Happy New Year & Goodbye Shopping!

It is that time of year again, when many people make resolutions. I always like to spend at least a few moments to review the previous year, think about the upcoming year, and re-set my priorities. This year, I don’t have much to rehash, but I am looking forward to possible big changes this summer.

I am planning to move back to my house in Texas. Now, I wish I knew how or if it will all work out, but that is my plan. My tenant’s lease ends on July 31st. I would really like to get Lexi enrolled in kindergarten there, which starts the middle of August. My dream/ideal situation is for my company to put me back on full-time in September. I can enroll Jordan in the same place that Lexi was going before we left. He would start right after Labor Day. Sounds like a great plan, but I know life often takes us in different directions. I still really want this one though.

While my company is doing ok, the economy in Florida has been suffering. There are not a lot of contracts out there. I am desperately praying we win one so that they don’t have to worry as much about agreeing to the full-time. My other option is to look for a job, but I am hoping I don’t have to go that route.

In order to make this transition easier, I realize that I am going to need money. Most situations in life are easier with money, right? Knowing that, I have decided that it is time to become an extreme penny pincher. I have never been very good at it, but I am certainly going to try.

So, here is to a New Year of penny pinching for the greater good!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! I just love this time of year.  Spending time with family and a general sense of cheer just make life seem a bit better. 

We don't have anything too exciting planned this year. Unlike last year, no family members are coming to stay. Since we're living with family, we still get the benefit of spending the holidays with loved ones.  We have also tried to help a few people who are less fortunate than we are this year. 

I had planned to hold back on shopping, but as usual I kept finding things that I knew Lexi and Jordan would love. On top of that, my sister and mom enjoyed getting things for them. They will be very spoiled come Christmas morning. It will certainly be fun seeing their excitement.

Holiday Cheer

I took the kids with me to the post office this morning to send off a few packages. As expected, the line was out the door and there were only two clerks.  I had prepared Lexi and Jordan as well as myself for the long line.  We didn't mind so much, but everyone else was grumpy and complaining loudly. 

After about 15 minutes of waiting, Jordan started singing, "We wish you a Merry Christmas!"  He sang it fairly loud and quite cheerfully.  Quite a few people around us cracked a smile.  It reminded me that "the best way to spread holiday cheer is singing loud for all to hear." Thanks Buddy the Elf.

San Diego Snow

Lexi and Jordan just love snow, pretty much like all kids, especially ones that rarely get to experience it.  Today, in fact, Jordan saw a snowball fight on television and was very excited to have one.  I had to explain that we would not be having one today.  He was quite sad and questioned why.  Well... I explained that we don't have any snow and the temperature actually made it all the way to 80 degrees.  In stead, we made snow flakes to hang up. 

Now He is Three

Jordan's birthday was yesterday.  He is actually three now.  The funny thing is that every day he jumps on the scale and ranges between 31 and 33.  Whenever I tell him his weight, he would turn to be and say "No, I am two!"  Yesterday though, he was 31.4.  He said, "Yeah, I AM 31." 

Favorite Black Friday Activity

Last night, I decided to give shopping on Black Friday a try.  I had done it once before back when I was married and we went to spend Thanksgiving with his Grandma, Aunt and cousins.  His three cousins are all girls about my age and they love to go to Kohls every year.  We got up early and got there about 4 or 5 am, whenever it opened that year and were able to go right in.  We were able to get one cart and we would take turns standing in line while the rest of us would gather items.  Later, we went to Panera Bread for breakfast.  It was actually quite fun.

Sadly, my experience this year was nothing like that. First, I decided to go to Toys-R-Us at 10pm when they opened. Second, I couldn't get anyone to go with me. My mom and sister are still suffering from jet lag from their trip to Egypt and have been going to bed around 7:30 or 8pm every night. I probably should have picked Walmart at 5 or 6am and they would have been up for it.

I arrived at Toys-R-Us right at opening time to find an overly crowded parking lot and a line that wrapped around the entire building. In fact, the end of the line was directly in front of the door. I had to follow it all the way around. The first half of the circle went rather quickly, which gave me false hope. That was when they let in the first 300. Then about every 15 minutes, we moved up in line. They were letting 50 people in every time 50 had left. I kept waiting thinking that it couldn't take THAT long. Plus, Jordan's birthday was on my mind (Dec 1st). I thought that this was a good opportunity for me to shop for the kids without them. It ended up taking exactly two hours to get in the front door. I was still optimistic at that point. It was only midnight. I decided to grab a few things as well as a gift for Jordan and head home. As I was winding through the store, I noticed the extremely long line for the registers. I couldn't believe it, so I asked how long it was taking. I was told about an hour and a half to two hours. That is when I put my stuff down and headed right home, because I knew I was defeated.

From these experiences, I have learned that going with a fun group and making it more of a social outing is the only way that Black Friday should even be considered (for me anyway). From now on, I'll save my shopping for less busy times.

This brings me to my usual Black Friday activity, which is working on Christmas cards. I just love sending them out at the beginning of December. I planned to work on them today, but Lexi was also excited about making cards this year. I helped her make some for her friends. I'll have to start working on mine tomorrow. If any of the regular blog readers want to get on my list, just send me your contact info at: frecklefacegirl01@hotmail.com.

