Maybe because it's because I'm hyped up on Diet Pepsi at 12:30 a.m. and can't sleep (had to have something to help me grade papers), or maybe it's because I'm tired of people complaining.
I've written before about student loans, and how I feel about people complaining about them. So when there's a petition on FB for supporting the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012, I just want to smack people over the heads.
Sure, in theory it's a great idea. But in practice, I just can't get behind that.
This link summarizes what it says. And, honestly, I don't care for mumbo jumbo.
I just know that I signed up for loans. Willingly. For a private education. And I paid them off. I spent two years working with AmeriCorps to get money for it. I worked two to three jobs most of my post-college time in order to make ends meet. But I did it. It's not impossible. I just had my priorities screwed on straight.
But I also didn't take out loans to live on, or use any excess for premature standard of living increases. You know, I might be willing (but not likely) to support the forgiveness of loans that were used solely for direct-education costs like tuition and books, and possibly even on-campus living. But I KNOW people who took out loans (both private and federal) and then used the excess to pay off their credit cards (which then got charged up again), or bought themselves a new (to them) car, or designer clothes, or techy gadgets, or expensive phones, or weeks of dining out at restaurants, and it really ticks me off to think that people want the government to pay for that junk.
I'm a taxpayer. And this is infuriating.
I hear people say they had to take out loans to go to school. No. You didn't have to, because you didn't have to go to school. Both were choices. All choices have consequences. When do people learn about their responsibilities?
Convert private loans to federal loans? More federal debt? Aren't we already complaining about our debtload? And with this plan, it's not even going to be paid back, so it's a loss for taxpayers. It's more debt. Period. The 10/10 plan (as outlined in the link) is maddening. So, if 10% of a person's "discretionary income" (whatever they're using to calculate this) is less than 10% of the loan over 10 years, the government should forgive the other 90%? What? I just don't get how this "promotes fiscal responsibility."
Look, I know people are in over their heads and are looking for a way out. But this is not the answer. A compromise, maybe, a break in payments or interest for a little while, maybe, but not this.
I know people who took out loans and never intend to pay them back. Ever. And they never had those intentions, even from the beginning. Defer. Forbear. Repeat. I just don't think this irresponsibility should be rewarded.
Off my soapbox now.
Cheers.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Short People, Long Post
Finally! Time for some little people. I took a couple pictures with my phone last week (or the week before?) so here they are. Dinner time at the Beaver house:
I haven't written about them in a while--I'm sorry. We've been keeping busy. Once school started back in January, we hit the ground running. Elsie was pretty much potty-trained for overnight within a week of our 3-day boot camp. Two months later, she's only had a handful of accidents. In the mornings, sometimes she refuses to go and I take her to daycare, where all K has to do is tell her to go and she goes. Oh, little girls. We've tried to have a routine where she goes potty when Oscar goes to bed to avoid bedtime drama for her. It works pretty well. She tells me when she has to go, usually, and she goes. I go in there at the end to remind her to wipe, flush, and wash her hands.
Speaking of bedtime, at 18 months, Oscar is a great sleeper. He pretty much goes to sleep when his head hits the pillow--a Big Al Pillow Pet (an elephant, for those of you not versed University of Alabama paraphernalia). He's ready by 7 p.m. almost without fail. Elsie, at 2 3/4-years is ready a little while later, starting to unwind (in more ways than one) by 8 p.m. Sometimes she falls asleep immediately. Other times she stays up singing and talking until after 9. Yikes.
This semester, we have our church small group on Wednesday nights. We are not hosting this semester, but instead travel a few miles to our friends' house where we have an amazing group, and Elsie and Oscar get to play with some little friends. We're out past bedtime on this night, and I feel sorry for K on Thursday mornings (and hopefully am appropriately apologetic). But it so refreshing to be with our church community.
