Pear Budget

After moving into a new house with a big new mortgage, and big new property taxes to pay, we knew we needed to create and maintain a budget.  But, we have very limited time, so we needed something really easy and convenient to use.  Enter Pear Budget. 

What is it, you ask?  Well, it is a really simple budgeting and expense tracking service - way easier to use than Quicken or Microsoft Money, and perfect if you're new to budgeting or just overwhelmed by other methods of keeping track of your spending.  There are no fancy bells or whistles, and I have to say that it is awesome, and works great for us.

So, give it a try.  They have a free 30-day trial so you can check it out. 
http://www.pearbudget.com/

Sorry Coach! Better luck next year...

I signed Matthew up late for soccer this year, and he was put on a long waitlist.  He's been excited about playing again this year, and then was pretty disappointed about the possibility of not being able to play. 

Then comes the first email to all of the parents on the waitlist...
"If you are willing to be a head coach, your son will be placed on a team."

Hmmmm, I think.  Andrew can't do it with his football schedule, and there is no way I can do it with my work schedule this Fall.  So, I reply back that I'd love to, but just can't.  I felt pretty good about saying "no," because, well, it's difficult for me.

Then comes the second email two weeks later...
"There still are not enough teams for everyone on the waitlist this year.  But, if you are willing to be an assistant coach, then your son will be placed on a team." 

Assistant coach - hmmmmm, but I still don't have the time.  So, I reply back that I'd love to but won't be able to go to all the practices.  The response back was, "No problem!  You can miss a few practices, and here are all the forms and classes you have to take to become a volunteer."

Crap.  So much for doing better at saying "no."

I filled out the forms and sent them in, and figured I'd somehow make it work.  Yesterday I got this news...
"Thanks for volunteering, but we were able to find enough coaches and won't be needing your help as an assistant coach.  Your son has been placed on a team"

Thank God!!!  I think I actually verbalized this rather loudly at work- I couldn't even pretend to be disappointed. 

Today I got an email from Matthew's soccer coach..."we need volunteers to be referees."  

Hmmmm, let me think.  HECK NO.  Me, in the gold, striped, collared shirt and knee high socks, dealing with annoying parents?  Oh, I don't think so.  My son is already on the team, Mister, so you have no leverage now.  This time, I'm not even going to email back.  That's pretty darn close to saying "no", if you ask me.  Small steps...

Matthew's "Good" Choice

We've been talking to Matthew and Kayla a lot about the difference between good and bad choices.  You know, typical parent stuff. 

Yesterday Matthew is sitting with us at the table finishing dinner, and he says that he is going to go find Kayla and wrestle with her on the couch.  So, I ask him, "is it a good choice to wrestle with your sister on the couch?"  I'm concerned that they might break something or someone will get hurt, of course.

And Matthew responds, "No, you're probably right, because she's a very powerful fighter, and she'll probably win"

So glad we're getting through to them...

Monday blues

All work and no play this weekend, makes Melissa tired, grumpy, and feeling bummed on this Monday morning.  Not to mention I had to come in to work before sunrise to catch up because we are understaffed and overwhelmed with tons of deadlines looming. 

We cleaned out our garage and did tons of work moving into the house this weekend.  Our poor kids are bored, complaining, and fighting.  Matthew keeps telling me he doesn't get to see me enough.  I am busy at work, and busy at home, and no where am I feeling in control or on top of things.  . 

It seems like this moving stuff will never end.  For every box I unpack, and every item I send to Goodwill, there is just another box filled with stuff, and no place to put it!  There are still chairs left to paint, and every room needs to be decluttered.  And to make matters worse, we only have three weeks left until school starts and football begins.  Time is not my friend right now.  Boy do I wish I were back in Hawaii...

Kayla's Room

OK, so here it is....  Kayla's new pink room (well, just a partial view).  When we first brought up the idea of moving to the kids, they weren't thrilled about leaving the only home they've ever known.  So, to sweeten the deal, we told the kids they would have a new room, they could choose whatever color they wanted, and there would even be a few room "surprises."  The first "surprise" was a castle mural on one of her walls (not shown).  And the second "surprise" is the crown canopy above the bed (see previous post).

Kayla loves her new room.

Any guesses?

What is it, you ask?  Well, it's something I designed and made, and it's a surprise for Kayla.   So, this is a bit of a teaser, but I'll give you a hint...it goes in her room.  We're planning on finally finishing up the kids' rooms this weekend with the last of their room "surprises"  I'll show you a picture of the rooms tomorrow (or the next day) so you can see what the heck this is.

