AI- Top 9

I'm so not ready for this to start tonight. Sorry, just got out of a meeting and the kids are still not in bed...sheesh. So here we go, ready or not.

Anoop- Huh? What was that? I don't know the song, and it's a mess.

Megan sings Bob Marley? You're joking, right? Um, no she's not, and that's all I'm saying about that.

Danny- What Hurts the Most- Wow! So glad the show can start now! He is amazing. Truly.

Allison-Don't Speak- Hmmm. I thought I would like it from the clip from rehearsal but I really don't. I don't like the way she looks tonight, or her hair. I don't think this was a good performance at all.

Scott- Just The Way You Are- (Another one of my all-time favorite songs, just so you know...) Scott's back! Great job...there's those chills that Kara was talking about.

Matt- You Found Me- Not a good performance at all. Not good vocally, not a good arrangement, not a good look. Bummer, because I usually love him.

Lil- I Surrender- (Do people not watch this show? Big singer's songs are not good for Idol.) Nope. Not really all that great. Hmph.

Adam- ....Funky Music... (I'll go with the theme here-I've never liked this song. Ever.) Nope. Still don't. And can we talk about the elephant in the room? When he does his shreiky thing? And sticks out his tongue? It makes me gag. And throw up in my mouth a little.

Kris- Ain't No Sunshine- Yes! We can end on a good note too! This song can be totally boring, but not tonight, and not by Kris. Excellent.

Ok folks, top 3 of the night...KRIS, Danny, and Scott.

Head on over to SophieBooMama's place for more Idol talk!

Don't forget to leave me a comment about who you loved...or didn't. Thanks!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I have a giveaway going on-do your kids like Pokemon? Check it out!

Click for Clutter-3-The Pokemon Edition

A few days ago I saw this tweet from @AllTheJonesMen:

Son #1 is crushed. He left his Pokeman cards N his pants pocket & they got washed. AND DRIED. Safe 2 say they R ruined. *cue the tears*


I thought to myself, "Hey! I've got a bazillion of those cards! And my boys aren't interested anymore....Hey! Cluttercast! Whoot!"

I dm'd her to ask for the list of what was ruined and her address so I could send them off. Although I didn't find all of the ones that had been washed, I found 26 of 38, and I'm adding a few to make an even 40. (What? Didn't you know that 40 is a full, regulation deck? Come on now!)









The cool thing is that I'm also enclosing a couple of very powerful cards...look real close...they are Breloom, weighing in at 100 hp, and Empoleon at a whopping 130 hp. (For those of you that don't know, that's a lot of hp. Don't let me fool you though, that is my full Pokemon knowledge, right there.)(Impressive, I know.)












Here is the book of the rest of the cards that I have. Do your kids like Pokemon? Are they begging to go to Target so they can buy more? Here's your answer! Let me know in the comments and I will send as many of you cards as I can, starting from the first on the list. If there is one specific card that you are looking for, let me know and I will see if we have it, or I can put together a set of 40 like I did for SJ's son. (If I get a lot of responses, like, more than I have cards for, we may have to rethink this, or the sets will have to be smaller. We'll see!)

Oh, by the way, go check out SJ's blog-I'll be watching for the look of surprise on her son's face when he finds these in the mail!

I'll keep this open for the remainder of the week, so please pass it on to the moms and dads that you know whose kids are dying for these things. Seriously. I need to get rid of them!

Missions Sunday

On the fifth Sunday of the month (well, those that have them anyway,) our church does a little thing called Missions Sunday. It is a day to highlight places around the globe that are being touched by God, and the people that He has sent to do His work. I want to share a couple of these with you today.

TEAM International- From their website:

TEAM International maintains five priorities:

1. PROMOTE SPIRITUAL REVIVAL in America and around the world, believing that an outpouring of the Holy Spirit will awaken the church to become "the church in all her glory."
2. TARGET STRATEGIC CENTERS OF HARVEST for short and long-term missions.
3. SEND TRAINED AND EQUIPPED HARVESTERS to unreached cities of the world who will nurture church planting movements in 100 cities through strategies that God gives TEAM and our international partners.
4. PROVIDE TRAINING IN EVANGELISM, DISCIPLESHIP AND CHURCH PLANTING. We believe that, having prayed for revival, we can pull the trigger on mighty outpourings of the Holy Spirit by uniting His people to love the King and lead in the advance of the Kingdom.
5. PLANT REPRODUCING CHURCHES that are committed to multiplying church planting movements.