Speaking of K, morning drop off at her house has been going soooooo much better since after Christmas. Elsie stopped crying and screaming, but insisted that I carry her, so I would carry the two toddlers into the house in the mornings because it was just easier. Then, one day two weeks ago, Elsie announced that she wanted to run. So, she got out of the car and ran toward the door. The next day I asked her if she was going to run, and she told me that no, she was going to walk. And she walked. And has walked ever since. So, this last week, I decided to put Oscar down and let him walk, too, since he follows Elsie everywhere. And so, he's walking into the house also. It's such a relief to have two big kids (relatively speaking), and not having to worry about bending from the knees and not from the back as I try to carry 50+ pounds of toddlers into the house.
Now, I'm just going to list things that I think of to share. Some are update-quality, some are just memories I don't want to forget:
1. Elsie is obsessed with Charlie Brown. She saw a Charlie Brown movie at our fall festival last November while I was in Arizona (Eli took the kids) and she hasn't stopped talking about him. Frequently she will come in and announce, "I'm Chawie. You're Sawwy." She's never identified with Snoopy or even acknowledged that he exists until today: From the back seat I hear, "Mama, what's Chawy's puppy?" It took me a minute to figure out what she was talking about. We practice saying "snoo pee" until she got it. Then, we're eating dinner, and she cocks her head, rests it on her hand, furrows her eyebrows in seriousness and concentration, and asks, "What's Chawy's puppy name again?" I tell her, she repeats me, and she files it away in her sponge-like brain with a smile.
2. She hasn't mastered the sound of the letter L.
3. In February, Miss J gave Oscar a gift bag of toys that had a pirate on the outside. Elsie put her chin up and tried to close just one eye (but still squinting the other eye since she hasn't mastered it), sneered her lip as best she could, and said in a gravelly voice, "I'm a pirate! Arrrrgh! Merry Christmas!" Another time, she was trying to put on a pair of toddler sunglasses that has the strap all the way around, and she had it on crooked so only one of the lenses covered one of her eyes, and she looked at me and said, "Look! I'm a pirate!"
4. I had a sweet moment with Oscar a few weeks ago. I was putting him to bed, rocking him in the rocking chair, and I told him that I loved him. I said, "Can you say 'I love you?'" He lifted his head up and looked right at me and said, "Love. You." Then he put his head down again. Melt this mama's heart.
5. For Christmas, Eli's parents got the tots the Melissa & Doug Pound and Roll Tower. Oscar is crazy about this thing. Sometime in January the balls disappeared under various and sundry pieces of furniture, but the tower did not lose its appeal. One day I heard Oscar playing with it and couldn't figure out what was going on. He had found a plastic Easter egg and was dropping it in the holes, over and over and over and over. Then Elsie brought over a handful of change and they both got a kick out of dropping dimes and nickels, pennies and quarters down the tower. They've tried Mardi Gras beads and toy cars. I'm just so amazed at their creative minds.
6. I may have already mentioned this, but Elsie still does it, so it's worth mentioning again. She'll get a ribbon from my craft ribbons and give Oscar one end. Then she'll lead him around the house, calling him Alex. He has no idea, but that's the name of Miss J's dog.
7. Favorite pasttime in the backyard: playing in the "garden"...that is, the ash from the Weber charcoal grill.
8. Singing. Elsie loves to sing. She remembers tons of songs. She just started belting out "I've got peace like a river in my soul" the other night while playing in front of the refrigerator. Another night, she started singing, "I love you, Lord, and I lift my soul.." They sing a lot at K's house. Elsie is a sponge and remembers most of them.
9. I've gotten into the habit of correcting "yeah" and "nah" to "Yes, ma'am" and "No, ma'am" respectively, even with Oscar, even though he's still pretty much a one-syllable guy. Imagine my surprise when he started saying "Ma'am" when I would correct him. Every once in a while he'll say both words, but not often. And he still likes to grunt or say "uh-uh" or "uh-huh". But if I press further he'll say "Yesh" or a very clear "No".
10. In the last week or so he's been saying Elsie's name at various times. Sounds like "Eh. See." He threw his pacifier out of his crib and then called, "Eh. See!!" for her to come get it and give it to him.
11. Sharing is getting better. Still running hot and cold with this concept and the nearly three-year-old.
12. I love to hear them giggling together. It's usually followed by screaming and crying, but I'll take what I can get, you know?
