How strange, but good. I actually knew while I was eating, that I was eating too much, too fast, simply for the fact of eating. Shortly before desert arrived, I thought “oh yeah, now the good part.” And after only a bite or two, started to relax. I think I even commented on it, because I’ve been told that the reason eating is so relaxing is that your body can’t be in “fight or flight” mode, but rather “rest and digest”. The two systems are in conflict with each other. It made sense before this, but last night it really clicked.

I have two kids on my living floor and couch. One belongs to me, and I’m happy to say he gave the guest the couch. Although he does like sleeping on the floor, so maybe I’m giving him too much credit. I’m going to give it to him anyway.

The budget took a big hit this month, between Christmas shopping for my family, back to school shopping, clothes shopping for the boys, school shopping for us, an MP3 disaster, and let’s see what else? Oh yeah, the insurance deductible for the basement flooding. I just want to spend the day working outside, cleaning up the yard, the garden, harvesting potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, and squash. I’d like to cut back the raspberries, move the compost pile, and start moving plants around. There are two bushes that have to get moved, one because it’s pointless back where it is, and the other because the dogs are going to kill it if I don’t. I’d like to move two of the lilac bushes as well, and start on the apple harvest. I’d like to start the landscaping under the deck. I’d like to use up the chemicals in the garage that are for the lawn. There are ants to kill, creeping Charlie to combat, and the lawn needs to be mowed. None of these things stress me out, I take pleasure in them. It’s just been too hot to do any of it.

The garage needs a complete cleaning, but with the rug (please, please, please insurance adjuster have a sensitive nose…tell us we get to have new carpet!) festering, opps, drying
in the garage, we can’t really clean it out. So I guess I’ll try and wait. The cleaning service left a brochure with some terribly dramatic photos of rotting crawl spaces. If mine looked like that I’d be down there with a bucket of bleach in a heart beat. Three cheers for my beloved, for his wise decision making on a dehumidifier.

Back to money woes, DS’s birthday is coming up, as are school fees. DS needs money on his lunch account, but I’m trying to swallow my pride and fill out the free/reduced lunch forms. I know he qualifies because I read the forms when the foster kids get signed up. There’s usually shop fees, which they like to forget about, and also passes for events…something like $7/child for each pass. It prevents a lot of whining about “can I get some money to go to the game?” Add in traveling fees for family events in both September and October, and I’ll have to go over that budget with a fine tooth comb again. I know we can afford these things, I just have to have it mapped out so that I don’t stress and freak beloved out.