Truly Blessed

My favorite holiday is here again.  Mostly, I love the food and spending time with family, but it is also a wonderful time to remember all of the things that I am thankful for like:

1. Healthy and happy kids
2. A great job that I can do from home
3. Generous family members
4. Amazing friends
5. Dreams of a better future that we seem to be moving closer to all the time

I would like to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you get to spend it with people you love.

Not In Pre-school, But Fine

When people find out that Lexi isn't in pre-school this year, they give me judgmental looks. I just tell them that I am teaching her how to read and that she gets to play with the kids at the YMCA every day. She also has Jordan to play with. I’m almost tempted to tell people that I am homeschooling her just to see if that is more acceptable.

I’ve been wondering, when did pre-school become the norm? It wasn’t normal when I was a child, at least not in Utah.  I am not saying it is a bad thing.  In fact, I think pre-school is wonderful, but I can't afford it this year.  If I had the money, I'd like her to attend at least twice a week.  However, I feel that it is optional and not necessarily better. 

Another mom at the YMCA doesn’t have her son in pre-school either. She asked me what are some of things I worry about that Lexi might have problems with when she gets to kindergarten. I don't really have any.  She mentioned that she heard that standing in line and raising hands was an issue for some non-pre-schooled kids. Seems too simple to worry about that for any child.  I already know that Lexi doesn’t have a problem with either of those.

A good friend in Texas had complained about being judged for not enrolling her kids in kindergarten, which is odd because she was a teacher before she became a stay-at-home mom. In addition to a tight budget, her decision also had to do with the fact that she just wanted to spend as much time with her kids as she could. All moms know that kids grow up too quickly.  Lexi wasn’t even two when my friend told me about feeling judged. I didn’t see what the big deal was at the time and frankly, I still don’t.

My friend even taught her two oldest kids to read very well before they started kindergarten. They have been the top readers in their classes.  She told me about the lesson manual she used and warned me that it requires a lot of patience and can be grueling at times, but that the rewards were worth it.  I have been working on it with Lexi this year mainly because she is ready and needs a challenge. Yesterday, she completed her 55th lesson out of 100. I made a little video so everyone can see her progress. Here she is reading part of the story that was in her lesson that we did later:




Yes, she plays it up for the camera.  Here is a photo of the story:

Gift of Sanity

Last year for Christmas, my mom gave the kids & me a membership to the YMCA.  Little did I know at the time, that it would be the best gift ever for reasons I wouldn't have guessed. 

Sure I was excited about working out more; I envisioned a fantastic goddess-like body that hasn't materialized.  I was also thrilled that the kids would get to interact and play with other kids in playcare, while I worked out.  The YMCA allows for kids to be in their care for two hours a day while the parents are on the property.  I must be honest and admit that sometimes my main motivation for going is for the kids' social lives.  There have even been times that I wanted to go mainly for my workout.

Lately though, it has been very clear that going there is the key to my sanity.  Not only am I a single mom, but I am a full-time single mom.  I don't share custody (because he is in Texas).  My kids are not in a mothers' day out program or pre-school.  I don't have a babysitter.  There is a RARE occassion where my mom will watch them after I put them in bed so that I can run a quick errand or even less often while I go to a movie with my sister.  For the most part though, I don't get any breaks.  My mom is certainly willing, but I realize that she works too hard to have the energy for silly/loud kids. 

As for "me time," I have come to consider me time the time when I am in the shower pretending that I can't hear them arguing and the time that they are in bed sleeping and I am working for my company.  Good thing I like my job.         

Back to the point, going to the Y means that I have a 2 hour break.  I don't have to worry because they are well cared for and I am easy to find if anything should go wrong.  It is nice and quiet during the time I go, which is 10 am to noon, when only other moms and senior citizens are there.  Plus, exercise gets my blood pumping and reduces my stress.  I can feel a huge difference in my ability to be patient and handle the constant chatter on days that we go.  Thanks to the YMCA I have survived this last year and I know I'll be ok for the half of next year that I'll be living here.  

National Cemeteries

Veterans Day evokes a lot of national pride for most citizens of the US and reminds us to be thankful to the soldiers that fought for our freedoms.  For me, National Cemeteries really bring that reverence home.  My mother and grandmother (her mother) have instilled in me a general appreciation for cemeteries.   We used to spend Memorial Days driving around to various cemeteries to drop flowers off at the graves of deceased loved ones. 

It wasn't until 2005 that I grew to have an additional appreciation for National Cemeteries.  That was the year that my dad passed away and was laid to rest in the Houston National Cemetery.  The grounds and ceremonies are an amazing tribute to the soldiers.  I have also visited the National Cemeteries in Arlington and South Florida.  They are all impressive and humbling. 

Several weeks ago, I started thinking about when I took my kids to visit my dad's grave in December of 2008, which was three years after he died.  If we were living there, we would definitely go this year too.  I think it is a tradition that I will start as soon as we move back.  What a wonderful way to kick off the month of December and also teach my kids a great lesson in life.  Here is a photo I took then: