We had a pretty good weekend here in the household. Saturday Ben worked,,, I took the kiddos and got their pictures taken. Its been a really long time since they've had them taken professionally so it was way overdue. I'm so excited to get them back,, they were all so cute! My mom had gotten a picture package for us that has quite a bit of pictures with it but it only includes one pose. They took a bunch of pictures with individual shots and together shots then at the end they showed them all to us. If we wanted we could have gotten more poses but the cheapest package was $100!!! Not in our budget right now. It was very hard to say no but I did. I guess thats why the run the cheap package and then they make their money by people ending up getting more pictures than whats in the package. The lady actually said I was the first person to only get the package!!! Sure made me feel like a cheap-o mom :(
Our budget has not been going according to plan lately. Things keep popping up here and there that need bought or paid. In the past 4 days I've spent over a hundred dollars just on Jess. She had to have all this stuff for soccer,,t-shirts, sweatshirt, team pics,,,,then needed new dress shoes and then had a field trip for school that she needed money for. I just feel so bad to tell her no to stuff for school cause everyone elses parentsdo it and I dont want her to be left out. Times like these I see where home schooling would come in handy cause you dont have the pressure to have the cool clothes,, and everything else school related. She still makes me feel like I dont get enough for her. It seriously brings tears to my eyes cause I dont want my kids to feel "poor",, or left out. I feel like we do a lot with the kids but I guess they just don't see it. It's so hard!
Sunday we celebrated Ben's b-day over at moms house. His b-day isnt til Friday but it was easier for everyone to get together this weekend. He had asked for clothes and a wallet and money for his deer hunting licence,, oh and hunting gloves. Between everyone he got all that,, plus I got him a sweatjacket for work that he had been wanting so that was a surprise for him.... I think he was happy. But with b-day presents comes more expense. can you tell I'm stressing about money? LOL Ben gets paid every other week and we only have 2 paychecks left b4 we head off to Florida!!!! It's my whole fear again of the kids not having fun,,, wishing we could have done more than we did. They are already upset because I told them we arnt getting them presents for Christmas because of the trip... we will buy them stuff there though,, souvenirs and such. And I plan on sneaking some stockings in the suitcases and surprising them with those Christmas morning. The big kids want big things though,,,like Ipod Touch,, and DSI XL.....well I hate to say it but with this trip I cannot afford to buy those things for them this year. I thought I was doing good by taking them to FL for 2 weeks and going to Disney World........I can not ever win with them.
Oh well. I'm sure once we are there they will have fun. I know I plan on having a great time,, I just hope the kids remember to pack there happy attitudes. :)
4 comments:
I cannot begin to tell you how much I can relate to everything you posted! Parenting is such a heart ache sometimes! You feel like you put your entire life into them (the kids) and they just poop on you!
but if it helps you at all.....this stage must be normal cause all parent of similar aged children say the same thing. So we keep investing our very life into them and the rest is in Gods hand! If God can turn even the evil for good (like it says in the bible) then how much more can He turn all that good love we invest into them into something good! I hope that just made sense...I'm in a hurry but had to comment!
These years are tough...we'll see results when they are past their teens!
Sis, your children will be waking up on Christmas morning in sunny Florida! I'm pretty sure they will still get that excited, can't sleep, stay up all night feeling the night before Disney World that we used to (kinda still do) get every Christmas Eve. And you know they will all be bragging to their friends about their trip to Florida when they go back from Christmas break.
Stop stressing so much! You guys give those kids everything they need, and it doesn't seem like either Jess or Gary or having problems with popularity at school. You are great parents! You kids will have so much fun in Florida, and they will remember this trip for years to come. Thats much bigger than a DSI XL (whatever that is) that would probably get broke in a few months anyhow.
You have been saving for so long, I'm sure you will have enough money to have a good time. And Grandma won't let you go hungry :)
I am right there with you and agree with both of the girls. We got a KMart holiday catalog in the mail last week and I made the mistake of telling Corbyn to go thru it and circle the items he wants so we know what to get him. When he realized we were not getting him everything he circled, he nearly had a meltdown! Times like that makes me not even want to do Christmas or Birthday for a year, then maybe they will appreciate what they do get. I know we get way more for our kids than we should or than I ever got as a child and we do that cause we can and we want to do it for them but when attitudes like that pop up...ugh! Sorry for the long comment! Someone had mentioned they do "adopt a child" or whatever that is where they get a tag with the childs name, age, etc on it and then you go buy them gifts cause they can't afford Christmas or are in a bad situation... I thought about having Corbyn do that so he realizes how much more he has than a lot of kids out there... Or maybe go ring the bell for Salvation Army...
Thanks Ladies!
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