Well, trying to! I placed an ad for my condo to get a new renter, my current tenant leaves on the 31. Today I will call our handyman to paint, and call another company to clean the carpets. I also want to replace the stove in the house, but I don't think that will get done this weekend, maybe after work one night next week. I'm going to have a very busy weekend because my big brother is getting married!

So the biggie for this weekend: wedding and family.
Biggie for next week: finding a new tenant and getting condo spruced up.
Biggie for the next two weeks after that: wrap up school.

Child support money will be a bit uncertain for the next few months. ExH is retiring from military, and needs to find a civilian position. He didn't plan very well, and some expensive repairs have cropped up on the house he rents out, so CS will be delayed a bit until things settle with him. I wish I could go in there and "take charge" of finances, but that is no longer my job! Really as long as he pays CS I should have no comments on how he chooses to spend his money. He has always been very good with taking care of our kids financially, even beyond CS, so I know that once he adjusts to this new phase in his life he will continue to do so.

After just a few hours on Amazon, my textbook sold! I ship it out today. After shipping and Amazon fees I clear $93. Not too shabby! That will go in the cruise fund, to finally break the $800 mark.

I had a fun weekend. Some great family time outdoors, a girls night out, church, and home doing crafts and cooking. Even quality time with SO!

I found a cute teddy bear at the thrift store and stitched some "fidgets" on it for my students. Part of my new craftiness! I was proud of myself at the end. And it was a lot of fun.

There will be plenty to keep me busy until June. 6 days until my brother's wedding... lots of anticipation! I do have a cold, though, so I need to get better soon. I'm also waiting to hear if I will be offered a position for summer school.

I have a small cloth basket on my desk that is wide enough to fit file folders and other papers. During the week I quickly scan through mail, hold onto the stuff that I need, and drop it off in the basket on my desk. That way I toss the unneeded stuff right away and get it out of my kitchen. Then when I've got some downtime (like early Sunday morning while the rest of the house is still sleeping)I check the basket. I have a chance to schedule bills online, jot down dates in my calendar, and file everything away or toss it away after bills have been paid. Some things linger in there a while, but this way I have to see it every week until I take care of it or decide it isn't of value. I try to keep the basket as empty as possible.

I'm starting a new hobby, teaching myself a new craft. So this weekend I've been hunting for materials around town, pricing them online, and just getting set up. It's kind of fun getting into something new. I don't really "create" much, and I am now enjoying the process. I'm not allowed to tell myself that I am not "crafty" or creative. Everything has a learning curve, and I'm going to stick with it until I get better!

I listed a textbook on Amazon. I wanted to try this route before just selling it directly to a textbook company, as it looks like I can make a good $50 more listing it myself. Of course, if it doesn't sell, then I've made nothing, and I will sell it to the textbook brokers. But I'm going to give it a little time to try to sell first.

I received my paycheck yesterday, and all of my bills are scheduled to go out for the 15th. I still haven't received my tuition reimbursement in the amount of $850. That will be nice whenever it gets here, though it will go straight into savings.

I received a $5 rebate in the mail, which will go to the cruise fund. That brings the cruise total to $767. I'm chugging along to $800!

I am also still waiting to hear about summer school. I applied this year because it is super close to my house and will be very convenient. Although a few assistants who applied have been notified that they weren't selected, it haven't heard one way or the other. There is a lot of competition for the positions this year because the program was slashed due to funding, so there are very few positions available.

My brother is getting married on Memorial Day weekend, so there is loads to get done before the big day. May is swooshing by, it seems!

For some reason I'm up an hour early. I feel like I've gotten enough sleep, so I'll just enjoy the quiet.


So I stole Baselle's idea to add a 5 year goal because I realized that I froze up at the idea of where I want to be in 5 years. Maybe the timeline is just too close to fathom my wildest dreams? But I'm putting them down here. As ridiculous as some of them may seem, or as dull, I'm putting them out there for SA to see. I'm just telling myself, why the heck Not?! Why can't I set anything I want for a goal?

