I know how much you all love to hear me whine and moan and kvetch about money (or rather, the lack thereof), but I always feel so much better when I unload these things off my heart and mind.  The blog is my clearinghouse for all my neurotic issues, after all.  So I’m going to whine and moan and kvetch a little bit.  Feel free to skip this post and I promise to have something far more interesting to you all soon.

I hope.

Anyhow, it’s December and we knew what we were doing at the start of the month when we decided how to spend the budget.  We wanted to have a nice Christmas.  For the kids, mostly, but for us too.  Last year was so slim in the present department.  And yes, we made it work, but we promised ourselves that this year would be different.

And for the most part, it has been.  I mean, at least this year we sort of had a CHOICE.  Of course, I think a few things slipped through the cracks and here we find ourselves, barely halfway through the month and the budget is screaming at the strain.  There are a few issues that are causing me particular stress:

• Shipping presents.  I mentioned this already, of course.  I’m really worried about not having shipped my parents package yet.  I really don’t know what to do about this one.  I have to follow Kile’s lead here.  But my skin is crawling with the need to get that present sent out.
• We weren’t able to get presents for everyone we would have liked to, this year.  Yes, we did the gift bags for our siblings but, as you’ve seen, even that has put strain on us for the shipping of them.  And whenever I get a gift from someone I have not been able to send a gift to, I feel about _this high.
• Simple grocery items.  Surely, we will get some of these things soon, but I don’t know how and that is what stresses me out.  We need bread.  And milk.  BASIC things.  And baby food, since Evie has proven herself to be something of a tank in the eating department and has already handily blown through the stash of jarred food I got her at the beginning of the month.  It’s easy to forget that she’s not like Liam!
• The tan van.  Ohhh… the tan van.  It needs to be registered.  And we refuse to drive it unregistered.  This is one of the things we had a choice about at the start of the month.  And we chose Christmas over registering the tan van.  The white van works well enough and it’s only for a few weeks.  Still, I miss my van.  It’s a LOT nicer than the white van (and don’t let me forget, there’s a post forthcoming about the disparity between these vans out in public).
• My doctor appointment.  The doctor’s office called this evening while I was outside keeping Kile company as he shoveled the driveway.  I didn’t return the call, as I imagined the shop had already closed up for the day.  But I have little doubt that they have gotten my lab results from Friday’s lab work and want me to come in and see the doctor.  And then, and only then, will they give me a new prescription.  The prescription wouldn’t be so hard to swing since everywhere you go anymore flaunts their $4 prescriptions.  But the office copay is probably out of the budget.  Which means I can’t go in until after the holidays.  Which means…. more weeks without meds.  Say it with me: SIGH.

I shouldn’t let these money issues bother me so much.  I shouldn’t let them keep me up at night.  I should just go with the flow and let it roll off my back.  I absolutely HATE worrying.  So why do I do it so much?  Cuz I’m a PUTZ, that’s why.

If I have one thing to hope for in the New Year, it’s that these financial concerns will become fewer and further between.  Can I get an amen?

I don’t generally condone of the word “hate” because it has such strong connotations, but in this case, I think Monday deserves it.  How dare it force us out of the lull that is the weekend and make us be productive and stuff!  So here’s what I’m hating today:

1. That we’re about out of groceries here in the house, but yet the budget gave out last week sometime.  Hmm.
2. Little dogs that desperately try to curl themselves up on my legs in an effort to stay warm and give me leg cramps.
3. iCarly, the Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, the Naked Brothers Band, Drake and Josh and any of those retarded Disney/Nick shows that my son seems to really, really love right now.
4. Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends and pretty much the entire Noggin morning lineup these days.
5. I pretty much hate money in general right now, but mostly the lack of it.
6. That my parents’ gift STILL hasn’t been mailed off and now I’m worried that it’ll even get there before Christmas and that gives me STRESS.  STRESS STRESS STRESS!
7. Not that I have a van to drive it to the post office anyhow.  (still not registered but whatever)
8. Which means I need to rely on Kile to do it.
9. Which means I’m not holding my breath.
10. Stupid, nagging, caffeine-withdrawal headache.  I need a Rockstar.

So now that I got that out of the way, here are some pictures I cleaned off the camera this morning.

The rarely-captured feral blue-eyed boy.

The cup is a staple in virtually all photos of this child.

A nifty snowflake pin given to me by a good friend for my birthday.  It is officially Evie’s Most Favorite Thing EVER.

My first knitting project, my “practice blob” that I decided to turn into a bag this weekend.  GO ME.

Does this look cold?  Cuz it is.

Little tree.  Snow.  Nuff said.

Sure looks like a Monday morning to me, how about you?  I’m SO glad Harry takes the school bus now.

Kile’s van (aka: our only legal mode of transportation these days).  And snow.  Have fun driving to work, Kile!