be the best Friend I can be

Yesterday I gave an easter basket and some eggs to my neighbor. I think they are pretty hard up, and I had a random giant box of easter stuff that was given to me at work. Sometimes they get donations of the oddest stuff, and it’s “Hey Liz, do you want these for Day Camp?” If not, they pretty much are on their way to the dumpster. So they really could care less what I do with the stuff. So instead of make up some oddball reason to give out easter stuff in the dead of summer (which I could certainly do), I just gave a few away to the needy moms I know.

I also gave one of my down friends a major pep talk yesterday. She’s having boy troubles and self esteem issues. I reminded her of how great she is. I told her to quit living life like there is an imaginary panel of judges critiquing her every move and just do her best and try to enjoy it! She told me I really cheered her up and acutally thanked me. I was glad to help…she’s an amazing person but she refuses to see it at times!

Emailed Julia just to say hi. And remind her that our mutual friend wants to say hi to her.

Sent Jessamy one of Autumn’s coloring projects in the mail.

Made 20 goodie bags for Bailie’s party.

Made Bailie the best darn present $25 could buy. We created a girlie/spa type gift basket. It looked great and was loaded with fun stuff – even though most of the stuff came from the dollar store!

Helped Krystle corral 15 crazy 6-10 year old girls during the birthday party.

Didn’t storm out when Krystle’s rude ass cousin showed up and started being a b-i to everyone, including me, for no apparent reason. I consider that alone an act of maturity and friendship. In my “old life”, I would have left immediately rather than patiently ignore her rudeness.

Met with Rachael for coffee today. I love Rachael. She’s awesome. However, she IS one of those friends that I feel awkward just “calling up”. It’s just my hangups, nothing she’s ever done.

Today we met up so she could look at my porfolio, which made it easy to call her and request a get together. I’m going to do her wedding photography for just my costs, as a wedding gift to her and Bryce. But when I called her to meet up, I did leave a message saying I missed her and I wanted to hang out. Which I feel awkward saying, but who wouldn’t love hearing that someone wants to see you and is missing you?

Oh, yes…

and I was a good friend to my mom wednesday, when I stayed up really late into the night downloading music and then making her a mix tape of her favorite songs. She doesn’t really understand how the internet works so she couldn’t do it herself. I delivered it to her house yesterday and she’s been driving my dad crazy with it ever since.

Yesterday I was out and about and needed to pick up tickets to a local children’s easter event for Autumn. It ocurred to me that since I was already planning to take Autumn, maybe we should invite some of her little buddies that she doesn’t often see. I called Lori and Nena to see if their kids (and they) would like to accompany us.

I ended up picking up tickets for both of them. Not only was I thinking of them and wanting to spending time with them…now we have a firm date!

I’ve fallen really behind on this goal. It’s depressing, because I began with such a bang. I am NOT going to let myself slump completely, and I’m not going to give up. I’m just going to make up for it by redoubling my efforts.

Yesterday, I took Autumn and we did a “mom’s and kid’s” play date at J and M’s house. They are our new friends, and a good time was had by all.

She invited us to M’s birthday, and I offered to come and help out since 20 5-6 year old’s can be a killer. I would’ve jumped at an invite for help to Autumn’s birthday party so I felt like it would be a nice gesture.

Also, I called Savannah’s mom and found out that she had a baby boy. She was on my mind, I was worrying about the baby and hoping for the best. Hooray! I’m going to take up a collection at Daisies for a small gift for him. Also, maybe something small for Savannah as a good big sister! I don’t know Savannah’s mom very well, they are very reserved at meetings, but I wanted to extend an offer for help and a congratulations anyway.

I emailed Jessamy and let her know that I want to get together this next week. We are probably going to do it Saturday.

I emailed Ryan (from camp) and congratulated him on his trip to China. He emailed me back so it was nice to be able to touch base with him in the “off season”.

Tonight I’m going to try and email as many of my friends as possible and see how they are doing.

I uploaded a picture from two years ago and emailed it to a friend who is away at college. It is a picture of her that I took. She is wearing real moose antlers on her head. They weigh about 40 lbs, and she has them masking taped to her head and was running around acting moose-like at camp.

We almost peed ourselves that day, with uncontrollable laughter.

I sent it to her because I thought it would make her day to remember it. It sure made mine.

While at Autumn’s carnival for school, we entered the “kangaroo raffles”. They are just basically gift baskets with donated items, and the money raised goes to the teahcers for classroom supplies. So I spent $15, for the cause. I let Autumn drop the tickets in all the ones she wanted to try for, and then I dropped one in this amazing “super heroes” themed basket. It was a little boy’s dream…about $200 worth of spidey, batman and superman action figures, toys, gloves, hats, balls…etc. Just awesome. And we won!!!!! Autumn picked out a few things that were more gender neutral and I took the basket to the boys today. You could not, in the world, imagine how their squeels of delight made me feel. What a joy for a little kid, to get a giant basket unexpectedly, filled with delights, and it’s not your birthday or christmas. They hugged me, they kissed me, they played without fighting for an hour while I visited with Nena. What a great, great thing that we won and could give them such a fabulous surprise. It so made my day!

I finally printed photographs I had taken at Christmas of Autumn’s friends and their parents and was able to hand them out to everyone.