13. Oscar loves to steal socks. After 5 p.m. he seems morally opposed to the wearing of socks by anyone around him, so he'll forcefully remove them from me, Eli, sometimes Elsie, though hers usually don't make it all the way home from K's house. The backseat of the Saturn is a sock depository. When it's time to do their laundry once a week, I go to the Saturn and get all the little rejected white balls of cotton. Usually there are at least 12 socks. Sometimes there's an odd number, and that's confusing. Oscar also gets a kick out of wearing my novelty socks. The sock thing lets me know that they were not switched at birth.
14. It's softball season, and I really love to watch softball, even if it's middle school softball. One night, Oscar wasn't feeling well, so I left him with Eli and took Elsie out to the ballpark. We got out of the car and she told me that I needed to get Oscar out of the car. I told her that he wasn't in the car, and that blew her mind. How did we go somewhere and not take Oscar?!? We got out there and even though she had a jacket on, she was cold (it was windy) so she sat in my lap for about 5-10 minutes before she started climbing around on the bleachers, and then announcing that she was going home. She climbed down the bleachers, and headed toward the parking lot and asked, "Where's Daddy's car?" (the car we were driving). She was not a bit interested in the game.
Two days later, I left Elsie at home with Eli, and I took Oscar out to the ballpark, and he sat on my lap and very intently watched the game for 45 minutes (there was some fruit-snackage involved) before he got distracted by the field lights, which are seemingly everywhere. Pointing in the air, "Weiss! Weiss!" Took me a minute to figure out that it was the lights that were exciting him. And then he wasn't interested in the game and we went home.
Moral: Elsie is a doer. Oscar is a watcher. Neither of those is a bad thing.
15. Elsie is frequently heard singing on the potty. In the mornings, it's usually "Yea, Alabama!" Yesterday she was singing and informed me that it was the Backyardigans theme song. Not surprisingly, I already knew that, because this girl has an ear for tunes. And an uncanny memory for lyrics--even when she doesn't know the words, she is able to replace them with similar sounds. She is a sponge for media (scary!) and has often been known to sing her replies to questions. Silly goose.
16. Oscar was 23 pounds and 23 inches at his 18 month checkup.
I can't even think of what else I need to put down before I forget. I'm sure I'll think of more soon. Hope you enjoyed this little window into our lives of late.
Cheers.
I haven't written about them in a while--I'm sorry. We've been keeping busy. Once school started back in January, we hit the ground running. Elsie was pretty much potty-trained for overnight within a week of our 3-day boot camp. Two months later, she's only had a handful of accidents. In the mornings, sometimes she refuses to go and I take her to daycare, where all K has to do is tell her to go and she goes. Oh, little girls. We've tried to have a routine where she goes potty when Oscar goes to bed to avoid bedtime drama for her. It works pretty well. She tells me when she has to go, usually, and she goes. I go in there at the end to remind her to wipe, flush, and wash her hands.
Speaking of bedtime, at 18 months, Oscar is a great sleeper. He pretty much goes to sleep when his head hits the pillow--a Big Al Pillow Pet (an elephant, for those of you not versed University of Alabama paraphernalia). He's ready by 7 p.m. almost without fail. Elsie, at 2 3/4-years is ready a little while later, starting to unwind (in more ways than one) by 8 p.m. Sometimes she falls asleep immediately. Other times she stays up singing and talking until after 9. Yikes.
This semester, we have our church small group on Wednesday nights. We are not hosting this semester, but instead travel a few miles to our friends' house where we have an amazing group, and Elsie and Oscar get to play with some little friends. We're out past bedtime on this night, and I feel sorry for K on Thursday mornings (and hopefully am appropriately apologetic). But it so refreshing to be with our church community.
