Thinking about chavos ($)…

OK, so here’s one of the things I’ve been working on lately: figuring out a financial plan to keep us afloat. Not fun, but a necessity. At least I don’t feel alone in this! Lots of us are stuggling to get by it seems, which is some comfort.

In my (more) idealistic younger days I always said that money doesn’t matter. I said that I don’t care a bit about money and that I certainly don’t care about material things. Such a monk-like attitude is all fine and dandy when you actually HAVE enough to get by, and when you are not raising three kids along with a husband who is a full-time student and likely to be a student for a few years yet to come.

It is only recently that I’ve had a somewhat unpleasant epiphany. I’ve realized that, unfortunately, money DOES matter, at least a little bit and sometimes a lot. In Ethiopia it means you can keep the babies you give birth to, get medicine if you are sick, and not have to walk hours every day for water that may or may not be clean. In Haiti, it means you can eat rice and beans instead of mudcakes. In the USA, it means your kids can take language classes / ballet / gymnastics / karate / art / music / swimming lessons, and that you can eventually send them to college — if they want to go; it means you could buy a little house and own a dog — if you want; or you could go back to school, or travel, or do good for other people — if that is what you are driven to do. Pretty obvious, isn’t it? Everywhere, all over the world, money means you can do what you want. You can do good with it, or do bad. Whatever.

Whatever you want.

Money equals freedom and you don’t realize how important this is until it’s gone.

In our home, since the esposo is not going to graduate and start bringing home the tocineta any time soon, and since every single month the bills are bigger than the paychecks…

I guess I need to pull my head out the sand (although I do much prefer the sand) and get a job. A real, long, full-day job, as in an 8-4 or 5 job, not this wimpy done-by-noon job that I love. Too bad no one pays a person to raise their own kids. I’d do that without complaining! Oh, well. When the manna quits falling from the sky, you have to go plant some wheat… or tef… or something, just get planting, right? The job search market is tough out there and I may very well come up with nothing, but I’m going to give it a shot. Then, if I do end up keeping my part-time job and having nothing else next year, at least I will have tried. I filled out my first application last week and luckily, I have one interview on Monday. It’s a job that I think I could like, it could take us through the year, and it could start us on our way out of the cesspool of debt. That would be a good thing! Please wish me luck, I’m really going to need it. Practical tips for the interview for the older-than-average are welcome, too. It’s been awhile.

Random pictures from the last few days

Here are a few things we’ve been up to lately. Zufan getting her face painted:

Big brother with a friend, the finished product. Zufan sat still just long enough to get a butterfly; the clown faces took a long time (and a long bath to remove!):

Gotta get to those Webkinz; no time to bother getting dressed:

Zufan can make her own bottle, and likes to make it “tons-of-big” (meaning, lots of formula, not the watered-down version I usually serve.)

Of course we only go UP the slide; rarely down. Oh so much more fun:

At the dog park with the Italian instructor and one of my officemates from last semester. The kids loved the dog park! It was our first visit, and a huge hit. We probably saw 50 dogs running around:

Zufan getting her face licked by a shaved Shitzu:

At our beautiful new local library. It is incredible, with a giant kids’ section:

Sleeping siblings, cuddled up together:

I feel like I have so much to write, but still just floating around in the land of blogger-lite. I want to share it all! At the same time, I’m afraid of showing more imperfections than I already have. But I think I’ll talk soon about some of the things I have going on because at this point, I just don’t have much to lose by sharing. Until then, know that overall, things are good! The kids are great, so happy and healthy and cute and kind, it is amazing. I am incredibly fortunate. I’m still stalking Julie’s and Evelyn’s blogs regularly, waiting for those referrals. Sending you all good thoughts, on this beautiful and sunny Tuesday.

Running the first race of the season

We had a little race yesterday in town. “Little” only because of the distance, an 8K (4.97 miles, I think). There were 18,541 runners and walkers who showed up in the downpour to run it, so it was quite a crazy party.

Before the race there were so many people crammed into the S-bucks near the start that it was impossible to breathe inside, and they eventually kicked us out. I – like a lot of others in there, judging by the noise level – was bubbling over with nervous energy and was able to carry on animated conversations without a breath, quite unlike my usual personality. I ran with a buddy from my running group (the first race that I’ve run with someone other than my own suffering self), and it was really the most fun I’ve had at a race. The puddles were ankle deep and it rained so hard that my eyes were stinging from all the water. The race turned into a giant wet t-shirt contest, 18,000 strong. Pure insanity.

