this book is to to be cherished ...
It tells the sweet yet simple story of a humble girl and the love of a dress. or a hundred. After we read, I let the girls sketch a favorite dress that they would love to wear...this summer my idea is to make one of their sketches...
I think the best part about this little story is the lesson that can be learned. that no matter what we look like or what we wear or what we WISH we wore, we are all wonderful and talented and lovely...each in our own way:)

Cj and Caeley - Besties.. These two love each other. they are good friends. they laugh and tell each other everything:) Kinda sweet.