September 2nd - Rain, rain, get the hell out.

Do you remember what the sun looks like? How about blue sky? How about not having freezing toes?

I actually had to pour myself into my pre-preggy jeans because I had nothing else that was both CLEAN and WARM to wear out. Thank God for the bella band.

So Ernesto had some and almost gone, and we're getting the wind & rain treatment. Which wouldn't be all that bad, but it's been basically overcast and craptacular for at least a week now. And cold.

And I wouldn't complain about so much, but it's the end of summer!!! We're supposed to be able to sit out on the deck all morning w/ coffee and sunshine. Go swimming every day. Have dinner outside. Wear short sleeves. *sigh* I feel bad for Bob, he goes back on Tuesday. I go back on the...ok, I really should figure out when I go back, huh? I know my first day w/ kids is the 18th.

Not that I'll have a classroom, I have a feeling. Eh, what can you do?

Yesterday we were having money worries. Bob's a planner & an organizer. He has a very specific budget that we've been attempting to follow, so that we can save up the $ we need to replace my lost pay when I'm home w/ the baby. We originally planned to save big bucks this summer, and that just didn't happen. Well, we built the deck using stipend money, but it ended up costing more than we expected. And we suck and sticking to a grocery budget (hence project Sam's Club, starting today!).

I thought there was a possibility that I could come back a month earlier than expected. It would save us about $1400, after daycare costs. Of course there's the guilt of sending her to daycare at 3 months old, even though we really love the Malvern School. I checked the minutes of my school board's meeting, and my sub's hire was approved last week - so I'm guessing she's already signed her contract for November through April whatever, and that's set in stone. Or maybe it's not. I remember I only get so many weeks (I believe 12) after the birth...well what if I went into labor like a month early? The contract w/ the sub would have to be flexible then. Perhaps it's flexible now.

Now I have no idea how hard it'll be to put her daycare at 3 months old. I DO know that a lot of women (those not independently wealthy or married to high-up stinkin' executives) often go back after only 6 weeks! We really and I mean REALLY felt good about Malvern - like, "dear Go,d she'll be better off here than with me!" It costs, but certainly not as much as my paycheck! I know there's the whole intense motherly instincts and attachment issues. I also know that I'm not the type to stay at home. We'll see how this goes. I'm going to call my personnel director on Tuesday and 'just ask'. And deal with the guilt later. If I can't, we'll borrow $ from our summer pay account, and pay it back w/ stipends.
What sucks is I THINK I'd have to head back to school ON my birthday. Happy freakin' birthday to me.

So today we do Sam's Club - yes, I'm excited about going to Sam's and actually buying things. The first time we bought the membership cards. The 2nd time we bought a pack of pens and a 12 pack of Orbit gum (the best gum in the world) for $7! Yeah, the cashiers at wholesale clubs look at you weird when you just buy 2 things. Today we're probably dropping closet to $300, if Bobby's calculations are correct. And that'll be the majority of our groceries for the month...some of it will last a few months, actually. Looking forward to this.

And so far the 3rd trimester has been lovely. All 1 1/2 days of it. Except for the sobering experience of trying to put on my old jeans. It's weird, your whole life you'd absolutely freak and probably cry a river if your jeans that fit a month ago wouldn't even dream of zipping, let alone buttoning. Now it's a happy sign. At least that's what I have to keep reminding myself so I don't throw out the contents of the fridge. Of course I refuse to pay $50 for a pair of maternity jeans I'll wear 3 months and oh by the way, all pregnant chicks must be 6 feet tall, because every single pair of jeans I've had on at the maternity stores would need hemmed about half-way up. And there's another 15 bucks. Maternity clothes should be CHEAPER than regular clothes. You have NO extra money to spend. It only make sense!

Holy cow it's still coming down. Somebody put out the catnip and rawhide, we've got cats & dogs.