Just Cook This....

I'm using his Bruschetta Pasta recipe tonight. I love this guy, he's more amazing than Rachel Ray......did I just say that? Yes I did. He did in pretty much 1 min. not including the cooking time, what takes her 30 min. Ha! Love him....and he's cool!

Weight Watchers...and FPU??

Ok so I'm suppose to keep a log and count points. Not to mention put money in envelopes and anytime I want to pay for something I'm suppose to use the money in those envelopes. Which means losing weight and living on a budget. Seriously does anyone honestly live like this all at once?? Today is the first day attempting to live like this. We went shopping and I couldn't get the kid sweatpants at Old Navy because they were half my clothing budget. We ate out and the money came out of the grocery money so there goes milk for the week. I've gotta calculate the points for the Panera I consumed. Thankfully Panera is usually all organic, at least I got that part right. Is anyone else completely exhausted just thinking about being organized??? Off to make a point/budget/organic friendly dinner, and hope that theres enough for leftovers.

4th Grade Fun

So now that Perry is in a regular 4th Grade class for Language and Reading, theres all sorts of fun going on. He read Annie Sullivan, and I had just watched The Miracle Worker last week. So now tomorrow he's doing a fun "How to" project. He gets to stand in front of the class and explain how to do something. He chose how to make Kool-aid, which quite a few probably picked, except how many do you think chose the Kool-aid singles way? Hopefully none. We went with a visual, incase Mr. Chatty (not so much) decides to clam up, he's got a little something to point to. Not to mention he's Mr. Creative for sure, and I got fancy equiptment so we got super creative with the visual. It was all him, I just provided the supplies. He even typed his own letters on the Cricut! Wish you could see the "Shake it!" picture, he's got shadow's drawn to present the illusions of shaking....."he saw it in a book once..." He's brilliant!

Go to Girl.....

A few things are not my thing. We have established that. Hugs for one, although admittedly I am doing better. Teenagers, scare me. I tried the youthleader thing years ago (10) and well they're too moody for me.

So Layni had to break the news to Ashton when she picked her up from KY yesterday. I thought about how it would go down all day, and prayed for her, and cried for her during the worship service at church. Not even knowing that I would be part of her grieving process. She was suppose to go to youth group, but was way too sad for that to happen, so she ended up at my house. I was laying on the bed with Perry reading "Pigeon finds a Hot Dog" (fun voices we love fun voice books), when all the sudden theres a 14 year old girl at my bedroom door sobbing.....so the 10 year old boy was replaced by a 14 year old girl. Layni left her with me so she could take Maddie to church, and Ashton could decompress before going to a house who no longer has the "best dog in the world"......so she cried for about 10 min. and then we made BLT's......bacon is always good for the grieving process. I took her home, and she sat in the car for a minute just looking at the house. I said "just run upstairs and put your face in a pillow and scream...." These kind of moments of "being there" are priceless, hard but priceless. Teenagers may not be my thing but loving on one I can handle. God knows my limits.

Rest in Peace Sweet Poochie

This is Kalabou. She is my BFF Layni's dog. She passed away last night. I can't even remember when they obtained Kalabou, aka Ewjew....not sure how one would spell that but that's how it sounds when we say it. I'm pretty sure they had Ewjew before they had Harold in a Hurry (again another nickname, I get it from my dad). Ok I am disguising my grief with humor. Ewjew is primarily the reason I allowed my husband to get the big doofus of a dog we call Kipper. He's an Austrailian Shepherd, Ewjew was a Austrailian Shepherd mix. She was an amazingly great dog. Kipper will be someday when he's like 10 or something.

Why is it we sometimes feel sadder about the death of a pet than we do a human being? Cause they are so dang loyal. Humans are notorious at letting you down, a dog never will. You could be falling the heck appart about some stupid crisis in your life and your dog just wants to lick your face and snuggle. Humans aren't always in the mood. Give your poochie and extra squeeze tonight. Send up some words for Ashton, Layni's teenage daughter who doesn't know yet, but will find out tomorrow.

The Sexton's will miss you Ewjew.............

Coney Island

 

This picture cracks me up! That's Matthew my friend Weezer's little boy he's 4. They are in the barn in the little town at Coney Island. Perry loves small buildings, he could stay there all day.

Celebrate with Me!

I feel like I've just finished a super hard class on being assertive. I certainly passed with flying colors. If it wasn't for God having my back and about a bajillion people praying, I feel that it's very possible the whole situation would have consumed me. Now lets just hope my child won't need counseling when it's all said and done. And here is my song of celebration. I think Rob might be hotter than John......shhhhhhhhh......



When I was in the midst of the hardest part of the crisis...man the lyrics of this song are perfect.

Street Cred.....