Speaking of K, morning drop off at her house has been going soooooo much better since after Christmas. Elsie stopped crying and screaming, but insisted that I carry her, so I would carry the two toddlers into the house in the mornings because it was just easier. Then, one day two weeks ago, Elsie announced that she wanted to run. So, she got out of the car and ran toward the door. The next day I asked her if she was going to run, and she told me that no, she was going to walk. And she walked. And has walked ever since. So, this last week, I decided to put Oscar down and let him walk, too, since he follows Elsie everywhere. And so, he's walking into the house also. It's such a relief to have two big kids (relatively speaking), and not having to worry about bending from the knees and not from the back as I try to carry 50+ pounds of toddlers into the house.
Now, I'm just going to list things that I think of to share. Some are update-quality, some are just memories I don't want to forget:
1. Elsie is obsessed with Charlie Brown. She saw a Charlie Brown movie at our fall festival last November while I was in Arizona (Eli took the kids) and she hasn't stopped talking about him. Frequently she will come in and announce, "I'm Chawie. You're Sawwy." She's never identified with Snoopy or even acknowledged that he exists until today: From the back seat I hear, "Mama, what's Chawy's puppy?" It took me a minute to figure out what she was talking about. We practice saying "snoo pee" until she got it. Then, we're eating dinner, and she cocks her head, rests it on her hand, furrows her eyebrows in seriousness and concentration, and asks, "What's Chawy's puppy name again?" I tell her, she repeats me, and she files it away in her sponge-like brain with a smile.
2. She hasn't mastered the sound of the letter L.
3. In February, Miss J gave Oscar a gift bag of toys that had a pirate on the outside. Elsie put her chin up and tried to close just one eye (but still squinting the other eye since she hasn't mastered it), sneered her lip as best she could, and said in a gravelly voice, "I'm a pirate! Arrrrgh! Merry Christmas!" Another time, she was trying to put on a pair of toddler sunglasses that has the strap all the way around, and she had it on crooked so only one of the lenses covered one of her eyes, and she looked at me and said, "Look! I'm a pirate!"
4. I had a sweet moment with Oscar a few weeks ago. I was putting him to bed, rocking him in the rocking chair, and I told him that I loved him. I said, "Can you say 'I love you?'" He lifted his head up and looked right at me and said, "Love. You." Then he put his head down again. Melt this mama's heart.
5. For Christmas, Eli's parents got the tots the Melissa & Doug Pound and Roll Tower. Oscar is crazy about this thing. Sometime in January the balls disappeared under various and sundry pieces of furniture, but the tower did not lose its appeal. One day I heard Oscar playing with it and couldn't figure out what was going on. He had found a plastic Easter egg and was dropping it in the holes, over and over and over and over. Then Elsie brought over a handful of change and they both got a kick out of dropping dimes and nickels, pennies and quarters down the tower. They've tried Mardi Gras beads and toy cars. I'm just so amazed at their creative minds.
6. I may have already mentioned this, but Elsie still does it, so it's worth mentioning again. She'll get a ribbon from my craft ribbons and give Oscar one end. Then she'll lead him around the house, calling him Alex. He has no idea, but that's the name of Miss J's dog.
7. Favorite pasttime in the backyard: playing in the "garden"...that is, the ash from the Weber charcoal grill.
8. Singing. Elsie loves to sing. She remembers tons of songs. She just started belting out "I've got peace like a river in my soul" the other night while playing in front of the refrigerator. Another night, she started singing, "I love you, Lord, and I lift my soul.." They sing a lot at K's house. Elsie is a sponge and remembers most of them.
9. I've gotten into the habit of correcting "yeah" and "nah" to "Yes, ma'am" and "No, ma'am" respectively, even with Oscar, even though he's still pretty much a one-syllable guy. Imagine my surprise when he started saying "Ma'am" when I would correct him. Every once in a while he'll say both words, but not often. And he still likes to grunt or say "uh-uh" or "uh-huh". But if I press further he'll say "Yesh" or a very clear "No".
10. In the last week or so he's been saying Elsie's name at various times. Sounds like "Eh. See." He threw his pacifier out of his crib and then called, "Eh. See!!" for her to come get it and give it to him.
11. Sharing is getting better. Still running hot and cold with this concept and the nearly three-year-old.
12. I love to hear them giggling together. It's usually followed by screaming and crying, but I'll take what I can get, you know?
