Well the surprise party for my husband has been re-titled the reunion. That is fine because it really wasn't his birthday and it certainly was a reunion. I am so relieved that I don't have to hide things from him anymore. I didn't realize how hard that is for me to do. I really like to be open and honest and it was hard not telling the whole truth. He really enjoyed everyone being there and that was the plan. We have been having a lot of fun looking at the pictures on flicker. There used to be a cartoon in the paper that had a lot of kids in the family and they were always spread out in the picture with grandpa and the dog. That's what the pictures remind me of. We had two visiting golden retrievers too.

Family is a very special thing. The beginning unit of all socialization. It is very important to keep contact with your family of origin. As I watch other families interact which I often get the opportunity to do in my job. I am struck by the different ways parents show love to their kids. Some of the ways would be hard to recognize as love but that is what it is. Mom grabs the two year old and sets him on her lap as he screams in defiance. She lets him scream because she loves him. How will he learn discipline if he doesn't get the chance to experience consequences?

It is good to keep in contact with the family elders so you can learn about the beginning days and how it was then. How hard it was to make a living or walk that 5 miles in the snow to school. Stories are important to all of us. To feel the continuity and realize that someone cared enough to work hard to feed us and keep us on this earth. It is good for the elders to see the young ones struggling to raise their young and to watch the young ones play and laugh. Time is such a valuable thing and so hard to hold.