A sense of humor please

I saw this article and it cracked me up. I need to make a sign like this to keep some people away from my front door LOL

Woman in doghouse over Jehovah's Witness sign

A woman has been ordered by police to take down a sign on her garden gate which read "Our dogs are fed on Jehovah's Witnesses."

Pensioner Janet Grove, who owns a Jack Terrier puppy called Rabbit, insisted the sign was a gentle joke to discourage callers at her front door.

Her late husband put the sign up more than 30 years ago when members of the church called at their house on Christmas Day.

But police were forced to act after receiving a complaint.

"We were informed by a member of the public who found the sign to be distressing, offensive and inappropriate," a police spokesman said. "Officers attended the address and the sign was voluntarily taken down."

Recovering

I am finally starting to feel like myself again. I can't believe what I nearly allowed to happen with my child and I was a little shell shocked to say the least. I told hubs I felt like I had taken a punch to the stomach and someone knocked the air out of me. I have been given wonderful advice to not beat myself up about this, it didn't happen, I didn't take her and she is safe. It is still unreal what could have been.

We will be regrouping within our little family to see what we want to do. I still think that getting PITA to another school and preferably a boarding school would be best. I just need to do some more research to see what I can find. There is a great school in Grandbury, TX that I considered last year and may consider again. It is called Happy Hill Farm and is endorsed by the wonderful Dr. Phil. I don't know if this is something we want to do or not. I searched and tried to find bad press on them and couldn't, if you find anything let me know.

As for other news.....I know I didn't get to tell you all how things went with the Mary Kay Seminar, but please let me gush now with something positive and pink!! I didn't get Queen of Sales or Queen of Recruiting, I was runner up to both positions with me being separated from the Queen of Sales by $13.50. I got a beautiful pair of earrings and a gorgeous necklace that will look good with my director's suit. Hubs also got an award. Usually unit awards are reserved for consultants in the unit, but hubs got the most prestigious award you can get. Mary Kay created an award called the "Go Give" award to be given to a consultant that goes over and beyond to help others. Hubs was given the "Miss Go Give Award" for our unit!! I am so tickled for him. We joke about the "miss" part, but I am very proud of him for receiving this award and NOT being a consultant in our unit. Here are pics of his prizes and my badge with ribbons:

Peace out my peeps....sleep well tonight and I hope your week gets off to a fab start tomorrow!!

Saved in the 11th hour

Last night after my stepmom left. I did a yahoo search for the school we were taking PITA too. PITA was the one that gave me the idea in the first place. I found sites about the school and information that showed how great it was. Here are some examples:

School's main website

Teen Values

Then I found some sites about the darker side of this school:

New York Times article: "Spring Creek Lodge Academy, home to thousands of wayward children since 1996, calls itself "a safe haven for change." Many parents swear with near-religious devotion that the program, one of the nation's largest, has saved their sons and daughters. Others have come to curse it."

From the Missoula Independent: articles about the school.

The Spring Creek Lodge Experience

This link is a parent's view of the seminars that the parents and the children have to go through in order for the parents and children to see each other again.

There are dozens of stories about the things going on at this "school". They caught me at a time of helplessness and desperation to help my child any way I could. I was willing to take out a loan for $42k to be paid over 20 years to help her and these people lied to me and told me they could help. They were only going to abuse and tear my child's spirit apart.

To my dear PITA

I hope she knows how much I love her. I am scared of the days ahead. This song really makes me think of her and how I feel like I have failed her in some way. I hope she will understand in time.

"Hate Me"
by Blue October

I have to block out thoughts of you so I don't lose my head
They crawl in like a cockroach leaving babies in my bed
Dropping little reels of tape to remind me that I'm alone
Playing movies in my head that make a porno feel like home
There's a burning in my pride, a nervous bleeding in my brain
An ounce of peace is all I want for you. Will you never call again?
And will you never say that you love me just to put it in my face?
And will you never try to reach me? It is I that wanted space

Hate me today
Hate me tomorrow
Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you

I'm sober now for 3 whole months it's one accomplishment that you helped me with
The one thing that always tore us apart is the one thing I won't touch again
In a sick way I want to thank you for holding my head up late at night
While I was busy waging wars on myself, you were trying to stop the fight
You never doubted my warped opinions on things like suicidal hate
You made me compliment myself when it was way too hard to take
So I'll drive so fucking far away that I never cross your mind
And do whatever it takes in your heart to leave me behind

Hate me today
Hate me tomorrow
Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you

Hate me in ways
Yeah ways hard to swallow
Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you

And with a sad heart I say bye to you and wave
Kicking shadows on the street for every mistake that I had made
And like a baby boy I never was a man
Until I saw your blue eyes crying and I held your face in my hand
And then I fell down yelling "make it go away!"
Just make a smile come back and shine just like it used to be
And then she whispered "How can you do this to me?"

