7 Quick Takes - #FirstWorldProblems

1. I have been fretting about my weight lately.  My clothes do not fit and I am as heavy as I have ever been.  Also, I believe this would help the veins in my legs more so, if I were A LOT lighter.  I have been working out and trying to eat less, but I do not think it has helped much.  I am not comfortable at this weight.  I think this is a terrible problem.  This is one of my new prayer intercessions for myself.  But at least this is a sign that I have plenty to eat. #beingoverweight

2. This week, I signed Alex up for home school.  I worry that I will not be able to execute this properly considering that Alex has his own notions of how home school ought to be.  I worry that I will not be diligent enough to make this work, that I will lose stamina for the challenges I will face and get lazy.  I also hate to have to gird myself against those who do not agree with our decision to home school. #privilegededucation

3. Always in the summer we struggle to make bills because my husband's paychecks only come during the school year.  So we try to financially plan and he also gets summer teaching.  But something always seems to come up.  Then we have to figure out how to make things work.  I stress.  Then we have to play catch up in the fall, which is another reason why we never seem to have enough in the summer, because we are always trying to recover from the previous summer.  Nothing will ever be solved until we change, i.e. accept the means we have.  Yeah, that means fewer luxuries like new clothes and meat for dinner whenever we like.  If we had not made so much debt getting educated, we would be in a better situation.  My advice, counsel your kids to not go into debt for education.  Education is good, but do it without debt.  #debt

4. Speaking of luxuries, we took the kids to play in the downtown area.  There are all sorts of kids rides down there.  We all delight in watching the kids have a good time…Our kids always get strawberry or chocolate flavors in their milk if they want it…If they want something all they have to do is use proper manners and give us a quasi-good reason.  Then we wonder why they think they can manipulate us with fits.  Think again, kiddos.  I guess it would help our budget if we knock off this kind of parenting.  But, we do want them to have fond memories of childhood.  We do want to reward them for doing/being good.  We just have to figure out how to do that without opening our wallets.  #overindulgentparents

5. Every time we come to Spokane...#momiwantaponyride

6. Strawberry Picking #payingtodolabor

7. A relative of ours has come for a visit.  We all love him very much, but it's been hard to express that over the years.  Without saying too much about his situation, he's homeless among other problems.  As we sat around catching up with him he said, "Being homeless sucks, that's why everyone on the street is high.  It would suck even more sober."   Immediately, this leads to some pretty stern reflections.  Firstly, I reflect about how it would feel to not have enough to eat, especially when I am fretting about having too much to eat.  He said he did not have any food for four days last week.  Needless to say, he has been scarfing down food at meals like a person who hasn't seen good food in a while.  Seeing someone without, firsthand, sure does make all the luxuries we enjoy daily seem greater and makes all my troubles seem petty.  #realitycheck