Back to School Shopping...OUCH!!!

Holy cow!!!  When did school supplies get so expensive?!?

A few days ago, I finally took my three girls shopping for their school supplies.

We went to Office Max, because my youngest daughter had seen a backpack there that she really liked.

At first I was really excited, because the backpacks were marked down - 50% off!!! Awesome!

My middle daughter found some cool notebooks that were also marked down. Fabulous!

Then my girls pulled out their school supplies list...

Slowly, the cart started filling up...  Binders, folders, notebooks, copy paper, post it pads, pens, Sharpies, dry erase markers, note cards, disinfectant wipes...

By the time we reached the cash register, the cart was overflowing with school supplies.

Finally, the moment of truth... The total damage... What?!? How did it reach triple digits?!? OUCH!!!

I seriously don't remember spending this much last year or in previous years.

Am I just more painfully aware of this now because I'm currently underemployed and on a budget?

Last weekend, when we went to mass downtown at Holy Name Cathedral, we passed by a couple seated on the sidewalk. In front of them were two large coolers, filled with bottles of water.

"Ice cold water, anyone?" they asked. "We're trying to raise money to buy our kids' school supplies."

I totally understand why they had to do that. 

Most people only make enough money for the basics like food, rent, utilities.  Things like new clothes for school and school supplies are extra expenses that just don't fit in the budget.

There are so many things we take for granted, while others are desperately trying to provide for themselves and their families.

We should be grateful.  That's the first thing.  Let's really appreciate all that we have. 

Next, let's take stock of what we can do for others.

Even if we're not wealthy, we can help...

Let's donate school supplies in those back-to-school supplies bins for needy children.

Let's donate to organizations that work with schools and help provide school supplies like Kids in Need Foundation, Operation Homefront, and Salvation Army.

Let's donate school supplies to teachers, too! They spend so much of their own money all throughout the year to provide great learning experiences for their classes. Yes, they ask for all those school supplies at the beginning of the school year, but they also buy lots more throughout the year. (Believe me, I know!)

If we are able to, why not help?!

And even if we can only offer a little bit, that's something!

"It's not how much we give,
but how much love
we put into giving."

               - Mother Teresa

Life is short; as long as we are able to and as much as we can, let's help others!

 

Intentional Acts of Mercy and Service

What have you intentionally done to be merciful to others?


That was the question the priest posed to the congregation at Holy Name Cathedral yesterday.


He went on to say that donating our used, unwanted clothes or the cans of lima beans that have been sitting in our pantry forever are not true acts of service.  We're just giving away stuff we don't want.


In order for our acts of service to be truly meaningful, they have to pose a certain sacrifice on our part.


The priest shared a story of a time when Mother Teresa was about to give a poor woman a bag of rice.  At the time, Mother Teresa was holding the last bag of rice.  She knew this woman was very poor and had a large family to feed.  However, there was another woman waiting for some food as well.  Instead of just walking away with the bag of rice, the woman asked Mother Teresa for an empty bag so she could share the rice she'd been given with the other poor woman. 


Mother Teresa's companion tried to tell her that there was another truck on its way with more bags of rice, but Mother Teresa stopped her.  Later asked about it, Mother Teresa said it was because she didn't want to deprive the generous woman of her intentional act of mercy.  Here was a woman who selflessly offered her share of food, knowing she and her family would be lacking, because she wanted to help someone else.


What have you intentionally done to be merciful to others?


This is a tough question to ask ourselves.  We're all busy and many of us have our share of problems.


But if we think about it, there really are many others worse off than us. 


We can all do something once in a while.


If you look up "acts of mercy," you'd most likely be shown "works of mercy" instead.  And those are: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, bury the dead, shelter the traveler, comfort the sick, and free the imprisoned.


Those are very ambitious goals.  And even if we don't solve all the world problems, we can all at least contribute. 


The easiest way, of course, is to donate.  But remember, we shouldn't just donate unwanted items.  Let's try to donate new clothes or school supplies.  We can donate money to organizations that aid the poor or homeless. 


Even if you're like me - unemployed and broke, we can still make a difference.