Hate me today
Hate me tomorrow
Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you

Hate me in ways
Yeah ways hard to swallow
Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you

Peace out my peeps. Hug your kids and tell them you love them.

Pink Week

Wow, I never would have thought when I started this blog a year ago that I would be where I am today. I have been through a lot, made a lot of mistakes, made a lot of choices (good and bad) and I am a different person today than I was one year ago.

This week is my Pink Week. Mary Kay Seminar is happening in Dallas, my group is the Diamond group and we start tomorrow through Wednesday. I didn't make it to stage this year, I didn't make it to director for the MK year and I haven't accomplished the goals I wanted to. However, we are in a whole new Mary Kay year and I am working towards some wonderful goals. My first goal is to be driving free in my MK Signature Grand Prix next summer. Tonight I listened to one of our top National Sales Directors and the inspiration she can give you is amazing. She talks about the struggles she had and she talks about how far she has come and how Mary Kay has made all of that happen. Her highest commission check in ONE MONTH was over $81,000!!!! I love listening to her talk and she was the perfect person for me to see before going to the Dallas convention center tomorrow to pick up my seminar. She pumped us up and now we get to go into seminar geared up to have our vision of what Mary Kay can bring us broadened.

I am off to bed.....Have PINK dreams my peeps....I will try to let you know what is up this week during seminar and cross your fingers that on Monday night I did enough to be crowned queen of sales for my unit!!! I will actually get a CROWN, cool huh?? Perfect for the princess in me :-)

Happy Blog-aversary to me!!

Wow the whole day went by and I nearly forgot to post this. Damn Mary Kay keeping me busy today....only to have a sucky turn out for this party....as in ONE person out of 70 invites. Oh well. Better luck next time...right??

So....in celebration I am reposting the post that started this all. Thanks to my dear friend David:

Donating to the Retards ( I know you are going to tell me that isn't a PC term....who cares!!)

So my husband and I are watching the news late one night and there is a special interest story that comes on. It is a sweet little piece about a group of people who have started a softball league for mentally retarded children. They talk about how it gives the kids a better self esteem and shows many clips of the volunteers helping the children bat and round the bases. It was so sweet that it brought tears to my eyes. At the end of the segment the station posts phone numbers and addresses so you can get more information or donate to help out this organization. (Now it is important to know before this next part that I am involved in a greyhound rescue organization right now) Anyway, without missing a beat I turn to my husband and say "If I wasn't already helping the dogs, I would donate to the retards." I thought he was going to fall off the couch laughing. He has since written down my quote and has it posted on the fridge as a reminder of my inability to think before I speak.

To our beloved Miss Kitty

The love of hubs' animal life did not make it. We got a call from the vet today that Kitty was indeed sicker than we thought. She was in kidney failure. The doc felt it was due to her age, but it was very hard on hubs and I. We had to make the decision to put her down. We went to the animal hospital and visited with her for a bit. It was so nice to hear her purring. Then we called the doc in. It took no more than 10 seconds and I believe it was completely pain free. It is so hard not having her in the house. She only spent one other night away from home and that was when PITA got her arrested.

For those out there that have lost a pet I know you understand. I am posting the Rainbow Bridge for all of us as a bit of healing.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown

Boarding Schools

Ok, so life with PITA took another painful turn. She is about to drive me nuckin' futs. Things have gotten a little quieter, but she comes home from summer school yesterday to let me know that this boy in her class wants her to go to the movies with him this weekend and just hang out. Today, upon further questioning, I find out that the boy is 17 and planning on DRIVING PITA to the movies. Ok, I am pretty sure my daughter is on crack!! How does she go from me wanting to kill her last weekend for her conversations with young me to thinking that I am going to let her go on a car date with a guy I don't know???

