"What's going on behind those eyes of yours?"

I look all around me and my children are right beneath my feet in little puddles. It can be as simple as giving Max the wrong pastry, he gets red in the face and crocodile tears form and he begins to cry. (He does not like to cry and always tries holding it back).

Sophie is having the greatest difficulty with this new life of ours. She cannot express it with her words but I can tell by her argumentative behavior. She is constantly fighting and disobeying me about everything under the sun. My patience is wearing thin.

What happened to my (very irrational) and beautiful picture of my family? I have a tendency to not worry about "the uglies" in a situation until I am stuck right in the middle of them. I always hope for the best. Our kids have always rolled with our life and I assumed that they would do the same with this new life in Paris. I was so wrong.

After a very long day of trying to either step over or mop up my little puddles that I call Max and Sophie, I was exhausted.  I ended the day picking the wrong battle with my daughter.  Why I insisted that she go pee before bed, I do not know? When I say, I insisted, I mean, I really did!  Yelling at her, "now you get on that toilet and pee little girl!"  "But Mom, I can't, I promise" said Sophie, looking up at me from the toilet.  "You WILL go pee and I am going to stand here in this little closet of a room the French stick  their toilets in and pee!". Dan heard all the commotion and came in. I looked at him and said "you deal with her." He, very calmy tried explaining that she had pee'd in her bed two times this week and she needed to go pee. "" But Dad ......." , Sophie said. "But Sophie ......." Dad said, (his voice getting louder).

Shockingly, we were able to get the kids to bed and by this time Dan was looking at me like I was losing it. (Prior to the pee incident, Sophie was arguing with me about something and I literally said "Hey Sophie, watch me " and proceeded to put my hands over my ears singing" la la la la la la. "Real mature, I know. Not my proudest moment but the truth.

We are in the middle of a major transition. My rose colored glasses are off and my prescription lenses are on. Is this what people were trying to tell me about before I left?  This period of adjustment. It's not fun and the day after all the drama, I am spent.

I am a bit scared of this daughter of mine who is incredibly stubborn and argumentative. I am already fearing her teen years. It is so hard to see the kids struggling.  My heart physically aches for them. I know my Dad would tell me, "Kids are very resilient, they will be just fine."  I know that kids are strong but that Mother in me, who has a perpetual guilt complex, worries that I am scarring them forever. Is this amazing dream of mine turning into a nightmare for my little darlings?

"Sophie, I think if we go that way, we will find our way back home to Texas"

I am busy packing yet another suitcase to get on the road early and enjoy my family.  The kids are bouncing off the walls at the moment, excited to run along the beach and swim in the indoor pool.  Corpus Christi, here we come!

I had to buy the kids new swimsuits and I think Sophie liked hers.  She put it on over her jammies last night.  Love that girl!

Sophie prayed at bedtime last night and had me in entranced by her innocent image of God. 

When she prays, she often becomes deep in conversation with God telling Him what she thinks, feels and wants.  It is often hysterical to listen too.  Last night she started describing God by saying "I think you have one eye that you can see out of and another that you can't", she also said "I think your skin is the color of everyones skin, it's all mixed up".  She described Him as "having adult teeth and baby teeth, one side of his hair has straight hair and the other side has curly".

After she was finished I asked about "the one eye that He could not see out of".  She said "Well, we are a part of God and there are people that can't see and He knows what that feels like too".  Wowee Maui(!!!!) is what I thought and then Sophie being Sophie had me walking away laughing when she said "Oh, and sometimes his socks are stinky just like mine". 

The kids are doing great in the hotel.  They are enjoying the new environment and I think we are all embracing our small quarters.  

They now have a "secret spot" where they meet daily to discuss interesting topics such as horse grooming, "how to get our parents to buy us a horse", monster trucks, outer space and "how to get Mom and Dad to give us more money for allowance so we can  buy a pregnant horse" (that way they can each have thier own.)

 These secret meetings last for 30 minutes or more.  I must admit that every now and again I stand really close to the door and listen in.  I always walk away with tears streaming down my face.  If you ever want to know what six year olds talk about, meet me by our bathroom door and listen in.  It's a scream!

Is that what I think it is?

Lucky thing I checked this box before taping it up.........

I don't know that the storage facility is climate controlled............

I don't know about you but when I think of Paris, I think of romance, lights, architecture, food and history. 

I wondered what the kids would think of Paris last summer.  We were all pleasantly surprised at the fun that awaited them.  Paris is a wonderful place for young kids.  The parks alone are worth the trip.  Every park has a large play area, innovative playground equipment, merry-go-rounds, pony rides, and cotton candy.  Some have mini trampolines, zip lines (my husbands personal favorite), and large swings where the kids can almost reach the sky.

I think we hit about 5 parks in 9 days.  It was so fun to hear the melody of languages while sitting on the park bench watching the kids play. 

The kids had their last day of school and their Christmas party yesterday.  I know I go on and on about Texas and the amazing people but............THEY TRULY ARE! 

Miss Norris secretly compiled a special book for Max and Sophie with photographs of every student.  Each classmate drew a picture and wrote a special note.  I think 90% of the pictures had Max and Sophie standing next to each other holding hands.  I had to stop looking because the pages were becoming blurred by my tears.  All the Mom's and Dad's encouraged us and wished us the very best. 

I am just a little speck on this earth but God makes me and my family feel so special and so loved.  I deserve so much less, yet I ride "the gravy train" day after day.   

Thank you Durham Dragons.  We will see you in a couple of years!  D U R H A M.....
D R A G O N S!!!!!

Sophie loves the crazy boys!  One of the Mom's cornered me and told me that when her son heard the news of Sophie and Max moving, her son said "Oh man, Sophie laughs at all my jokes."

                                                                  My boys! 

We love you Miss Norris!  The sweetest, prettiest, kindest, most supportive, most    encouraging teacher in the whole wide world!

Max came home from school today and said "Mom, I have something for you".  He proceeded to dig through his pockets and pull out pieces of leaves, dried up dandelions and weeds.  He said "Mom, I picked this bouquet for you at recess but it got smooshed". 

Isn't it a beautiful mess?

Can someone please tell me when six year olds started giving their parents "attitude"?  I thought I had at least six more years before I had to deal with the roller coaster of emotions.  I was a moody "sun of a gun" when I was a teenager but not at six. 

Dan is so patient with Sophie while I want to tell her to "get a grip girl".  The following three pictures were taken within 3 seconds of each other. 

This is my life with my adorably charming, sweet, loving, funny, moody six year old daughter.  God bless her!  and me! 

She has two amazing boys in her life that love her to pieces. 

As I type this, my sweet curly girl has fallen asleep on the couch.  I glance over at her and I couldn't love her any more if I tried.  I have ALWAYS felt that we "get"  each other.  I love having a daughter like Sophie and at this moment, as I look at these pictures, I even love her moods.  She is never boring.

Sophie girl, be gentle to your Mom.....especially the teen years. 

Max walked gingerly off the school bus cupping his little hand.  "Mom, I lost my first tooth on the bus!"  "What.....M A X......tell me all about it".  I listened to his very special story, a little distracted by the blood smeared on his front teeth.   Max got more and more excited as I smiled and listened bursting out with cheers every now and again.   

Max knows a lot about tooth fairy's.  Let me educate you; they live in houses made from the baby teeth they collect, they have a key to every childs house in the world, they have glitter on their wings, and they are very shy.  Just in case you were wondering.