13. Oscar loves to steal socks. After 5 p.m. he seems morally opposed to the wearing of socks by anyone around him, so he'll forcefully remove them from me, Eli, sometimes Elsie, though hers usually don't make it all the way home from K's house. The backseat of the Saturn is a sock depository. When it's time to do their laundry once a week, I go to the Saturn and get all the little rejected white balls of cotton. Usually there are at least 12 socks. Sometimes there's an odd number, and that's confusing. Oscar also gets a kick out of wearing my novelty socks. The sock thing lets me know that they were not switched at birth.
14. It's softball season, and I really love to watch softball, even if it's middle school softball. One night, Oscar wasn't feeling well, so I left him with Eli and took Elsie out to the ballpark. We got out of the car and she told me that I needed to get Oscar out of the car. I told her that he wasn't in the car, and that blew her mind. How did we go somewhere and not take Oscar?!? We got out there and even though she had a jacket on, she was cold (it was windy) so she sat in my lap for about 5-10 minutes before she started climbing around on the bleachers, and then announcing that she was going home. She climbed down the bleachers, and headed toward the parking lot and asked, "Where's Daddy's car?" (the car we were driving). She was not a bit interested in the game.
Two days later, I left Elsie at home with Eli, and I took Oscar out to the ballpark, and he sat on my lap and very intently watched the game for 45 minutes (there was some fruit-snackage involved) before he got distracted by the field lights, which are seemingly everywhere. Pointing in the air, "Weiss! Weiss!" Took me a minute to figure out that it was the lights that were exciting him. And then he wasn't interested in the game and we went home.
Moral: Elsie is a doer. Oscar is a watcher. Neither of those is a bad thing.
15. Elsie is frequently heard singing on the potty. In the mornings, it's usually "Yea, Alabama!" Yesterday she was singing and informed me that it was the Backyardigans theme song. Not surprisingly, I already knew that, because this girl has an ear for tunes. And an uncanny memory for lyrics--even when she doesn't know the words, she is able to replace them with similar sounds. She is a sponge for media (scary!) and has often been known to sing her replies to questions. Silly goose.
16. Oscar was 23 pounds and 23 inches at his 18 month checkup.
I can't even think of what else I need to put down before I forget. I'm sure I'll think of more soon. Hope you enjoyed this little window into our lives of late.
Cheers.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
March Debt Update
Coming out of February, this is where we were:
First 10K Chunk, started 10/1/11
Fundraising Thermometer
This month is promising. We may be able to finish off this thermometer and start a new one, depending on how this one goes.
But even more promising is what I heard from some friends of mine today.
B&R are high school sweethearts, people I knew way back when who got married pretty much right after graduating. Through the magic of Facebook, we connected and remain on each other's friends' list. I'm not in Texas, so I didn't know the particulars of their situation, but I knew that R worked away from home, out of state, and they had a school-age daughter who wasn't adjusting. I knew at Christmas, she would count down the days to see him, if he could come home at all. I would read B's blog about her struggles with her daughter and dealing with R's absence. My heart went out to them, but I didn't know if I could help.
Then in July of last year, R posted this:
I HATE MONEY!!! I hate how it makes me feel! I hate how it controls me!! I hate it being tied to EVERYTHING we do!! I HATE MONEY!!!!
I told him that it sounded like he needed some Financial Peace in his life, fully intending the double meaning (a la Dave Ramsey). His response was essentially that those two words can't exist in the same sentence.
I prayed about it and prayed for them for a couple of days before I finally got the courage to send them a message, offering up tidbits of our journey and encouraging them. They were very grateful for my dose of hope, and I ended up sending them the Kindle version of The Total Money Makeover, and then for Christmas, I found a really good deal on FPU Online, so I went ahead and bought one for them since they can use it from their separate locations.
