

Not yet Deb...
The phones been ringing off the hook...
That's to be expected.
But I've got to tell you...
I found out that my stepmother has decided that all the arrangements for my fathers funeral should be the choice of the 4 of us... that sort of surprised me in a nice way.
That is so very nice of her. That will help give each of you closure.
We will all go to VA - probably on Monday for a memorial (he didn't want a wake) on Tuesday and then we will have a memorial for him in NJ after the holiday for family and friends who are up here.
It's especially hard at this time of the year. It's going to be hard to have a memorial before and after the holiday. Don't expect to feel the Christmas spirit this year. Just do whatever you want and don't worry if you don't feel like doing much.
My sister is going to take care of all the travel arrangements so that means that most likely I will make it to VA by way of Austrailia... Must remember my passport...![]()
By the way...
My mom told me that she thinks that my dream was my father's way of saying goodbye...![]()
Hi All...
Just to let you know that my father passed away a couple of hours ago...
We got the call right after it happened...
I believe it was peaceful.
We were all in a flurry this morning to try and get down there, but God took care of it for us.
I'll probably be around for the next couple - no one knows the plans yet, so if you see me on the boards... I'm just filling in some time with good friends.
There have been so many losses with this group since we all first started chatting here.
You know we're all here for you, whether you need to talk or to just have your mind taken off, whatever you need.
Michelle, I think that was God's way of letting you know your dad went peacefully.You know Deb...
It was the strangest thing.... I woke up having a dream yesterday where me and my niece Emma were in a cemetery (it was actually the yard next to our old church) and my father was there - wearing his old Fordham sweatshirt that he loved so much and he just said to me that he didn't want to be in the hospital anymore and he got into a white car and drove away...
Sure, it wasn't my front door that everybody would see, it was the side door, but still shocking.
I'm constantly telling people at work that my brain doesn't start until about 10am and to please not talk to me until then. Now they'll see I wasn't joking, I truly am NOT a morning person! 
You all won't believe what I did today! I slept through my alarm this morning, woke up at 6:40am and I had to be to work at 7. So I jumped out of bed, brushed my teeth, threw clothes on and ran out the door. I was only 5 minutes late. Long day, had a doctor appointment after work, just a med check, stopped at the post office for stamps for 42 Christmas cards, visited with a good friend who works there, went to Cold Stone Creamery for a pint to take home, got home just before 7pm. When I pulled in my driveway I saw that I had LEFT MY DOOR OPEN ALL DAY!Sure, it wasn't my front door that everybody would see, it was the side door, but still shocking.
I'm constantly telling people at work that my brain doesn't start until about 10am and to please not talk to me until then. Now they'll see I wasn't joking, I truly am NOT a morning person!
Last night I stayed up until 1am reading, so tonight I'm headed to bed NOW. Goodnight all!![]()
Thanks Deb! I'm headed that way now. Got distracted checking out my messages on the lia sophia website and daydreaming about jewelry.Good Night Holly.....what a nut, you really do need your beauty sleep. Hope you get a good night's rest tonight.![]()
Will get good sleep tonight because tomorrow will be a very busy workday. Then out for Mexican dinner and a drink with the girls from work. Then to bed early tomorrow night too because it looks like I'll get to work Saturday too for extra hours.
.....
OMG, I got my school transcripts and they suck!!! I don't think I have any chance in getting anyone to let me try to get back into a program with what they say. I guess I really didn't remember how much I hated working full time and going to school full time. I have a ton of classes that I dropped. And quite a few that I took Incompletes in that turned to big fat F's. okay so I'm ruling out going back to school. So what the heck should I do now????
.....
I broke the news to Tyler today about moving to a different school. I received official word today which school (the one we toured and wanted), so it was time to tell him. He cried, sobbing, because he says he'll never see Corey again. Corey is one of his best friends in school. I assured him that doesn't have to happen, that I'd write a note for his teacher to send home with Corey, explaining to his parents that Tyler's leaving the school but wants to stay in touch, and hope they'll call me to set up a time for the boys to get together soon. I told Tyler I'll do the same for any other friends he wants to still see. He named 2 more boys and one girl. Another boy we see outside of school already because they've been friends since daycare, and another girl we also already get together with frequently because she moved to a different school a while back, so they wanted to stay in touch.
So once he realized he can see those friends just the same way we get together with other friends already, he wasn't so sad. I did my best to explain to him why this is happening. I told him he knows how much everybody at his current school loves him and wants him to do well, he agreed. I told him that not everybody learns in the same way, our brains are all different. I told him he learns differently than I did, I learn differently than my mom did, etc. I told him he's just as smart as the other kids, but just learns in a different way and that the teachers at his current school only know how to teach one way, but the teachers at his new school have gone to school to learn how to teach things many different ways so that everybody who learns differently can learn in their own way.
I told him they're also going to teach him different tools to use when he gets frustrated or overwhelmed instead of ripping up his paper when he can't seem to get his hand to write correctly. I told him he's just as smart as the other kids, but it's sort of stuck in his brain, sort of locked in there, and he has trouble getting it out onto his schoolwork papers, and the teachers at the new school will try to find the key to unlock the gate and let it all come out. He seemed to get it and then he started telling me things about the new school that are better than his current school (remember, he went to this school all summer for the summer child care program, so he's familiar with it a little, just not with the teachers). I told him that's a great attitude to have, trying to think of good things about what's happening.
He's such a great kid. Went from tears and sadness to optimistic in about 15 minutes.
He IS a great kid.
In some programs that is the concept, and that was everything we have experienced in the program at our school, until this production, so it's like a bait and switch. Which is the real reason I'm mad.......Even worse if Molly gets a part (and she might very well) I'm afraid that we don't want her to be in a group that excludes others, nor does she want to not be with her friends. We are really struggling over this issue......
......Yes, Holly there are programs that are like that. Paul and I choose not to have Molly in them. We have found the program(s) that best suits her specific needs. She doesn't need to learn the hard way. She is a smart girl and can totally understand that lesson with out having to live it just yet.
Wilson on the otherhand is very competitive and we have thrust him into a very competive sports both with little league and go-kart racing. He can learn the lesson early and it will do him some humble pie good if you get my drift.Just signed him up for Minor try outs for little league, if he doesn't get picked oh well, too bad, try harder next year........
Another Mom who knows her own kids and how to help each maximize his or her potential!
nan - keep me posted re Molly and her play --- don't get back to the thread much. sorry to hear of all the issues....you know, if you guys move to FL....all that will go away~
give my baby sis hugs from me and please let me know dates and times of her next show should she choose to do it.
how is will and what wacky poses are you strong arming DH into these days?
bubba and v - how goes it?
gaylean - miss you!
ian and sukie sukie - what plans say you?
michelle - say yes to the eb.......
shannon and ken - can ya'll come to fl to work on my kitchen....it is so retro.....retro floral orange flooring, sea green pull out stove...you get the idea.
sorry I have been mia...I have been in a funk and really kind of depressed but am coming out of it!!!
holly - how are things with Tyler?
jan are you here
john, amy, kim, pj, morketts, are you guys here

Make a list of all the things you have done in your life--volunteer projects, classes you have taken, jobs that paid money, whatever.
Then rank them in order of how much fun they were, how fulfilling they were, etc. You can create your own ranking system--numbers, letters, stars, whatever.
Then relist them top to bottom of the ones with the most positive marks down to the least.
Set it aside.
Start from the beginning a week or so later and do it all again.
Compare the lists.
Make changes when you think of them.
I bet after a bit something will percolate to the top as being fun, fulfilling, challenging, and possible.![]()
Jan![]()