The Clark family has a true passion for Thailand and have spent the better part of the last 3 decades there raising up true disciples of Christ, who in turn raise up more disciples. We are blessed to be partnered with them in their work- this is a mission that we, personally, support in prayer and in finance. Their ultimate goal is to reach 100 cities for Christ all across the globe. Visit the following links if you are interested in joining them on one of their trips, or contributing to their cause, or contact them for more information.

Middle East Gospel Outreach (or MEGO)- Dr. Elias Malki has spent over 50 years in ministry. He is the host of his own satellite television show "The Good News Program" that reaches 180 countries each day-in English and in Arabic. He also trains new ministers of the gospel at his training site in Cyprus, and leads tours of Israel. I have had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Malki many times, as well as the privilege of learning from this mighty man of God on Sunday visits to our church. From their website:

Middle East Gospel Outreach is a Christian organization committed to fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus gave his disciples and followers. “All power is given unto me (Jesus) in heaven and in earth. GO ye therefore, and TEACH all nations, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (St. Matthew 28:20)

Just check out these testimonies! If this is a ministry that you would like to know more about, or if you would like to partner with them you can contact them here. Dr. Malki literally helps to reach millions of Muslims each year. We here at the Headless household have supported this ministry for years and delight in hearing Dr Malki's praise reports each time he visits our church.

I hope you enjoy reading about these great organizations as much as I enjoy being a part of them. God Bless You this week!

(I was not compensated in any way for this post. These are organizations that I contribute to, believe in, and hope that you will, at the very least, keep them and their missions in your prayers.)

Spring Break=Fail

Yep. My kids were on Spring Break this week and we did nothing. Zero. Nada.

Oh I had big mental plans of preping my bathroom to paint, cleaning out a few closets, scrubbing all of the bathrooms, playdates for the kids....

Here's what was accomplished:

• cleaned one bathroom
• one kid came to play
• wrote and published 4 blog posts
• got my reader down to under 40 posts
• cleaned up the family room 5 times
• only cooked dinner 3 times
• took one nap-at 5 pm on Thursday
• cleaned off 1/2 of my counter
• vacuumed the family room, dining room, living room and guest room
• cleaned out the fridge eliminating the science experiments, but left the dirty shelves for another day

I hope you had a more productive week than I did, because, honestly? The kids are ready to go back to school from the boredom, and I'm not even ready for that. I seriously am not even ready to feed my family this week- read, baseball, baseball, baseball, and some more baseball, just for good measure.

Happy Spring everyone! From the land of procrastination and sleep,

Parenting the Hard Stuff-Part 3

I think one of the hardest things about being a parent is when your kids are mostly grown and starting to navigate the big, bad world on their own. You try for 18 years to teach and guide them and all of a sudden they are trying to fly on their own.

You watch from the front porch as they begin to soar, but run frantically when they start to spiral towards the earth, hoping that you can catch them before they crash. Such has been our job this year with Headless Girl.

(Not that she is going to crash in any horrifying sense. She is wading her way through some tough decisions. You'll see.)(Also, she has given me permission to talk about this stuff.)

Almost from the time I met her, HG has wanted to be a doctor. How cute is it to see an 8yo saying that she wants to be a pediatritian? Beyond cute! As she grew, and grew in relationship with the Lord, she amended that to 'medical missionary', and ultimately medical missionary to Sudan, Africa.

As the years went on she continued to do well in her studies, working hard to be able to gain admission to her 'dream' school, and entered last fall as a bio/chem major, hoping to be accepted into the pre-med department after her first year. Actually getting through the first 2 semesters has been really difficult for her.

Science classes have been hard. I think in some ways she was expecting them to come easier for her once she hit college. I know that sounds off, but let me explain. She has always felt a calling on her life to be a doctor, and I think that in her child's mind she expected things be be easy by obeying God. God never said things would be easy, though, right? After a disappointing first semester we talked about how to handle her studies and things she could change going into second semester. Obviously, as hard as she studied, it wasn't enough. I told her then to look at how much she had studied, compared to the grades that she had earned, and to take that level and push it up so she could work on getting grades that she would be satisfied with. I also think that the first year classes are probably harder to 'weed out' the ones that can't hack it. I believe that she can do it but it's still not going well and she is discouraged.

