Yes!

It's a pie crust cutter.  I like the idea of sprinkling sugar through the holes as well.  Other designs included little apples and squares.  Elf is displaying the very first pie he made with his cutter and new cake pan.  Cherry.

The NEW Homeschool Room!

Thank you, D, for all your hard work.

D and I have now been married for 19 1/2 years.  I don't think we've ever had a television much bigger than a laptop screen in all that time.  Until now.  G and D spent the entire weekend making trips to Sam's Club and the hardware store, moving things about and setting the new television up.  D took particular care to have a very heavy un-topplable stand.  It takes two strong men to move and topple, it will not.  The new television is bolted to the back of this.

Nearby are a reproduction of an old family photo and my Egyptian Pharoah.  D likes that he can see the elephant (now partially covered, oh well) and all is cozy.  THIS is the perfect nook for Emperor to watch his Latin lessons and do his schoolwork when he is not working on his mathematics or chess on the computer.  The basket on the VCR is for Emperor to keep homeschool-specific DVDs so that he doesn't have to rummage through the entire collection that will soon fill the shelves. 

(As a quick aside, I want to let you know that Emperor is also reviewing MathTacular and YOU can get a free DVD by entering the video contest the Sonlight company is holding.  Sonlight is a Christian company, but I have found MathTacular to be entirely secular and would recommend it to anyone regardless of their religious affiliation.  I'm NOT being compensated to tell you this; I just genuinely think you would enjoy their product.  We're still finishing our entry.)

See Emperor's notebook on the coffee table?  All of his notebooks have Hello Kitty designs, or are plastered with Hello Kitty stickers.  I got the table for $20 at a garage sale.  I actually probably overspent considering that it is a very 70's looking style and was wearing in some places.  But it has to weigh about 100-odd pounds and is not something I am worried about breaking with every little bump or scratch.  I don't know why but I enjoy it very much.  When the children were smaller they would enjoy crawling through the ends like a tunnel.  Even Rose is a bit big to do this now.

What they are big enough to do is sit reasonably still for about 20 minutes after bathtime while Dad finishes cooking dinner.  What I had always done after catching the bus and giving children baths was to put out sandwiches or Pop-Tarts.  Dad can cook spaghetti or frozen pizza.  D's cleaning standards are not quite the same as mine, but the children are well-fed, the dishes and clothes are washed regularly, and... the plumbing has been fixed.

For those of you who have known our family's struggles with plumbing, you'll know how huge this event really is.  I'm really impressed at how well he has run the house.  He has even rescued the laptop I'm blogging on from "paperweight" status.  Somehow I infected it with a virus.  Sorry about that.

Here I had just been blogging about the perfect homeschool room and I am finding that different rooms seem to be ideal for certain subjects, and I have no one set homeschool room at all.

Please. Just Charge Me More!

It seems that companies are whittling down their package contents little by little, but leaving the boxes and packaging almost identical. I understand prices are going up. I don't like paying more for the same stuff, but looks like I have no choice about doing it. What isn't right is decreasing the number of ounces in a jar, but allowing the jar to look the same on the outside. The jars are frequently hollowed out weird on inside, making it harder for me to get the measly portions inside. Come on, people. Jelly is the worst in this regard.

*

I can't say that it's exactly dishonest in the legal sense as it IS clearly labelled; there are only 129 diapers in the more recently-purchased box as opposed to 144. But still. Just charge more and be done with it. I don't want to be running to the store constantly to pick up a 2-pack of diapers in a mega box...

Homeschool Home Help?

Question: do you want your curriculum provider to give you advice on how to run your home?

I'm just wondering. I've noticed that quite a few curriculum providers either offer newsletters with advice on how to run the household, or forums on how to get it all done/how much they love the curriculum.

I was remarking the other day that it bothered me that so many of the conference topics at the latest local homeschool convention were about Godly lifestyles, Godly parenting, time management, and that sort of thing. It irked me because while I understand that homeschooling is a lifestyle CHOICE, it's also (mostly) about the education of my child. Which means I'd want to see more about "how to keep a plan book" or how to do a workbox system or even a chat from XYZ Curriculum about "How to Teach XYZ."

