9/12/09 Out of the Darkness Community Walk

enjoy nature...or trying to...

We're in the woods and the peaceful ways of nature have been quite enjoyable. The interruptions have been quite unenjoyable. There's a local pub nearby with a live band...which wouldn't be so bad if they sounded decent.

Testing Blogger mobile

Testing out the Blogger mobile from my phone for the 1st time today! I'm sure it will post as a friggin Facebook note, because that's how I set up my  blog. Sure wish I could figure out how to remove that feature.

So, here I sit bloggin' from our campsite!

9/4 It's Friday Fragments & Freewrite! (Thanks Liz)

I've been trying to figure out this whole blog thing, and as I read Eternal Lizdom today it occurs to me that many bloggers have days where they have a set blog theme. The two Mems above are linked to the bloggers who have started the Friday Freewrite and Friday Fragment movements, so be sure to visit them for inspiration too! 
This may be the best bloggin' idea I've found in 10 years, LOL! I've not been in the blog scene with any matter of consistency. How can I make Facebook and IMLM a priority and not make my writing a priority here? We'll see how this helps!

Now...onto todays Fragments!

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Do you ever just get so tired of feeling like you will never dig yourself out of debt? I know I do. No matter how small the debt is it seems to always be there! From medical bills, to taxes, to unexpected home repairs...it's never ending! 
If I could turn back time to before the kids got used to the way we live I'd move into a tent and just live off the land. I can't stand it when I think we are finally getting afloat only to find that one child needs xrays, and another needs a tooth pulled, and another is overdue for his EKG. 
I just thought life was supposed to be easier in America than this! Lots of life lessons to teach my kids I suppose. Paying on student loans up until my oldest starts college has been a huge eye opener for me. I will work to pay for my kids educations if it kills me to avoid them having to face the stresses of student loans for the next 15 years of their adult lives! I'll also be sure they understand the expense of continuing education and to not take it lightly! Know what you want to be when you grow up before you start! None of this switching Majors 6 times stuff!

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~I would love to find time to have a yard sale in the coming weeks so I can reclaim my garage before winter! I have been purging and purging the kids rooms, the kitchen, basically everywhere...and I still have tons more. Every time I purge I look around and think "That should have gone. So should have this." It's another seemingly never ending facet of life!

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~I have been contemplating quitting my job for months now. Last night I jumped to the other end of the spectrum. Seems like I think I now need a 2nd job in an effort to pay off some debt. I don't know what to do. I would need something part-time working in the evenings, preferably at 7pm so I can do homework with the kids and attend all the weekend daytime sporting events with my children. I don't know what kind of job would offer such hours, but I am on the hunt!

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I've been having the hardest time getting Andrew to be more organized with his school paperwork. His responsibility level has not matured past age 5. It becomes more noticeable as his siblings get older. Seeing his 7 y/o brother and 10 y/o sister mature over the past year has really shown us just how behind he is in social skills too. While I completely relate to the way his brain works, as mine is much the same, I cannot figure out why he doesn't try harder. Instead he just cries, sulks, whines, complains, and placed blame. It's always the teachers fault, the siblings fault, etc.

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I have this hideously ugly bathroom that needs retiled. I would love to do it myself. I thought about watching craigslist for some free tile postings, since I cannot spend on such things right now. I wonder what the chances are that I'd find some? I once needed mulch and I found that a business had posted free mulch on craigslist and when I called it was already gone. Bummer!

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Well, that's it for my Friday posting. I have a Mommymoon Network board meeting at 10:30. This one is a live chat online, so I get to work in my Jammies. Yay!

Have a great day!

Leticia



 

A month without spending?

In an effort to pay off some medical bills I have decided to try out a month of no extras as suggested by Suz Orman. No more picking up a stocking stuffer here or there. No more picking up clearance clothing for next season. No extras!

This is going to be extremely challenging for me because the way I spend is how we save money, but I need to see the savings right now instead of next season, or next holiday.

So, I plan to inventory the pantry today, plan meals around what we have on hand, do all of my shopping at Aldi to discourage impulse buys, clearance racks, and to save $$ on some meats. If I see a meat sale at a Kroger or Marsh I may go there as well since they don't sell clothes, and much in the way of toys, etc.

This is going to be a rough challenge. I plan to blog my daily results if I find there's much to chat about with it.

Wish me (us) luck!

The time has come...

All of my life I have been lucky enough to have a fairly clear complexion. I attribute it to the Latin blood! The past 6-8 weeks have been stressful at times beyond comprehension. I have had a community of zits setting up camp on my chin for the past two months! One moves out, and one moves in on the other side of the grounds.

It's time to start taking care of my skin, so I can look as healthy as I wish I felt for years to come. It's time to start washing my face with skin care product, and using a clarifier of some sort.

Any suggestions? What brand/product works for you?

The evolution of parenting

I don't know many parents who do not have the best interest of their children at heart. While "best interests" may vary greatly from my own interpretation, I believe all parents are inherently good, or have the potential to be.

I'm noticing a new trend with my soon to be teen childrens friends parents, and I just don't get it. It seems as suddenly the priority has shifted and "what's best" is turning into "What is best for their social status"

I think it is totally absurd for a family who struggles to pay their bills to spend $100 of the hottest sneaks (which, BTW-me using the term sneaks surely makes me the most uncool parent of a preteen out there!), and to spend $20 on a T-shirt from a mall store, when big box retailers have trendy shirts of similar style for $5.

I'm not going to say I don't feel the desire from my own children to have things. They certainly do. They also know that if they want an expensive item that we would normally buy a less pricey version of, they are welcome to save up for it and spend their own gift monies on it!

There seems to be a new pressure for parents going into the teen parenthood to make their kid more popular. Many parents seem to think that their childs world could very well come to an end if they do not buy them these things. The sad thing is that many of them don't appreciate that which they have, and do not understand the basics of economy, which they should by Middle School!

I see these parents bending the rules, and breaking the bank all in the name of wanting their child to be the popular one...or is that really it? Maybe it's that the parent is living vicariously through the child and it's being the parent of the popular child that they really desire.

I find myself looking into the future and seeing a rough road ahead for these kids. The sense of entitlement is disturbing, and I find it more and more difficult for me to relate to these parents.

I think it's really okay to tell your child NO, or to compromise with them at any age. Of course, I think it's okay to buy your child a brand name label here and there. I wait until I can get that $25 Nike Tee on clearance for $7. It's not in our budget for all the Tshirts to be name brand, but of course if I find one at a reasonable price I think it's a good compromise. I just don't see how people justify the entire wardrobe being so pricey.

Well...believe it or not, this was supposed to be about a lot of things, but not clothing. I'm not sure how this blog took that road, but there it is.

My point was that some parents are trying to hard to make their kid the uber cool classmate and it's just really embarassing to watch these parents try so hard to make their kid the one everyone wants to be friends with.