She has had a rough time adjusting to living with roommates. There are 3 of them in a two person room and with their decidedly different schedules and morals she has really had a hard time. She said to me last semester that she finally understood why I was the "mean mom" and made her go to bed on school nights. I had to laugh because it was such a struggle at times. As her mom I have tried to give her the tools to be able to limit herself when she needs to and adjusting those limits to include others is hard, especially when you are just beginning to impose those limits to yourself.

Her expectations of a Christian university have been shattered and her relationship with God has been suffering because of it. She wanted so badly to find like-minded Christian students to spend her time with. Her faith is colliding with the values of the world. We all need to learn how our world view fits in with the views of those around us, but most would think that at a Christian university it wouldn't be quite so difficult. I believe that it has been her second hardest struggle to date. Second only to navigating the relationship with her mother.

Her relationship with her bio-mom has been strained in some ways. I don't feel I'm at liberty to discuss all of these issues here, but suffice it to say that she still has a hard time relating to her mother. The 2,000 miles that are between them doesn't help, either. I will say, though, that her mom has stepped up in a lot of ways, and although she does things radically different from the way her father and I do, I know without a doubt that her mother loves her and is trying to guide her the best that she knows how.

She has decided to transfer to a smaller, more strictly Christian college, to focus on the ministry/missions aspect of her calling. By taking the science classes that she will need at a community college, she will not be behind when she goes to take the MCAT and apply to med school.

I can totally relate to the difficulty that she is having. I had a hard first year in college and ended up transferring myself, so if anyone can relate to the dread that she feels every day, it's me.

I pray that this is the solution for her. Seeing her so unhappy makes me so sad. These are things that I can't fix for her. She has to learn to fly on her own. I hope she knows, deep in her heart, that this nest is always open for her soft landing. I hope she knows that what ever decision she makes we are always proud of the woman that she is becoming and love her more than anything.

American Idol-Now With Commentary From The Kids! And The Dad!

Since we are on Spring Break this week the kids get to stay up for AI. HB#1 isn't feeling too hot but he has agreed to throw in some commentary for us. I'm sure that HB#2 will as well. Or not and there will be big blank spaces. Whatever. I'm gearing up for an interesting night, especially since I missed it all last week. (Baseball ran late. Like, really late.) Hey! And Headless Dad has decided to join in on the fun, too. See? 4 commentaries for the price (or reading enjoyment) of one. How can you go wrong?

I will state for the record that I'm just beside myself that Alexis Grace went home last week. Now who is going to help Scott through the dancing numbers?

Anyhoo, off to the races and Motown!

Matt-Let's Get It On-This is really good. Thoroughly impressed. He is really improving.
Dad-I'm startin' to like Matt. I agree with Simon.
#1-Horrible. Corny.
#2-Extreme. (meaning good!) Absolutely excellent.

Kris-How Sweet It Is-Great mix of traditional and new spin. Great Job, Kris!
Dad-Nailed it.
#1-OK, I liked him.
#2-I loved him.

Scott-You Can't Hurry Love- I adore Scott. I just don't think he'll be going much further. It was a little awkward for me.
Dad-I love him but he's not going to make it.
#1-No. Paula! Boo!
#2-I didn't like him.

Megan-For Once In My Life- I'm not so much about Megan anymore. Everything she does sounds the same, and getting more painful by the week.
Dad-She reminds me of Lucy Riccardo trying to sing.
#1-Weird hair, dress too short, but I liked her performance.
#2-Too much make up. Terrible, and bad outfit.

Anoop-Ooh Baby Baby- Perfect for Anoop, I think. (This is one of my all-time favorite songs, btw.) I actually liked his vocal.
Dad-He needs a suit on. Who's dressing this boy? Forgettable.
#1-Keep his mouth closed. No. I really don't like him.
#2-Absolutely no.

Michael-Ain't Too Proud To Beg- I still haven't figured out who he would be as an artist. He did a fair job tonight, though, but I'm not falling out of my chair or anything.
Dad-Cruise ship.
#1-OK.
#2-No.

(Aside- Kara gives really great advice. She is always spot on and constructive. I'm glad she's a part of this.)

Lil-Heat Wave- I'm unsure about this one. I really want to like it but I don't think it's working. At all.
Dad-It sucked. (ouch.)
#1-No.
#2-(Pointing down his throat, gagging.)

Adam-The Tracks Of My Tears- (Note-Adam is starting to scare me after last week.) Apparently the element of surprise is his strategy, because this is good. I will say, though, that he uses the falsetto a little too much for my taste.
Dad-Like the hair.Hate the boots. He's a great entertainer.
#1-I don't like anything about it.
#2-I loved it. (He watched me type this and smiled...liked seeing his words in print. I hope I haven't created a monster!)

