Making the Best Of It

Anyone besides me have one or two people (grown-ups) in your family who have this retarded mindset that they don't have to have a job like every other adult??? Well, depending on how grown they are, you almost can't get mad at them because SOMEBODY has allowed them to think they can get away with living off of others, but that subject is another blog entry altogether. My purpose is to suggest how to make use of these family members so they do something purposeful with their lives.

PUT THEM TO WORK!!!

If you can't make them get a REAL job, make them useful for the family members who do work. For example, my loved one (and I do love him dearly) is really good with being available for the children. NO, HE'S NOT A PEDAFILE. He's extrememly helpful getting my son to school in the mornings while I get my oldest to school and myself to work. He even came through for me when my son was going to a school farther away from his house when his car was working.

During the summer months, I don't have to spend my weekends or time after work cleaning my yard because he can do it while I'm at work. When I need painting done in my house or minor repairs, if he can, he'll take care of it. Not only does that save me time, but it saves me money.

In our case, I've long given up on trying to figure out why this person has chosen this life. It's really not my place to do so. If they're happy, why shouldn't I be? Everyone has a place in this life. Right now, mine is working my current day job, writing in my free time, and raising my children. This other person, because of their chosen lifestyle, is in a position to help me as well as others in the family, so it's a win-win situation for our family.

Precious Moments

Yay! The kids are back to school and we all couldn't be happier. Like the wonderful mom that I am, I took some personal time off work just so I could see both of my children off to their first day. This entailed driving my daughter downtown to the nationally acclaimed Cass Technical High School, then back to the nortwest side of the city to where my son is attending the elementary school named after Detroit's longest term holding mayor, the late Coleman A. Young. Then, I was back downtown to start my workday. But who's complaining? Definitely not me. It's moments like these, for some reason, when I really get a adrenaline rush about being mom. God has BLESSED me so much to be able to be there for my children in ways many mom's can't. I'm very thankful for having a job where I have the flexibility to be present for important occasions like the first day of school, award ceremonies, field trips, etc. Kids feel special when their parents are there for them. Even though they may sometimes act like the material provisions their parents provide are supreme, but they value our presence just as much. A parents prescence is priceless for all interested parties.

Doing It Myself

Today is a perfect example of why I became a do-it-yourself girl a few years ago. My daughter went to the hairdresser this morning. She knew exactly how she wanted her hair to be styled. I told the hairdresser part of what she wanted and my daughter explained in greater detail after I left. Well, something went awry because when I picked my daughter up she was very dissatisfied. She liked the layers that her hairdresser cut, but the bangs and the back of her hair were cut too short. I didn't think it looked too bad. Trying to console her, I explained that she could simply pull the bangs back with a clip and just rock the layers until the bangs grew out to where she wanted them. I also used the moment to reiterate to her why I resigned to becoming my own hairstylists, amongst other things.

I would lose count trying to remember how many times I went to a hairdresser with a desired look in mind and leaving with something completely different. Honestly, I don't believe it's because these hairdressers didn't know what their doing, but rather they could create their version of what I wanted. The point is I was disappointed and I got tired of paying money not to get what I wanted.

Last year when I began locking my hair, I continued to be a do-it-yourself girl. I couldn't be happier. Not only do I get the satisfaction of accomplishing something on my own, I also save more money than I used to be able to getting my hair done bi-weekly at $35-$55 a pop. If you ask me, it can't get any better than that.

Shopping Follow-Up

I've had an epiphany! Yesterday, I realized I am the reason that I can't handle long shopping sessions with my daughter. You see, I begin with her needs in mind. However, the longer we stay in a particular store my eyes start wandering to my interests. And, once that starts, it's a done deal. It's like the sky becomes the limit and I start picking up pieces to add to my wardrobe. Before it's all said and done, in many cases, I've doubled what I would've spent had I just shopped for her!

The good thing is that I don't regret a thing. I can afford to treat myself that way because I don't embark on that many shopping trips. Even when I do, I am disciplined enough to not go overboard. For example, we were at Marshals yesterday. While my daughter was looking for school attire, I was browsing the assortment of cute tops and career separates. I found a sharp, brown Anne Klein pants suit and about 3 tops to match up with things I already have. The suit was soooo cute. But I'm trying to come away from buying so much beige, brown, and black in my wardrobe, so I was on the fence about buying it. Then I came across a nice, brown blazer. It appeared to be the same shade of brown as a pair of pants I already have and it was half the cost of the brown suit.

I put the suit back on the rack and walked away with the jacket and the three cute tops, one of which I just had to wear today. Oh yeah, my daughter got a few things, too.

We both left happy! Now that's what I call a successful shopping trip!