Today, I got an update from B, and I am so excited for them. The Lord is working in their lives. R switched companies (same type of job), has a regular schedule, is still away from home, but it is predictable when they will see him, and it included a raise to boot! They are working through Dave's principles as outlined in the book, but haven't started the FPU class (plan for next month). The hope in that e-mail was something I know comes from God. They have paid off all their credit cards and are two payments away from paying off a loan they've been facing for the last five years. They still have a long way to go, but there's wiggle room, and their debt snowball is rolling, and they are all happier than they've been in a long time.
I thank the Lord for using me as a tool and for giving me the courage to share with B&R. It was scary (who likes to be rejected?) but so worth it to give God the glory.
Cheers!
(I'm backdating this post a few days just so that the update on the kids will be on top.)
Fundraising Thermometer
This month is promising. We may be able to finish off this thermometer and start a new one, depending on how this one goes.
But even more promising is what I heard from some friends of mine today.
B&R are high school sweethearts, people I knew way back when who got married pretty much right after graduating. Through the magic of Facebook, we connected and remain on each other's friends' list. I'm not in Texas, so I didn't know the particulars of their situation, but I knew that R worked away from home, out of state, and they had a school-age daughter who wasn't adjusting. I knew at Christmas, she would count down the days to see him, if he could come home at all. I would read B's blog about her struggles with her daughter and dealing with R's absence. My heart went out to them, but I didn't know if I could help.
Then in July of last year, R posted this:
I HATE MONEY!!! I hate how it makes me feel! I hate how it controls me!! I hate it being tied to EVERYTHING we do!! I HATE MONEY!!!!
I told him that it sounded like he needed some Financial Peace in his life, fully intending the double meaning (a la Dave Ramsey). His response was essentially that those two words can't exist in the same sentence.
I prayed about it and prayed for them for a couple of days before I finally got the courage to send them a message, offering up tidbits of our journey and encouraging them. They were very grateful for my dose of hope, and I ended up sending them the Kindle version of The Total Money Makeover, and then for Christmas, I found a really good deal on FPU Online, so I went ahead and bought one for them since they can use it from their separate locations.
Today, I got an update from B, and I am so excited for them. The Lord is working in their lives. R switched companies (same type of job), has a regular schedule, is still away from home, but it is predictable when they will see him, and it included a raise to boot! They are working through Dave's principles as outlined in the book, but haven't started the FPU class (plan for next month). The hope in that e-mail was something I know comes from God. They have paid off all their credit cards and are two payments away from paying off a loan they've been facing for the last five years. They still have a long way to go, but there's wiggle room, and their debt snowball is rolling, and they are all happier than they've been in a long time.
I thank the Lord for using me as a tool and for giving me the courage to share with B&R. It was scary (who likes to be rejected?) but so worth it to give God the glory.
Cheers!
(I'm backdating this post a few days just so that the update on the kids will be on top.)
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Gone. Whew!
First, I'm going to say again and again how grateful I am that there are people in the world who want to spend the day with my children while I'm at work. So, thank you to Elsie's first caregiver, Miss J; to Oscar's first (Elsie's second), JC, and now to K and JS (my sick-day back-up) for being so good to my children.
So, during my weird weekend a week ago, we had a spend-the-night guest at the last minute. He was 4. He came over, watched an episode of VeggieTales, went to sleep, woke me up at 6 ready to greet the day, and was picked up at 8:30. Really, it was only 3 hours with him awake, but I started watching the clock at about 7:30. When would he go?
Well, before she left him that night, his mother (an acquaintance, really) told me that she was in a bind this weekend and needed a babysitter for Friday night. I said he could come sleep over again because I truly, honestly, wanted to be able to help her in this time of need, and this was before he stayed over, so I didn't know any better. Come, he did, and he stayed for about 6 waking hours longer.
What this weekend and last have made abundantly clear to me is something I'm going to be completely honest with you about: I still don't like little kids. At least, I don't like other people's toddlers. No offense to any of my friends out there. I hope you'll understand that I'm a middle school teacher for a reason. And it most likely has nothing to do with your child specifically, but instead is a conflict with my tolerance and their ages. In fact, the children of my friends are generally children I would want my children to play with--they are well-behaved and mind their parents. Just don't ask me to babysit unless you are in an absolute bind (until about 5th grade or so).