Alpha Omega has a very helpful little section in the beginning of the teacher manuals about how to structure a "school" day and what they recommend for a grading system and how to keep track of that. I know I've read some sample schedules from Bob Jones about how they recommend parents teach their curriculum. I appreciate that they don't tell me, specifically, how to make sure the laundry gets done.

Am I the only one who gets insulted by such advice from a business? It's one thing if I'm doodling on the blogs and talking about what a lax parent I am IRL and somebody gives a shout in the comments about "get up at 3 a.m. and you will have enough time for it all." But seriously. Do you think at the public school Teacher Inservice Days that they instruct the (mostly female) teachers on how to run their homes? They'd be mad, and likely the administration would receive many complaints about how that's a line that shouldn't be crossed.

But homeschoolers? It almost seems as though many of them WANT this advice from businesses in a "forum" section or even advice in a newsletter. I think I must be the only one who doesn't appreciate that. I'd like to hear what YOU think, though.

Juicy Watermelon

Cupcakes skillfully decorated by Elf and Emperor. I got the idea from little mini-cakes in the local grocery store. I had just made a couple extra little plates up when the mailman came by with homeschooling stuff. I was *so* glad we could brighten his day with a little sweetness. He has been our mailman since we moved in 14 years ago and we sure appreciate his careful driving and accurate delivery. :)

Sunday Selections

A photo meme from Kim. I decided to feature my kitchen. It looks like some Polish pottery nut decorated it, doesn't it?

Small Photos.

(Sorry.  Once I saw the notice that blogger would not upload photos for TWO WHOLE HOURS tomorrow, I had to load photos and do a short post tonight.) 

Do you like my Polish pottery bowl?  I was too lazy to get all the ingredients together (as suggested on the Passport to India page) to make an authentic Indian meal.  This buying a prepared package method offers a small sample without the mess, though.  Elf dislikes potatoes and spicy things.  Somehow he decided this wasn't very yummy.  So Emperor got to eat the whole bowl as this product  is milk free!  Elf had Goober Grape sandwiches and Swedish fish instead. :)

In other news, I finally got the chance to cut G's hair.  I would love to show you how nice it looks, but G says I can't take his picture for the blog.  WHAT is it about the teen years that makes people reluctant to pose for their Mommy's readers?  Come on, now.  This picture doesn't even do the before/after difference justice.  His hair is FLUFFY and CURLY and thick.  You can only cut tiny bits off at a time, or you won't be able to see the comb/your fingers.  As you can see, I have the child sit in a chair in the middle of my kitchen.  For all the fighting we had to do over whether he got to cut his hair/can he straighten his hair/ but but but... he now says that it looks nice.  I guess just not "let Mom take your picture and share it with the entire world" nice. 

Who's a Pretty Bird?

Arg.

"If you consider yourself lucky to have your very own woodpecker nesting hole in your siding, you may want to watch the woodpeckers perform courtship behavior, copulations, and drumming behavior, as these usually take place in close vicinity to the nesting site. Later on, after the eggs hatch, you may be able to see the adults bringing food to the young. Eventually, you may catch sight of your very own nestling peering out at you from the pocket in your house while begging and crying to be fed. Vigilant watchers may even be able to witness the fledging of the young, and to feel proud knowing that they had, in some small part, helped in the rearing of these birds." 

Aww... how sweet.  Well, according to this website, anyway, "it can be fun and informative to observe... some exciting territorial or breeding behaviors without having to trek through the woods as many people are inclined to do."

We're thinking no, thanks.  Guess we'll be hanging up some weird-looking foil in our front yard and calling an exterminator to make double-triple sure that there are no underlying insect problems.  We haven't seen anything unusual, but it can't hurt to be positive.  I'm sure it will cost us more than two pennies, but there you go.