Anyway...I have been researching boarding schools. I have found several that are possibilities. The scariest part is the fact that most of the schools will keep her from 9-12 months and the cost is $30k to $40k for her to be gone. Hello student loans. Something I didn't have to deal with in college. I don't know if it is the right thing to do or not. I am going to call a lady on Monday to talk about our options. Hubs has been against this until PITA shot off her mouth and let him know that nothing we do works so she figures this will not work either. Oh poor, PITA, that nearly sounded like a challenge. In all honesty...this is killing me. I don't want to send my child away or admit that I am one of the freaking worst parents ever who can't get their child to make good choices. Sometimes I wonder if I really screwed up her life by having her as young as I did. I know she is the one making the bad choices, but I feel like I should take all the blame. Is that normal??

PS....Say a little prayer for hubs' Kitty. She is in the vet clinic tonight. She is a very sick little baby right now and the docs are just trying to hydrate her right now. She has been there and helped hubs through a lot...I don't think he is ready to give her up just yet.

Peace out my peeps.....may your weekend be a blast.

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Peace out my peeps.

Insert foot

It is summer again and for me that means a lot of nights watching TV since I don't have to worry about being at various school activities. A couple of weeks ago I did it again with the open mouth, insert foot thing and hubs wrote down my quotes. UGH, why is it that the only time he seems to really pay attention to me is when I say something about Jesus being gay or something about mentally challenged people?

So here we go.....Special Olympics. The Today show did a cute little segment on the Special Olympics and the athletes. (Let it be known, I got my start in education in a classroom with mentally retarded students and spent 6 years in special education before going out into general ed to reach more kids. It is this fact that I think makes hubs pay closer attention when I open my mouth with a comment.) So I was watching the video and they were showing the kids. The kids they showed were so perfectly normal looking (not saying all mentally challenged people don't look normal, but...nevermind, I don't have a taste for foot right now). I then turn to hubs and say "Do you think they checked them all out? You know to make sure they were retarded?" He just stares at me, I am sure in shock, but I can't stop there: "Do you think teams bring in ringers?" That is when he got the sheet of paper and started dating and writing down my quotes.

So last night...the neighbors ask if we want to come over and watch a movie. They picked up The Ringer. I had NO IDEA there was a movie about my idea to bring ringers to the special olympics to win!!! The movie was.....lacking, but cute.

Long weekend

Time to update you all on the drama that surrounds PITA. Again let me state for like the one hundred millionth time....I love this child with all of my heart and soul, but I am just about ready to kill her.
PITA got a myspace. I told her it would be fine, but there was one little rule....I had to have access to her passwords so I could check up on her when need be. She has given up fighting this rule since her time on the internet is few and far between. She feels better giving in and having sometime online, then fighting and never being on the net. So this weekend she went to be with my little sisters. My stepmom picked her up on Friday. Hubs asked me to change her password on her myspace that night. I told him no, and I am happy that I didn't. PITA is one of those kids that if you give her just a little bit of rope, she finds a way to creat a noose, wrap it around her neck and jump from a box. She did this quite well with her myspace account this weekend.
Last night while reading her messages (not the public ones) I found she was having a rather explicit conversations with two young men. One of these gentlemen was nice enough to send his phone number so PITA could call him. Being the very involved mother that I am, I called this number to find out why an 18 year old boy was talking to my 15 year old daughter about things she could do for him orally!! Ok, so I was a little angry and didn't give him a lot of time to talk and in my anger I hung up on him. He called back and tried to explain one more time to myself and hubs that he did NOT write those messages, but would get to the bottom of who was using his account. After we got PITA home (she was picked up by hubs and our neighbor at 11pm) and a lot of yelling on my part and crying on her part, the house retired to bed around 1am.
This morning while on our 2 mile walk, my phone rings. It is the boy's number I called last night. However it is his dad calling me. He assures me his son didn't send the messages and apologizes again for the messages being sent to my daughter. He tells me what a good son he has and how he is a leader in his church. Funny thing is, when I go to this kid's myspace and check him out, he is with a teacher I respect VERY much in our district and his dad is a man I have listened to at the Texas Counsel for Social Studies for a book he wrote base on some letters he found of a distant relative from the Civil War and is also a VERY respected teacher in the district. I would have LOVED for my daughter to have this boy as a friend because he is around people that are a great influence. And guess what, PITA was the one starting most of the conversations that her and these boys got into about sex.
Here is my question now to the world out there....or my two readers.....how do I punish her? Grounding isn't working. Having to be in summer school because she failed is a joke to her, she is just happy to be with friends again. She shows no shame for her behavior that is COMPLETELY inappropriate for a girl her age. What is a parent to do?? Everyone tells me I am doing everything I can. I have made all the right moves, I am involved and she will get it sooner or later. But what on earth is a parent to do until they do get it????? I am sick, seriously SICK about what she is doing. I know I can't let her go to her grandparents' homes anymore because there is no one there to supervise the kids. They can run around and do whatever they want. Heck PITA had a boy meet her this weekend at my stepmom's house. I am trying, but I feel like I am fighting a battle I can't win.