We can donate our time.  We can volunteer at Feed My Starving Children, by packing up food for the poor.  We can volunteer at a soup kitchen.  We can volunteer to help with religious education programs at our parish.


But really, our acts of mercy don't need to only be directed at the poor.


We also need to practice it within our own communities and at home.


I like to help others and try to be of service as much as I can, but I know I'm particularly guilty of being less merciful with my own kids and husband. 


This was especially true when I was teaching.  I tried to be patient and compassionate with my students, but by the time I got home I was out of patience when it came to my family. 


I know I need to work on being more patient and understanding when my tween is being moody or my 7-year-old is tired and cranky. 


We need to be merciful with others, but also with our own families and friends. 


The priest yesterday offered up a challenge.  He said that there are only 12 weeks left of this Jubilee Year of Mercy.  The challenge is to do as many intentional acts of mercy and service for the rest of the year.


Are you up for that challenge? 


I am.  This is my year of selective yeses, after all.  I say yes to acts of mercy and service.


Life is short; let's do the best we can to help others.

 


 








  

Family Fun at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resort

Picture this... You're sitting in front of a campfire next to your significant other, gazing at the flames dancing in the dark, while your children sleep soundly in their tent, worn out by the whirlwind of fun activities from the day.  Ahhhh...

The morning is just as relaxing... With the quiet hours enforced until 8 a.m., you can sit back and listen to the birds chirping while your children groggily - but quietly -  lounge in their chairs or in the tent, waiting for breakfast to be grilled.  They're eager to comply with your wishes, because they know there's so many things they want to do today.  Ahh, so peaceful...


Yes, it's possible! 


I know, because this is how my weekend played out! 


Well, almost.  It wasn't peaceful the entire time; my children are not perfect little angels.  Nor do I expect them to be.  But, even with the occasional grumpiness and meltdown, we still had a "beary" fun and memorable time.

 

Jellystone Park Camp Resort in Caledonia, Wisconsin is a fun, family-friendly place! 

 

I overheard a lady say to one of the rangers this morning that out of all the Jellystone Park campgrounds she's been to with her family, this one was the best.  She said she likes how the staff here is so friendly and really caters to families and especially to children.


Now my family and I have never been to any other Jellystone Park campground, so we can't compare.  But we have been to other campsites and this one is, by far, our favorite!

 

One year, we visited Jellystone park about a month after visiting Disneyworld.  And guess what?!
Yep, my girls all agreed that they had more fun at Jellystone!  Seriously!


Maybe it's because our family really enjoys camping!  Yes, even roughin' it and sleeping in a tent! Well, personally, I prefer sleeping in a hotel or a cabin... But my girls really do enjoy sleeping in a tent.

 

The nice thing about Jellystone is that you're not completely roughin' it here.  This is the part where my Army brother-in-law shakes his head.  When he camps, it's out in the deep woods - with no outhouses, much less bathrooms or showers.


At Jellystone, there are bathrooms and showers!  Hallelujah!!!

 
They keep 'em clean, too! Yay!


They also have cabins with bathrooms for those of you who really do not care for any kind of "roughin' it".

 

Besides giving you and your family a healthy dose of the outdoors, Jellystone Park also provides a multitude of activities to keep your children entertained.


If you have little ones, they will enjoy waking Yogi Bear up.  My youngest, who is now 7, still enjoys this.  At 9:05, the children gather around Yogi Bear's cave (which is really more of a little house) and then they all yell as loudly as they can to rouse the bear.  Once he's awake, a staff member helps Yogi read his mail and then the kids get to take photos with him.

 

 

At night, the children can tuck him into bed and read him a bedtime story.

If you have older kids, those two activities might generate some eye-rolls.  My 11-year-old and 13-year-old are now too cool for the wake-up and bedtime fun.  But they are absolutely not too old for Candy Bar Bingo!!!

 
A regular-sized candy bar buys you a Bingo card.  And a Bingo wins you a stack of candy bars!  Woo hoo!  What makes it even more fun is the different versions that they play like Loser Bingo, Yogi Bingo, and Black-out.


