Take It Off!

 

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I'm wanting to take it off. Just be done with it. Who needs it anyway? That's right. I'm talking about my hair. I'm ready for a new look. Something different, daring, and fun. I've grown my hair out long enough. First of all my hair takes FOREVER to grow...and by the time I get it long enough, it starts to get dry and frizzy and I can't stand it. So, I'm taking the plunge.

I've been a fan of Meg Ryan for years. Her medium length, choppy bobs are a favorite. The picture above is one of my absolute favorite of her hair styles. I'm thinking that I will try for this look. I realize that I will not look as cute as she does (I wish!) but, hey it could still work for me. The hair is still long enough to pull back if I feel like it, yet still looks cute if I wear it down straight. Yep. This is the one.

Now, that I'm T-tapping on a near daily basis, eating better, and making sure to take my multi-vitamins/supplements...I feel like I should put some "zip" back into my look. And for those of you out there, that doubt me, a woman in her early 40's can still have "zip". Get back with me in a few more months and I'll prove it!

1. Getting a good hair cut, might not be life changing...but, it can feel like it!

2. Hair is a big deal.

3. That is why women are grumpy if they are having a bad hair day.

4. A woman's hair is her crowning glory.

5. A good stylist is worth every penny.

6. Even if a hair cut is not exactly what you wanted, or even down right bad, hair DOES grow back. Lesson learned.

7. A secret...I've cut my own hair before. Not often. But, I have done it.

8. I let my husband cut my hair before, too. He actually did a pretty good job.

9. I love being a blond.

10. Mousse and hair spray can be a girls best friend. As can barrettes and hair clips. Just sayin'.

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With A Thankful Heart

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As we are heading into the Thanksgiving season, I am taking time to think on those things that I am thankful for. In the midst of life's urgent moments, frustrations, and chaos, it is good to slow down and remind oneself to take pause and say thank you. Each of us has much to be grateful for...

1. My very real relationship with Jesus Christ. It is because of this relationship that all other things make sense.

2. God's Patience with me. For all the times I mess up, and yet He loves me.

3. My heavenly Father's faithfulness. I can always count on Him.

4. God's blessings. He has blessed me in ways that I do not deserve.

5. Family...that loves me. People that love me through thick and thin. Through the smiles and the tears.

6. New friends. Old friends.

7. For Saturdays

8. Full Moon

9. Getting to sleep in.

10. Rainy days with a good book.

11. That bad days usually don't last.

12. Beautiful Fall leaves.

13. Being ABLE to exercise. For hands and feet and legs and arms that work.

14. Hot chocolate.

15. Quiet times.

16. For my blogging buddies. Getting to see their lives through their eyes. For making me laugh out loud:)

17. Warm clothes.

18. A husband that loves me. That reminds me that he is here ALWAYS.

19. For being a mom.

20. For healthy, funny, nerve wracking, nutty, confusing children.

21. A family that loves me. When I'm mother of the year, or a pain in the neck.

22. A mother who loves me.

23. In-laws that accept me, and love me.

24. Good memories.

25. My health.

26. That all sadness usually passes.

27. I am even thankful for the hard times, the sad times, the painful times....because, it is in light of these times that everything else seems so much sweeter.

28. Church

29. Connections

30. Being able to help special needs individuals.

31. Love

32. Feeling useful.

33. My computer.

34. Sunrises/Sunsets

35. Seasons of the year

36. Seasons of life

37. Prayer

38. Pets

39. Classic movies

40. My country.

41. The privilege of voting.

42. Freedom.

43. Flavored coffee in a favorite mug.

44. Forgiveness.

45. Having yet another day to be thankful.

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What I Want To Be When I Grow Up

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What I want to be when I grow up.....hmmm......

