Monday, January 7, 2019

Weekend Wonders

My gracious older daughter took car of our fur baby for the weekend so we could travel south of the border for our other daughters show choir competition. No, silly not Mexico, but the far reaching part of the globe known as Iowa. For the state being so close, 90 minutes from our house to the border, I've spent very little time in the state. It's hard to get a sense of what it is like from an interstate and a very big recently built out suburb of Des Moines, so I can't really say much about the area we stayed in. In hind sight, we probably could have saved a nights hotel and just drove down on Saturday morning-most parents did. Even though it is our daughters last year, we still seem like show choir parent rookies. 

Still, DD2 appreciates me rolling her hair. She also had the advantage of being able to use our bathroom for her morning hair and makeup, saving precious bathroom space for her three roommates. Friday night the entire quadrant of the town I guess lost power. Through the help of emergency lights and the bus driver with a flashlight, free hands helped all the girls collectively get their hair set. One poor girl got trapped in the elevator. She was pretty calm, but I later learned at first, she was scared it was a lock down. Isn't it terribly sad that the first thought our children now have when there is a stopped elevator with the doors sealed shut would be a shooter? The fire department got her out after about 45 minutes and power came back another 45 minutes later, 15 minutes before lights out for the kids.  

Long story short, DD2's team won best vocals, best band, best male soloist, and Grand Champion. I guess they performed well despite the power glitch the night before! We were back home by early afternoon, eating leftovers and grilled cheese for meals, getting caught up with laundry, and homework for the kid. 

We spent more money on hotels than I had budgeted, so I need to figure out where to tweak other things the rest of the month and year. I'm finding a few categories I am perhaps off in. I'll get it resolved. It's a busy work week and I am feeling a bit stretched. I'm allowing myself a slow morning to appreciate the wonders of the weekend with a good strong cup of coffee. Let the week commence.

8 comments:

  1. Since this is your daughter's last year at school you might as well enjoy it and spend as much time together as possible, even if it means an extra overnight stay. If you break the cost down into 10 dollar increments you will find you can easily accommodate the expense in your yearly budget. I think most people (me) look at it as a total and wonder where the additional is coming from rather than spreading it out over time.

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    1. That's exactly how I am thinking about it. $10 here and ether reduced from other other areas will make up for it over the course of the year. I forgot a whole category of spending, so I need to update that as well. A budget is a plan right-not written in stone. My goal is to meet the overall budget and need to have flexibility for reality.

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  2. I'm with Anne. As your daughter's last year, I think it's nice to include some additional flexibility to have more time together, if possible. I'd focus on cutting back in other categories, to cover the splurge in travel/hotels as needed.

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    1. I'm looking for simple ways to tweak the budget-again. I sort of planned meals for the week using my low cost list, plus will try and use up all my current supplies and do a true inventory of what we need or don't need household wise.

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  3. I would be so proud of them, I really miss being back stage with my kids and helping with productions.I love the flash light, we call that red neck lighting in these parts.

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    1. I was just a hair curler this past weekend, but chaperone this Saturday so get the full behind the scenes experience. I am so proud of them all.

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  4. Holy moly! They did fantastic! What a great way to go out!!

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    1. It sure was a good way to start their season.

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