My 7-year-old was lucky enough to be a "Loser!"  During Loser Bingo, the staff member calls out a number and if you have that number on your Bingo card, you have to sit down.  The last one to stay standing wins. 

 

(We later used my daughter's Bingo winnings at Georgie Porgie's in Oak Creek which is a less-than-ten minutes drive from the campsite.  We bought a quart of vanilla custard and then each of us chose a chocolate bar to use as topping for our custard.  Yummm!)

 

Another activity my girls unanimously agree on is jumping on the jumping pillow.  They could jump on it for hours!  I guess it's the same appeal as jumping on a bed.  Simply fun.

 

There's also the pool with water slides and a water balloon fight area.

 

There's a game room, mini-golf, archery, laser tag, giant chess, playgrounds... Like I said, a multitude of activities!

I almost forgot to mention the hay rides!  This weekend, there were two - a "Wet & Wild" one and a glow-in-the-dark one.  For the wet & wild hay ride, a select few rode around the campsite spraying campers.  We were told to feel free to "fight back" and luckily, my youngest happened to have her squirt gun in the car!

The other hay ride was after dark, but the kids wore glow sticks or brought their flashlights which was pretty cool.  Oh and Boo Boo the Bear rode with us.  Yay!


Cindy Bear also made appearances throughout the weekend.  My girls noticed that Cindy Bear usually was the one that showed up when there were sweets involved.  Cindy Bear was the one who delivered milk and cookies to the campers that signed up for them.  And she was the one who was there for the decorating of doughnuts and for the ice cream social. 


Speaking of food, there is a snack shack onsite as well as an ice cream shop. There's also a coffee shop for those of you who need that caffeine nudge in the morning.

 

 

There are also a bunch of restaurants in Oak Creek. (Less than 10 minutes away,  remember?) There's a Noodles & Company, Subway, Buffalo Wild Wings, Panera, Papa John's, and also a Starbucks.


Now if you're like me, you'd want to point out that part of the camping experience is grilling your own food.  True.  But hey, if you get tired of grilling, there's no law saying you can't leave the campsite to get some food!


If you decide you want to stick with grilling though but then run out of food to grill, no worries!  There is a full-service supermarket called Woodman's nearby.  They've got meat, veggies, fruits, candy bars for Bingo, and liquor...  Everything you need to get your camping party going!

 

Oh, while you're at Woodman's, might as well pick up some laundry detergent.  I don't know about you, but I hate re-using wet towels! I know, I know, we can hang our towels to dry on a make-shift clothesline tied to the trees, but Jellystone has washers and dryers!  Might as well use them, right?

Besides, those towels and blankets are starting to smell like wet dog.  Which reminds me...


Jellystone is a pet-friendly camp resort.  They even have a little doggie park where you can let your canine companions run around. 

 

What did I tell you?!  Fun for the whole family!!!

Jellystone Park is a wonderful place for families, because it mixes the right amount of camping/outdoor experience with modern amenities and enjoyable activities.  It may not be for die-hard, true-blue campers, but for those of us with little ones (and not-so-little ones), this is the ultimate place for family fun!

Life is short; enjoy it, enjoy your family, be a happy camper! :)

 
 

Went Back to Work Today...

No, I did not get a job yet.

I went back to my former workplace.


No, I was not offered my job back. 


I had to go back, because my former boss had texted me a few days ago, asking me if I left any personal belongings and I told him I would go back and double check. 


They've hired my replacement and understandably she needs to make my classroom - I mean my former classroom - into her own space.  So, of course, I had to go back and get whatever was mine out of there.


It actually wasn't so bad.


I ran into some former colleagues which was nice.  Got to catch up a little.


And meeting my replacement was nice.  She will be my daughter's teacher, so it was a treat for my daughter to get to meet her new teacher before anyone else.


What a lovely day today was!


Okay, okay, that's not exactly the truth... Well, 1st of all, it was rainy this morning and...


OKAY!!!


Honestly, I was heartbroken today.


Being there, sifting through the pile of unwanted things, tugged - no, YANKED - at my heartstrings.


If my girls had not been with me, I might have cried in the car after leaving the school.  But I kept my cool.  Inside, though... My heart was being ripped. Into pieces.  Again.