Danny-Get Ready- Uh, as much as I love Danny, he brought nothing new to this song.
Dad-I dug it. Gokey fan!
#1-I liked it.
#2-I loved it! Yes, yes, and more yes!

Allison-Papa Was A Rollin' Stone-This is the only performance that has given me the chills tonight. I know it's been said before, but she is amazing for being only 16. Killed it!
Dad-Yea! That little girl's got soul!
#1-OK.
#2-I loved, loved, loved it.

So, the faves of the night are: Me-Matt, Kris, and Allison. Dad-Matt, Kris, Danny, and Allison. #1-Kris, Danny. #2-"I liked all of 'em." Heh. So much for titilating commentary.

Thanks for coming by! Now, head on back to SophieBooMama's Place for more!

Proposal 2.0-The Headless Meeting

Marcy asked me to participate in Proposal 2.0. What a perfect opportunity to tell the real story of how Headless Dad and I met!

Back in '96 I was working for Romano's Macaroni Grill and had transferred from a store in Tennessee back to Denver. I had been settling in for about 6 months, getting used to being home again, reconnecting with old friends and starting to date again. I was on the traveling development team and they were beginning to open stores in California. I was assigned to a team and off I went!

Our training consisted of a week's training of staff before the restaurant opened, then we supervised the staff after opening. Opening day each server trainer was assigned to two stations and we had to watch each table and make sure everything was ok.

Headless Dad was a single dad and had had a rough day, so when he picked up Headless Girl at daycare they came into the Grill. Oddly enough, expecting burgers on the menu.

They were seated in one of my sections and we began to chat and color on the table cloth. HG made it perfectly clear that her mom didn't live close, and even asked me to take her to the rest room. (She was 6. Clearly at the age that the wonders of the men's room had lost their charm.) I even wrote my name all upside-down and fancy-like to impress her, just like I would have any child. When I asked her name, she said "Guess!" Since she was so precocious, I replied, "Well, when you say it like that, I have no idea." (The name that popped into my head was, lets say, Mary.) Then, when she replied "Mary!" I about had a heart attack. I had not connected with a child like that in years, and to have guessed her name, (it's actually an uncommon name,) was kind of freaking me out. I had chatted with Headless Dad throughout their dinner, noticing his easy-going manner, politeness, and warm smile.

Soon, they had finished their meal and were standing to go. I went over to say goodbye and HG tugged on her father's shirt and said, "Daddy, get her phone number and take her out on a date!"

Well, we all know how the story ends, right? Or this wouldn't be the tale that I would be telling. We were married one year and one day after that night in Macaroni Grill.

Head back over to The Glamorous Life and follow the trail to a REAL proposal!

Are We So Different?

(This is an entry to win a scholarship to the SheSpeaks Conference. Please read all the way through for your opportunity to win, too!)

Much has been said about what Pastor Joel Osteen said on Larry King. From what I can find, it was about 2 years ago, and in a nutshell, when asked about whether Jews and Muslims will go to heaven he danced around the issue. (You can see the clip here.)

In direct response to the clip he was pointing to the fact that the Bible says that we are to have a personal relationship with Christ. He also didn't directly answer the question either. It is abundantly clear in the Bible that there is One Way.

⁶Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

I wonder. How often do we, as Christians, do the same dance? Thinking that if we soften the message we'll win more people? Or we shrink away from the whole truth to be "politically correct"?

I know that I'm guilty. Even here on this blog. Especially here. So I am here to repent today and step out boldly for Christ. To ask for your forgiveness, and God's forgiveness for not using this space for it's full potential. For God's purpose and kingdom. In my heart I want everything I do to point to Him- His power, His grace, His authority, His love.

My prayer today is that God will use my fingers as I type on this keyboard for the glory of His kingdom. I don't have all the answers, I don't know all there is to know about the Bible, but I know that by surrendering to God, and giving ourselves (and our fingers!) for His will and His purposes HE WILL MOVE. I ask God to use me, in all my imperfections, to reach someone today. I want to speak boldly for the Lord.

²⁹Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. (Acts 4:29)

*****

Twice now I have been prophesied over and the word was the same. I am called to be a women's speaker, to take God's message of love and acceptance to women to help strengthen families and marriages. My heart is for families to be strong, for marriages to be full and blessed. I have never shared this publicly before because I was afraid. The enemy did good work in me-he led me to believe that I didn't know enough, wasn't good enough, didn't read the Bible enough, didn't have a good enough story to share. Who would want to listen to me?