-Have a Baby with SO (working on this!)
-Live somewhere tropical with my family(SO is working on this with the military orders)
-Teach overseas (assuming we get the military orders SO is working on)
-Take family on a fabulous trip to celebrate oldest DDs 18th bday, assuming she wants to hang out with us (hypervenilating at the thought that my baby will be 17.5 in 5 years!)We're thinking Australia, or Africa
-Purchase a small place somewhere warm on the water in the states (rent it out in the meantime), or in previously mentioned tropical paradise

I know that anything can happen, and that is one of the scary things about putting dreams and goals on paper- the possibility of heartache. Just like love But you can't get anywhere without taking the risk of dreaming, and then taking steps to make it possible. I know that these goals might get changed, for example, depending on college options for DDs. Or SOs orders. And life happens- better than you can imagine and the devastating. But you've got to start somewhere!

When it comes down to it, I'm perfectly content to stay where we are, with my little family and steady job and comfortable home. These other goals are just icing, a new way to enjoy life and see different things. I figure I'll go for the icing now, while we are in the position to do so. But I also know that WE (that's me with my family) will do just fine wherever we end up!

Now I have to think of some goals for myself!

1. Run 5 extra miles this month- 1 extra mile per workout
2. Complete 5 yoga routines from my yoga app
3. Replace my 3rd cup of coffee with a cup of hot herbal tea (this one is going to be tough!)
4. Cook at home 5 out of 8 weekend dinners. This one will also be tough and requires some planning.
5. Whip up smoothies for breakfast/lunch- I would love for this to become a new habit!

5 year goals- In the next 5 years, I will:
-still working on these. This one is tough, because I know that I WANT to complete a specific certification program, but this program requires a lengthy practicum that involves logging in hours over the course of a couple years. I don't know if I'm going to be in the same area for a few more years.

I had a very satisfactory Monday. The students were happy and cooperative at school. I stayed after 1.5 hours to catch up on paperwork. Then after a quick dinner I enjoyed a heart-racing (if uncoordinated!) zumba class while my kids had their dance class, which was followed by another hour of my regular dance class. The girls were in a good mood, I got them to bed almost on time and after a hot shower I fell fast asleep. Can't ask for much more on a Monday, that's our busy day!

I received $16 in rebates in the mail yesterday, so that bumps up the cruise fund to $748.

We won't hear anything on the possible new orders for a while, as it's still over a year away. But it's exciting to think about!

Today I have another training after school, so we will get home much later than usual. Well, this should be the last mandatory training of the year...

I'm pleasantly surprised that most of my plantings from last year returned- hostas, lilies and tulips. In fact, it looks like my tulips multiplied, I don't remember having this many last year. We weren't planning on growing any vegetables this year because we were preoccupied with work and school, but little DD came home with several plants. Her garden club at school has a relationship with a horticulture class at a nearby college and they donated a pallet of plants for the kids. Besides planting them at the school garden, the members were given plants to take home as well. So yesterday we planted a tomato plant, cayenne pepper, cilantro and cucumber. Little DD is becoming quite the gardener from this club! Since we used containers from last year, we didn't have to buy anything. I'm glad to get more use out of previous purchases and looking forward to some home grown produce this summer.

Work will keep me busy for the rest of the month. I've been working furiously on a tough issue that is finally easing up a bit after yesterday's meeting. So I can catch up on everything else that has been needing my attention. It always feels good to take care of things like you should!

Life in general has been feeling a bit more positive... My little brother found a job! I say little, but he's 30 years old! He starts in mid May. The pay is nothing fabulous, but very good benefits that start right away. Since it is a large company there are all sorts of avenues for advancement and other positions that he can go for, once they become available. I'm relieved, it wasn't the money so much I was worried about, he rented out his house and doesn't have any children, so he managed. I was worried about his mental health- he was really becoming depressed about his inability to find work, and he just stopped caring about himself for a little while. I know that positive steps bring about more positive change, so he can make the best of this opportunity.

I enjoyed a blissfully relaxing break, and today is the day to return to work. I'm ready, though, bring it on!

Besides filling up my car with gas yesterday I had a no spend day. We had barbeque leftovers for dinner with homemade tortillas. Delicious, free, and helped make some room in our fridge.

Tonight after work we will have a quick dinner at home and then off to dance class, followed by showers and bed. Mondays always seem to fly by for us.

Tomorrow I may attend a local real estate investor's meeting... I've been meaning to go to a meeting for a while...

