Mommy Brain

Well, I’m not out grocery shopping. I’m not out doing anything because I’m stranded. My van is in the shop. Kevin was able to change the spark plugs last night, but that didn’t fix the problem, so we’re waiting for that dreaded phone call informing us how many of our children we have to stop feeding in order to afford to fix my van. It’s times like this I really hate the fact that my husband works out of town. He commutes 35 minutes each way, so I can’t really take him to work and pick him up. Well, I could, but I’d have to have the kids and myself dressed, fed, and ready to go out the door at 7:15. I’m barely conscious at that time.

It’s times like this I also hate money. Or, more specifically, our lack of it. I love being at home with the kids and homeschooling them. I hate the fact that we barely scrape by financially. My husbands income is not huge, by any means, and we live paycheck to paycheck. I know that it’s teaching us to trust, but it’s hard not to worry. If today’s repairs turn out to be very expensive, we’ll have to borrow the money from my parents, which I hate doing. But I can’t imagine being stranded with no transportation and four kids all summer long.

Kevin has started his own business on the side, with the goal that in a couple years he will be able to work it full time and quit his job. It would save us so much money on gas! At his job, he designs and manages their web store, does programming and tech support, and designs their brochures and mailings. We invested in some equipment this year, and his business involves all those things, as well as converting people’s home videos to DVD and doing DVD slideshows and scanning photos into digital. It’s taken off quite well, but then he is so busy he gets stressed out. And so far, the extra money has had to go for things we’ve been waiting to get or expenses, such as vehicle licensing, that come up and there’s no savings for. And I’m trying not to worry too much about where the money is coming from for curriculum this year. God has provided in unexpected ways each year, so I know I shouldn’t be anxious. I’m trying to trust. It’s hard.

Anyway, since I’m home today (unexpectedly), I found the time to blog and I thought I’d answer the fun meme I found on Quiet Life. Hope everyone’s week is going better than mine!

Alphabet Meme about Me, me, me.

A is for Age - 32
B is for Booze - a glass of white wine on the rare occasion Kevin and I get to go out alone
C is for Career - wife and stay-at-home, homeschooling mom
D is for Dad’s name - Rod
E is for Essential items to bring to a party - Homemade guacamole, Yellow Corn Santitas, Pepsi
F is for Favorite song at the moment - Here With Me by Mercy Me
H is for Hometown - Sedro Woolley, Washington
I is for Instrument you play - piano
J is for Jam or Jelly you like - raspberry, peach
K is for Kids - Four — one daughter, three sons
L is for Living arrangement - Too small single-family home with too large mortgage
M is for Mom’s name - Teresa
N is for Names of best friends - Terry, Heidi, and my three sisters: Andrea, Debra, and Marni
O is for overnight hospital stays - Four births — two by cesarean, gall bladder surgery, sleeping by Noah’s bed when he was 16 months old and hospitalized overnight for croup
P is for Phobias - calling businesses like banks, insurance companies, auto mechanics — not really a fear, but I hate doing it and try to get my husband to do it for me
Q is for Quote you like - Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth!
R is for Relationship that lasted longest - Other than my mom and dad and sisters, I have a friend named Toby that I still e-mail a few times a year and we’ve known each other since 4th grade
S is for Siblings - three sisters
U is for Unique trait - I have a very distinctive laugh — my husband says he never gets tired of hearing it!
V is for Vegetable you love - Corn on the cob out of the garden with lots of butter and salt
W is for Worst trait - procrastinator
X - is for XRays you’ve had - teeth and lungs
Y is for Yummy food you make - chicken enchiladas and very easy homemade spaghetti sauce
Z is for Zodiac sign - I’m a Scorpio, but I think it’s bunk