I ask my children about their interests. What do they want to be when they grow up? I get all sorts of answers. Each of my kiddos is soooo very different. Youth minister, IT specialist, chef, car designer, missionary, vet, attorney, own a ranch, live in the city, live in the country, live in Australia, or Ireland or Seattle. So....who knows? All of my children are intelligent and capable. Whatever they set their mind to do, they will do it. I have no doubt.

When I was growing up I decided at around 16 years of age, that I wanted to be a special education teacher. ( if you want to know more detailed information on that, you need to research my past blog entries) I volunteered for the Special Olympics, worked at group homes for developmentally disabled adults, worked camps each summer for special needs individuals, did an independent study during my senior year in high school at a spec. ed preschool, taught Sunday School for disabled people/was a peer buddy, and then graduated from college with a degree in special education and taught for 17 years. Now I do special education consulting for families. It is a passion of mine, if you hadn't already guessed.

Maybe some day, God will direct me/help me to become the "Erin Brockovich" of special education. Fighting for those who have no voice. I know people personally who are having to argue with  the system on a daily basis to get even the smallest of help for their disabled child. It frustrates me to no end. I do not understand how drug addicts, alcoholics, even sexual predators can get help...and yet, children who can't walk, are mostly non-verbal, need help even doing the most basic of self help skills can get nothing. I'm not talking "hand outs", I'm merely asking why not give them a break? I'm tired of hearing the system tell the parents, "You make too much money for us to help you." (What?!! A middle class salary is hardly going to cut it, when therapies can run a hundred dollars an hour, or equipment can run into the thousands! And this doesn't even take into account the fact that families may have other children that they are also providing for!) So, should we convey to these parents that their children don't matter? Or "Sorry, but the school system has a tight budget this year, we're spread really thin." (Excuse me, but who cares? You, Mr. School Administrator get federal money for special ed. services. Ever heard of IDEIA? (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act) What do you mean that using a communication device is not necessary? Let's see, a machine that will talk for the child, or him not being able to communicate at all? Is this REALLY a choice?

Like most other businesses...the business of special education or special services for disabled adults is just that A BUSINESS. Somewhere along the way the "powers that be" have lost their heart for those who are less fortunate. Those who cry, but don't shed tears. Those who know what they want to say, but can't speak. Those who run in their mind, yet have legs that won't cooperate.

Some might say that I am overly excited about this issue. That I am blowing things out of proportion. That things will "work themselves out".  Um....when? Who is going to work it out? May I quote you on that? Right now it is a bureaucratic pit of red tape. In the meantime, little is changing. Little is getting done. Time is ticking. Early intervention is going by the wayside. My fear is that health care will not be for those who are the weakest among us. Some of the elite don't believe the lives of the disabled are worthy of treatment, after all, how are they going to improve society? How will they contribute? What can they DO??? Therapies, equipment or supplements are not deemed "necessary". Not necessary for whom? It is heart breaking. And frustrating.

And yet.....my desire is to make a difference. To be a voice. I speak out whenever I get the opportunity. I help where I can.

 

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Living The Life

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As many of you know I am a former, public school, special education teacher. (mouthful, huh?) I loved my job because I loved my students--and their parents. (most of the time) Four years ago I resigned from my teaching career of 17 years to come home. I, with my husband, home educate our own three kiddos. It's not just a job. It's an adventure. I'm not talking an adventure, like back backing through Europe. I'm thinking more like living in the trenches in Cambodia. Just teasing. No, really I am. Seriously, people. It's not Cambodia on most days. Well, unless it is a day that everyone wakes in a bad mood and Dad and I haven't had our coffee yet. Then we're talkin' serious guerilla warfare. Just sayin'.  All in all our kiddos are intelligent, well rounded, and they drive us nuts. On occasion. But, would they be teens if they didn't? It's part of the circle of life. I just secretly smile, because I know that one day they will get theirs. God will bless them with children in their spittin' image. And I will laugh on the inside....because as a grandparent I will spoil my grandkids absolutely rotten (as is my grandparental right) and I will send them back home TO THEIR PARENTS. And I will sleep like a baby:)

TEN REASONS I LOVE HOME SCHOOLING:

1. I know what my children are studying. This is important to me...because I've been on "the other side of the fence", and I know some of the off the wall stuff that is taught in schools, under the guise of character training, or student enlightenment.

