You know you are spoiled when...

I like comedy and I like to laugh, luckily I have a job that provides me with hours of entertainment (I swear you can not make up some of the stuff that I see and hear) and my family is just as amusing and silly, which is wonderful for me. I find humor in most things, which is why I believe that I am handling things really well, because I am not afraid to laugh at my life, my family and myself.


Side note: one of our students had a birthday this week, and her friends made her a cake and brought it in for her to celebrate. The kids invited staff because we work really hard on relationships, and we were all invited to have cake. So, they started to sing to their friend and they forgot the words to happy birthday. Yep, that is right, Happy Birthday. You know, the really complicating one where you sing the same verse three times and then sing it again... Yes folks, this is where I work. Trust me, I laughed and laughed about this all day!

Anyways... Jeff Foxworthy. He is a very funny man and likes to poke fun at life and his life and he has a skit called "you might be a redneck if..." Check out his stuff if you need a chuckle! But he is my inspiration for this blog.

Okay, not yet, hang on. I am so verbal, I feel like I have to explain and help you understand the back story in order to understand why I am saying this...

Steve is the youngest of six boys, his father worked two jobs to support his family and his mom was everything in the family. She raised six boys, took care of the house and preformed daily miracles. They paid the bills and they made sure that the family ws taken care of. They always had meals and they had to share bedrooms. Things were tight, but they had a place up north, so they had some family vacations, but it was a family owned home, so it was all done by them, food, cleaning etc. Anyways, the point is that Steve grew up without a lot of money and has been working hard as an adult to get what he wants. He bought his own vehicles, paid for his own schooling, paid for his own hobbies. And now he has been working to support his family and have enough money to play. Until Now. And for Now.

Me, I was raised by a single parent, I have an older brother. We really struggled at times, my mom had two jobs at times to support us, my father did not pay child support, unfortunately. We were not poor but we were not middle class. I did not know that we were poor, be cause my mom had this attitude. This we are going to make it out of this and we are going to be better. She emphasized education and valued intelligence, respect and responsibility. She use to say that you can be poor but that did not mean that you had to be trash. I use to go dumpster diving when I was younger. Now don't get all gross on me, we lived in an apartment complex that was behind a low end clothing store, so they threw out clothes that they could not sell because of stains, holes, seams torn, etc. My poor mother got many "fixed" clothing, because I would find something for her and fix it up, with dye or needle and thread. Needless to say, it was hard sometimes, but we always had eachother, we had love laughter and joy.

When I was on my own, I struggled too, I was in my master's program and I was trying so hard to be fully independent. But I could not afford school, rent and food. So I lost a lot of weight because I had to choose. And rent and tuition won.

So this is the back ground story to how dedicated Steve and I are to be spoiled. To have money, to spend money, to have things, toys, food, money in the bank... all of that. I am really crazy about having food in the house. I like having food, I love coming home to have dinner ready to make because there is stuff in the house to make it. IN fact right now I am sitting here eating nilla wafers as I type this. Yum.

You know you are spoiled when...
... you sit in the driveway in the car because the fuel tank is on E and you just don't what to do next, because somebody else fills it up.
... your husband breaks his legs and the neighbor has to cut the grass because you don't know how, nor do you want to.
... you are planning dinner and it involves which restaurant to go to.
... you don't have to do laundry for three weeks because you have so many clothes.
... you drive by a store, and you buy something, and feel good because it was on sale, never mind the fact that "sale" never means "free."
... when you have to fire the nanny because she let your two year old hit sand when they were outside.
... you don't do the dinner dishes and when you get up in the morning, they are done.
... So very clean and great smelling and it is not of my doing.
... people are buying the children things and you think "where's mine"
... you take the garbage can to the curb and you pause and wait for the applause.
... your shoes have a scuff on them, so you replace them for better ones.
... you can easily whip together a play date with crafts with all of the things you have at home, because that is how much craft stuff you have at home.
... you wake up to the smell of coffee.
... you get home from a long day at work and you get the best two hugs and applause and laughter just for walking in the door.

Okay, some are true, some are not, except the last one. That is my favorite part of my day.

So, I am trying to put a positive spin on all of this, and it helps. I keep thinking that we are not going to struggle, we are going to be less spoiled. Steve and I became comfortable. Enjoyed our jobs (most days) and liked going out when we wanted to, or heading over the store to pick up a few items. Or me, I LOVE a good bargain. I love to grocery shop, I love not worrying about gas prices, I buy what I need when I need it. But right now, for now, these days are over. A student asked me yesterday if they could borrow five dollars from me, for lunch. And I laughed. Yea right kid, I don't have money, I brought my lunch.

Someone texted me the other day and I was counting the number of characters because we reduced our plan for our cell phones. We are not ready to give them up, but we changed plans and it does not include texting.

We still have cable and Internet access, so we are still a little spoiled.

We are working to be less spoiled, to be smart with our money, to understand that when it is gone, it is gone. We have charge card debt from before (again we were LIVING and not caring!) But we are no longer living near our standards. We are living below our means, so that we will be okay. Because we don't know what tomorrow brings. Right now we are okay, not spoiled, but okay.

I am not asking anyone else to send us anything. We are okay. We have been receiving so many gifts, little ones, big ones and all in between. Uncanny and right on point gifts. Like a gift card to Costco when we needed diapers. A gift card to Target when the weather is turning and the girls need boots. A visa card when we are going out of town for a presentation that helped with gas, food and some fun for the girls. A check, a few checks in fact, that will go into our savings account, so when Steve is on unemployment (which is a third of his pay) we can still pay for what we need. A phone call from a student who is asking for support services and willing to pay for them. A presentation which allowed me to earn my needed hours for my license for free.

We are quickly and begrudgingly learning the difference between what we need and what we want. I am sighing now. A very heavy sigh, because I like the life where we get what we want, and not just what we need. So sad. But I am so very grateful that I know, I mean Really Know that we will also get what we need. God has been so gracious, so strong and so supportive, He has been speaking to all of you to help us in the ways that you do best. Thank you and Thank God for getting what we need.

PS., I will dream of my wants... and one day, yes one day, I will get what I want!

Right now, I will take peace in the idea that what I need is safety, determination, strength, love and most certainly laughter.

May God grant you all of your fondest wishes and may you never have to choose between what you want and what you need!