thank you for letting me rant......peace out my peeps.....I hope you all have model children that every parent hopes for and that your biggest issue is that the child won't eat their veggies.

Less than 3 weeks

From Mary Kay Seminar!! I am telling you the cult is sucking me in. But it is ok, since it is all pink and warm fuzziness. I love that about it. I went out yesterday and "warm chatted" (for those that don't know...it is going up to a complete stranger to find out if they have ever tried Mary Kay). I am not great at this, YET. I got a name at the mall....great girl at the shoe store that was so helpful....SLAMMING shoes there, I HAVE to make some money so I can go buy a pair or 4 LOL. Anyway....on the way home I asked hubs to stop at this consignment shop so I could see about getting a semi-formal dress (see there are some fun parts to this warm fuzzy pink world!!) for Unit Awards and for the company awards night. I will be wearing the same dress to both events since I can't afford to wear a different one each night (NOT next year though!!!) If I can find the right skirt to go with my blue top from the 8th grade dance I might wear that as part of a semi-formal. Anyway....at this shop, I meet this wonderful lady. She owns the place and we struck up a conversation since I wanted to know how to go about consigning my clothes I shrank out of with my weight loss. Then we got to my Mary Kay....and you will not believe this....She booked with me ON THE SPOT, for a party at her shop and with a guest list of about 50 people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!! I don't even know what to say. I am freaked and beyond excited at the same time. She also said if it goes well she would like to maybe set up 3 or 4 more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOT DAMN!! This was great news for me. Maybe now I can use the confidence that gave me to go out and warm chat some people today, get some numbers, book some women and get some $GREEN$.

On a side note.....My bestest bud (that I am not married too, Hubs you are my best friend in the world, you know that) is having surgery this morning. I hope all is going well. If you pray or send out positive energy....would you send some up for David for a successful surgery and a quick recovery?

Peace out my peeps and have a GREAT Thursday!!

Holy Cow...

...where did June go??

So.....updates.......

I have a new job!!! I am tickled about it, nervous, but very excited about the new position. I will be teaching 5th grade social studies. This should be a treat since it is American History and the only history I have known for the last 3 years has been inside the state of Texas. It will be fun to explore US history some :-)

PITA.....Dear God what am I going to do with this child?!? It seems she has gotten close with the neighbor's long lost son. Trading saliva close. When will she learn?? Besides, I may have to change her name to Juliet. IT seems the boy had a great pick up line for her "Hey, you know, we are like Romeo and Juliet. Do you want to be my Juliet?" ~gagging and trying not to get sick~ Of course PITA was ALL OVER that line.....hook, line and sinker. ~still gagging~ Anyway, I got home from the store yesterday (I found all of this out on the phone with the neighbor's while shopping for our 4th cookout) and asked PITA into the kitchen. It was simple I needed to make sure we have a few things squared away. I asked if she needed a flask of poison (to which she stared at me like I had lost my mind), then I wanted to know if she needed a friar or a nurse maid (still the "I think my mom is on crack" look). Then I said "What do you think, Juliet?" She then told me she felt like she was going to be sick. At what point will this child learn that I find out everything eventually????

Hubs.....worried about me I think. I kind of sank into a dark mood over the last week or so. I am coming out of it little by little. I am not really sure what got me spiraling downward, but I am trying to pull the plane back up before we crash.

Mary Kay.....UGH, this is hard work and I am a chicken. That is the biggest problem with the business. I will get better with it, but for now I am just frustrated. I need to get some people to commit to having a facial with me and trying the products and then I need to start selling the hell out of this stuff. I have things I want to buy!!

In general....I am detoxing from my best bud. I hope he gets better soon because I miss him bunches!!!

Peace out my peeps....Happy 4th!!!