I heard a woodpecker from inside the house and it sounds like a large cat or dog thunking about and upsetting furniture from inside.  Nothing like what it must sound like from the outside... but I saw the woodpecker fly away when I popped outdoors to investigate.  Here's what he looked like.  Actually I'm suspicious that it's a SHE, but not sure.  Scroll around for video and sound.  :)

Little Cranberries

D laughed when he saw this cranberry topiary in my cart.  But I think it looks nice with my Polish pottery bowl as a fall dining room centerpiece.  Perhaps it looks odd in the bowl, but since I have a collection of the same pattern roundabout it isn't quite so odd.  I don't think, anyway.  Well... it was $2.  Maybe I just need more stuff in the middle of the table, but during homeschool time, there are bunches of books and papers.  Hm.  Ok, maybe I am not sure what I am doing after all.  I thought it looked just fine a minute ago!  Now I'm thinking I need to find a brown bowl.  Then, when I get the brown bowl, I will likely swear I need something orange to go with the brown and red for fall.  Then... I will think it doesn't go with my Polish pottery, which is the central theme on this floor!  Ahhh... the decorating troubles a $2 fake cranberry topiary can cause. It's kind of looking too Fourth-of-Julyish now to my eyes.  I will probably have to buy $150 worth of stuff to surround it with so that I can achieve the perfect look.  (I'm kidding, D!!) 

Update:  Ok.  Going with first inclination and adding some family and candles so the plant doesn't look so lonely.  It's actually a deeper, more cranberry red in real life.

Packing and Unpacking

Are you getting ready for fall at your house?  I've been diving into our storage bags, organizing and moving things about.

Not too tough to organize my clothes.  I gained 35 pounds this year.  Funny how that sounds.  People love to announce when they lose weight, but never say anything when they gain it.  If you hadn't seen someone for a while, and suddenly see them 60 pounds heavier, it's a bit of a shock, isn't it?  Ahhh... well... so clotheswise?  I think I am going to buy sweatpants from Wal-Mart this year and just forget it.  You know? 

Elf and Emperor did that "growing" thing over this summer.  I've taken their clothes out of their dressers and set up a plastic shelf in their closet.  I'm too cheap to buy proper storage units or new furniture for the children so that they have nicer-looking things.   Right now, they are growing up AND wearing things out.  Maybe later.  :)

So.  I've taken all their clothes out and sorted 'em.  Their underwear and socks go in a milk crate, and each child has two shelves, one for pants/shorts and another for shirts/sweats.  We have a small hanging spot for coats not in use and a bin for shoes that will be grown into or used next season by Elf/Emperor.  Woodjie is using their old drawers.  Yep, the baby is growing up, which means his clothes are too big for a couple of Rubbermaid containers.

Does every large family use Rubbermaid containers for their small children's clothes at some point?  I think I sense an ad campaign coming on here. 

Now it's time to get all the clothes out of the garbage bags in the next size up.  Separate summer clothes from winter clothes.  Pack most summer clothes into a garbage bag.  Label with masking tape and marker.  Leave a couple T-shirts and shorts for each child and figure that I need about seven outfits per child. 

Time to try things on the children! 

Emperor will not wear jeans.  He started screaming that these were TOO SOFT and jumping about.  No jeans.  He can wear the camo pants I bought new from LL Bean for $4000 each years ago.  Yay.  But I can't see myself buying any new ones for a nine-year-old currently wearing G's eighth-grade stuff.  How tall is Emperor going to wind up if he's bigger than G was at this age, and G is 6 ft. 3? Yowie.  Someday we really WILL need a new bed for him, or he will have to sleep sideways to avoid the footboard.

Ok.  No jeans.  No things that are too tight.  No pull-ties.  I'm not kidding when I tell you that aside from the hand-me-down camo pants (that have been patched three times and he needs a belt for), he has nothing but jammies.  Some of these jammies have pink Hello Kitties on 'em.  Arg.