God has done a better work though. Although I have questioned Him over and over, the answer has always been the same. I argued that I didn't know apologetics well enough, know the Bible well enough, or pray good enough. Instead of not being enough, I want to live the humility of this:

⁹But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:8-10)

Did you see that ? "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." Amen. I need Christ's power because becoming a speaker is way bigger than I am capable of on my own. I can't get there on my own understanding or my own works. I need God's help. He has given me this space, this sphere of influence to go boldly and speak of His grace and mercy. I never want to waste that again.

*****

SheSpeaks is a conference for women speakers, leaders and writers to learn how to better serve the Lord in their calling. These can be daunting tasks but Lysa TerKeurst and the Proverbs 31 Ministries team are here to help. From July 31-August 2 Proverbs 31 leaders will gather in Charlotte, North Carolina to help women like you and me find our unique voice, and write and deliver a clear message.

I desperately want to learn how to better use my calling, my voice, and my influence to expand God's kingdom, and to guide women to their God given talents in being uplifting to their families and communities. I desperately want to say "Yes" to all that God has called me to do in His name, and I feel that this conference is a perfect way for me to step out in faith that He knows what He's doing in calling little ol' me. I'm not perfect, but I will follow where He leads. I have often asked God to show me how to begin the process of becoming a speaker and a better blogger for Him. I hope that He is leading me to Charlotte!

If you would like to join them you can register here, or visit the SheSpeaks home page for more information. If you would like an opportunity to win a scholarship to this years' conference go to Lysa's blog and get all of the information that you need-there is still enough time to enter!

So, are we so different? Am I so different from Mr. Osteen, that when asked directly about what the Bible says I shrink from the truth? I hope through this conference that I am able to say that I don't back down when it comes to my faith. I hope I learn how to better write what God has put on my heart. I hope I learn how to be bold when it comes to Jesus and all that He has called me to. I hope that I can say "Yes, I am different, because Christ made me different."

The Strange Tale of GA

I had a friend in college, let's call her GA, that I was really close to once upon a time.

We lived in the same dorm, went to the same dining hall, joined the same sorority. After we both left that university we kept in touch, writing long angst filled letters while we were trying to find ourselves. We would vacation at each others' homes on breaks from the new schools that we went to.

I don't really know what it was that changed us, or what tore our friendship apart.

You know that saying that some friends are for life, some are for a season, some are for a reason, yada yada? This is one friendship that truly baffles me-not because we were friends but because it ended so abruptly, and without provocation or explanation.

One of the last things that I remember doing with GA was a trip to Puerto Vallarta. We were both working and had decided that we deserved a vacation. We made our plane reservations, I secured a hotel, and we were off for a 4 day weekend. Two single American girls in beautiful, sexy Puerto Vallarta.

We swam in the pool, drank margaritas at the swim up bar, she went parasailing. We ate chips and salsa until we couldn't eat anymore. We discovered a delightful Italian restaurant overlooking the bay dining at sunset. We danced at the local bar-on the floor, on the tables, on the chairs, on the bar. I'll never hear the Macarena without thinking of Puerto Vallarta and GA.

We even kissed the hottest boys in the bar. Oh, that Mexican cutie knew how to sweet talk an American girl!

It was all in all a pretty innocent trip. We ate, we shopped, we sunbathed, we drank, we came home.

And something had changed.

I really don't know what it was, unless my dancing on bars and kissing Mexican boys scared her away.

I never saw her portion of the payment for the hotel. A few months later I met my husband-to-be and certainly wrote her volumes about him and eventually, our upcomming wedding. Our phone calls began to be few and far between.

The last time I saw her was about a month before our wedding and she had a business trip to Denver. We met for lunch (or was it dinner?). She told me that she didn't have the money to come to my wedding and was sorry. (Although, now that I'm thinking about it again, she was an only child and her parents totally would have paid for the trip. I was close with them as well. Hmmm.) I thought all was ok, and I suppose it was at the time. But it hasn't been since.

Over the years I have reached out to her. Searched for her on the internet. Sent emails that have been chatty, informative, questioning what she's been up to. Her responses have left much to be desired, if not downright cold. She has never really responded to my efforts to rekindle our friendship or keep in touch. I'm really confused, and quite frankly, hurt. GA was a huge part of my college life, and what I thought would be my whole life. What, being sorority sisters, and all, I thought that it was a possibility, at least. Or another one for the Christmas Card list, once a year sharing tales of what we've been up to? Nah. None of that.

