A big cry-baby

This is what I've determined my hubby is. Now don't get me wrong i love him with all my heart I just want him to act his age or any age that's preferably over 25.

Snow day

I use to think that snow days were great. No school, all that fresh snow to go sledding in, make snowmen and snow angels, but somehow that hasn't carried through into my adult life. Maybe it's because I know that if I take a snow day I also have to give up one of my precious vacation days or maybe it's because when I go to work it's almost like a little break from my life. I don't have to worry about cooking, cleaning, laundry or even that adorable 2 year old who is hanging onto my leg. It's almost a sort of escape, to escape just for 8 hours to a place where I'm not the one in charge, I'm not the wife or the mother or the CEO of my family. Someone else is in charge and it's kind of nice. Don't get me wrong I love my life and my family but sometimes I think that escape is needed. If I could go back in time and not change one thing that has happened so as not to take away all that God has blessed me with, I think I'd go back to a snow day.

NIU

It's always sad and tragic to hear of a school shooting but it hits a little closer to home when you actually attended the school in the news. Now I haven't been an NIU student in many years but that doesn't stop the loyalty to the mighty Huskies. It's scary to think someone was able to walk into a lecture hall one I might have attended a class in and open fire for no apparent reason. At the same time it scares me how violent the youth of America are or are becoming in this day and age and makes me want to protect my children at all costs and never let them out of my sight. I know this isn't possible.......but how can you have so much anger and rage that you just take innocent people's lives? This is all so reminiscent of Columbine almost 10 years ago, the Jonesboro school shootings, all the miscellaneous shootings that are still happening, Virginia Tech that claimed 32 lives, a local high school in NY (seriously I drive past the school on a daily basis) where 3 students were planning an attack for the 11th anniversary of Columbine and had amassed a huge cache of firearms that were kept in their houses, and now NIU. When is all this madness going to stop? God bless NIUand my thoughts and prayers go out to them

Becoming Frugal

My husband told me the other day that I was the most frugal 28 year old he had ever known. And I think I have my Dad to thank for this. My dad didn't find his "dream" job until he was 30 and had two kids. My dad just retired at age 55 with a significant amount in savings and retirement income and this is after going through a nasty divorce, buying a new house, helping all three kids with college expenses (and anything else we needed) paying child support until just 2 years ago and he was still able to retire at age 55. That I find remarkable and I think it's because my dad saved every penny he could find. Not that my dad is cheap, quite the contrary, he's frugal. He shops around for the best deal instead of buying on impulse, he goes to garage sales, goes to thrift stores, and keeps stuff until it just doesn't work anymore. Just two years ago did he buy a new television because the one he had which was older than I am broke and due to the ancientness of it the manufacturer no longer repairs them because it's not worth the money. I'm trying to get my husband to understand this as we work our way towards owning a house that sometimes you need to give up your little wants to achieve your big wants. I have us on a strict budget right now but it all goes up in smoke (literally) when he's at least a pack a day smoker if not more. That's at least $35 a week down the drain and for what? Lung disease? A nasty smell? Potential cancer? My goal is to have enough money for a down payment by October or at least enough for a rent to own option. So we eat at home instead of ordering pizza or chinese or going through a drive-thru, and are attempting to only go grocery shopping either once a month and spending about $300 or twice a month spending $150 each time. To do this I clip coupons and when there is a staple that is on sale I buy more of it (like mayonnaise, I use mayo in a lot of my recipes and when it goes on sale I stock up on it. Same with crushed tomatoes). Here's to a down payment in October!!!!! Start scrimping and saving all pennies we can find!!

I grew up

This just became apparent to me the other day. I am a grown up. An adult. A mother. A wife. And I just realized this the other day. The other day when my dad sent me an email and asked what I wanted for my birthday. So I told him I had to think about it and I would get back to him. I thought and thought and thought. And couldn't come up with one single thing that I wanted. I could think up stuff that I could get for Emily, or the hubby, or the house but nothing for me. And that's when I realized, I've grown up, when other people come before me, when I think about what my daughter, husband, or house could need before I can think of something that I want for my birthday. I'm not a little kid anymore or a teen ager or even a young adult, I'm almost 29, I've become a full fledged adult with responsibilities that don't just affect me anymore. And I'm okay with it, happy even.