Basement: clothes for Woodjie

Elf... your turn.  OH NO!  He can't do buttons.  No jeans.  That means the 10 or so pairs of pants I so carefully saved from Patrick and G's outgrown clothes are... useless.  Into the bin they go for Woodjie... later... maybe.  (I know you LOVE to store 10 pairs of pants in every size for about ohhh... 11 years before someone MIGHT use 'em, eh?  Our basement looks like something out of "Hoarders!")  We are eking by with some sweatpants and jammie bottoms, but he'll likely need something new as well.  It would be SO much easier just to teach him to do buttons... no, maybe not.

Woodjie, Elf and Emperor's room.

I think all of us will be wearing sweatpants from Wal-Mart this year.  Sigh.

Cleaning House

It's like "Give a Mouse a Cookie" time here or something. I start cleaning out one closet... and find that to get everything out of the closet I must clear some space somewhere else... and while clearing space somewhere else... WOW!

I've been looking for that for a long time.

Where was I again? Oh, yeah. Cleaning. About two weeks' worth of off and on cleaning like a crazy lady. I say "off and on" because I have these little cuties that keep wanting to eat, get help going potty and they also like to play 'tay-to (potato head) with their mom on occasion, too. Yes, that includes Elf and Emperor. If you have older children and babies at the same time, you know they get interested in one another's toys. Nevermind what the box says.

Why am I cleaning? Sorry, "to have a clean house" is not the answer. I'm preparing for the GREAT CURRICULUM FAAAAAIR next weekend in which I will purchase about $7,328 worth of stuff.

Well, not really.

Actually, I'm going through the books I have now and figuring out what I want to do "next year" for Elf and Emperor and thinking about stuff I might want to buy. I'm thinking Alpha Omega Lifepacs for English. I love BJU and all, but I'm tired of sentence diagramming, dictionary work and "how to look up stuff in a card catalog." It just isn't relevant right now; later, when the boys are a bit older, they will certainly need to know the mechanics a bit better.

In science, we spent so long on trees and frogs and other subjects not in the official curriculum, that I will be able to stretch our fourth grade science Lifepacs until sixth grade. I also have plenty of things printed that were online to supplement if I run out a fair bit early. You know I will.

Even though English Lifepacs come with spelling, I'll likely get BJU Spelling. I will probably have to go over the fact that they'd be doing two spelling curriculums with the boys and see if they REALLY want to do that. They already are doing two math curriculums! We aren't exactly falling "behind" in math, but we aren't as far "ahead" because we've had a few setbacks this year as well as doing twice the work. But I already posted about that.

Social Studies? Wow, am I ever covered. I have several fourth grade Lifepacs, and then we will study Greece, Rome and Egypt. Then a more advanced world history overview. By then, we're ready for sixth grade.

SIXTH GRADE. I don't even know what's going to happen in sixth grade. I always thought the children would go back to public school in sixth grade, because they would no longer have to tolerate the abusive elementary at that point. Now I'm not so sure.

I like thinking ahead, but I don't like thinking *too* far ahead in any great detail yet. In a sketchy sort of way, I can tell you that I would want some sort of all-in-one program (like a BJU distance learning or somesuch program) if we continue through high school.

What do you think? Do you ever start to question whether you've made the right choices? Do you ever wonder this after looking through an entire mall full of every imaginable book in the world? I do. Right now, though, it seems as though homeschooling is a hobby for me. An expensive, time-consuming hobby that I enjoy a lot. I am ready to see what is at the fair and make a few other purchases that would fit within the framework I've already set up in my notes.

I get a bit overwhelmed and exasperated planning it all, but it IS nice when it comes together. I think it will be a lot of fun to go to the fair, though I do remember that it was a bit tiring as well. It's easy to get a little lost and lose track of time in places like that. :)

More Kitchen Pics

Made some little valances and covered a bulletin board for my kitchen. It looks "busy" again, but at least we have a "blue and white pottery" sort of theme with the busy-ness.

My Kitchen Before and After!

