I've created a new blog for when I begin my very own Radical Sabbatical in late December, early January. Don't bother clickity-clicking - there's nothing too pretty to look at... yet.
Oh, did I mention that I'm pregnant?
Officially due January 8th, but I have a feeling that this will be a Christmas time baby, just like big brother AJ was. And hey, the tax deduction surely won't hurt. Living on one income isn't going to be easy and the more I think about it, the more overwhelmed I am. My husband has a good job and makes a good salary. His earning potential isn't increasing, slowly but surely. (Not nearly as much as when he first started, but when you move from 2nd shift labor to 1st shift administration, something has to give. Unfortunately it was the paycheck!) After all of my deductions and daycare, I bring home about $700-$800 a month, give or take. Granted, I carry the health insurance and for all intents and purposes, it's damn good. But in the last year it's doubled in price, and cost more out-of-pocket than ever. And that blows.
I've mentioned before that my dream for several years has been to be a stay-at-home wife and mom. And while I know that it's not going to last forever, I'm looking forward to it. I'm hopeful that I can stay at home until all the kids are in school full-time. By that time AJ will be graduating and will be less dependent on us, financially. (HA, RIGHT??!) I'm also hoping that within 5 years we can move so that my hubby isn't commuting so far every day. Then I can find a job wherever we land.
So, that's where my "radical sabbatical" comes in. Hopefully 5 years, at least one year. And we'll see. Maybe I'll decide that I hate being at home.
But somehow I doubt that.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
Unplugged
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| Photo lifted from Flickr here |
I'm not going to lie - I'm pretty pissed about it. The circumstances were not the best, all resulting from a screaming match between my husband and I. Frankly, I got really, REALLY tired of fighting for time with MY phone. It was constantly in someone else's hand/pocket/room, etc. "Can I see your phone?" was uttered before a simple "Hello" most days. And the fact that eyes were glued to the little glowing screen more often than looking at each other was becoming a bit unbearable.
I gave up a lot of my games/apps a few weeks ago when I felt they were all-encompassing. Do I REALLY need to collect money from AJ's dinosaurs in his Jurassic Park game? Do I REALLY need to plant more crops on my Castle Story game? And so on, and so forth. It felt good to give up the need to constantly be checking something so stupid. But, the need for the smooth glass screen still proves to be tough for the guys in the house. My husband, in-particular. And it kind of makes me sick.
The easiest thing for me to do was to give up the phone so that *I* wasn't dependent on it anymore. Let the boys do whatever they want, but this way I won't be asking, repeatedly, where MY phone is. Because now I have a shitty 5-year old brick basic phone. And no one gives a rip where that one is.
I'll miss checking in using Foursquare. I'll miss posting pictures to Instagram. Need a quick social networking at 2am during a bout of insomnia? I'll miss Facebook being so readily available. Get lost on the way to the mall? YAY, Mapquest! And so on, and so forth. But, is there anything so earth shattering that I can't live without it?
Nope.
I may be pissed, but I think it's a good thing in the long run.
(Now I'm off to buy a paper calendar - WOAH! Stone ages!!)
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