Recently, she showed up on Facebook. I had searched for her before and she hadn't been on, but now she was friending me. Hmmm, I thought. Maybe this time? I took the cool approach:

Me-It's about time you showed up here!
Her-I know. I was slow to join! Good to hear from you though. :)
Me-What are you up to these days?

Then nothing. Seriously. She didn't respond.

Best Google Search For Me, Ever

	what can you say about headless peeps

Parenting the Hard Stuff-Part 2

In addition to HB#2's issues we've been dealing with some growing pains for HB#1. As you may already know, he is nine. Who knew that a nine year old boy would try my patience- and his fathers!- like this?

HB#1 is one of the most kind and smart kids I know, and I'm honestly not being just his mom on this one. He has always been one to give a hug or try to help someone out if they were struggling. He loves learning, has one of if not the highest reading level in his class this year, and is well behaved in school. He is the child that wanted to go help the Little League Challenger Division this weekend (a full 2 1/2 hours before the report time for his own game,) and made his mama so proud. To others he may seem like a model child, and in many ways he is, but right now he is struggling, and as his mom I get the brunt of things.

For 3 years now he has loved being in baseball. He loves it mostly for the social aspects of it-riding his scooter during his brother's games with the other siblings, trading pokemon cards while he was sitting on the bench, snacks after the game. This year he had to move up a level because of his age and we are really feeling the stress. These boys are now really into baseball. They want to practice and get better. They want their teammates to be good. This is where it gets hard.

As his mom I want to encourage him to just try his hardest, play fair, and be encouraging to others, but I weep inside when that is not all that the "world" expects of him. He is starting to notice that he is not the best player on the team and that the other kids are getting more playing time. He is imagining that the coaches are "giving him dirty looks," and maybe the kids too. Although I know, without a doubt, that the coaches are being 100% fair with all of the boys, I can't be so sure about the other boys. Kids can be so cruel. This might be easier if he actually wanted help from us, or wanted to at least go out back and play catch, but most of the time he would rather do a myriad of other things than practice with HD or I. He doesn't take instruction from us AT ALL, although he will from other people. He is starting to get that he won't get better unless he practices more, but we haven't seen any results yet.

*sigh*

This is especially hard for HD. He was the gifted-in-any-sport kid, loved them all, and practiced (sometimes alone) until he had to go inside in the evenings. I loved playing sports as a kid. He and I both want our kids to love sports-more for the love of exercise and the life lessons that they teach than for the competitive-spotry-ness of it all. We don't force HB#1 into any of this-sports are his decision. We even reminded him that it would be harder this year.

*double sigh*

And, on top of all of this he is developing quite the mouth. Like teen-age-girl-sassy-mouth. The kind that you want to smack right off of their face. (I wouldn't actually do this, but I can't tell you that it doesn't cross my mind.) He has been talking ugly to HD and I-like really disrespectful. When we try to correct that he plays the ultimate martyr.

And the whining is hitting ultimate proportions.

Not kidding.

The kid whines more than I wine.

(Which I know is ultimately my fault for letting it go this far.) For every step forward there is a step back and we just can't seem to get ahead. Although it's been difficult I have been much better at keeping my cool lately; finding the better, if not perfect, balance between being firm and not getting angry. Allowing his feelings with out letting him take them out on me or his dad, guiding his release without allowing inappropriate rage. (Yes, I said rage. Welcome to my afternoons.)

It's like walking on broken glass...putting your foot down gently, evening out the pressure, but one wrong move and there is blood everywhere.

Parenting the Hard Stuff

One of the hardest things about being a parent is helping your child through the hard things in life. I guess that's why I haven't posted much about us lately, and letting the recipes and American Idol take over. Each one of our children is going through "stuff" right now and since they are all different ages it is taking all of our parenting moxie to work with each child, right where they are at.

