News and Views

My TMMO Progress

Confession time: I blew it on F****'s birthday party. Spent way too much money and robbed the emergency fund. I can rebuild it by the end of June if all goes well and still pay the next snowball.

Good news though: Another snowball thrown -- Here's the progress so far. A new snowball sneaked in -- I forgot all about a Student Loan at a private college. Hopefully I will be able to negotiate them down.

Doin' the Crawl -Arrears Caught Up - DONE - $1,761.86 - 2/9/2007
Baby Step 1 - Replenishing -- to be done by 6/30/2007
Baby Step 2 - 11 SNOWBALLS left to throw
Snowball 1 - $413.00 - Thrown 2/16/07 - Legal Fees
Snowball 2 - $167.04 - Thrown 2/23/07 - Medical Bills
Snowball 3 - $242.73 - Thrown 3/15/07 - CapOne - CC1
Snowball 4 - $300.00 - Thrown 4/12/07 - Pinnacle Finance (negotiated down from $533)
Snowball 5 - $300.00 - Thrown 5/21/07 - Father in Law loan paid back

The next one is another Capital One Credit Card -- balance is now $262.36 to be paid 6/15/2006 which will eliminate another monthly payment. Those $15.00 minimum payments add up and add back in when paid off. Every little bit helps.

We are learning to look at what we spend and to manage our money instead of it managing to get us into trouble. We have a weekly ritual with grocery shopping -- the kids and the hubby seem to like the MENU. I create a weekly menu based upon their food requests and ONLY purchase at the grocery store what I NEED to make those meals. I don't shop the circulars, I don't look for bargains, I don't play the store's marketing game. I buy what we NEED. This week groceries for our family of 5 cost $108.01 including a 50 pound bag of dog food, cat food and diapers. Not bad if I say so myself. My best week so far was $86.00. Before doing the menu -- I was averaging $140.00 each week not including the eating out.
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Getting to Know You

J**** is a recovering alcohol/drug addict. He has either drank or done some sort of drug the entire time that I have known him up until his sobriety on 12/13/2006. He admits and I admit to him also that we really do NOT know each other with him clean and sober. We have always had a third partner of some sort in our relationship - addiction. A clean and sober individual is different than a person under some sort of influence. An enabling partner (me) is always reacting or preparing for dealing with the beast that is the addict.

The new J**** is also confused. I am not as "hands on" now that he is clean. I don't constantly attend to his needs or need to keep track of his "comings and goings." We are getting to know each other in a new light and it scares both of us. At times he gets a little grouchy -- which I understand from Sober Steve's post is normal. I think he called it King Baby syndrome. I am the epitome of the Queen Baby -- nothing is ever my fault and I think that J**** is seeing through my facade and realizing "Hey - she's not near as perfect as she or I think she is...hmmm." Yep, I'm really fallible and I can hide it really good.

This is a new adventure for the two of us -- an exhilarating and frightening adventure. It's like we are adults or something -- and honestly -- neither one of us are crazy about growing up.
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Bragging Rights

Not only can I brag on my children, but I can brag on my siblings too.

My sister (read her blog at A Real Life Soap Opera) is incredible.

• She has made a personal goal to lose weight and has joined Weight Watchers for support. She has lost 26.8 pounds this year. That is phenomenal.
• She is making a life for herself and went to see the Amish country this past weekend. She and I saw irony in the fact that the Amish don't do electricity or cars BUT they have a website.
• She loves her children and grandbabies dearly and sacrifices herself for their welfare.
• She is up for a major promotion at work where she will have the opportunity to travel, something that she is very excited about. I am soooo happy for her.

I love you Big Sissy.
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Teacher Let the Monkeys Out

This is the last week of school. Things are hopefully going to calm down. I just finished working on the June calendar -- we may actually have a weekend or two for just us. I miss my kids, I'm very selfish when it comes to them. I love to be with them. Summertime -- Yeeehaw.

Until next time -- God Bless.