Okay, now I’m having fun!

A week before I finished progress reports an interesting bit of mail showed up in our box. Knickers’ father has been paying child support for a very long time. Let’s see, she is 29, if that tells you anything. For a while he didn’t pay but Oklahoma started garnishing his wages and the paying of back child support + interest began trickling in with the occasional flood when he got taxes back. I thought we were all done last year and I cut up my debit card that it is always credited to. Last week they sent me a new card.  I thought they just mistakenly sent it and there would be a zero balance, but I checked anyway.  900.00. Yep.

I had to sit on it during progress reporting work. I barely made it to the store to get a few groceries. Here is the really cool thing. Certain needs have been held at bay while we have struggled to keep our heads above water. The Babe and I both needed new clothes desperately, The tortoise needed a UVB light and some substrate to burrow in, and so much more. December found us finally caught up on the rent we owed and a few other bills we were behind on. If the 900 had come during that time it would have gone toward bills exclusively. Since we are caught up and because our jeans kept ripping  out, and because we got this boon, We went shopping. 

We wasted a few hours at Kohl’s and bought two outfits for The Babe that were way over priced even on sale. I will never waste my time gracing their doorstep again. There stuff is expensive and I don’t like most of it. Next we went to Ross. It was great! Within 20 minutes I found myself three pairs of jeans that fit and as many tops. But the most fun was had when I took The Babe to the kids sections.  Usually when we shop she looks at all the pretty girly clothes that she can’t have. The last time I was in Ross I said,  "I would like to come here with a couple hundred dollars."  Whodda Thunk?

The Babe was in shock the first four or five times I said, "Oh sure Honey, that’s cute, put it in the cart. We’ll try it on you." She has good taste in clothes, she should have, she has drooled over the cute stuff her friends and nieces  wear for long enough.  About half way through the kids clothes she said, " I usually don’t like going to the store Mom, but this time it is really fun!" 

 I grinned, "Yeah Sweetie, it makes a big difference when you can buy the stuff you want."

She is decked out now. I will buy her a few more tops and shoes and sandals and set some money aside for summer clothes. This feels good. 

Progress reports were finished without serious incident.  In other words, I killed no one. It did wear me out though and I have not fully recovered from the sleep deprivation. I went out afterwards and bought myself a grade book. I will keep better records. Also our new system will work better when we can access our google drive account throughout the semester and write things there as they happen. 

Some day I may bore you with the details of the genius system that I have come up with for our kids who have less then a 90% in my class to do some extra credit work. But for now I leave you with this. I laid out my new jeans on the flloor saying, "Chuck! Look! I have jeans!"

"You have jeans?!"

"I have jeans!"

"Mom!" says The Babe, "You’re a jeaneous!"

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In Sandy soil I plant this seed, If even only I do heed.

In death is life; won’t be denied, grown by tears of sorrow cried.

The truth is harsh, the babes are dead, I’ll hold mine closer in their stead.

It’s all I have and know to do. I don’t admit those lives are through.

I will not waste this plot of land, it will not wither ‘neath my hand.

Come here my Love, look in my eyes,

Do you know how dear you are to me….?