Headless Boy #2 was sick a couple of weeks ago and the Urgent Care doc mentioned something about his pupils being "kinda wonky" (my words), and said to check with his regular doctor the next week. When we did she sent us to the pediatric opthamoligist. We saw him last week and now I know why each of the other doctors were concerned. (I did not consult Dr. Google so I wouldn't be freaked out, thank goodness!) Specifically, they were concerned that his pupils were not equal, and not reacting to light in the same fashion. After seeing 3 different people this morning the third one finally said that the reaction, or lack of, in the pupils can indicate a tumor in the eye(s). After reading the notes from the other 2 doctors and examining HB#2 he does NOT think that there is any problem, including a tumor. He gave me a few things to look for, just in case, and a follow up appointment in 6 months. *wipes brow* Thank goodness there is nothing. But that's not all for HB#2. He is also having another 'issue' (that I won't be blogging about specifically,) that is requiring medical testing. This is another issue that I'm not really worried about but the fact that he is being sent for tests makes me pause. If they don't find anything, I'll think "I was right!", but if I'm wrong? and there is a problem? I'll feel like crap because this is something that has been going on for a long time and I'll just be the crappy mom that blew off her kids' health.

Being a parent can be hard, even when you have "normal" kids. Believe me, I am so blessed to have healthy children. I am aware that I could have it much worse. This is what I have to handle. It's not easy, but I never said that it was the 'worst' thing.

I'll have to post about the others another day...believe me, this isn't easy. I do want to be sensitive to their privacy, so if you have a question about a specific issue feel free to email me.

Idol-Top 13

So here's the thing...

Michael Jackson? Really? Not only is this a very difficult body of music, these songs are 'signature' songs and it is really hard to do them right. David Cook did it right last season, and it is pretty impossible to duplicate that. I feel sorry for these kids.

And second, my dvr is not working so I tuned in around 9 and have missed a lot. Hmph. (We had baseball tonight.) So my opinions are largely going to be based on the recaps at the end. Not entirely fair, I know, but it's all I've got.

Liked: Allison, Jorge, Kris, Matt, Alexis Grace, Danny,

Disliked: Megan, Scott,

Not sure: Adam, Lil, Michael, Jasmine, Anoop, (Most of these were for song choice. And the inevitable didn't.see.the.whole.thing. Grrr.)

Rules change? Can't wait to see this... Anyway, sorry I don't have more for you tonight, the Phillies were playing and that's more important, right? Head back to BooMama's for more thorough updates!

BlogHer'09-Are you going?

So, I just found out this week that I will have airfare taken care of if I choose to go. All I need to do is ok the conference pass with Headless Dad and figure out the hotel thing.

That's all.

Ha! The roommate thing was the hardest part of the dance last year. It turned out really awesome, as I couldn't have asked for better roommates than Amy and Megan, but now I need to figure out a roommate for this year.

Any takers? I can't commit 100% just yet but I need to know that I have a few options, just in case. I'd also like to know who's going, or who's at least trying to get there. Let's start a list, let me know whassup!

Thanks, Peeps-can't wait to see you all!

Sorry for the unannounced break...My parents are in town, opening weekend of little league, and my aunt and cousin are visiting today. Maybe I'll get down to writing a little later tonight....

Wild Card

Ok, late again. I hate that AI comes on at 8-that is my kids' bedtime and by the time I get back down here I've missed a singer or two-as witnessed by the blank spots below. Grrr.

Jesse-
Matt-
Megan- I like Megan, dig her sound, and even like the weird dance thing that she does. She could go on. I would vote for her.
Von- Nope. Not gonna make it.
Jasmine- Randy is hitting the nail on the head. I like her but I'm not sure she's ready for the top 12.
Ricky- As good as it was but I don't think he should go through on that performance. Simon seems to agree.
Tatiana- You're kidding me. Moving on... Oh, and like last time, if I catch any of you voting (if we were voting, mind you,) for her I'm going to show up and break your fingers.
Anoop- Not his best vocal but he is Mr. Personality. I'm thinking he would to get my vote.

I wasn't clear on the format, but glad that the judges are choosing. Going into the top 12 is: Jasmine, Megan, and Matt. Psych! AND ANOOP! YIPPEE! I'll go for a top 13 in this situation.

Who should have gone through? Any changes you would have made?

Dirty Dozen-Part 3

OK, it is finally the end of this madness. I had to turn off twitter earlier because many of you were tweeting about Idol and I wanted to watch for myself. In general, I don't love this new system because it's really awkward to eliminate 9 people each week. I'm sure it must be easier for the contestants to be going home with so many others, but it is agony for the rest of us. I really hope that some of my other faves will make it through on the wild card to make this interesting because so far Danny Gokey is the clear front runner, with Alexis Grace a close second.