Besides one night out of town, we've spent the rest of Spring Break at home. I've really enjoyed the time here. Waking up leisurely, exercising, cooking, and taking our time with errands and shopping is just pleasant! We've enjoyed a couple trips to the park with the girls and the dog, done "kid things" we usually don't have time for during the week like Chuck E Cheese and going to a toy store to finally use a gift card. The kids also spent a couple nights with Dad. I like to think that they've had a nice Spring Break!

We've done lots of medical appointments for the family this week, which equates to less time off during the school year. I always feel I've checked something off my list when we complete the Dr. visits.

While we ate out Sunday and Monday afternoon on our overnight getaway, the only other meal we've spent money on was pizza at Chuck E Cheese (with a coupon and we brought leftovers home!) SO mentioned to me how nice it was to eat at home- the food was good, no waiting around to be served, and we didn't have to waste time driving around town to eat. And the savings? I know we have saved at least $100 this week skipping a couple meals out, if we keep it up through the weekend.

We took a couple bags to the thrift store, and my home feels even lighter without that extra stuff. Less stuff equals less cleaning!

I'm investigating a new approach to finances- instead of thinking of ways to work more to earn more money, I'm focusing on how to Need less money. At this point if I'm honest with myself I can say I make enough money for my needs, and some of my wants. I don't really have to make more money. I may be better off thinking of ways to reduce my expenses to a comfortable level and enjoying that, instead of devoting more hours to working. But this is all for another post down the line...

I wouldn't be able to tell you anyway, I've lost track. Most of it over the weekend was for food. Now I feel like I'm back on track and will get back to my normal frugal self today!

The good news is that final grades posted and I officially have a big fat "P" for passed! So I will get reimbursed $850 tuition, yay!

Today should be beautiful weather so we plan on grilling, I'm looking forward to that. Groceries have already been purchased for the week, there shouldn't be anything else to pick up.

My tenant's lease ends on April 30, then I will need to find another one. It's a beach condo, though, so I'll be tempted to keep it vacant for the family to use... but I think I'm too cheap for that!

Today should be fun at school. I'm trying to keep the day as "normal" as possible for the class, and just throw in some Easter/Spring themed reading/math lessons. We'll make some Easter baskets for art. At the end of the day we'll have a quick egg hunt, and wish everyone a happy break! Anything more than that will disrupt the schedule too much for my students.

The family will spend one night out of town staying at an indoor water park, then head back the next day (it's only an hour away). SO has the week off as well so we will all partake in local fun activities. I plan to take these costs out of our regular budget, shouldn't cost too much. I've also scheduled all of our Dr. appointments during this week, so no time off of work.

I haven't had much chance to check out money during the week, so that's something I'll do this weekend. It should all match up with my budget spreadsheet, unless I've done something wacky that I've forgotten about (been known to happen).

I'm behind on my exercise goals, I didn't reach my running goal for March. I've met my goal every month for over a year, up until last month, off by 9 miles. So sad. But we all got sick, I was finishing up my online class and studying for final, generally other things got in the way. For April I am going to be extra focused. I would "really" like to "make up" those 9 miles from March in April, just to put my mind at ease. My problem is that I actually have to DO IT. But I'm going to give myself a grace period to complete my March miles. It was a rough month, and I need to build some wiggle room in my fitness for months like March.

I was expecting to get paid late tonight, but woke up to find my paycheck in my account already. I went ahead and finished the bills like always- I scheduled the monthly expenses that vary and updated my spreadsheets. (One for home, one for the rental). I went ahead and updated savings as well, that will finish going through within the next few days.

I am so thankful I made it to Friday! This week has been packed with stressful meetings and issues. I have spent Hours on "training", paperwork and red tape, hours that have kept me from my students.

I haven't heard from the job that I interviewed for last week. It appeared to be a very positive interview, and I was told that I would find out either way. They also said that they were interviewing for a few weeks, so maybe they are still finishing up? I'm trying not to fret about it, I just like to know that there is another option. Of course, there is Always another option, it may just not be a Better option!

Tonight I am attending a 3 hour online study class for my final. I'm looking forward to the chance to really review, I haven't even looked at my books or notes this week due to the schedule with work. I can take my exam on Saturday or Sunday. Then I can really celebrate Spring Break in another week!

