Why Such The Spot?

You may be wondering who on Earth would name a blog something as nonsensical and ridiculous as “Such the Spot.” Well, you need look no further; I claim full responsibility for the name, sensible or not.  Here’s the scoop:

A long time ago, when my life was far less cheery, one of my best friends and I spent one evening each week commiserating about the valleys we both were trudging through at the time. We’d sit on the front porch of my two-bedroom rental and–glasses filled with Boones Farm wine (classy, I know)–we’d raise a toast to better days on the horizon. Over the course of that summer we spent hours there in that spot, spilling our dreams, fears, and confessions. At some point our weekly ritual became less of a misery fest and more of a celebration.  I admit that I’m using that term loosely, but it seemed that in delving deep into the pittiest pits of our lives we somehow found comfort in each others sorrow and hope in each others stories.  And one night–the wine turning everything fuzzy around the edges–I declared our little place, you guessed it, such the spot.

I realize that grammatically speaking it should have been pronounced such a great spot, or such a happy spot, or something equally sensible.  In my defense though, I was born and raised in California where when someone utters a phrase like, “I’m so over this pair of jeans,” or “Could you be any more annoying?” no one so much as raises an eyebrow. Such the spot was sort of like that: perfectly logical in context.

At the risk of sounding overly cheesy, I hope that my little blog here will eventually become a place where friends and friends-to-be flock to.  Sort of a virtual ’such the spot’ where we come together.  A place where reality is simplified and happiness is multiplied. : )

I’m Darcie.  Nice to meet you.

I’m a  wife and stay-home mom to four knock-your-socks off kids.  I grew up in a little spot called Paso Robles, California.  As the oldest of three, I spent a lot of time torturing my two younger brothers in the most creative ways I could think of at the time, including forcing them to drink warm tap water in which I’d dilute about a ½ cup of salt.  I know, pure genius right?  Once they were big enough to fight back I vowed to change my evil ways and focused instead on passing notes in class my studies, and boys age-appropriate social interactions.

Since then, I’ve experienced a number of defining moments that indeed helped shape my life.  The first of those was when I became a mother at the ripe old age of sixteen.  It was right around that time that the curse my mother put on me (you know, the whole “I hope you have a daughter who is just like you” thing) started running on a continuous audio loop through my head.  I’ve prayed since the moment my daughter was born that she is wise enough to choose a path that doesn’t lead in that same direction.

A brief but tumultuous five years later I welcomed my third daughter.  I immediately noticed some differences in her appearance but it was still an unimaginable shock when an inexperienced student doctor dropped a huge bomb on me while I sat alone in my hospital room: my baby had Down syndrome.  The grief, anger, denial, and eventual acceptance of her diagnosis proved to be quite a growing experience for me and though it lasted far longer than a moment, I view it as yet another of those defining instances in my life.

We’re going to fast forward through lots of joy and tears, a broken marriage, a few cross-country moves and countless lessons learned until we reach present day.  I am a married mother of four living a life that I give thanks for each day. In spite of daily complexities and struggles, I truly view these days as splendid beyond compare.  I wholeheartedly believe that God used the many tribulations in my past to strengthen me and mold me into someone capable and brave enough to face the uncertainties of tomorrow.  Though I’ve let Him down countless times in countless ways, I do try to live my days in a manner that will put a smile in His heart.

My Peeps

Jeff { 1 year, three weeks, and one day younger than me }

What he does that drives me crazy: Piddles. And procrastinates.
Why I’m crazy for him anyway: I believe without a doubt that he is the other pea meant for my pod.
Inquiring minds want to know: I’m lucky to have married a husband who is blessed in both the looks and brains department. He was born and raised in Texas and for that I have lovingly dubbed him my cowboy, though a cowboy he most certainly is not. In fact the only remnant of any Texas-isms I’ve noticed in him is the occasional inclination to include the term “ya’ll” in his speech as though it’s a legitimate plural pronoun. He likes to say that he “went to school in New York,” but what he really means by that is that he spent four long years at West Point before serving five more as an officer in the Army. When that sixtieth month of service rolled around he was more than ready to bid the military life adieu and move on to bigger and better things. Nowadays he works as a rocket scientist (and how many people can honestly say that) here in sunny Arizona. He makes me laugh on a daily basis. He’s lighthearted, yet ambitious. He’s creative, giving, and arguably the best giver of back massages on the planet.