2. We can work at odd hours if the need arises.

3. We are not chained to calendars or clocks.

4. My children are readers. They read on a myriad number of subjects, not just assigned textbooks. I learn many things from my own children because of things they've seen or read.

5. The kids interact with people of all ages, from toddlers to the elderly. This opens the world up to new relationships.

6. The kids learn to figure things out on their own. They are excellent problem solvers.

7.  They understand that all of life is a learning experience. It doesn't end after graduation.

8. We can work in our pajamas if we so choose.

9. The kids are still kids. We all have our ups and downs. No one is perfect. They do know that they are loved. They are not scared to go to school.

10. It's really cool that I, as the teacher, can smooch on the "principal" during lunch break, and I won't get in trouble. Yep. There are definitely some perks to this lifestyle:)

Helen Keller had it right when she said, "Life is an adventure...or nothing at all."

 

 

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What Is The Point?

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What is the point of dusting? Seriously. It just comes back two seconds after I finish dusting. It's insidious like that. As I sit here, and the early morning sun is streaming through the kitchen windows, I notice that the counter top has a film of dust on it. For cryin' out loud. I wiped the whole thing down last evening. Last night my son announced that we had dust webs around the living room light that hangs from the ceiling. Sure enough he was telling the truth. Where is the stinkin' broom?! I got those down. In my defense, a lot of the dust you can't see, unless the light hits it just right. Maybe I should only put the lowest wattage of light bulbs in the house...so we all can just live in the shadows. Dust wouldn't matter so much then. Right?

TEN REASONS I HATE DUST:

1. Feather dusters are a joke. It just swishes the dust around. Who thought of those anyway?

2. Dusting never is done because there is gunk in the air that settles on everything. Gunk you can't really see until it lands on your living room table. Or counters. Or lights. Or window sills. Or........

3. Early morning light is the worst for showing up dust. Maybe I will wear dark sunglasses INSIDE during the early morning hours. It will help me not notice the dust.

4. Furniture polish just smears dust around, but it usually smells lemon-y, so I guess it is okay. My dust at least smells good.

5. I try not to think about the teeny tiny dust mites that are in all this dust. It grosses me out. And causes me to itch. It's all in my head, but still... Notice I said IN my head, not ON my head. Okay. I'm really freaking myself out.

6. Thank goodness I don't have dust allergies, because if that were the case I'd have to give up dusting altogether...for health reasons of course. Wait a minute. How can I get a dust allergy? I have one of those machines that is supposed to suck all the dust/allergens out of the air. I don't have it plugged in right now. I guess I should.

7.I live in a house where we made the decision to have a colored concrete floor. The floor is different and unusual. I like that. I do not like that there is nothing for the dust to cling to...thus, creating dust bunnies the size of tumbleweeds. I am forever trying to catch those little nuisances before they morph into a dust monster that will devour us all. Don't laugh. My family might end up on the front page of the Enquirer as the family that was EATEN BY A MONSTER DUST BUNNY. That would be sad. And embarrassing.

8. I love my dust buster, 'cause I love to bust some dust. I love the machine more than the dust. But, whatever.

9. I also love my vaccum. If one has to clean she can at least have machines with powerful motors. My vacuum has a big head light and sounds like a 747 getting ready to take off. I LOVE it. The cat, not so much.

10. I guess I should quit wasting time and get busy dusting. AGAIN.

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Who Let The Birds In?

FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!!!