Remember the Polish pottery I got at the thrift store a bit ago? I've finally found a way to display it! The floral kitchen look was fun while it lasted, but with all our other stuff around, it looked very "busy" and could use a good update anyway. Well, here it is! And what a dusty job that was. My house is *relatively* clean, but jobs like wiping down all the windowframes and cleaning under the microwave during the painting process were a bit... humbling. It took me all morning to complete most of the painting, and a good part of the afternoon hanging stuff and touching up the edges. *whew* Patrick paid me the highest compliment when he told me that the look is so country rustic that he will have to look out the window frequently to be sure he's not in the countryside. :)

Feeling Discouraged.

Sorry, but yes, I get there sometimes. I've been reading your blog.

I'm glad for you that you have 16 children, all homeschooled, and all perfectly neat and tidy in the pictures (matching outfits, too. How did you afford that? And then, what threats did you have to use on your teen male to get him all dressed up like that?). I admit that I'm glad mostly because then I could at least point to someone else who has it all together and say, well... it isn't the "lots of kids" or the "homeschooling" that makes us dysfunctional and odd... it's just us. That's oddly comforting, because if the problem is us, all we have to do is pray reallllly hard while clicking our special red shoes and reading the correct Bible verse, and we will *change* and become different sorts of people. Nice ones, even.

I must admit to you at the present moment that I'm continually tweaking the schedule here at the Mrs. C house. I'm so tiiiired of trying to homeschool through the little ones screaming that I'm very, very tempted to just throw a book at some older children and log that down as "literature time." Then I can spend my morning with the little kids and Mr. Potato Head. It's pretty challenging to homeschool while dealing with the toddlers wanting to get out of the downstairs area. Trouble is, there is NOWHERE ELSE to put them that they won't cause a lot of trouble and cleanup... and be more of a distraction than just letting them howl downstairs in the middle of their roomful of toys because God forbid I left them for a bit and am visible through the doorway (!). Woodjie tends to throw toys and scream very loudly even under the best of circumstances, so I can't "just" have him in the same room while I'm homeschooling. Other parents can do a lot of "just" this or that things that I can't... such as "just" take a shower while this or that is going on, or "just" do the laundry WITH the little kids and don't use prime "alone time" for that activity.

You would just have to see the special needs Woodjie has and visualize the horrendous layout of our home to know what I mean (it's a nice enough house, but a HORRENDOUS layout considering our situation... but how were we to know that 12 years ago when we purchased the place!??)

There is an air intake vent here that must not be blocked, doors opening onto stairways that can't be cordoned off, electrical outlets that have been painted over so many times that one can't put safety covers over them (it MUST be blocked with heavy furniture because it's an older house and nothing is grounded). Then we have poles downstairs, which are useful for holding up the house and all, but sure put a crimp in the ol' decorating and arranging of furniture. Computer must go where the telephone jack is located. And we have to put the TRAMPOLINE somewhere (Yes! We are white trash! But the trampoline goes with the picnic bench we are storing! In the family room! Besides which, the basement is too full of metal leatherworking SKEWERS and needles, Christmas trees, boxed curriculum and bags of children's clothes stacked five feet high. I kid you not, and no, I'm not posting a pic.)

Woodburning stove? Some previous owner decided to plop that puppy right in the middle of the family room. It wasn't a big problem when Patrick and G were little and we bought the house, but now we have gates snaking about downstairs.... big metal monstrosities that look terrible but keep tiny kids from getting into the electronics. Someday these kids are going to escape the gate and then... then... the two really *good* hours of homeschooling I get done each day will be out the window.

Yes, I play with the little kids. Yes, they have toys. They just don't get constant attention and they dislike that part. I'm trying to do the picture schedule... first "playtime" (so Mom can homeschool/clean the kitchen), then "arts and crafts" (you sit there with a crayon at the kitchen table, or some playdoh), then more "playtime" so Mom can clean the mess, then "lunch" and for Woodjie, "bus time."

