Friday, February 13, 2009

Day 396 and Happy Valentine's Day! (a day early)

Well, tomorrow is Valentine's Day! Is everyone ready? Tom and I talked today about whether to get each other anything or not. I think we're leaning towards not. We're going to the dinner and a movie at church. At first I was kind of annoyed and feeling well...I don't know, deprived because we probably won't get each other anything. Yeah, I was acting like a baby. Then I realized that Tom shows me everyday in a million different ways how much he loves me. Do I really need some silly little gift to know it? NO! I don't. So grow up, Tracy! LOL. Tom is a wonderful embodiment of the scriptures from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7:

4.Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Anyway, the reason I'm talking about Valentine's day today is that I still have homework due by Sunday night. I'm going to try to go down and see my grandpa on Sunday so I need to get the homework done tonight and tomorrow so I'll be free to do that Sunday. So I may not be posting anything this weekend. I'll try, but you'll know why if I do not, and I'll see you all on Monday. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day and remember to hug the ones you love!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Day 395 and exhaustion

I am tired this week. Just so tired! I have had a blasted headache every single day. Then there were the plumbing problems and the party. And the homework. And the worry about my grandpa. And I had one meeting already this week and have another in Enid tonight.

An update on my grandpa, they are trying to get him ready to go home. He is still not swallowing well so they were inserting a different kind of feeding tube this morning and hopefully he can go home soon. That's what he really wants and he will probably get better quicker at home. Please continue to keep him and my family in your prayers.

So if I don't seem myself lately, you guys will understand a little bit about why. It's because I don't feel like myself. LOL.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Day 394 and child care party days

Ugh, child care party days just wear me out! Every time I have one, I swear I'm switching to a religion that doesn't celebrate holidays. LOL. I am brain dead and exhausted.

Anyway, I've got lots of homework that I want to get done before the weekend so I can relax and enjoy our Valentine's night. So that's all I have to say for tonight.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Day 393 and Plumbing Problems

Well, the emergency fund took a hit today. Last night, our kitchen sink stopped up. We couldn't get it unclogged so we had to call a plumber. They came late this afternoon and fixed it. There is a section of drain pipe we are going to need to replace but it's working for now.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Day 392 and an update on 2009 goals

I'm behind on updating these, sorry! I felt so miserable on Saturday that I forgot all about it.

Goal #1: Continue our journey towards financial peace.
Have I mentioned that we paid off our American General Finance loan? LOL! Our baby EF is up to $370. I came up with an easier way for me to budget for the month. I've been using Dave Ramsey's forms printed off our CD from the class. They're great but the allocated spending form only has 4 weeks on it and I get paid all over the place throughout the month from parents. Just to give an example: one family pays me on the 1st for the whole month, another family pays me on the 20th for the upcoming month. One family pays me weekly on Friday, the two drop-in families pay me weekly on the first day they are here in the week. One family pays me twice a month on the 1st and 15th and another family pays a co-pay on her paydays (that happen to coincide with Tom's) and then I get a weekly deposit to my bank from her child care assistance on Tuesdays, except for weeks that they co-pay has covered completely. Confused yet? Yeah, me too. Anyway, I had a yearly planner given to me by my sister-in-law and I took a pencil and penciled in the dates that the bills are due, the dates that Tom gets paid, and the dates that I get paid along with an estimate of the amount. Then I went through and wrote down on each pay date what I was going to pay out of that check. It worked much easier for me. I still use Dave's forms to get me started so I don't accidentally forget anything, but for figuring each pay date, that works much easier for me!

Goal #2: Get more organized in my home and business.

Well part of the above goal transfers over to this goal. I am keeping my desk fairly neat and organized and I am keeping up with my receipts. I'm going to mark on the calendar to do them on Monday afternoons after Tom's paydays when I do most of our shopping. That way they don't pile up.

Goal #3: Have a more positive attitude.

This has been the hardest one for me! I have done terrible at writing in the Joy Journal and sometimes my attitude just stinks! How do those people with happy attitudes do it all the time???? Anyway, I'll keep working on it, and I'll keep you posted (good or bad! LOL).

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Day 391 and wasting my time

As some of you who know me already know, I love going to child care classes. I enjoy the interaction with other providers, I enjoy what I learn, and it's a chance to get away for a bit and do something different.

What I don't enjoy is when I give up an evening or a Saturday for a class or a conference that is not good. Yesterday, I had a class that I was super excited about. It was on books and we were supposed to get ideas to take home and use with a children's book. I love books and have a few hundred of them so it sounded great to me. I got there and the lady had copied pages out of Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss and had some free Hop on Pop stuffed dolls for us. That.Was.It.SERIOUSLY! I was not happy. I have been to other classes that this person had presented before and have felt like she did not put much time or thought into them, but this time she proved me right times 100. It is insulting to me to go to a class where someone has not put any time or thought into it. I feel like I am not worth their time and effort to put together a good class. I mean, if I go to a class that isn't that good, but the person obviously worked hard on it, at least I know they cared. There will be another one of these classes next month that she swears will be better. I haven't decided whether to go or not. I like the idea of the class so I am tempted to go and see if it's any better. I've got a few weeks to decide...