We cleaned out the garage on Saturday. I've been storing stuff in a corner for a yard sale- a yard sale that I'm obviously never going to have. We loaded it all up in the van and took it to our local hospital thrift store. The garage looks beautiful, and it took less than 2 hours to do it all, including dropping off donations.

Of course, allergies were flared up after being around the dust and pollen that morning, but after a quick shower and drinking lots of water they were back under control. Didn't you know- drinking water cures everything?! Like on My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the Windex cure, my answer for every ailment is to drink lots of water.

My ex took the kids to see Hunger Games, so SO and I got lots of errands done in the afternoon. I even completed a workout video, first time in like 2 weeks, due to family sicknesses and my crazy work schedule. We were all together again at home by 5:30, where we had pizza and breadsticks for $9. We researched hotels for a summer trip and were in bed by 9pm. Productive Saturday!

This morning I updated my finances by transfering money to my savings and paying on my "monthly expenses" credit card. April will be my tenant's final month at the condo, so I will need to start looking for another tenant as soon as she moves out, I don't want to deal with doing walk-throughs with a tenant in there. I'll start planning all of that next month, I've got to get through March right now.

Today will probably be school work and maybe a run with a friend if the weather cooperates. I have a test to complete for my online class, then I've got to start studying for my final exam that I will take next weekend. I also have maybe 2 hours of work for my own classroom I have to finish before I get to school tomorrow. Well, the best way to get through it is to just do it! Here's to getting things done well!!!

I got the stomach bug that my girls had last week. It started last night, how miserable. Even typing on the computer in bed is tiring me out. I haven't actually left the bed for much besides running to the bathroom. Anyway, I plan on taking tomorrow off as well. I hate to do that to my TA, but I need to get 100% better before I head back to class, or else I will just keep getting sick.

I'm updating the cruise total to $737. I received a $50 cash back reward from Chase and a $3 rebate. Slowly, we are getting there.

I haven't done much else money related, it's too exhausting.

No, really. I am looking forward to checking things off of my list at work and making some progress with my students in the classroom!

I was out of work Thu and Fri with sick kids. Fortunately by Saturday morning both of my girls were over it, so I guess it was a 24 hour stomach bug. I was dragging all week anyway and brushed it off, thinking it had to do with the time change. Now I know that I was sick as well, and just trudged on through it.

Thankfully, I woke up Saturday morning feeling like a million bucks. I ran 4 miles, did the grocery shopping, and some school work. Sunday I didn't do much besides eat, I still need to get back to a healthier diet. That's something else I can look forward to today, doing some healthier eating.

After work I plan on doing a quick workout dvd, then head to the ATM to deposit a few small checks that came in last week. We have our usual Monday night dance class, so we will have a quick meal at home before we take off again. Mondays always fly by for us.

For my online class I have one more test, then prepare for the final exam. Yes!!!

On our way to school little DD threw up all over herself and the car seat. As I turned the car around I left a message with work, letting them know I wasn't going to be in today. After she showered, I tucked DD into my bed. She slept for several hours and then sat in bed quiet as a mouse, gazing at the t.v. before she asked me to turn it off so she could rest some more. She won't be going to school tomorrow. If her dad is off tomorrow then she can stay with him, otherwise I'll be home another day.

I cleaned the downstairs while DD slept, and I am all caught up on my online class work. The afternoon flew by, like it always does when I am home!

I have a job interview next week! I applied for a position that was listed in our local online newspaper. In the cover letter I explained that I was under contract until June but could work part-time. I'm trying to gain experience/practical hours outside of my time spent teaching in a public school. I'm also looking into a "Plan B". I don't know if I can continue teaching under these conditions for the next 25 years, so I'm looking at different options I might have. I don't know what the pay might be, or even what position they are considering me for, (there are a couple), but I'm looking forward to meeting with the company and finding out more information about the field.

The job interview news really lifted me up, some good news in a hectic week.

Yikes! March is just about halfway over! How did that happen?! The next few days will be mayhem, I will be looking forward to my bed each night. I don't like it when things get hectic like this, but it happens every once in a while. I don't have any plans for Friday, I think I want to keep it that way for now. I also need a low-spend weekend, my bank account needs to heal from last weekend!

