Q and A Debt

I miss my Mom. Every day and all the time. I know that life goes on and it has but that does not take away the hurt. I remember my sweet Mom crying as she remembered her Mother even though it had been over 30 years since she lost her. I never fully understood what she was feeling till she was gone. I miss her asking how I am doing and wanting to hear all about my day. Laughing loudly at my funny stories or getting serious when she disagreed with how I handled a situation. Even as adults, she never hesitated to correct us. She completely understood that her role as a parent didn't magically end at 18. She would always weave her life lessons into stories about growing up with our hard to handle Dad. I never knew that full version of my father but my older siblings did. He still argued with her but it was pointless. Mom was our leader, our moral compass, our biggest cheerleader and our family's heart. Her job as Mom at times was thankless and unappreciated. I saw her tears when my...

I love reading debt saving, meal planning and organizing blogs but the one thing I've noticed is that the majority are written by people who have kids under 7. While, I still enjoy reading I've been on the hunt for a blog that can provide some guidance for those of us with tweens and teens. Because as we all know they eat a WHOLE lot more than little ones.  As well as make a WHOLE lot more mess, have friends over and require a WHOLE lot more money.  And for me personally I have the added cost of a special needs child so I'm the odd woman out when it comes to finding a blog that fits our lifestyle. So I figured if I can find a few I can Frankenglue them together to give me a great guide to organinzing, saving and meal planning. LOL! So if you all have any good suggestions please do share, I would really appreciate it!

Yesterday, Mr. Man dared to venture out with me in tow.  We went to run some errands and visit my Dad, sis and brother at the indoor fleamarket. My Mom and Dad have a booth there so now my sis goes with Dad. I hobbled on by to visit.  The lady next door to him had this gorgeous frame which I had to snap up.  Her asking price...$25!  It is huge and the colors are so vibrant. My pic does not do it justice at all. I love it so much...I had Mr. Man put it over the fireplace. Afterwards, we went to visit my Mom. I had not been to the cemetary in a few days and was eager to see the Valentine's flowers and decorations my wonderful sister had put up around mom's site.  It was beautiful :*)   Today, I'm trying to pick up around the house.  There is no school tomorrow for the kiddos which is a big relief.  Mr. Man will be leaving on business later today so I'll be on my own with the kiddos till Tuesday.  Yikes.  Before I leave I hav...

It's been a hard few days. Mom is what made Christmas extra special. She made it wonderful and happy. Without her everything seems not so bright. I kept replaying her words in my head "Christmas is for the children. Always make it special for them." I mustered up every ounce of happiness and tried to keep our spirits up. It turned out okay. We ate and laughed and exchanged gifts. It was a full, full house. My Dad kept his chin up as well. Mr. Man gave me the best present ever, Into the Pleasure Groove, the autobiography by John Taylor of Duran Duran! I'm a huge fan :) My Mom had bought Kiddo2's gift before she passed.  It was of course perfect.  She knew Kiddo2 so well. Financially, we will struggle till Mr. Man gets paid. It's okay because I have no desire to shop or go anywhere. I will be listing the remainder of this month. New Year's will be spent at my Brother's place so minimal spending there. We've been eating/cooking a lot at my parent...

My Mom passed a week ago.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she is no longer physically here.  I know she is with me in spirit but I miss talking to her, seeing her and hugging her.  This past week has been a huge week of reflection.  We all are trying to remember every thing she ever told us.  I guess in an attempt to hold on to her a little longer.  And in those reflections, I remembered all the things she told me about saving, spending and living.  I wish I would have listened to her more but I guess we sometimes have to learn the hard way.  The first thing she taught me is always have insurance.  She would pay a small insurance policy every month.  She had said so that when her time would come we would not have to worry about her funeral.  It did help tremendously and although we did all incur some costs, her insurance made the financial load a little lighter.  For that I am thankful. The second thing s...

One week ago today was the last time I saw my mother.  She passed away on Saturday, December 8th.  There was no warning or sickness to let us know something was wrong.  Just a frantic call by my father.  I have never felt so helpless in my whole life.  In an instant, my mother was gone.  My heart is broken.  She was my everything.  She kept our family going and always was there for us.  I find myself barely holding it together.  I know she is in a wonderful place but I just want another moment with her.  She had always told us how she felt when her mother passed.  She said "It feels as though your world is ending."  That is exactly how we felt.  In our crazy circus of a family, we were the clowns and she was the ringmaster.  We all reacted to what she did.  It just came naturally to all of us.  So without her here we find ourselves a bit lost.  Who will ...

So I've decided to tackle my organizational goal today. Luckily, I give all my unwanted but yet usable items to my mom (she will either donate, use or sell it at the fleamarket).  I do keep the items I can sell on Ebay but everything else goes to her to help supplement her income.  I'm debating whether to post any pics because frankly I'm embarrassed by all my small piles.  I'm by no means a hoarder or anything just have piles here and there of either homework, unopened mail, pictures and items for Ebay.  I'm hoping to make some real progress today so off I go...