We hit the first mile marker at 6:58, which is the second-fastest mile of my life. That was a thrill, but a bit fast, because then the race goes up a ridiculous hill which slowed mile 2 significantly. By the end on the race, I was Kara Goucher watching the East Africans pull away; I finished 5 seconds after my running buddy.  She is 10 years younger (my lame attempt at an excuse), and got away from me on the last mile. If she hadn’t been there I think I would have slacked off, because I was absolutely exhausted, not to mention half-drowned, by then. Anyway, final finishing time was 36:24, which is a 7:19 pace, and age group place 15th out of 580 or so, last time I checked, although the results seem to be down today so maybe they are still being updated. I was dreaming about top 10, but guess that isn’t in the cards for me, at least not yet.

Photos are from the Wisc0nsin State Journal, without permission, as usual. Kids pics, next time. I’ve got to cut back on the me-me-me, huh? Or maybe that is what a blog is for? Me. And you. Have a great Sunday, blogger girls.  

Beautiful, isn’t it?

Something a little different today

At home we haven’t had TV since TV went digital in our area, which is really no loss to any of us, so I haven’t been in a hurry to address the issue. We only watched PBS for the most part, anyway. I know! Thrilling! Maybe that’s why no one misses it much. My health club, however, has an overabundance of TVs, so the other day I saw Susan Boyle and her clip from British television. You’ve all seen it, likely long before I did, right? What do you think of it?

I love it. It inspires me. But why? Why the uproar? I’ve been thinking about that, and think it must be because we are all Susan Boyle. By some standard, we are all fat, we are all ugly, we are all failures, all left in the dust as Prince Charming has galloped by us on his way to a real princess. The world judges us harshly before it knows us, and we all want to get our moment to blow them away and show the world that we, too, really are that diva, that blazing success story, that princess – some of us in great disguise. So we watch Susan and we hope again, and we dare to dream a dream of our own. Because it could happen to any of us, no matter what our packaging and even if it takes us 47 years… right? Tell me it could.  

Back to regular cute-kid-pics soon.

P.S. I updated the “About Us” just a tiny bit, although I’m not laying it all out there yet. Soon!

Boston! (with update)

I can’t wait to finish teaching and glue myself to the computer screen to watch the Boston Marathon today. The women’s race is hyped up to be a showdown between Kara Goucher and Dire Tune. Kara’s got some nice abs, huh? 

 

Dire won last year, remember? Watch it with me! Have a great Monday.

UPDATE: And the winner is… The incredibly beautiful Salina Kosgei of Kenya. It is only fair that the East Africans win, because the $150,000 prize money will be put to better use, at least in my view. Congratulations!

I’ve been so reved up watching live coverage that I have a rash all over my chest and my heartrate is probably higher than the runners’. My beloved Dire Tune lost by one second and collapsed at the finish line. It is Salina’s turn to have the spotlight… And the cash. Now, I really need to get to work. Luego!

Owning that classroom

The kids were a hit today in class, especially my littlest chatterbox. We’ve had a great day, packed full of activities, but I’m too tired to post much about it. Here are a couple of pics from Spanish 102.

Sounds like the San Diego contingent (nice phrase, thanks Anne) has been having a great time. It’s been good to have this extra time with just the little ones, but I’m ready for my two helpers to be back tomorrow afternoon. I’m dreaming of an outdoor run and a nap.

P.S. Yes, that is a grandfather clock in the back of the classroom. Why? Your guess is likely better than mine.

That was some bad spinach

We had a great first day with just the three of us. A little too much discussion about poopy-heads for my taste, but without their big sister to scream her protests, I just let them revel in the hilarity. Zufan and the little guy are so cute together, especially when it is just the two of them. The dynamic changes depending on which two are together, and it’s so special to see what a sweet and unique relationship they have with each other. So, the first day went well. Last night was a different story.