Ok so I have this super important meeting at P's school on Friday with the Principle, Assistant Principle, and a women from special services (person from the district offices who is in charge of all things special education). So we have this super important meeting that requires us to do things that haven't ever been done, or if they are done it's quite rare. I'm all about stirring up some trouble....NOT......anyways it's all fine, at least it will be by the end of next week. But we went over it, and it's all good now. So after we are done doing official school business and we are just chatting. The special services women says, "I've been slightly distracted because your hair...is the same color as his shirt." She's now pointing to the principles LIME GREEN shirt. I slowly glace over take note of said shirt, and smile, thinking to myself....how does one get out of this one. I could run out of the room to check myself in a mirror and scream...."what the heck happened." Ignore her as though I do not speak her language. Look at her puzzled and not say a word., Possibly say " did you say GREEN HAIR, cause that's crazy talk I do not have green hair." Pretend I am color blind and mention that saying...."I see a brown shirt, not sure what color you see, can you tell me cause I don't see color." Nope not me none of those were possibilities, cause clearly I do indeed still have green hair. So I owned up to it and tell the story of me having my BFF do that to my hair on purpose. And they too could obtain green hair for approximately $2 for the packs of Kool-Aid, and a bottle of cheap conditioner. I also suggested coloring any grey hair cause if they did so it'd stay green for a very long time, even through a hair cut. I totally gained street cred right there in that super important meeting with official school administration.

FPU, GOD HELP ME!

Ok for the record. Dave Ramsey's principles are very very good, and he will help us I have no doubt. I just hate admitting my husband is right, and I hate agreeing with him because well he gloats, and that's annoying. So we all know I think Dave Ramsey knows what the heck he's talking about, I'm just going to be real sarcastic about it. Seems fair really, school stuff, IEP's, meetings, homework, and making sure the kids education is on track, that's my gig, I'll take it cause I've done well so far. Finances, and all things number related is his gig. Don't mess with my stuff and I won't mess with his stuff.....at least I'll try not to. We just have to encourage each other from time to time, letting each other know we're heading in the right direction.

So FPU.....Financial Peace University. Seems we signed 13 Wednesdays of our life away this evening, just like that gone. And at the end of those 13 weeks just in time for Christmas, we should be millionaires. SWEET.....I'll let you know how that goes....oh trust me you'll be hearing about it. Don't ask me to go out to lunch or dinner for the next 13 weeks unless you are buying. Just saying!

And so It Goes

Being able to see God work, in obvious ways this week is nothing short of amazing. So many folks have seen Gods work in my life this week I feel amazingly honored and unworthy to be called his servant. My prayer is always God you have to be obvious, cause I'm kind of dense then it comes to hearing you, and he always is!! I heard Gods voice often this week, which may seem weird to some folks but when you know that you know that you know....well you just know. One time it sounded a little something like this.

"There is much that the artist must trust. He must trust himself. He must trust his work. He must open himself to revelation, and that is an act of trust. The artist must never lose the trust of the child for the parent, not that of the father who knew only the "heights of disillusionment," but the trustworthiness of most of us flawed and fallen parents who nevertheless try to do the best we can for our children.

Jesus told us to call the Lord and Creator of us all Abba. Not only father or Sir or Lord, but Abba-Daddy- the small child's name for Father. Not Dad, the way Daddy becomes Dad when the children reach adolescence, but Daddy, the name of trust.

But how can we trust Abba who has let the world come to all the grief of the past centuries? Who has given us the terrible gift of free will with which we seem to be determined to destroy ourselves? We trust the one we call Abba as a child does, knowing what seems unreasonable now will be seen to have reason later."

~Madeleine L'Engle- Walking on Water

Sorry if that was really long or you didn't get it, but it spoke volumes to me.

I leave you with a picture of the P-man, it's actually for the lovely Mrs. Copeland...he's wearing her favorite shirt.

Stress.....Stress....Stress....

I'm stressed. I'm more stressed than I've ever been in my entire life. I don't think I was this stressed when I got married. Too much to do and not enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done doesn't help the stress level. If I might give a word of advice do not try to numb your stress with alcohol, it doesn't work. Well it does but you only forget about your problems for temporary. Maybe I didn't do it right, I didn't drink much, but I rarely drink so what I did drink was enough to make me loopy for a few hours and able to forget I had problems for a few hours but they didn't go away. God's a little better at helping with the stress. I was reminded I am doing the right thing in church today over and over and over again. The new teaching pastor is really great, his message was amazing this morning. Thanks God! To see said message go here, click on the message that says Joe Boyd, I think I may go view it again, it was that good.