3 more weeks of my online class. I got an email from HR, there are funds available to reimburse me for my class, yippee! So long as I pass this class, I will get reimbursed my $850 tuition!

Warning, personal drama ahead... Within the next year there will be lots of changes in our household. ExH is retiring from the military, and will enter civilian life, which means a new job. His plan is to stay in the area, but probably just get deployed a lot through the private sector. SO will get new orders. This means a move is higly likely in the future, although she will try her best to get a new set of orders in the same area we are now. If she can't get orders here, then what? I want the kids to be near their dad, dad and I both feel that is best for them. This does put me on a holding pattern,though, because if my primary concern is keeping close to their father then we won't be able to join SO on a new set of orders. I'm making a conscious effort not to dwell on this stuff, but this is just an issue that is on my mind and kind of tinting things a little "blue".

We went out last night with a friend and his date. We missed happy hour but still had a great night. Didn't get to bed until 3, I haven't done that in a long time! Fortunately, I still have Saturday and Sunday to relax.

Our friend's date was visiting from a big city. He works retail at a high end designer and was telling us about the kinds of money some clients drop, amazing. Of course he was dressed to impress, you could tell he really loves fashion. I felt a little self-conscious for a moment in my Wal-Mart jeans (on sale for $7 and look great!) and a top purchased several years ago. But then I just laughed to myself. What would I do if I was wearing a $1,000 sweater and got poop on it?! It happened Monday at work, one of my students got sick. I guess I could take it down a notch and wear a $100 sweater instead, but poop is still poop. I would cry if I got something nasty on a $100 sweater. So I just go to the thrift store and buy the seater second hand for $3. It it gets poop on it, or snot, or paint, I don't cry. But I'm not a fashion girl even after work hours. I just don't have the knack for it. I suppose if I ever wanted to spend half of my salary on clothes I would expect the staff to arrange the outfits for me, I cannot pull together an outfit. But, we all have our strengths and weaknesses!

The $2,000 payment went through on the credit card, to cover the big-ticket charges. Savings is a little low, but now the credit card is back down to just expenses charged and paid off monthly.

This weekend I intend to keep the eating out budget conservative. I will have to be more vigilent in my food spending, that's all. We already have plans to meet for happy hour Friday with some friends, so that can be our "date night" meal. It is the best bargain in town, I can get a drink, tip, and a good, filling meal for under $10.00. If I snack on some fruit or something else that is healthy before I leave I can probably get by with ordering something a little smaller to eat. Of course, the night will be rounded out with a few more drinks (though not for the driver), but that is part of entertainment budget.

$4.00 came from a refund, so that brings cruise fund to $684. Next little milestone will be $700. We are getting there, it just takes consistency.

Putting money in, taking money out, it just gets a little boring after awhile! I guess because it doesn't look like my money is really "doing" anything right now. I took out a chunk of savings to cover braces and school, and now I have to save that money up again. A little tiresome, that's all.

On a more fun note, I did a Zumba class last night while my DDs were in their own dance class. I actually brought my laptop to dance class. I planned on getting some work done while the girls danced. Then I just decided to join in the Zumba class, just for the fun of it. I couldn't stand sitting in front of the computer again. I didn't look too sexy doing the moves, but it was a lot of fun and I worked up a sweat from my head to my toes!

While I'm up early this morning I will get a little bit of homework done. 4 weeks till the final exam!

I transferred $2,000 from short-term savings to cover some big-ticket expenses that will be coming up- this week little DD will get braces. I'm also paying off the tuition I charged for my class. I should have this $2,000 back in the account within the next couple months. I might get tuition reimbursement (I'm on the wait list), and I'm waiting on my refund from the state of about $600. Coupled with my regular savings, I should still be able to make my short-term goal of $10,000 by June.

I tracked my expenses this morning and noticed a LOT of eating out charges, that has gotten a bit out of control lately. I enjoy trying different foods, but really, I need to find another hobby, this is getting expensive! I also need to pack more snacks and things, so I'm less inclined to stop for anything.

