Jazzy and Damon

We moved to Oregon when I was five years old. As a young man from Louisiana, who was used to swamps and flat land, the white capped mountains of the Cascade range were an amazing change of scenery.
Moving is always difficult, especially when a child has to leave friends; and this move across the entire United States, just added to the difficulty, despite the wondrous mountains.

Just after we moved into a new neighborhood, when I was six, I met Destry Williams. He would soon become my new best friend. Destry and I were inseparable, riding our bikes everywhere, spending the night at each other’s houses, and just hanging out.

I will never forget about the fact that he loved sweet pickles. Every time I would go to his house, we would raid his pantry for sweet pickles, eating the entire jar.

Its funny, the memories we keep from our childhoods. I knew Destry for about a year…and then we moved; that was 32 years ago.
Childhood friends can be a powerful thing in a kids life, and you never know when you are going to find one.

When we decided to move into a bigger house two years ago, we knew that the move would be difficult on the children.

Especially on Lindsey, who just loved the little house we called home. When we packed up…she just cried. This much bigger house was a big adjustment for us all; and I knew the task at hand was figuring out how to keep that close family feel, in a large home.
Not long after we settled in, we met Jazzy and Damon, two kids from a neighboring house behind ours. They are the same ages as the older girls, and Christian; and the children really seemed to hit it off with them.

I mentioned before that this move was difficult for Lindsey; but after she came to know Jazzy better, the pain seemed to diminish. It did not take long before these two kids were a part of our family.

I have to say that these two guys are terrific children, and have made great friends for the top three, (that’s what I call the oldest three children). The only problem I have is trying to keep up with who was the last to spend the night. “Was it Damon, or was it Jazzy?”

You better believe that if I mess this up, the other parties involved get very upset. Not to mention the fact that this problem has become a “Guys against the Girls issue!

Poor Christian, since he is one brother against five sisters, he has the opinion that he should be able to have Damon over twice for every time he has to endure another girl in the house. This opinion almost got him killed the other day…it was close.

The other challenge for me, you know, as the parent, is that if Jazzy or Damon are within a one mile radius of the house; Christian, Julieann, and Lindsey, all feel as though I need to feed them.

I cannot tell you how many times I have been bringing dinner into the dinning room, only to find two extra heads sitting there! Do you have any idea what it is like to feed 10 heads on a regular basis?

Here, let me show you; grab your bottom lip…and yank it over your forehead. There, now, please pass the gravy.
A few months ago, Christian came up to me and stated that Damon was moving in for the rest of the summer vacation; with about five weeks to go.

Now, he didn’t ask me mind you, he just simply thought I would like to know. Cheryl took it upon herself to set him up a bed in Christian’s room, and as I made my way up the stairs, Damon was moving his stuff in; the kid is 11 years old!

The next day, I went grocery shopping. It could be because, as a father, I carry a little guilt knowing that I failed at producing a brother for Christian; or it could be because I realize how important childhood friends are.

Either way, he moved in for awhile, and I got busy with dinner!
Jason, father of six.