Murphy Can Suck It!

Yesterday, my SO lost his job.  Well, more specifically, his contract was cut short due to financial short comings.   In other words, Cut Backs.  Down Sizing.  The recession strikes again!  Grrrrrr.  This, on the heals of us already struggling and falling slightly behind in order to celebrate June. 

Why?   Why did this have to happen now of all months?  Believe it or not, I have an answer for that.   Murphy's Law.  The law that states that anything that can possibly go wrong, will go wrong at the most inopportune moment.  The unwritten portion of that law states, if you are a member of the Murphy Clan (which I am), you might as well count on said crappy timing of bad tidings and use it to your advantage, because your inopportune moments will be plentiful.   Yippee.   Don't get me wrong, I love my Irish heritage and my Murphy side of the family but, I sooo could do with out the Curse! Law thing.

To add to the sting, today (June 23rd) marks the 11th year the love of my life and I have been together.  11 freakin' years ya'll!!!  That's HUGE in both our books!!  It's Monumental!!   *takes a minute to breath in the unbelievable victory sweet success of surviving achieving 11 years with out killing each other of coupled bliss*  Ah!!!  Smells good!  Well... except for that lingering Murphy stench!

Ya know what?  Murphy can SUCK IT!   Not even this bad news is going to bring us down!  We worked hard for this!  We deserve to be happy no matter what!   We have gone through this before and here we are, stronger as a couple and family despite it.  Probably because of it.  My kids have learned valuable lessons from all our trials.   They know money is not ever flowing.  They know you have to work hard and sacrifice for even the basics sometimes.   They will do well and value things more as a result.   So, today?  I rejoice!  I celebrate not only 11 years as a couple, but 11 years as a strong resilient front!  

BRING IT ON, MURPHY!!!!

Creative organized holiday greetings amidst utter chaos? Totally Doable.

As the days counting down to Christmas dwindle away, many of us find ourselves wondering what in the world we are going to do and how the heck we are going to pull it off. With the current economy still wreaking havoc on many of our pocket books, this can be even more stressful and anxiety laden. I know. I wake up nights wracked with concern, sweat pouring down my face, many times screaming "SANTA! STOP!" Ya, probably something I need to bring up in therapy...

Anyway, my point is, I GET IT! And I'm here to tell you (and myself) that it doesn't have to be this way! We live in the age of technology and it's a wonderful thing! It can save us not only money, but time and most importantly save us from ourselves!

Case in point. How many times have you said "I would LOVE to get a family portrait done of my beautiful wonderful children and send it out as a Christmas card, maybe with our year updates for the family members we hardly ever see." And then your oldest starts "cooking" for your middle child who wants to help and sets off the smoke alarm, waking up the baby, who starts SCREAMING because her diaper is full and her stomach is empty, while your darling hubby (with out missing a beat or looking up from his game)asks "Honey, will get the baby? I'm on level 40 and this guy has me locked in battle." Then you realize, there is NO WAY I'm going to be able to get these kids to sit still and look cute all at the same time, let alone the big one virtually taking his aggressions out on a dwarf!

*deep breath* OK, probably not that often... but you get my point. Right?

Well, this year I know exactly how I'm going to handle it! I have several great pics of the all the family, just not of all of them together. And with the awesome holiday photo cards they have available at Shutterfly.com, I can just pick the best of each of them and BAM! Precious holiday photo-card greeting done! I can even get them in a folded card so I can add updates about our family, like Libby's birth, Liam starting school and all about Cait's awards. Come to think of it, they also have gifts you can personalized. I know Nana and Papa would LOVE a calendar loaded with pics of the kids. And my Dad would totally get a kick out of a mug with their precious faces on the side so he could brag all day at work. :0)

Well there ya go! Christmas solved! Stress relieved! Scary Santa nightmares... I'll work on that one. Until then, stress less and have a great holiday season everyone!
;0)

Financial Woes

* Roof over our head? Check!
* Food in the fridge? Check!
* Car in the drive way still? Check! wait.... *checks* Ya. Check.
* Power still on? Check!
* TV too? Check!
* Phones? For now... Half a check.
* Clothes that fit? Check!
* Credit cards paid? Ya... no. Sorry guys. I know. Poor credit. I get it.
* Pocket change for misc. Ha! Ha ahaha aahahh a ahahahahaaaa!! *cough* No.

Misc. is short for: Mom I want that, I want coffee, the fee for that is, crap that broke, the bus for the fieldtrip will only cost you, we need milk again, Oh, you want that clean, then I need soap, what do you mean you lost your library book, crap THAT broke, that was the last roll, make your sandwhiches out of crackers then, brush your teeth with warm water, I don't need no stinking bandages.... wait, yes I do, seriously.. I want REAL coffee, Gas Again... Didn't you just fill up, you need WHAT for your class, suck in, get the shoe horn, stop growing, I just bought those, well, we DID have enough for the week, please-coffee-now, that wasn't under warranty, get the duct tape/stapler/safety pins/glue, again with the gas, How Much Is THAT Gonna Cost!

*sigh* I need coffee.

And a job.