Agh! I've been slacking on the allowance lately, but the new American Girl catalog came out, so little DD now has some things she wants to buy. She tallied up her allowance for the past couple months, plus she traded me a gift card for cash... in all, I owed the little lady $6o! She was kind enough to write me out a bill and noted that it was Due March 20. At least she gave me a couple weeks' notice! I bit the bullet and got her cash out of the ATM after school. She's been counting her cash and reading the catalog for 2 days now, trying to get the best deals. Some of the things she really wants "Bitty Baby" brand, and is willing to pay for it, and other things she will find out in town. Little DD still has some more saving to do for the selection that she wants, but we also discussed picking up some of the items at local toy stores for cheap, like the baby feeding set. Now I have some gift ideas, anyway! I'll hunt Ebay and Amazon, and Grandma can search yard sales when the season starts. We've got to teach them while they are young to spend wisely, and that when they do spend, to make sure it is worth it.

That didn't take long. I woke up and checked my checking account online, my paycheck was deposited. The withdrawal to savings is already "pending", and all of my bills are already scheduled to be paid out. Even our monthly dance lessons, which used to be payable by cash or check only, finally got credit card capabilities, so now I can charge that on my monthly spending credit card. It's nice not to have checks to write out or wait to clear.

Savings will be slow for March and April, as I have to divert that money to the credit card to cover my tuition I charged in January and the cruise deposit. I will still make my $10,000 goal by June, though. Especially if I get reimbursed for my class. I'm on the waiting list for employee tuition reimbursement, so if it happens, bonus. I don't want to count on it, though.

My brother gets married in 3 months. My mom asked if I could help her set up a bridal shower of some sort, but I think that the bride's friends have set up parties already. How many parties can the same friends attend? We have a very, very small family, so a family-only shower really isn't a great option either. I am thinking of inviting my parents, the happy couple, and maybe the bridesmaid/groomsman to a brunch out in town...drinks, entertainment, and some time together to celebrate the happy couple before the big day. What do you think? Any suggestions? They are both in their 30s (35 and 37) and have been on their own for a while so I don't think that the traditional shower them with gifts party is as appealing...

So we are wrapping up a busy month...

I turned in the change we have been saving since last summer, total of $102 to add to the cruise fund. Plus another $5 rebate. I will most likey pay for the actual cruise out of savings, and use this money from rebates and change as money for excursions and onboard expenses- those can easily cost more than the cruise.

Work is finally settling down. We are getting our additional assistant. A couple "high needs" kids have been absent for the last few days, so I've been able to get a ton of work done with the rest of the class and clear off my desk a bit.

I'm halfway through my online class, yay! I will be done right before Spring Break.

I applied to teach summer school. It is only 3 hours a day, 4 days a week. Just enough structure to keep me on a decent sleep schedule, I do best with a "little" structure. Of course, there may not be summer school this year, with the budget in complete upheaval.

Yep, schoolwork, running, and lesson planning. I might even throw in some sheet washing! I don't mind, really, because it feels so good afterwards, when it is all over and done with. If I do X,Y,and Z, I get relief from that nagging feeling that sits over me, telling me I have responsibilities to deal with. So would all of that work be considered Negative Reinforcement because it decreases the aversive mental discomfort of not doing what I'm supposed to be doing? I will have to verify with my instructor on Wednesday at our meeting!

Yesterday we did the meal planning and grocery shopping. We stayed right at our $80 budget. We also met up with some friends at Target and out for dessert. Our Saturday nights just get wilder and wilder as we get older!

The great news at work is... I'm getting an additional assistant, again! They gave me the additional assistant in October, then took her away in January to use in a bigger class, but our need for additional assistance didn't go away. Finally we are getting the additional assistance again. This is great news for the students and for my assistant and me! We can teach again!

I got up early again and was able to update my finances. My family cruise account had a little bit more in it than I thought, so I updated the balance on my sidebar. I guess I overlooked a refund deposit somewhere.

I set up payments for my credit cards that I use monthly instead of my debit card.

I also transferred some cash into my ShareBuilder account.

EXH paid for the braces, so I can schedule that for DD.