I'm beginning to think that I should "just" homeschool when Woodjie gets on the bus. He leaves at 1 p.m. and Patrick comes home around 3:15. That would be two hours and fifteen minutes. It's hard, though, if the homeschooled boys have had a break BEFORE school stuff gets serious, to pull them away from what they want to do. I like to have rewards for AFTER school. Then there's the "Mom needs to eat an actual meal SOMETIME during the day" factor, and honestly? I'm downright crabby by 1:00 and want to get away from people.

Then I go back and think I might just be crabby because I'm not eating properly. Sure, I don't have time for meals, but that doesn't stop me from grabbing and eating an entire bag of cookies, three candy bars and five cups of coffee here and there. So don't worry that I'm starving here in my 3x pants. I keep getting these stomachaches, too, but of course that can't be from poor eating habits. It must be stress.

I hate screaming in my house!! If only, if only, if ONLY I could teach Woodjie to SPEAK, there wouldn't be so much yelling because the little girl will follow his lead. We could do some things like... oh... I don't know... ask for stuff we want and have a discussion about "sure, I'll give it to you in five more minutes" or "no, because (reason)" or my fave: "YES! HERE IT IS! I'M GLAD YOU ASKED AND USED YOUR WORDS INSTEAD OF HOWLING AND POINTING and making me do a dance all over the room, grabbing things and going, 'This? No... um... This? No? How about this?' and handing you random objects you don't want. Good job, buddy!"

I'm all for the neurodiversity thing, but I'm so not for the kid being miserable, wanting stuff and not being able to tell me what it is, and my not being able to talk back to him in a way that he can understand. Good grief, that stinks. I'm so tired of it!

If I had some big chunk of money that was all mine and D couldn't stinkin' well veto my purchase, I would hire a special-needs consultant to help me design and build a house where we can all live in peace and harmony. I'm really having some trouble figuring out what goes where and when to do everything I need to do.

I know some things need to change. There are folks in my home on a regular basis (another story!) and whatnot, and they don't see a "problem." Is it just me? Am I too sensitive to the fact that my kids yell? I want a quiet and peaceful home with no clutter that is clean and organized. I am very, very, VERY blessed. I am just either very sensitive about the children crying and the faults of my organization system, or I am needing to change A LOT of things and not knowing where to start.

God's grace meets me where I am, but I think it's the latter.

What We're Learning

Honest to goodness, we really need some "life skills" around this place. Emperor and Elf are learning to clean the kitchen after breakfast. We have cereal for breakfast, so this is the easiest cleanup of the day, and one I can let slide a little until their skills improve. In other news, Emperor is learning not to run up and kiss other people's babies when we're out. For a while, the "ask first" thing worked a bit... but then he got older and even though he remembers to ask more frequently, folks get more skittish about it now. He's just under five feet tall and wears a men's size 8 in shoes, and most people don't like almost-grown people smooching on their babies, even if they are only eight years old and tell you their life story while they are doing it. I keep telling him "space bubble," and demonstrating an arm's length distance. Ok, at least he's not sniffing people and going "mum-mum-mum" on surprised strangers' arms with his mouth any more... but buddy, *please* don't pop everyone's space bubbles. After a very long afternoon shopping with him, I told D I was logging two hours of "social skills training" down because of all the hard work and practice that it entailed. "Yes," he said, "Please do."

The *NEW* Room!

Before, we had a blue sky with clouds and little boys' names embellished in red balloon-y letters. But even Elfie McMelfie was ready for a change, for something new and different. Elf and Emperor decided on Arabian Sands paint from Home Depot, and we planned on painting the room and then doodling Western "brands" on the wall like wallpaper. It took me a lonnnnng time to finish, and I was pretty sore. Even D, who hates working 'round the house, touched up a few corners for me out of mercy, or just wanting it all to be over already... I hung a bulletin board for the boys' finished bead projects. When we finished and popped the beds back into place, we took a look. The boys and I (well, Woodjie, who shares this room, didn't really get any say) agreed that it would look a bit too "busy" with brands all over, so we picked out some pictures from our Picturing America packet. Elf has chosen photo of a stained glass autumn treescape, and Emperor chose The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. The pictures are reflective of their respective personalities. We also hung the flags they made during our unit on the Civil War. They love this room and slept happily last night. :)

Taking a Picture Because it Lasts Longer.

