A quieter Christmas

It's definitely going to be  a quieter Christmas this year, both in my little house, and in my larger family group.

This is the year that most everyone is going to 'the other side' for Christmas - the spouse's family.  I am honestly not sure who is even going to be around.

DS1 is flying in after midnight on the 17th/18th and will be home for one week. DS2 is flying out to BC to visit his uncle, and make some  connections with folk in the resource and environmental law world. His uncle used to work with the federal government for fisheries and can introduce DS to a few of them and get a tour of operations.  DH flies out on the 16th and DS on the 18th. (so two trips into the city that day for me to get kids to and from the airport)

The trip is DH and DS2's Christmas gifts from me so there won't really be much beyond stockings for them to open. DS1 bought his Christmas gift down in the US on Black Friday, after calling me first to see if it was ok. So he has his gift.  Something about not having pressies to open makes me a little blue.

DS2 and DH will be home after midnight on Christmas Eve. DS1 will be celebrating at his girlfriends that night as they go to mass and do their presents. So it will be a solo Christmas eve for me.

I didn't buy a tree this year. I dug out the little three foot artificial mom got me a few years ago and it will go up on a corner table in the living room.

I need to snap out of my blues. I have a lot... a LOT to be grateful for and a lot of folk out there are having a tough Christmas.

Off to the school I go to do another round of marking and planning.   Have a great Sunday everyone.

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It was a productive day. I got everything ready at school for the door decorating contest tomorrow. The kids just need to cut and assemble and get creative. I chose for our door theme the book "The Mitten Tree".

 

It's a great story of an older woman who watches the kids board the bus each day and spies a young man without mittens. She knits him some and leaves them in the tree by the bus stop. He is so excited to find them the next morning. Seeing that joy, she continues to knit and leave mittens until she runs out of yarn, her joy building from the joy she sees in the kids. She comes home one day to find a basket of yarn on her doorstep ; a gift from the children she made so happy.

 

I hit Walmart, mostly with blinders on, so I wouldn't buy anything I wasn't going there for. It was tough.. I went to do four pictures at the photo center and get one frame. One of the pics and the frame is for my mom and dad for Christmas. It's of my boys. It's all she wanted. Two others I put in frames I have had at home sitting here, waiting, for at least 6 years. DH was born in a house with bare walls and can't stand things up. Almost like each nail is driven right into his brain or something. I persuaded him, with great difficulty, to finally let me put up pics of the kids, and one lovely 'family ' saying wall décor my sister gave me about 3 years ago. It feels SO good to have something on that wall.

 

I decorated the wee little tree and it stands on a corner table now. I found some nice, tiny ornaments, in the ornament box, so I didn't have to buy any to scale. I must have put it up last time with nothing on it. sad lol

 

My mom had given me a lovely clock for my birthday in the fall, and I swapped it out for the very plain one in the kitchen.

 

As penance for his nail driving marathon (10 min), I sat and watched some Gold mining show with DH. They all seem the same to me.

 

I am anxious for the week ahead, mostly because no matter what I do, I can't stay caught up with the marking and the planning. When everything is differentiated, there  are often five or six different assignments for each subject happening every day. Gets a bit overwhelming. I spent four hours there today, and about five yesterday and I barely feel like I made a dent. I have some very weak kids in my class and at least three who can't read beyond a grade 1 level. It makes it super tough.

 

I am curled up now with my two kitties and a glass of red and working on appreciating all the little things I have. 

Where the money stands

as of December 5th



Debt
Mortgage - $18 837.12
College LOC - $14 844.91

Total Debt - $33 682.03



Savings/Planned Spending
TFSA/EF - $7100
RESP - $10 600
RRSP - $10 976
Plates - $1100 (goal met)
XMAS -500

A small dent was made in the LOC. DS1 shared the news though that he probably will have to take both spring and summer sessions of class this year. That means a) he's not working and b) full cost of tuition and his living there.

Being budget consious this week

I would have to say that I did a good job of smacking myself on the back of the head last week and getting myself back on track, at least with the jars.

I took out my money on Wednesday night for grocery/household, gas, spending and entertainment. My tank was empty so the gas money was pretty much all used. The spending money $20 was my limit if I wanted coffee or something from our cafeteria. The entertainment money $20 was put into a jar I have set aside for Christmas groceries. I learned last year I needed that extra bit.

The groceries ...... I got the items DS2 wanted for his 2 meals at home, checking my pantry first. It felt good to feed him well. He took all the leftovers back with him, quite happily.

DH looked wistfully at the boxes of things I was sending back with DS (along with food stuffs from grandma). He told DS, "we only get groceries when you are home". Totally not true.

I picked up a few things on Sunday for lunches for the week and to make soup Sunday night.

I talked with DH about menus for the week and we went through the freezer in the fridge to see what was there. I pulled everything out, tossed what was freezer burnt and said "Ok here is what we have...what do we want to make?" 

I packed lunch each day this week. I brought coffee from home. I really should map out what lunch groceries cost and work out how  much a meal it costs.

There wasn't a ton left of the $180 weekly grocery/household money after that. Every time I wanted to grab Tims in the morning or run to our cafeteria (which has delicious food) this week, I kept saying "You only have X$$ left. Are you sure you want to spend that?" It helped.

There was a lot of self talk this week.

Today is the last day. I am left with enough $ to go pick up the cheap conditioner I need and some 'feminine stuff' and then I'm pretty much out.

Here's to another week of being strict with myself.

November Change

A small amount was rolled and taken to the bank

2 rolls of quarters - $20
2 rolls of dimes - $10

for a total of $30

This went, along with money set aside, towards a new winter coat for DS2. He hasn't had a new one for 4 years and has grown out of his old one.

a happy Fri night

DS2 called last night about 5 saying he was coming home for the weekend. I was pumped. He asked for chicken stir fry for supper so off I went grocery shopping with my newly withdrawn grocery jar money in hand.  I even used a $5 off coupon for the Co-opI got when filling up with gas, and a $10 off coupon that was on their app. Felt good to make good choices.

I was never so excited to see laundry.  Honest. I did five loads last night. Just have a few things hanging up to dry and one last load before he leaves tomorrow.

We had a great talk about his classes . He is really enjoying them and doing very well, marks wise.

It was so good to forget about everything else and just appreciate family.