We're Back!

Wow, it's been a while since my last post!  One problem has been that we've had no internet service for 3 weeks, and so, I haven't been able to blog from home.  Long story short - AT&T messed up our order 3 times and so we switched providers, and now we're back online.  It made me realize just how much I rely on the internet for little stuff here and there.  It was a bummer not having it!

So here's a quick summary, which I will follow up with more info and pictures later on tonight and this week.

Got back last week from 10 glorious days at a condo at the Waipouli Beach Resort on Kauai (see pics below).  I can't begin to explain how fantastic it was to have ten totally lazy days of vacation after the crazy year we've had.  Vacation to me is when you sit around and do nothing you don't feel like doing, and just live in the moment:  No rushing to take kids to school and get to work, no scrambling to make lunches in the morning...fantastic.  "Travel" is what I call it when you go somewhere to see the sites and be a tourist.  That can be fun too, but it isn't always relaxing.  This trip to Kauai was a vacation.  We lived in the lazy river pool (complete with waterfalls, caves, and waterslides) at this place.  The 2 bedroom condo was new and beautiful (granite countertops, love it), and I highly recommend this resort to anyone thinking of going to Hawaii.

   

Matthew's swimming really improved on the trip, and he lost his second tooth (on the top, which the tooth fairy almost forgot about).  We also celebrated Kayla's 4th birthday on Fourth of July, and watched some amazing fireworks up close.  So much fun!!! 

Now I'm back to work and completely swamped!  Ugggghhhh!

I've got so much more to tell - but it will have to wait until another post. 

Quick Update

We've been working so hard for the last week getting the new house ready to move in.  We work all day, than put kids to bed, and then return to the house at night to do more work.  It's nuts. 

We discovered a few items that needed attention at the house, so we've had lots of service people coming to the house to fix or improve things.  Andrew and I have finally finished painting the family room, and both kids bedrooms.  The rooms are all finally ready to move in furniture and we're getting really close.  We're on track to move in and actually start living there sometime mid-week.

I'll post pictures soon of the kids rooms.  Kayla's is pink and girly, and Matthew's is bright blue and orange.  I must admit I was a little nervous about bright blue and bright orange, but I was eager to give him a room that would be just the way he wnated it.  It actually turned out great!

Kayla also had a dance recital this weekend, and I have some pics / video to post for that.  Stay tuned.  We are so crazy busy right now, but I promise I will get to it as soon as I can.

Taking a cue from the dog...

We're about to go to a BBQ at my sister's house yesterday afternoon.  Kayla is dressed in her bathing suit and ready to go, but I tell her she needs to go into the back yard and clean up the baseball stuff she had left out on the grass.  Matthew and I look out the window a minute later, and we see her stripping out of her bathing suit and getting naked in the back yard.  Intrigued by this odd turn of events, I continue to watch, and my mouth drops open when I see her squat down and take a pee right there on the grass. 

Matthew and I bust out laughing, and I open the door to the backyard and ask Kayla why she is peeing on Grammy and Grandpa's grass (she has finished at this point).  She tells me that she just couldn't hold it.  Well, OK, I guess it's better to pee on the grass than have an accident, but the inside bathroom is only a few steps away.  Now, I know Kayla, and I know the real reason she did it...she just wanted to try it and see what it was like.  Apollo pees out there, so why shouldn't she? 

Kayla does random stuff like this all the time.  I tell you, she is so entertaining to have as a child.  Infuriating sometimes, but certainly entertaining.

Kids

I just love it when...you get your daughter all bathed and smelling good, and have just washed her sheets that same day, and then she decides (without telling anyone) not to wear her overnight diaper (which she still needs), and then pees all over herself and the clean sheets.

I just love it when...your kid won't open up his mouth to let you pull out his loose tooth (because the adult tooth is already half way up, and the baby tooth is hanging by a thread), but then opens up wide for the dentist the next day without hesitation and let's him yank it out, and then you have to pay him $100.

I just love it when... you bend over to pick up your car keys, and your six year old son smacks your butt (hard) in the target parking lot, and says, "nice booty." 
I just love it when...your daughter pokes herself in the eye with her fork at breakfast.  How does one even do that by accident?

Having kids can be so frustrating and yet so entertaining at the same time!  Gotta love 'em.