/soapbox

On to the contestants for tonight:
Von- (I was putting the kids to bed so I have to rely on HD for this one...) HD says pretty good and the judges agreed. (Now that I watched the clip, uh, no.)
Taylor- Ouch, her nerves seem to be getting the best of her and her low notes are not great. I guess it's ok, but I'm not loving it. The judges seem to agree, they are saying it isn't memorable or interesting.
Alex- I'm undecided about him. First, don't mess with Elton, especially like this. Second, I really like his personality. He seems like a fun kid.
Arianna- Eew, she really sounds bad after that build up. I'm not the only one.
Ju'Not- Wow. Here's the dark horse of the night! I really love him doing 'Delilah'! My first vote getter of the night.
Kristen- Um, good but I don't love her. I think I might like her though if she had more of an identity-just like the judges said.
Nathaniel- (Just so you know, this guy was second only to Tatiana on my annoying meter. I'm prepared to really not like him. Just so you know.) Eew. This song should be edgier than this. It sounds like Broadway instead. Not for me.
Felicia- Second Alycia Keys song of the night-this one is MUCH better. As a matter of fact, this is the best performance of the night. Very glad she's back! Second vote of the night.
Scott- He is so neat! We know exactly who he is as an artist. Love this. Third vote of the night.
Kendall- She is really pretty. OK, I said it. Unfortunately this isn't very exciting or memorable.
Jorge- He's pretty good, and he didn't mess with EJ. (Good move, IMO) Great vocal! We all seem to agree! Uh oh, another vote from us
Lil- She's really great. Really. OK, the best of the night, Felicia is second. I'm still voting for both.

I'm so sorry to say this, but I now have to go vote for 6 people. That is just wrong...but I'm really glad that the show was good tonight. Pleasantly surprised even! Yikes. I can't even decide on my top 3! Maybe HD and I will have to duke it out...

Go check out what everyone else thought at BooMama's place!

Golden Cream Soup

I've had this recipe for years and it is soooo good. I hadn't made it forever, (Seriously. My boys had never had it. Tragic, really.), and pulled it our for the boys and I last week when Headless Dad went to meet Headless Girl for dinner before church. It is really quick and easy-perfect for those nights when you need a quick, yummy dinner when you are running from sport to sport. And did I mention quick? About 30 minutes, start to finish, including chopping time.

Golden Cream Soup

3 cups chopped potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup water
1 chicken bullion cube

Combine in large sauce pan, bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 min.


Next, combine 1 1/2 cups of milk and 2 tablespoons of flour. Cube 1/2 lb (or a little more!) of Velveeta cheese, set aside.

When your 15 min. is up add milk mixture to pot and let simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. It's ok if you're impatient or in a hurry, it will still taste ok.

Now add the cheese, stirring almost constantly until all chunks are melted.

I usually would serve this with a big salad but we didn't have time that night. French bread is a great dipper. It's supposed to serve 6-8-HA! it served the 3 of us with one serving left over. It is really easy to double if you have a larger family or are having a crowd.

Go forth and enjoy-but don't blame me for the extra time you have to spend on the treadmill. You've been warned!

You Like Me!

I have received 2 awards last month that I must acknowledge. It is the way of the blogosphere.

First, the "Your Blog is Fabulous" award from my old friend from college. She writes Rocks in the Wash, and if anyone can give me a run for my money in headlessness, she can. With a husband, 2 boys, pets, AND a job, well, you know what I mean. And she has connected me with so many of our sorority sisters from college-such fun times!

The rules state that you have to list 5 addictions that you have then nominate 5 blog sites that you think are FABULOUS.

5 addictions:
*Jesus
*Blogging
*Red Wine
*My family
*Football!

Now I'm supposed to tag 5 other blogs that I think are fabulous. Only 5? Not really fair since my reader is overflowing but here are 5 that you should be reading if you're not:
*Marcy at The Glamorous Life
*Solilquy at She Just Had To Say It
*Amy at Doobleh-vay
*Schmutzie
*Lysa TerKeurst
These women challenge me every day to be a better woman, better Christian, better mom, better wife, and a better writer. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, ladies, I truly think that your blogs are FABULOUS!

Next comes from the amazing Jenn at Mommy Needs Coffee. She sent me the Lemonade award and said such nice things about me that I about blushed when I read it. Thanks, Jenn, the time we spent together at BlogHer was awesome! and I really hope to duplicate it this summer.

"It is given as appreciation for those people who have shown a great attitude or gratitude this week."

Jenn didn't know that I'd already been tagged with this one but thanks anyway because I so love you soooo much! So, I won't tag ten again just go read the gals that I tagged last time, mkay?