Early evening we went to the grocery store and got milk, a roasted chicken, fresh spinach, avocados, kiwi, and a couple more bags of oranges (we have a citrus fruit addiction around here lately), and oh, yeah, 3 tiny peanut butter cookies with a chocolate kiss on top, and had an easy supper. (Yep, the food list is important; hang in there.)  Just like in Latin American countries, buying the food a couple of  hours before the meal. The kids love cruising the aisles in the cart with the steering wheel and little beeping horn.

No one had taken a nap, so bedtime was easy; we all went to bed (together) a little before 10:00, and we all fell immediately asleep. I woke up SICK at 3:00 am. Oh my god. I was SO sick. I woke up drenched in cold sweat, shaking, horrible nausea, and when I disentangled myself from Zufan she woke up, too, crying. I tried to carry her to the kitchen and get her a bottle to maybe calm her down, but I thought I was going to faint, so I had to set the screaming baby down and get my head lower than my knees somehow. She was panicking, screaming “Mommy NO sick!! Papi sick. I sick. Mommy NO SICK.” It was horrible.

Whenever I’ve been really sick, I’m sure you can imagine what I think about, even before we had Zufan. I think about what it must be like to be sick in a country where there is no health care, where you REALLY might not make it. I think about the dying mothers who know they are about to leave their kids orphans. Since our trip to Ethiopia, it also brings back strangely fond memories of being so so so sick lying on the bathroom floor of the HH guesthouse after our giardia-inducing trip to Awassa. I also think about the naked body in the street of the dead or dying man in Awassa. Right on the sidewalk, abandoned, without even a blanket. The image is still vivid. Anyway, back to the story.

After my first attack of nausea and bathroom issues subsided, I carried Zufan and her bottle back to the bed, but she was too upset to sleep even with me holding her, so we headed to the rocking chair and rocked until she did, finally, manage to go back to sleep. The 5 year old never woke up, during the whole ordeal, just kept on sleeping like a rock.

I was pretty miserable off and on for the rest of the night, but Zufan slept through the rest of it, and I felt so thankful for being able to be sick and not have to comfort her at the same time. Comforting myself was enough.

This morning, as you can tell by the length of this post, I have done nothing except sit on the couch. I need to find some energy and get dressed, and clean up the house. But first, I’m making coffee and going to try to reduce the headache I have going on. I’m thinking it is caffeine-deprivation induced.

The kids just got up, and I’m feeling like I am perhaps back from the edge of death. I feel so thankful. Thankful for all the wonderful people in my life, thankful for my precious babies, thankful that I can run, and thankful that the future looks really bright. There is nothing like feeling so sick you ponder death to make a person appreciate being alive. Today is going to be a really good day. And no more spinach for me. Perhaps ever! I think it is now in the same category as Dorowat from the hotel (the one with the cute little monkeys running around outside, for those of you travelers) in Awassa.

Home with the littles

Well, from now (early Wednesday) until Saturday, it is just me, Zufan, and the 5 year old at home. Big sis is going to San Diego, along with her Papi, of course, to a conference in San Diego where he is presenting a paper. So it feels a little strange around here at the moment. I haven’t found morning childcare for the two kids yet either, so I’m thinking they might go along to class with me in the morning, unless something pops up. We’ll see. I’ve e-mailed my (very small) village, and so far no takers. I don’t think I’d relish babysitting at 7:00 am either, even for decent pay, so it isn’t a huge surprise. But there are times, like now, when I really feel the modern isolation of raising kids away from any relatives. No use dwelling on it, but honestly, it can be tough without much of a support system. Friends are great; but relatives, well, even when you can’t stand them they are there for you. I’ll probably get another post up soon; I need to update you all on the exercise front one of these days. Meanwhile, here are my littlest two, loving each other. We all need somebody to lean on, don’t we?

Happy Easter!

With Mommy:

And with Papi:

Hope you all had a great day, too!

A nice day for a run

We have a beautiful sunny day here, after many days of gloom and dreariness. I went for a quick run this afternoon and got back just in time to go on kid-duty. When Zufan saw me with my running clothes on, she got all exited as she always does when I get out the running clothes, asking, “Mommy, lu go wunning?” Then, of course, it becomes “I go wunning, too!” So we headed out again, but this time, with the camera.

Getting set up just right,

heading out for a little cross-country run,

and a recovery snack.

Do you  think I have a future runner on my hands?