A new week starts in our Happy Elf Homeschool tomorrow! We'd better snap a photo while all our books and materials are so well-organized. God bless you this week. :]

Fall Room-Cleaning.

As you can see from the top picture, the beds are pushed 1-2-3 near each other so one can barely navigate. D is uncomfortable with bunk beds because of the possibilities of falls and injuries. Someday, I hope to get captain's style beds for the children so that at least we don't have to have three beds AND dressers in the room. While I had the blankets and sheets out for a washing, I did a good dusting and moved some furniture back and forth to see what I'd find. If you're brave, embiggen the pictures for a good look at these dust monsters. They can't rightly be called "bunnies" any more. This is one of those things that I used to "get around to" literally every three weeks to monthly when I had two children, but now that I have six? I'm lucky to get 'round to this sort of thing every six months. Ok, the sheets get washed more frequently than that, but the room sure doesn't get cleaned nearly so well or so often. I have officially told Elf and Emperor that they've lost the dollar allowance they usually get for cleaning their room. Obviously I hadn't been checking under beds and behind dressers before shelling out each week. I'm not sure if it's because I'm too trusting or too lazy... or maybe I *am* sure and don't want to reveal quite all my dysfunction on the blog just yet.

Seven Feet Tall.

I'm standing, looking up a hill at this poison ivy. This is AFTER quite a bit of the bushiness that was coming over to my property was cut out by *me* (no rash yet). Danged if I'm reaching through the fence and pulling all the vines over to my side. You wouldn't think it, but the neighbours' poison ivy bush was over SEVEN feet tall before I started chopping it.

Taxes!

Well, it's tax season. I don't imagine we're going to owe much on what we have here. We've been so diligently saving... you know, in those savings plan things? ... and there really isn't much money in there to speak of anymore. I think when we retire, it'll buy us a tent or something to set up under the overpass. If the price of tents doesn't go up *too* dramatically in the next 30 years, that is. That old couple looking for handouts with the cardboard "invested too much money in the 2000's" sign? Be generous to them.

Usually around March, D starts in on how he isn't going to pay taxes anymore. He's done. Make an appointment with the tax guy? That's for looooosers. Around April 10 or so, he gets his butt in gear and just plain old gets it done. Then he gets money back in the mail later. He always does.

Today, I made the mistake of asking D when he would get the taxes done. He starts flying through his paperwork, which in his organizational system means "a BIG box with every scrap of paper collected over the last year in it." (The stupid envelopes, too! Why?) Then he got very upset that he couldn't find some city tax thing.

I told him if *I* filed it, naturally it would probably be under the "W" file.

"W?? WHYYY the W file? That makes no stinkin' sense!" he accuses.

Well, sure it does. W is for water, and we pay our city water bill as well as our taxes so naturally all the city stuff would be under the W file...

(left out dialogue here) It isn't here.

Ok, then look under the T's because T is for trash, and we pay the trash bill with the water...

D: (ranting about my bad organizational system)

Later, I'm ripping up some of the useless papers occupying his big honkin' box. D tells me NOT TO DO THAT because he's looking for a paper about the stimulus something or other from the government.

Well, did you look under the file I put all your pay stubs in? It would start with the letter "D" because...

"WHYYYY would you put it there? I swear, I'm gonna file all my own stupid crap next year in ONE BIG PILE where I could just find everything I need later!"

Good grief. It took me less than five minutes to find all the missing papers by looking under the correct letter of the alphabet. :]

In other news about taxes and government, do you know how much a trillion dollars is? It's a lot of money! Hat tip: Easy Opinions blog.