Want to freak out?

Estimate how much money you will need to send your kid to college here.  Apparently to send my two kids to college I will approximately $175,000 for an in-state, state university.

And I though day care was expensive.

Walk Away

must do something productive! must stop the obsession over all these wires stuck to me… who would have thought that 24 hours with a holter monitor would drive me nuts? I, seriously, believe I am having an allergic reaction to the sticky glue on these things holding the wires to my chest. 20 minutes left and not a moment too soon!

Confession

This morning I had to finally admit to myself… I am not a good cook. I’m not quite down to ranking with the worst cooks in America, but there are definitely days I feel close.

Case in point, I cannot produce a competent pancake. You would think that this a rather simplistic item… but mine are always bland or burned. My casseroles are bland. My breads are heavy and doughy. I cannot make good mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes! How does that even happen? It’s just potatoes!

The only things I can really do well are baked chicken (put chicken in pan. bake.) and gravy. I do make a good gravy, but that’s really it.

In addition the my June habit of clutter-busting, I’m going to start cooking stuff. Yup, that’s my plan. Cook stuff. Hopefully, the kids won’t starve. Lately there’s been a few dinners where the only thing eaten were Kix and canned green beans. Suggestions to try out?

I’m starting out in one of my favorite cookbooks. “Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930’s” by Janet Van Amber Paske. There are several volumes, but the first one remains my favorite. Some the recipes aren’t ones I’ll be using any time like a boiled hog’s head or Wisconsin Gravy (which I can make!), or fried Squirrels. But others are pretty frugal and tasty.

Tonight we’re having Turkey Loaf. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

To Do List @ Home

• Clean kids rooms – clear out the cuddler’s rooms in preparation for painting
• Clear out bathroom in prep for re-do (YIPEEE!)
• Mop
• Clutter piles
• laundry
• organize book shelves
• hang out deck lights

Single Mom Nightmare

When you’re a single mom, the single most thing that is the most important is having a support system.  Although I have I one, I never really put it into action. Never had the reason to…

Last night I went out with some work colleagues. In the middle of listening to a story being told by a friend, I sudden started feeling really ill; dizzy, hot, sweaty and all kinds of weird. I tried to go outside for some fresh air and collapsed. Couldn’t get back up. Paramedics called, etc. After drinking what I’m sure will be a $2000 glass of water it was decided that for some strange reason my blood pressure dropped. To point where no one could get a pulse. I’m sure if I hadn’t been actually talking people would have really freaked out. But I was talking and thinking about how embarrassing this was… I’m sure that many people thought I’d been, umm… over-served. I hadn’t, but someone collapses at a bar, what would you think?

Meanwhile, a friend was gathering my belongings and another was paying my bill. A third was heading to my house to ask the babysitter to stay late or take over herself until I was declared OK. The friend who gathered my belongings stayed with me in the hospital for three hours while I was poked, prodded and poked again. (Apparently, when you have really low blood pressure, your veins are nearly inaccessible). Her husband collected us at 2am and drove me back to my car. I, literally, worried about nothing because I knew they had all taken care of it.  These weren’t people on my so called “support system”, but they stepped up like an well oiled machine. I can’t even think of how to express my gratitude.

I guess I’ll never be moving again. No matter how much it rains.

*Still no idea why my blood pressure suddenly dropped. It’s always pretty low, so it’s not like I was totally shocked, I’ve just never collapsed in public on the floor before. After finding my heart beat and 15 attempted blood draws I was officially declared weird and told to follow up with my Dr.*

Whirlwind

I don't know why this year seems to be getting away from me... but it totally is. Yesterday I realized that I had not even started the order for next year's supplies! And I'm going to have to bag elections for the club I'm advisor for - I just don't have time for it and no one else seems to really care at this point.

 

Yesterday was the basically the last day for the seniors and I'm already bummed. It's sad to think that these kids I've watched growing up for the past four years will gone and for most, I'll never see again. I can't remember if I was this sad last year? I think I was more consumed with other things and just relieved that the end was near.

 

One more week to go and then I'm free to pee when I want, read when I want, go to the gym (stop laughing - I'm going to get a trainer. maybe.), build a new curriculum. again. If only the sun would shine for more than a day.

Summer Fun

With only a few more days until summer, I'm already gone in my mind... Grading? what is that anyways?

Just a quick list of things I've already started planning:

• Story Time @ the library
• swimming
• gardening
• making play dough
• visit poppa
• ride a merry-go-round
• wash the car
• go to the beach
• water park
• 4th of July Party
• make bubbles
• sun prints
• finger painting
• sidewalk chalk
• sprinkler
• county fair
• famers market
• camping
• dig for dinosaurs
• birthday parties!!
• pick strawberries
• hiking
• play dates
• mini golf
• outside movies
• play with Uncle James
• Fun with cousins

It's quite a list! and doesn't include all the things currently on MY list. But we are going to attempt to get all of them done and have a rollicking good time. Now if only the weather would cooperate. It looks nice out there, but it's barely sixty with a strong cold sea breeze. Plus it keeps raining every other hour... not the best summer preview.