It happened this morning while I was sitting on the toilet. Once again, I was minding my own business when I heard it. It started as a scratching sound and went into full blown flapping of wings. The vent that was to the side of me and above my head, the vent that one can hear attic noises in...it would have scared the pee out of me, if I hadn't already done that. As I was sitting there and all the flapping commenced, I had a brief Alfred Hitchcock moment. What if that bird comes in through the bathroom vent and in a fit of terror, pecks me to death? First spiders try to attack me in the bathroom, and then a stinkin' mouse, now a crazed bird. And the thing is....this is a BRAND NEW house. We do not live in a dump that any vermin can just call home. Wait a minute. I guess we do live in a house that vermin can call home. (and no I'm not talking about me and my family)

1. Now someone (not me) is going to have to go up to the attic and find the scared bird and shoo it out a window. How it got in, I do not know. I suggest the brave soul wear a plastic shield over their face, in case the bird DOES pull an Alfred Hitchcock. I don't even want to think about the fact that a scared bird has probably poo'd on our valuable possessions in the attic. Sigh. I hope our Christmas decorations will not have white goop on them.

2. We caught a mouse behind the kitchen trashcan. I am about over the mouse situation. I do not care if we moved to the country. I do not care that we live in a field. I do not care that the walls of our house are warm and snug for a mouse's home. I do not like scratchy noises in the walls. I do not like a mouse to be heard as I am fixing my morning breakfast. As God as my witness, if a mouse comes flying out at me when I open a cabinet in the wee hours of the morning--when I'm not even fully awake I will not rest until it is DEAD. The neighbors 5 miles down the road will hear me screaming and running around like a wild banshee. Hey people, I'm not dealing well with this. It was rats that carried the Bubonic Plague you know...I have a right not to want them in my house. Okay, fine. So these are field mice the size of my pinky finger, still they could be KILLERS.  Has anyone seen the movie, Mouse Hunt? That is my life!

3. I killed a honkin' big black spider in the laundry room yesterday. Seriously, HONKIN' big. I smashed him with my trusty flip flop. I still had those in the shoe bin out there. Flip flops are the best spider killers because they are light and flexible. BLAM. He is smooshed. That's what he gets. No sympathy from me. I left his guts on the wall as a warning to other 8 legged creepy crawlies who think that the laundry room is their home. I've got news for them. IT IS NOT. I still do not like spiders, but I've gotten braver as time has gone on. And as long as I have a flip flop and a can of Raid, I think I'm good to go.

Wait a minute.....I just heard something.

 

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Get Out And Vote

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I hope that everyone (well, everyone that is legal and registered) gets out and votes tomorrow. If one doesn't vote than that person has absolutely no reason, or in my opinion, right, to go and talk smack about anything political. If said person can't get off their duff to go vote, than no one wants to hear any complaining. Got it? Good. I feel so much better having unloaded that. In all seriousness, regardless of party, or personal political views---it is important to have each voice heard. We are Americans after all. It is not only our responsibility, it is our privilege. So, as the former Nike slogan declares, "Just do it!".

1. Get to the polls as early as possible. If you don't, you could get stuck behind 50 bazillion people who seem to be moving at a snails pace. Whether they are or not doesn't matter. They SEEM to be. Try to be patient.

2. Be nice to the people working at the polls. They are doing their best to keep up with making sure everyone is registered and in some semblance of order. I mean, really, would you want that job? Smile at them. A nice smile. Not one of those maniacal, Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining' type smiles. That would be scary.

3. Do not get into verbal altercations or fist fights at the polling place. That is totally not classy. Don't act like a guest from The Jerry Springer Show. You'll be in the news and everyone will think you are an idiot. So, instead, be nice.

4. Be careful, once in the booth. Make sure you know what you are doing. Don't just start pushing buttons...because it can be tempting with all the lights flashing. Show restraint. This might be hard for some people, but you can do it!

5. And finally, enjoy the experience. People all over the world wish they were us. They wish they could vote without fearing for their lives. They wish that their vote mattered. Don't ever take voting for granted. It is a huge deal.

Check out the history of voting. Very interesting.

 

 

 

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