One degree below sweat

That's how my husband describes the temperature of our house during the summer.

This post will probably offend the 2 or 3 readers I actually have, but here goes.

Last week there was much debate over whether unemployment benefits should be extended an additional 20 weeks. Many folks have exhausted the 99 weeks already in effect. 99 weeks is a long time. In fact, it is 5 weeks shy of 2 years. That is a long time to not work. I don't want to beat anyone up. It is a tough economy and jobs are scarce. Even teaching and government jobs are being cut.

I've worked a lot of jobs. I grew up on a farm in central Kentucky. That is hard work, but it can feed a family. I worked full time at McDonald's for 5 years during college and graduate school. McDonald's is hard work, but somehow I fed myself and my younger brother for whom I had custody since my dad died when I was eighteen. I taught school for 13 years. That is hard work and it doesn't pay enough (though better than farming and McD's). I've tutored, taught summer school, cleaned friends' houses, and babysat to supplement my income.

The past four years I have had the luxury of being a stay-at-home mom. That's hard work, too, but we'll save that for a later post. Hardly a month goes by that someone doesn't offer me a job. I haven't applied for a job in these four years, but I have positioned myself well by advancing my education and having a strong work ethic. I still do some tutoring only when someone calls me usually because they were referred by someone who knows me.

Here's my point and I do have a point: Position yourself well in the good times. When money is coming in, save some for a rainy day. Even if you're working a "bridge" job, do so with integrity and enthusiasm. You never know who might be on the other side of the phone or counter. The Bible tells us to do all work as if we're working for the Lord.

Back to the post title: My husband has a good job right now, but it doesn't mean we spend everything we make. We drive paid for cars, set a modest budget for food, clothing and household items, conserve energy, and save for retirement and our kids' education.
Oh and if you're wondering, cable TV is not a utility! Neither is a Blackberry or I-phone. It's ok to have them, but just know that they are luxury items, not necessities and if you don't have a job, turn them all off!

So where do I stand on further extending unemployment benefits? I think you know.

Back To School

We are coming up on my absolute favorite time of year: back to school. As a child, I loved school. I grew up on a farm so back to school meant my life got easier. I only had morning and evening chores, but the rest of the day was spent in school and on the bus. I was at the top of my class all through school. It was fun being the smartest kid in class.In 7th grade, my friend Tracey and I taught ourselves to solve the Rubik's cube . In 9th grade, I was the star of the academic team. I was asked to be on the varsity team because of my superior agility in mathematics! Yep, I was a nerd even though I would never have admitted it back then.
College back-to-school time was awesome! The college bookstore with all those new and used textbooks, 5-Star binders, pens, pencils, collegiate apparel, the beginning of new classes, the hustle and bustle of campus life, cooler temperatures: ah, heaven!
Not surprisingly, I became a teacher. While all my colleagues anticipated June with growing enthusiasm, I always had a sense of sadness as the school year came to a close. Don't misunderstand; I love summer break (but that is another post)! The last days of school would always be filled with students coming to my classroom, playing games, helping me clean out my room to get ready for the summer crew. The best days were those teacher workdays in the fall getting ready for a new crop of students. I loved getting my room ready and planning out the year's goals and objectives. Often, my team mate and I would spend hours over the summer writing our own texts because we couldn't find anything published that met all our standards for teaching algebra. I love the first days of school: teaching the students how to set up their binders, going over expectations, having them write about themselves, learning their names, the first test (admittedly, calling parents after the first test wouldn't make my Top 10).
Honestly, for the 13 years I taught school, I barely slept the night before the first day of school.
My oldest child started kindergarten last year. A whole new level of back-to-school excitement! Hannah learned so much in kindergarten, more than I would have thought a kindergartner could learn in one year. It was a good experience.
But my little Hannah has different plans for her education. She wants to be home schooled. I've spent the summer researching, reading, talking, thinking about home schooling. And I have decided it is a great idea for our family at least for now. Frank and I are in agreement that if Hannah wants to be home schooled this badly and I am qualified and available to do it then we should go for it. Yesterday, I sent in my paper work to the NC Dept of Non-Public Instruction to "be a home school". It is really exciting and daunting at the same time.
When people ask Hannah where she goes to school, she immediately and enthusiastically looks them in the eye and says, "At home!" All summer, I have tried to "talk her out of it". Not because I don't want to do it, but because I want to be sure she understands what it entails and what she'll miss out on by not being in a traditional school setting. Hannah totally gets it,probably better than I do at this point. Every day throughout the summer she has asked, "Can we do my home schooling now?"
We are officially starting with the rest of North Carolina on August 25. I'll let you know how our first day goes and how much sleep I get the previous night.