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| This is me handling stress. Really, you wouldn't know from the picture that this was one of the most stressful dinners on record. Miles wouldn't calm down, which included throwing everything and screaming at the top of his lungs. Mac and Oli -- behaving marginally better than Miles. Tim and I squabbled over seating arrangements, and it turned out that I was (!) wrong. All of the drinks had rum and fruit juice -- too much sugar!! That was my surface stress. Everything else was simmering under the surface. What, you ask? See below. |
While we are hitting the point in the summer where all of the days start to blend together, things are definitely staying fresh for us. We are in a time of change, and very soon, hope to be starting a new chapter.
The biggest transition is Tim opening a martial arts school. When he sold his school a few years ago, he thought about leaving martial arts altogether. However, after a few months away, and realizing he didn't have a ton of other options that he would both enjoy, and held the same potential for profit, he went back into martial arts. He worked for his friends for a year and a half, and it went well. But between a long commute and the fact that we had always owned his own business, he decided it was time to leave. We had scoped out possible locations around our house when he sold his school two years ago, and knew our choices were limited. And while a viable option presented itself pretty quickly, negotiations fell apart and we are back to square one. He is in talks now with another location, but it is expensive, which is scary. I believe in what he can do, but I worry about the months it will take to really get the business off the ground.
A lot of our other changes hinge on the school. For example, we are back into mega-budgeting mode. Or at least trying to get there. We are a one-income family now. We have savings, and start-up money for the school that we can use, but the goal is to live off of my income until things get going. Definitely doable, but definitely a challenge. We've already cut the obvious places (cheap phones, cable, etc.), but we've been indulging in a lot of extras lately (soccer jerseys, anyone?). I am making it a renewed challenge to eat healthy on a budget. And in what I'm taking as a good sign, this cookbook came across my Facebook feed. I think we spend @ $180/week when all is said and done. My goal for this month is $140. Not extreme, but $40/week can really add up. Bye bye green smoothie powder!
Babysitting? Schedules? Can't really make them until we know what is going on with the karate school. If we don't figure it out soon, we could lose our babysitter, which would be a disaster. But one thing I know, regardless of schedules, is that I am getting to at least a 35 hour work-week of smart work (i.e. no Facebook or blogs until tasks are finished). Period. I am going to be working like its, well, my job. This is my last year before my tenure review, and things are kicking into high gear. I am close to the point of no return with publications -- in another two or three months, anything I submit likely won't be published in time for consideration, given the time it takes for the editorial process. Previously a quip, "publish or perish" is now my mantra.
Cathing. Oli now gets catheterized every three hours. Or an approximation of that. We have to get more regular, and get him more involved, so that he can start to do it himself. He seems in no rush, and does not seem to anticipate the day that he won't want me to do it. However, we can't leave him anywhere (playdate or babysitter) for more than three hours, and this is only going to get harder once Tim and I are both working.
I guess a lot of what we need comes down to structure. Structure is hard in the summer, especially since Tim and I are basically on opposite clocks. I'm wavering between absolutely overwhelmed and up for the challenge. So maybe what I need, then, is just to relax, be smart but not crazy, and take things as they come.
Nah.
It is the beginning of a new month, and we just got back from an amazing vacation, so the time is ripe for change. And there is pumpkin ale at Whole Foods, so that means the bittersweet routine of fall is just around the corner. Maybe a little of each (routine + beer) is just what I need.