The thing is, I am at peace with my decision.  I don't regret leaving.  I really think it was the right choice for myself.


But it doesn't hurt any less.  Because I cared about that job.  A lot.


17 years!  For seventeen years,  I poured my heart and soul into that job.  I've watched many of my students grow up before my eyes.  My own girls grew up at that school.  Heck, they spent time there even before they were born, listening en-utero to the chatter of my students. 


We - my girls and I - spent so much time at that school.  We often joked that it was our second home.  And it pretty much was.  Most of our waking time was spent there. 


I cared - still care - about that school and, of course, the students. 


So, yes, being back there today broke my heart. 


But I guess that's how it's going to feel for a while, huh? 


Until the grieving ends.


When will that be?

 

Life Is Short!

 

Life is short!


I've been saying that a lot.  But really, if you think about it, Life IS short!


We are merely here on Earth for a lifetime.  For some it may be decades, for others a whole lot shorter.  Even if you live to be a 100 years old; in the grand scheme of things, that is a short amount of time.


If you love someone, truly love someone, you'd want to spend an eternity with that person, not merely 100 years.


If you want to make a difference in the world - perhaps help bring about peace and clean up the Earth, then 100 years wouldn't be enough.  There's so much to do and change takes time.


But really, life is short, because we are not meant to stay on Earth forever.  We are merely here temporarily - on a mission. 


Aren't we supposed to be preparing for our eternal life in Heaven?  And, of course, being human that's a pretty tough job.  We aren't perfect; we make many mistakes. So we need to continually strive to do better. Now. Today and everyday.


We need to realize that we do not have the luxury of making mistakes now to fix later.  We do not have the luxury of doing all the great things later.  We have to do our best now.


I think some people mistakenly think that because Life is short, that they should do whatever they want now.  Enjoy Life without a care in the world.


Not quite...


Yes, enjoy Life...  That part is fine.  Enjoy Life!  But we also need to remember to enjoy Life responsibly!


We have to remember our mission, our responsibilities, our duties.  To help others, to make a difference, to try our best to make the world a better place. 


And I'm saying this to myself just as much as to you all - actually maybe even more to myself.  I'm trying to motivate myself to find that job that will help me make a difference.  Trying to find a way for me to contribute to the world.  I'm also trying my best to fulfill my everyday roles well.  Trying to be a good mom, a good wife, a good friend...


I often make mistakes, but I try my best.


Because as much as I enjoy having fun and basking in the glow of Life, I also want my stay here on Earth to mean something.  Don't you?


Life IS short; let's enjoy it, but let's also strive to make it meaningful and productive!  

 

Facing the Daunting Task of Finding a Job...

 I have to start looking for a job.


I've been putting it off.


But I probably should start now. 


Sigh. 


The thing is, I don't want to yet.  Is that selfish of me?


Hey, I've been working since I was fourteen years old.  I can't retire yet; but I can take a break, can't I?


In my head, I've justified this long "break" this way: since this may very well be my last summer off, I ought to make the most of it. 


My girls have always spent summers with me.  Camp Mommy I call it.  We go to museums, parks, the beach. We visit different places.  We hang out at home. We clean. We get bored. We get on each others' nerves.  Sometimes we fight.  We make up. We make art. Sometimes we get silly. We laugh. We cuddle.  We have dance parties. We have fun.


I will miss all that.


I know, I know. We can still do those things even if I worked in the summertime.  But it won't be the same.


So I don't want to work yet until my girls go back to school.  I want to cherish this last summer off together.


But I also know I have to start finding a job.  The bills, the mortgage, the doctor and dentist appointments... They don't care that I no longer have a job. 


Sigh. 


I need to start looking for a job...


But I'm not ready yet!


I'm not finished tidying up and reorganizing our home! 


If I'm no longer going to have spring break and summers off to do my deep cleaning and de-cluttering, I have to do it all now! 


I recently re-organized our library.  I've de-cluttered my dresser and reorganized my drawers. I've already done most of the kitchen cabinets, but our pantry looks like it needs to be reorganized again...