Yesterday I completed a lot of stuff. I ran 2 miles on the treadmill before waking up the girls. I had a very "big deal" meeting at work, whew! I completed some paperwork that was neglected. Lesson plans for today were fine tuned. I also coached at the afterschool program for an hour and a half. Then I went to a doctor's appointment. I'm glad I had an evening appointment (5:30!), but I didn't leave the place till after 7:00! After picking up my DDs from their dad's, they just barely had time to eat something I grabbed on the way home and complete homework. I was cranky and tired last night to say the least. Fortunately, most days are not like this. Usually once I leave work I pick up the girls from my parents' house and head for home, and we don't leave the house again till morning.

It's FRIDAY! I'm looking forward to an evening at home with my kiddos and SO. We have groceries in the house to choose from, and I have plenty of classwork to keep me occupied this weekend!

I knew today was going to be tough, as I started the day with two back-to-back important meetings. But I'm so glad to have them finished, a little weight has been lifted from my chest! I worked through lunch, but it was worth it because I started to clear the mountain of paperwork off of my desk. From now on I will just pack a fruit or cheese/yogurt for lunch and use lunch time for planning.

Today I started helping in a new afterschool fitness program, it will be every Tue and Thu. I will still get home at my regular time, I just usually do paperwork or workout after I'm off the clock and still at school. It was so refreshing to be around these kids, I enjoyed it.

After dinner I spent 1.5 hours on my online class, doing homework and studying. I feel better now, like I can make it through this class! I found a free website called studyblue.com where I can quickly write up flash cards, save them in a digital backpack, and review them in different formats when I want to. I showed it to my oldest daughter today and had her create her Spanish flash cards. No more index cards and cramped fingers from writing!

I didn't get to work out today, but I couldn't exactly fit everything in. My workouts are pretty flexible anyway. I go by the total month- I aim for 8 workouts or more per month (anything besides running), and also run 25 miles per month. This gives me some leeway in my schedule- if I am going out of town one weekend, I just up my miles another weekend to make up for it. Or if I have a really busy week at school (like this one), I can just find an extra chance to workout later on in the month. Some people feel better knowing that they do Workout #1 on Monday-Wednesday-Friday and Workout #2 on Tuesday-Thursday, and need to stick with that consistent schedule. I'm just not like that. I get my workouts in when and where I can!

Oh, almost forgot- I have a $7.00 refund to add to the family cruise fund, so new total will be $526!

I had the day off, and spent nearly all of it in front of the computer. I was catching up from my online class for nearly 5 hours, ugh. I can't seem to get ahead with this class. I am managing to get all of the work done by the deadline, but the past couple weeks that is all I have managed. I haven't been able to study before the test deadline, and my grades are slowly going down. My day: started with an hour and a half of paperwork that is due at a meeting tomorrow. Then I switched to my classwork. During a mid day "break" I ran 3 miles, showered, and got back on the computer for more schoolwork. Then I had dinner (which SO prepared) and took my girls to dance class. While they danced I did lesson planning on my lap top for work. Now we are back home and I'm trying to pump myself up for another hour or so of studying, but it's all starting to sound like gibberish. I think I will take the rest of the night off... I can't give up now (I'm halfway through it!), but this is so much tougher than I thought it would be. I just want to pass this class!!! Ok, end of whine!

Tomorrow I will head to the bank to cash a check at the ATM on my way to school. After the check clears I can transfer money over to savings and my credit cards (I use them throughout the month to earn points). Then I should be all up to date on bill paying chores.

Time for some sleep, think I've earned it. I'm glad I got caught up on homework and work, some things you just have to push on through. I've discovered (the hard way) that you can't just bury your head in the sand and make things go away!

One of my $20 refund checks came in the mail today, so my cruise account is up to $519.

Braces will be in the future. "Phase 1" can start soon, and then "Phase 2" will commence when more of her permanent teeth are in. Gotta talk to exh to decide how we want to pay for it all. The orthodontist does allow no interest, monthly payments, so I'm assuming we'll take advantage of that.

I ran 3 miles this morning, enjoyed the couples' massage, and after lunch out...broke into another box of Girl Scout cookies. Dang it! I need to give them away! At least I've got my sugar fix for the day. We are attending a baby shower tonight, and it's going to be more like a wedding reception. There's a band, open bar, and of course food. I want to enjoy myself at the party, but not feel like I have to roll myself out of there!