Do you ever feel like the multiple versions of you are at odds? I do. All the time. Especially since becoming a mom.
Take tonight for instance. Jason wants to have a date night. One that entails having Jena spend the night with my parents.
The wife part of me thinks that sounds awesome. Would love it. Sounds like a great plan. Great idea, hunny. Let's do it.
The mom part of me thinks that's a horrible idea. Why would I want to spend even more time away from my baby? Who would come up with such an idea? What an idiot!
And of course then the housekeeper part of me has to butt in and say that if I have enough free time to have a date night, then I really need to get in there and scrub that bathroom. Ugh.
I don't think I have had as much internal conflict as I have since Jena was born. It seems like just about every day I am being pulled in a million different directions. I definitely think the hardest part of being a mom is juggling everything. Jena is almost 10 months old, and I am just now beginning to feel like I might have a handle on it. Then sometimes I wonder if I'm getting a handle on things, or if I've just gotten used to not having a handle on things. Hmm. Could go either way.
Anyway, still haven't decided what to do about tonight. The wife part of me really wants that date. Really wants it. The mom part of me thinks it's ridiculous to spend the night away from baby when it's not necessary.
We'll just have to wait and see who wins this one...
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Where did all of our money go ???
Jason & I had been regularly putting a pretty good chunk of change into savings. Savings for when the car insurance is due, homeowners insurance, property taxes, vacation, Christmas, etc. Big purchases. The method had been working pretty well.
But here lately, we haven't had nearly enough to put aside. In fact, there have been several pay periods where we haven't put anything into savings.
I didn't understand why. We haven't changed our spending habits. So why now do we have less money for savings.
I figured it out this morning. See, back in April I was given a mandatory 10% paycut. I hadn't really noticed any differences, until here recently when I realized we hadn't been putting hardly anything into savings. Stupid bad economy. That and I have noticed the past couple of months that our grocery bill has gone up, due to increased grocery prices. Combine the two together, and one thing is obvous: we have to do something to change our spending habits.
We're pretty good about managing our money, I think. We spend hardly anything on entertainment. All of our vehicles are used. Even our house was purchased as a fixer-upper. I'm an avid coupon-clipper, and hate paying full price for anything.
But we do have one bad vice: eating out.
Not only because we enjoy eating out, but it's aggravated by the fact that with both of us working, and Jason's odd shifts, we don't really want to "waste" what little time we have together by doing chores like cooking. Add to that the fact that I'm really not very good at meal planning, and we have a recipe for disaster.
But I think we've reached a point where something has to change. We have to get better. If we stop putting money aside for these inevitable large expenses, then some day it's gonna come back to bite us in the butt.
Now, to find the time for more diligent meal planning, and cooking, and more aggressive sale/coupon comparison, and grocery shopping, and.... ugh. It's exhausting just to think of it.
But here lately, we haven't had nearly enough to put aside. In fact, there have been several pay periods where we haven't put anything into savings.
I didn't understand why. We haven't changed our spending habits. So why now do we have less money for savings.
I figured it out this morning. See, back in April I was given a mandatory 10% paycut. I hadn't really noticed any differences, until here recently when I realized we hadn't been putting hardly anything into savings. Stupid bad economy. That and I have noticed the past couple of months that our grocery bill has gone up, due to increased grocery prices. Combine the two together, and one thing is obvous: we have to do something to change our spending habits.
We're pretty good about managing our money, I think. We spend hardly anything on entertainment. All of our vehicles are used. Even our house was purchased as a fixer-upper. I'm an avid coupon-clipper, and hate paying full price for anything.
But we do have one bad vice: eating out.
Not only because we enjoy eating out, but it's aggravated by the fact that with both of us working, and Jason's odd shifts, we don't really want to "waste" what little time we have together by doing chores like cooking. Add to that the fact that I'm really not very good at meal planning, and we have a recipe for disaster.
But I think we've reached a point where something has to change. We have to get better. If we stop putting money aside for these inevitable large expenses, then some day it's gonna come back to bite us in the butt.
Now, to find the time for more diligent meal planning, and cooking, and more aggressive sale/coupon comparison, and grocery shopping, and.... ugh. It's exhausting just to think of it.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Prayer Requests
For baby Stellan, that his SVT will remain stabilized and God will heal his body and grant His comfort & peace to Stellan and his family. That Stellan's parents will be rested, finding mercy & grace in their Father's arms.
For Adam, who begins chemo shortly. May God heal his body according to His will, and grant him patience and peace as he goes thru treatments. For Kristi (Adam's wife), that she find peace & comfort thru her Holy Father, and that both of them can feel the many arms hugging them & holding them, even though they are thousands of miles away from family & friends.
For Adam, who begins chemo shortly. May God heal his body according to His will, and grant him patience and peace as he goes thru treatments. For Kristi (Adam's wife), that she find peace & comfort thru her Holy Father, and that both of them can feel the many arms hugging them & holding them, even though they are thousands of miles away from family & friends.
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