Today, I tackled the bathroom drawers and my girls' toy bins.  But I still have to re-organize the office cabinets...


Wait...


Do you think I'm obsessing about tidying up as a way to procrastinate?!?


Is it possible that I'm tackling all these other tasks, because I'm subconsciously fearful of facing the real task?  The one that needs to be done soon... Finding a job!


Is that what's happening here?  


But I really do want to cherish my last summer off with my girls!  And I really do want to get my home all tidied up!


Sigh.  (I know, too much sighing!)


I really do need to start looking for a job.  What, was I thinking a job was just gonna fall from the sky and land on my lap?!  That would be cool! Ha!


Fine.


I'll start tonight. 


Well, maybe after I finish reading my book.  Oh yeah, that's another thing... I have all these books I still want to read...


Okay, okay!  I will start on applications as soon as I post this.  I promise.


Why can't a job just fall from the sky and land on my lap anyway?!?  


You're right!  It would hurt.  Probably kill me. 


Ugh!  I guess I need to work to get work, huh?


Alright!  Let me do this... 


This is my year of selective yeses and nos, isn't it? 


Yes to the challenge, no to procrastination. 


Here I go...

This Will Be My Year of Selective YESes and NOs

 Last night, I started to read this book called Not Working by DW Gibson which is a collection of stories about unemployed people finding their way in today's changing economy.  I thought maybe it could help prepare me for my journey of finding a new job.


Reading just the first chapter, though, was depressing! It made me anxious about where I was headed and all these negative what-ifs started popping up in my head.


I put the book aside and looked for a different book in my library bag.


Another book caught my eye.  It was a book written by Shonda Rhimes called Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person.


It sounded more uplifting than the first book, so I started to read that instead.


Shonda Rhimes, if you didn't know already, is a successful Hollywood writer.  She's the one who created the TV shows Grey's Anatomy and Scandal and she's executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder.


What you may not know is that she is a huge introvert who experienced panic attacks prior to press interviews or media appearances.  So she always tried to avoid any kind of publicity.


One day, her sister muttered six words to her: "You never say yes to anything."  Those words became Shonda's wake-up call and personal challenge.


Shonda decided to commit to a year of saying yes - especially to terrifying things like public speaking.  She started going to more publicity events. She even agreed to give a commencement address in front of thousands of graduates and their families!


This book really resonated with me.  For one, I myself am a gigantic introvert and I can totally relate to her terror.  Two, I feel like I myself unknowingly committed to a year of yes when I decided to resign from my job about 3 months ago.


Although, now as I write this and reflect a little bit more about what has happened and where I want my journey to take me, I think I've got a clearer picture.


I've decided that this year will be my year of selective yeses and nos.


I will say yes and be more brave about my choices in life.  I will say yes to things that I normally would shy away from.  I will say yes to going outside of my comfort zone and challenging myself.


But I don't want to say yes to just anything and everything.


Last week, I read another book called Spark Joy by Marie Kondo.  Kondo suggests getting rid of anything that doesn't give you joy. 


I really like that idea, but it seems to be counteractive to saying yes - especially about saying yes to challenging or terrifying things.  Doesn't it?


Well, that's why I'm saying it's going to be my year of selective yeses or nos.  Just because something is terrifying or challenging doesn't mean it won't bring me joy later.  And I think I now have a good idea of what I want and what I need, as well as what I don't want and don't need.


So... I will say no to things that bring me down.  I will say no to people who disrespect me and/or others.  I will say no to clutter in my home (except for the artistic stuff my children derive joy from).  I will say no to trash in my neighborhood.  I will say no to stressful things and unnecessary things.  I will say no to things and people and activities that do not bring me joy.


Yes to all that brings me joy, no to those that don't!


I realize now that this is my opportunity to steer my life in the direction I want it to go.  I still don't know exactly where that destination is, but now I know which stops I want to take and which I will pass up.  I'm sure I'll bump into some obstacles along the way and I'll probably experience some storms, but hey as long as they don't kill me, I'll be alright!


Life is short; I say yes to enjoying it as much as I can and I say no to all unnecessary unhappiness.