March change

March was definitely a low post month. Work stuff had me stressed and blue. I am very grateful for this holiday long weekend.

I will head off to the bank Tuesday with my change for the month. $42
The roll of toonies, roll of quarters, roll of dimes and roll of nickels will go against my LOC.

Waiting for spring

It's been quite the winter around here. We have had more snow than we have had in years. Each week the forecast shows that the temps will start to move to 0C and just above, but like that watery mirage on the highways in the summer, it never quite arrives.  A week ago we had a massive blizzard that shut down a good portion of the province. Snow and wind and more snow. The snowbanks are everywhere. My lawns are covered with about four feet of snow and the banks are up to six feet. On our school playground, the tractors have come to plow paths so the kids can be outside and the snowhills they have created are massive. 

We keep waiting for that promise of spring, and it will come. Yesterday was -1C but the bright sun and the reflection started that melting process on the streets and the water is everywhere. The slushy paths freeze at night and are tough to drive in, in the mornings.  I know many parts of our province and in southern Manitoba are bracing for big floods. I remember the flooding in 97, when DS2 was born and how bad it got.

So while we wait for spring to come, we hope it comes a bit at a time, so mother nature can evaporate as much of that water as possible.

I can't wait to go to the farm and see the first prairie crocuses pop out. I see those as my sign of hope each year that a new start begins.

Everybody needs a little hope now and again.

Have a happy Good Friday everyone.

This and That - catch up edition

I know.... a whole lotta AWOL going on here at the Money Tree household. sorry

It's been insanely busy around here both at home and at work and I've been exhausted. I have often gone to bed early but I can't shut my brain off so while I was getting sleep, it was far from quality sleep. Last night was the first night in three weeks I wasn't problem solving or crisis managing during happy REM time. DH says I have been talking in my sleep a lot, which I rarely do.

At work - well we had report card season which is always insanely busy. I tell you, trying to catch kids up when they have been away on 10 day or 2 week family vacations is hard. I am in growing awe of how much people pull their kids out of school now for  hot vacation travel. Sometimes they ask for homework but the classroom work is often more an experience than something that can be mimicked on a worksheet to send away.  We also got through music festival. Our whole school was involved so there was a lot of prep going on.   Busiest and most stressful of all is the job situation. My current position is being deleted and reformatted in another building and I don't automatically get to slide over and continue on. It's been a whole lotta resume building and coverletter writing and interviews are impending. I haven't done a resume in 16 years, nor have I interviewed so I am very on edge with the whole process and wondering what will happen to me. Hopefully I will know the answers sooner, rather than later, so I can begin to plan and pack, or mourn and cope and refocus.

At home - I have begun working the Turbo Tax program. It's interesting to say the least. I discovered I was missing one document and had to phone tax Canada to get the correct info. I need to do the boys as well but they need to sit with me as I do it.   Going to bed early means a lot of things aren't getting done in a timely manner around the house so today is a catch up day. 

Season Hockey is over for DS1. He is missing it a great deal. It was his first year in this league and he loved every moment of it, except the part about being done for the season. He actually is away at  a pick up tournament for a First Nations tourney this weekend. A few buddies invited him. It's always a very different experience going away to play where he is the minority...the only minority...and it's a fabulous experience for him. He learns about culture and tradition and meets all kinds of new people as well as people he has played hockey with over the years.

DS2 is getting ready for the Scouting Canadian Jamboree that is happening this summer in Kananaskis, Alberta. He hasn't been to a CJ before. His brother went to one in Quebec. His father has been at both of the before mentioned as well as the one in Prince Edward Island a decade ago. They are amazing experiences where you get to meet people from all over Canada, as well as the US and Europe. We have been fundraising for a couple years for this and I am so excited that DS2 gets to go.

There's  a lot more to say but I won't push my luck with the internet connections I have had lately at home. I have a lot of catch up reading to do on my blogs. Thanks for sticking around...if you still have :-)

Where the money stands

as of March 4th

Debts
Mortgage - $28 408 .64
LOC - $4399.23

Total Debt - $32 807.87

Savings/Planned Spending
TFSA/EF - $2055
RESP - $13 250
RRSP - $5700
Celebrations Goal - $1500
Plates - $1200

Not a whole lot to report. Debt is slowly going down. I met my 'plates' goal this month and need to move on to the next one.

feeling overwhelmed

I think I am hitting winter burnout. Everything feels like it is whirly and congested and out of control. I know this too shall pass, but I need to take steps to get control of the feelings.

I spent five hours at the school this morning/early afternoon. Report cards are coming up and this is the week to make sure everyone has their stuff in. There was a lot of sorting and piles and lists going up so students know which assignments to look for or complete. I look around my room and see SO much stuff. That comes with over a decade of teaching 11 subjects to a group of students. Binders and bins and tubs everywhere. When I am finally relocated to a new position, I am hoping that I will have fewer subjects to prepare for and I can give away a lot of things. Still, the shelves were crying out to me so I gave myself an hour to go through a few shelves and bins. If I hadn't used it in over 5 years it either went in recycle or free to a good home pile. If I end up needing things later, I will know where to find them. No one looking in my room would notice anything 'less' in there, but "I" know. I will have to do this many times over once things in my future are more finalized. The hour spent went a long way to easing my mental stress about how much there is to do in there.

I came home to a house of mess and crap. Really? 2 PM and no one did up the dinner dishes or had started on any chores? Laundry everywhere, dishes, clutter, clutter clutter.  Everyone was just sitting around doing squat. Right now I think I am the only one doing anything around here. That isn't always the case, but a quick mental look back and aside from some snow shovelling, I think it's all been on me. That needs to change. I will go bat crap crazy if all the members of the household aren't contributing to the maintenance.

I spent the afternoon/early evening sorting and tidying and tossing. 2 bags of clothes ready to go for the Diabetes association who comes this week. I sent DS1 to the recycling with a ton of newspapers and boxes and such. DS2 sorted the bottles and cans and has them ready in bags for when we get a moment to take them to the depot. I got my $ ready for jars for the week and have my deposit ready for the bank tomorrow (if I can get there) to make another payment on my LOC. I updated my budget spreadsheet and made the boys put their clean laundry away and get at the new laundry.

I am a firm believer that clutter = stress, at least in my world. Looking at my upcoming schedule, I need to sit less and move more and get things done.  Or I can go bat crap crazy. :-)