Single-Parenting......Oh How I HATE It!

But, I suppose it's a necessary evil if we want to keep money rolling in. I guess I should feel grateful about it since I know at least 4-5 people who have been laid off from their jobs in the last couple months (keep your chin up, guys, things will look better). Yesterday we got a call from someone at the shop saying that we might need to do a voluntary pay-cut (meaning, we get to choose how much is cut back). Well, I chose $.50 a paycheck, and Chris just gave me a funny look like "yeah, that'll go over well" (and for those of you who know his boss, you'll agree...it would go over SO well). So we re-vamped our budget and figured out just how much we could do without and came up with a fair amount, but were told to hold off on the "volunteering" until further notice. So, as of right now (me typing this), our pay is the same and isn't changing, but the thought that it could frightens me some. This was supposed to be our "good" year...where we become free from debt (no more student loans or car loans and no more use of the credit card unless absolutely necessary)! It just irritated me thinking about it! Not much that we can do about it, but still irritating.

This morning at 5:30 am, we got a call from the school's automated alert system notifying us that school was cancelled for today due to "extreme weather conditions" (first snow day of the year...not just 2009, but the whole school year). As we both rolled over to look out the window, all we could see was some branches moving due to the wind, so we shut off the alarm and went back to sleep. We woke up a couple hours later and turned on Fox news and sure enough, from Bennett out to Limon, the schools were closed and Denver's weather looked terrible, but again, out here where we are, there wasn't much to speak of, blowing snow some, but not bad enough to close down the school (of course, we ARE 12 miles away from it).

So, Chris gets up and gets breakfast for the kids while I feed Celeste, and then he comes back in and packs up and gets ready to go on this over-night trip. And I'm sitting there on the bed watching him and thinking....."He SHOULDN'T have to go in this weather...HELLO!! This is his life we're messing with here and I'd rather it NOT be messed with (think back to September last year...if anyone wants a recap, just ask.....but don't expect the recount to be pretty OR nice), but I don't say anything because I know just what his response would be - "I've been putting this off for longer than I should have because of those chicken pox, so I need to get it done and out of the way now so I don't have to go again for a couple of months" (but it never is a couple months' waiting....usually within a day or two of him getting back, he's getting calls and needs to head back up there after a week or two).

So, here I sit....a single mom for two days...listening to the kids scream at each other about not sharing (although the one screaming the loudest is probably the one that has the most toys that they won't share). I keep praying that this single parenting thing won't last forever and that he drives safely (and that all the other drivers out there are safe too), all the while, gaining a whole new respect for my mom and how she did this week after week, and my dad, doing what he had to do to keep us clothed and fed! I love you guys, my hat's off to ya - and by the way....HOW THE HECK DID YOU STAY SANE?!!!