I love my kids, obviously. But, I'm still not comfortable with them at the ages they're at. It's a learning curve. I'm even less comfortable with other people's kids, especially if they're at an age I haven't encountered with my own children. I mean, I have no problem telling them what to do or correcting them (Did I mention that I'm a teacher? I've reprimanded children at the Chick-Fil-A play place for bullying children that aren't even my own), but how to deal long-term with the high pitch shrieking every time E doesn't want to play "Police Mans" the way he wants to, the poor cats running for their lives because he just wants "to pet them" or wants to make them sleep in his bed, the yelling at my children to "shut up" when they are talking in their room in the morning, the jumping from coffee and end tables to couches, teaching my children behaviors that I loathe??
Easy. Find a different solution next time, because I won't be available.
To be clear, this boy that was here was not a bad child. He went to bed pretty easily after I convinced him that the cats would come sleep with him when he fell asleep. He's potty-trained, and generally respectful in his verbal dealings with adults (though not with "peers"). I just had to keep correcting him over and over again (stay off the stairs, leave the cats alone, share please, don't push him--he's little and doesn't know any better...again and again and again), and I had to pray to the Lord (literally) that he would not remember it as me being negative, even though sometimes I was. But, I think he gets away with a lot more at home, because he has babysitters every night of the week while his under-30 single-mother works full time, goes to grad school, and plays on a university club sports team, and still finds time to party with her friends. It's the truth that parents are doing the best they can, wherever they are, whoever they are, and in whatever circumstances they are. In my day job, I get paid to meet those kids right where they are and make the best of it, and I do it willingly, even when I'm exhausted when it's time to interact with my own children. And while I did enter into this weekend and last willingly, I've learned that I'm not cut out of that cloth seven days a weeks and need very much to have my own time with my family as I learn about their ages and stages (husband, too, haha) and decompress and rejuvenate for the week ahead.
And that is why I'll be unavailable.
On the bright side, I've been a little bit cured of my recent desire for another child (for now). Just like watching my nephew being born when I was sixteen was great motivation to not have kids for another 14 years, so was watching someone else's toddler at a time when it seems everyone I know and love is having another baby and I feel a little bit left out and incomplete. Though, I won't wait 14 years, but you get the idea.
Cheers.
So, during my weird weekend a week ago, we had a spend-the-night guest at the last minute. He was 4. He came over, watched an episode of VeggieTales, went to sleep, woke me up at 6 ready to greet the day, and was picked up at 8:30. Really, it was only 3 hours with him awake, but I started watching the clock at about 7:30. When would he go?
Well, before she left him that night, his mother (an acquaintance, really) told me that she was in a bind this weekend and needed a babysitter for Friday night. I said he could come sleep over again because I truly, honestly, wanted to be able to help her in this time of need, and this was before he stayed over, so I didn't know any better. Come, he did, and he stayed for about 6 waking hours longer.
What this weekend and last have made abundantly clear to me is something I'm going to be completely honest with you about: I still don't like little kids. At least, I don't like other people's toddlers. No offense to any of my friends out there. I hope you'll understand that I'm a middle school teacher for a reason. And it most likely has nothing to do with your child specifically, but instead is a conflict with my tolerance and their ages. In fact, the children of my friends are generally children I would want my children to play with--they are well-behaved and mind their parents. Just don't ask me to babysit unless you are in an absolute bind (until about 5th grade or so).
I love my kids, obviously. But, I'm still not comfortable with them at the ages they're at. It's a learning curve. I'm even less comfortable with other people's kids, especially if they're at an age I haven't encountered with my own children. I mean, I have no problem telling them what to do or correcting them (Did I mention that I'm a teacher? I've reprimanded children at the Chick-Fil-A play place for bullying children that aren't even my own), but how to deal long-term with the high pitch shrieking every time E doesn't want to play "Police Mans" the way he wants to, the poor cats running for their lives because he just wants "to pet them" or wants to make them sleep in his bed, the yelling at my children to "shut up" when they are talking in their room in the morning, the jumping from coffee and end tables to couches, teaching my children behaviors that I loathe??
