Feeling my age

This is the first year where I have started to feel my age. I thought I wouldn't start to feel "older" until I turned 30, but this was definitely the year. My oldest will start driving in 9 months and my youngest started Kindergarden this year. I thought that my baby going to Kindergarden would hit me hard, but it didn't. The kicker was when my baby girl needed to start wearing a sports bra/tank top under her clothes. That's when it hit me!! My babies are officially no longer babies. My youngest, like I said, turned 5 this year, he's "officially" out of the preschool stage, and my baby girl started to turn into quite a young lady. Although my children made me feel old this year, I also still feel very young. I am still out with my daughter teaching her cheers and showing her how to do the jumps, I've lost 40 pounds this year and can now share shirts with my teenage daughter, and my son is becoming a nice young man himself. All in all, it's been an amazing year!!! (regardless of how old I may seem to be)

It's that time of year again!!!

The girls go back to school tomorrow. Nicholas, my husband, and myself go back on Tuesday. It's the time of year where everyone gets back into the routine of things, we are all on a schedule, and I realize how fast my babies are growing up. Nicholas will get on the bus and leave me on Tuesday. I know I will be in tears, but it will still be a bittersweet moment. I am looking forward to see what this year will bring. I am also very excited to see all of the plans we have made come to life. The future is looking very bright at the moment.

Reflecting

I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my life lately. Sometimes I feel that I am not living up to what I could be. I have a degree and am not using it. At times I feel that after all of the schooling I have had, I should be doing something more. Then I spend an amazing day with my children and remember why that degree is not being used. I know that I am exactly where I should be right now. This is the first year that all three kids will be in school all day and I will be a little lost without them. However, I am babysitting for one more year so that I may continue to concentrate on my school work and finish my next degree. Babysitting gives me the flexible schedule that I want for my kids. I will have all holidays, school breaks, and snow days off with them. I am so excited to know that in 9 months, I will finally be a big girl and have my dream career. I will finally have the money to give my children the life that my parents were able to give me. I don't want to send the wrong message, I realize that money isn't the answer to everything. But we already give them love, structure, stability, and all of those wonderful things. I just can't wait until I have the ability to afford to put them in more activities. I didn't have everything growing up but I never did without either. I want to be able to put them in activities to help build their teamwork skills, self esteem, and an interest in new things.

The Frugal Fairy

     I LOVE yard sales!! You can find amazing things at yardsales for fractions of the original retail price. I have bought some clothes at yardsales, but usually it is just items for the kids fo summer time. I have never even thought of buying clothes for school at a yardsale.....until this year. My family didn't have a lot of money when I was a child, but I never did without. We always went to department stores to do our school shopping, so I never thought to go to a yardsale for school clohes. Over half of the clothes that I have found so far still had the tags on them. Never been worn clothes for under $2.00???!!! So far in the last three weeks, I have bought clothes that totaled $300 retail and I only spent $60!!!!
     At this time of year I am usually making lists for all three kids and it includes EVERYTHING!! All of them usually need socks, underwear, pants, tops, sweaters, jackets, skirts (for the girls), and shoes. This year, after all of my wonderful finds at the yardsales, I only have to buy jeans and shoes for all three kids!!!! I have drastically reduced our out of pocket expenses for this expensive back to school season. I have cut our budget for school clothes and supplies in half!!!
     Aside from the wonderful benefit of saving money, I feel that I have fullfilled my duty to my husband in making our money stretch farther. Being a stay at home mom, (even though I work part time), I feel that it is my duty to save money and making our money go farther. Couponing was short lived and didn't really save me much money. I still use coupons, but only for things I absolutely need. But this made me feel really good about school shopping this year.

The simple things

Had a wonderful day today. It was my first night in over two months that I haven't had to go to school or work. Had an amazing day with the 6 kiddos that I had today. It was so nice seeing the little cousins playing together. I made an awesome dinner for the whole family (including those not living in our home). I also got some much needed yard work done.
     It is so amazing to watch children interact with each other when they think that nobody is watching them. They are so innocent all while acting like little adults. It is such a pleasure to watch them all grow.

Prayers have been answered

My husband has landed a wonderful job with amazing growth potential!! This job has everything that we have been looking for!! Great health benefits, perfect schedule, union, perks, and they are paying for his school!! I am so very proud of him and thank God for our answered prayers. I have also had a huge weight lifted off of me this week in regards to school. Things are starting to look up and we are on the right track to having the life that we have worked so hard for!! Good things do come to those who wait and God has blessed us at such a wonderful time!! I also received good news about our son's school. We are able to qualify for a little bit of financial aid. It was just enough to make his school affordable and is just a tad bit more than we would've had to pay if we sent him to the public school. I am so happy that he is able to stay in the Christian school. I can only teach him so much at home. With him being in school for 8 hours a day, it is hard to fit in dinner, homework, and bathtime before it is time for bed. Keeping him in the Christian school is such a blessing knowing that God will be presented to him on a daily basis while he is away from us.

Feeling a little lost

My last day of school for this semester is Thursday. I can't wait to have a small break before my hectic fall schedule starts. Everything that my husband and I have worked so hard for will finally pay off in the next 9 months. I am just confused as to what my next step is. I have two options. I can either 1) stay at home during the day and babysit the two amazing children that I have been watching and work my part time job on the weekends while going to school in the evenings dureing the week, or 2) get a full time job during the day and attend classes in the evenings. I will be praying about this and hope that whatever is meant to be will be. Now that all of my kids will be in school for the full day, I feel useless if I am not using my education to the fullest potential and a little like a failure if I am not making the income that I am capable of making to help my husband with all of our expenses. I just can't wait to get through the next nine months and get back to a normal routine.