Torri {15, going on 30}

What she does that drives me crazy: Leaves dirty clothes on the bathroom floor.
Why I’m crazy for her anyway: I admire her sense of self (commendable for anyone, but especially a teenager).
Inquiring minds want to know: This is God’s answer to my mother’s prayers that I eventually have a daughter who turns out just like me. I suppose Torri is my mini-me. In part, I’m thankful for that because I think I turned out okay, but in part she leaves me banging my head against the wall for some degree of stress relief. She is, by all accounts, a great kid for whom I am thankful. It’s just that the whole teenage thing leaves me scratching my head sometimes wondering who abducted my sweet girl and replaced her with this impostor who second guesses every move I make and rolls her eyes so frequently that I am beginning to wonder if she needs to see an ophthalmologist. Raging hormones aside, Torri is both beautiful and smart. So smart, in fact, that her spot-on humor and writing ability take me by surprise. She is an avid reader and a lover of iPods. She is capable and confident (rightfully so). While I truly miss the nuances of her childhood, I look forward with eager anticipation to seeing the brilliant big picture she paints upon her blank canvas.

Kennedy {11}

What she does that drives me crazy: Mumbles.
Why I’m crazy for her anyway: She makes me smile when I need it most.
Inquiring minds want to know: It’s not unusual for a conversation with this child to leave me wondering how on Earth I ever made it this far in life without an ounce of knowledge on anything. Typically I’m not a big believer in stereotypes but in her case, I have to blame her stubbornness on the hue of her hair. The kid honestly can’t be coerced. It will be 112 degrees outside and she’ll insist that the ensemble she has chosen to wear to school simply wouldn’t be complete without a fur coat. Then, just to spite me, she’ll suffer through and wear the coat all day long to prove she was right after all: she didn’t get hot. Luckily, her teachers and friends aren’t privy to that side of her. She has always been an excellent student, even winning the 3rd grade spelling bee only to be brought down at the district level by the word “aspen”. I mean c’mon. Who knew trees would be on the list? Second only to her brains is her wit. She is a crack up. I carry a little notebook around with me in my purse for the sole purpose of quoting the crazy things that come from the mouths of my babes. Kennedy’s comments top the list. I’m sure I’ll be sharing plenty of them with you all in the weeks and months to come.

Cassidy {9}

What she does that drives me crazy: Says “what” every time I speak to her even though she heard me perfectly well the first time.
Why I’m crazy about her anyway: She has taught me patience. And to look at things through different eyes.
Inquiring minds want to know: Sheesh. What can I say about Cassidy? The doctors told me she was born with an extra chromosome and that it would result in her being a slow learner among other things. What they neglected to tell me was that her 47th chromosome was encoded with super sonic genetic material that would eventually render her the most popular kid on the planet. Going to the grocery store with Cass is like traveling with Brangelina. While I’m checking apples for bruises in produce some kid yells out from the dairy case, “Hey Mom, look! It’s Cassidy.” I swear she’s the Pied Piper reincarnate. You got to love a kid who has her own cult following, but even without that she is pretty darn special. She is fearless and forgiving, energetic and curious. She possesses a degree of innocence unlike anything I’ve ever encountered.

Jayce {2}

What he does that drives me crazy: insists that “Jayce do it” anytime I try to help him with anything.
Why I love him anyway: He is too adorable to stay mad at.
Inquiring minds want to know: Jayce is a solid boy. He was born big, and with the exception of a brief time when the whole breastfeeding thing went awry, he has stayed big. And though I may be a tad partial, I must say that he’s a good-looking kid. We can’t take him anywhere without someone commenting on his big blue eyes. Jeff and I were really hoping for brown, but it appears blue will have to suffice. It’s all good though; all the girls have blue eyes so now we have a matching set. Jayce is a relatively quiet kid, though he adores all the attention his sisters give him. Since I’ve picked on everybody else in their mini-bio’s it wouldn’t be right to let Jayce escape the tirade. He’s an obstinate little guy.  His determination to do everything on his own is something that part of me is grateful for while the other part of me rebels.  Often times if I’ve overstepped my boundaries by turning a light on he will have to go back and turn it off and then on again himself.  I’m sure the neighbors think we’re giving some sort of flashing light code for drug deals or something.  Aside from that (well including that actually) he’s simply adorable.  Especially when he walks around the backyard wearing only his Diego underwear and his Spiderman knee and elbow pads.  Simply irresistible.