So the oblivious child who is unaware that there is a problem with anything. Heck according to him there are "no bullies in his school, and no burgerlers in this town, everyones nice...." .....right....nice everyone, I'll get back to you on that one after another week of Grand Jury duty. So back to the kid antics during me freaking out cause I'm so damn stressed, he is playing the Sponge Bob theme song off the DVD so damn loud the entire house is shaking. Why me? I hate Sponge Bob (sorry Stacie)!!! Well it's bedtime so that's the end of that party. So then he's jumping on his bed while trying to straighten a SPONGE BOB poster on his magnetic strips behind his bed....JUMPING....again Why me? So I yell "for God sake lay down before I lose my dang mind!!!" To which he swiftly lays down gets under the covers, and yells...."Mommy don't lose your mind, I don't want to see you lose your mind!!" I seriously think it's too late!

Does he Even Know???

Does my child have any clue whatsoever, how much he is loved? How many lives he's touched in his short 10 years, so much so they'll go for bat for him no matter what? How much his educational future has occupied my every thought this week so much so that I was unable to concentrate to get my work done at work. I am sure they understand. This is why I am not in a position of any significant responsibility because um....my kid is more important. And kid responsibility is more fun than life insurance. Heck a trip to the gynecologist is more exciting than life insurance. Just saying....sorry I'm sure none of you needed that visual.
It would be very wrong of me to not mention a famous authors death today. Madeline L'Engle today at the age of 88. A Wrinkle in Time was a book that molded my childhood and made me an adventurous reader. And as an adult Walk on Water more rescently gave me an entirely new perspective on my creative life and how so closely related it is to my spiritual life. Heck I now think of them as one in the same. What an amazing author!
So I guess I owe my husband big time. 2 weekends in a row where he was forced to mingle among strangers, and put on a happy face and act like he was into the social scene. The reunion wasn't so bad since he could drink several beers to loosen up, and was able to socialize with strangers, and laugh at the folks from Mt. Healthy attempt to dance like they still got it. I honestly don't think I ever lost it, I just look way funny attempting to get my dance on like I did back in the day. Much fatter and older.....
Then there was the alumni picnic, where less booze was consumed....actually none by the respectable law abiding classmates. Of which I am one....hello park ranger.....things started getting a little tense at that point for Mr. Anti-social. He did know a few people who have been my friends before I knew him so he tolerated that with little to know complaining. Well then we hit the big time uncomfortable in you face social situation. Dinner at the senior pastors house. Hello Nigeria team. Now keep in mind I attend a church of several thousand, Ron knows maybe 2 people well enough to carry on a conversation of which he'd probably not start. I now have thrown him into a house full of people whom I barely know but have been praying for since the beginning of the Nigeria project. Not just that but they are church folks who are trained in the art of getting to know strangers. He was ready to go the minute he walked in the door and had to put on a nametag. Once he had some food and got to sit in his own space for a while without speaking to anyone he relaxed. And then when he saw what an intricate part of the team I was, and the thanks from many on the team for the praying I do......I think secretly he was impressed and proud of me.
For those of you praying in regards to the IEP meeting from HELL.....and I mean HELL......keep praying it ain't over yet, I'm afraid it'll be worse before it gets better. Most importantly I am doing this for what I feel is best for the P-man. And someday when he's an Artist/Missionary/hair dresser/president, he'll thank me!

I created....

And it felt so good, after the enormous amounts of stress I had today. And I didn't even go to work. Don't even ask.....not exactly the outcome I desired....will require for me to do a whole lot of grown up crap. So in order to get my mind off being a grown up, I played with Cloisonne.....that's right.....that ain't your mama's embossing enamel....do not be jealous that I have some, considering I don't think they make it anymore. I covered some chipboard with it and it was way way cool. If I get enough requests I'll post a picture. Continued prayers are much needed....they are working keep it up!

I might Barf....

Or cry. IEP meeting tomorrow. They never get any easier. They always seem to get harder. Doesn't matter I know what to expect. It's crazy. A whole new set of teacher I have to instruct on how to treat my child. Lets hope they are as accomidating as last year bunch or I might have to bust some ass!!!!! JUST SAYING!

Send up some words I don't barf, or cry, and I maintain my damn dignity! God uses Perry in special ways to touch people all the time let this school year be no different. Thanks God for a great kid!

She's having a Baby

Amy and I, originally uploaded by Yoda0419.

In California, and I'm sad, she's so far away! Oh this is Amy one of my very best friends from High School. We relived our college years this weekend, and danced like we were in our 20's. I suppose I could board a plane and go see her but that's like going to another planet. Plus the man and his budget. Class reunion was off the hook. Still recovering. Heres a link to the slide show of pictures. (click the word slide show.) If you click the "i" in the center of the picture on the slideshow it'll tell you who those people are. Enjoy.