Easy. Find a different solution next time, because I won't be available.
To be clear, this boy that was here was not a bad child. He went to bed pretty easily after I convinced him that the cats would come sleep with him when he fell asleep. He's potty-trained, and generally respectful in his verbal dealings with adults (though not with "peers"). I just had to keep correcting him over and over again (stay off the stairs, leave the cats alone, share please, don't push him--he's little and doesn't know any better...again and again and again), and I had to pray to the Lord (literally) that he would not remember it as me being negative, even though sometimes I was. But, I think he gets away with a lot more at home, because he has babysitters every night of the week while his under-30 single-mother works full time, goes to grad school, and plays on a university club sports team, and still finds time to party with her friends. It's the truth that parents are doing the best they can, wherever they are, whoever they are, and in whatever circumstances they are. In my day job, I get paid to meet those kids right where they are and make the best of it, and I do it willingly, even when I'm exhausted when it's time to interact with my own children. And while I did enter into this weekend and last willingly, I've learned that I'm not cut out of that cloth seven days a weeks and need very much to have my own time with my family as I learn about their ages and stages (husband, too, haha) and decompress and rejuvenate for the week ahead.
And that is why I'll be unavailable.
On the bright side, I've been a little bit cured of my recent desire for another child (for now). Just like watching my nephew being born when I was sixteen was great motivation to not have kids for another 14 years, so was watching someone else's toddler at a time when it seems everyone I know and love is having another baby and I feel a little bit left out and incomplete. Though, I won't wait 14 years, but you get the idea.
Cheers.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
February 2012 Debt Update
February is here--already!! I honestly have no idea where the month has gone. I'm overdue for an update on the children, but that takes a lot of thought and energy. I'll do one soon--I promise.
In the meantime, January was a good month for paying off debt. Eli had some funds save up to cover his trip to Scotland, and when he got back, he put any excess on the student loans. That put us up to 2/3 of the way done with the first debt thermometer! I think with tax refunds and good stewardship, we'll be done with this thermometer next month following March payments. I'm excited about the momentum--being roughly ~20% done will feel so good!
First 10K Chunk, started 10/1/11
Fundraising Thermometer
I've been working on our taxes, and it looks like we'll be getting a little refund. Glad it's a refund and not taxes to be paid, personally. I'm willing to overpay a little rather than have to scramble to find the funds to pay the IRS. We're not way overpaying, though. The average tax refund is reportedly a little over $3000. We're no where near that, so I don't feel bad about it.
Also, can you believe that it's already time to talk about summer plans? I was asked to teach summer school again. I think I'm looking forward to it, too, particularly in light off paying of debt since it pays twice what Sylvan did. Last year I taught math, and this year I'll probably be teaching the Language Arts side of it. It will be good. Even with paying for childcare, we will still come out ahead enough to make a dent in the next thermometer. :)
Cheers.
In the meantime, January was a good month for paying off debt. Eli had some funds save up to cover his trip to Scotland, and when he got back, he put any excess on the student loans. That put us up to 2/3 of the way done with the first debt thermometer! I think with tax refunds and good stewardship, we'll be done with this thermometer next month following March payments. I'm excited about the momentum--being roughly ~20% done will feel so good!
Fundraising Thermometer
I've been working on our taxes, and it looks like we'll be getting a little refund. Glad it's a refund and not taxes to be paid, personally. I'm willing to overpay a little rather than have to scramble to find the funds to pay the IRS. We're not way overpaying, though. The average tax refund is reportedly a little over $3000. We're no where near that, so I don't feel bad about it.
Also, can you believe that it's already time to talk about summer plans? I was asked to teach summer school again. I think I'm looking forward to it, too, particularly in light off paying of debt since it pays twice what Sylvan did. Last year I taught math, and this year I'll probably be teaching the Language Arts side of it. It will be good. Even with paying for childcare, we will still come out ahead enough to make a dent in the next thermometer. :)
Cheers.
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