i consider myself a simple girl. i'll take plain over fancy, vintage over shiny and new, nostalgia over up-to-the-minute. i'm comfy in a pair of jeans (not jeggings) and a t-shirt (minus sequins or some stupid picture on it). if i could, i'd go barefoot for the rest of my life (ironic considering how many pairs of socks i've knit myself, and the hard decisions i make choosing shoes so i can wear them). i just switched out my purse - my big black "winter" purse to my favorite patchwork purse that i got in philly three years ago.
my family is the same way. we live in an old house that we renovated ourselves. we drive a hyundai entourage, not becos i wanna be a soccer mom, but to accommodate our family. instead of big fancy vacations, we take road trips.
for valentine's day, i gave hubby a card and a bag of hearts candy. he gave me a dvd and cd of one of our favorite movies, you got mail.
having twins and a big kid, you get creative with your ever-shrinking finances. i look at it as "cutting the cloth to fit the coat".
you know when you're a grown up when you use your tax refund not for fun things, but to pay off things - like the boy's braces, my gymboree card, and next fall's taxes. i think the last time we used our refund for "fun" was when we used it to drive to and from hubby's cousin's wedding in saskatchewan 6 years ago (quite possibly one of the best road trips we ever did - kid included).
what other people do with their money really is none of my business. i know where ours goes. so why does it hurt so bad when you hear that someone who was thisclose to bankruptcy brags about their recent tropical vacation sans kids? (it doesn't help to hear this after a weekend of dealing with three sick kids and a hubby, while trying to keep your guts intact after a bout of stomach flu).
i take a deep breath and remember:
i do without so i can be home full time with my kids.
i do without so i can provide them the best - physically, emotionally and spiritually.
i do without becos i know that my self worth isn't tied to whether or not i'm carrying the latest louis vuitton or wearing the latest from hollister.
i do without becos some days, it's the only option.
when i look at my children i feel like the richest woman in the world. i relish the kiss petunia gave me - a new skill she's learned. freddie garbles "i love you mama" and gives me his goofy owl grin. the boy tells me that "i'm the best mom in the world" when i make mac and cheese or peroghies for him.
that's why, it's the simple life for me.
my family is the same way. we live in an old house that we renovated ourselves. we drive a hyundai entourage, not becos i wanna be a soccer mom, but to accommodate our family. instead of big fancy vacations, we take road trips.
for valentine's day, i gave hubby a card and a bag of hearts candy. he gave me a dvd and cd of one of our favorite movies, you got mail.
having twins and a big kid, you get creative with your ever-shrinking finances. i look at it as "cutting the cloth to fit the coat".
you know when you're a grown up when you use your tax refund not for fun things, but to pay off things - like the boy's braces, my gymboree card, and next fall's taxes. i think the last time we used our refund for "fun" was when we used it to drive to and from hubby's cousin's wedding in saskatchewan 6 years ago (quite possibly one of the best road trips we ever did - kid included).
what other people do with their money really is none of my business. i know where ours goes. so why does it hurt so bad when you hear that someone who was thisclose to bankruptcy brags about their recent tropical vacation sans kids? (it doesn't help to hear this after a weekend of dealing with three sick kids and a hubby, while trying to keep your guts intact after a bout of stomach flu).
i take a deep breath and remember:
i do without so i can be home full time with my kids.
i do without so i can provide them the best - physically, emotionally and spiritually.
i do without becos i know that my self worth isn't tied to whether or not i'm carrying the latest louis vuitton or wearing the latest from hollister.
i do without becos some days, it's the only option.
when i look at my children i feel like the richest woman in the world. i relish the kiss petunia gave me - a new skill she's learned. freddie garbles "i love you mama" and gives me his goofy owl grin. the boy tells me that "i'm the best mom in the world" when i make mac and cheese or peroghies for him.
that's why, it's the simple life for me.
Purls of wisdom indeed. Pun absolutely intended, but still heartfelt in nature. You are a great person....and you're richly blessed (we only exchanged cards for Valentine's Day). :)
ReplyDeleteSome of my very favorite things are not those things that hold the most monetary value, but the little things like cards, notes, handmade pictures, smiles during dinner when they love what I made them to eat, hugs and snuggles, resting their head on my shoulder in church......they are all precious memories to me!