Mikey’s iphone is not a member of our family
March 20th, 2010Even though that seems to be the case, it is not. Just to clarify…so when I say, “I love my family” you don’t think I mean his iphone, too. Because I really don’t. But when I say something like “tonight I took a walk with my family” or “tonight I ate dinner with my family”, that does include The Other Woman. It’s a very fine line, really.
I love my family.
(But not that other woman.)
Can I just tell you what Hazel is wearing in that photo? A 3-6 month skirt that she’s been wearing for a year. And beads that she took from around my neck on St. Patrick’s day and has yet to return. I am monumentally excited that she likes beads. Gabe’s has a set of chunky Melissa & Doug lacing beads for $5.99 and I very nearly bought them for Hazel today because I’ve been waiting, waiting for her to care about beads.
But I didn’t. I have to pay our cell phone bill. Adding another member to your family is pricey enough to make a $5.99 toy seem like a huge extravagance.
Other things, lately, seem that way – and not because of our cell phone bill (which is definitely a HUGE extravagance that I never would have foreseen – but here we are). Mainly because, you know, we don’t so much have jobs and are trying very very hard to make our money L-A-S-T so Mikey can get as much school work done as possible – while also keeping Hazel out of daycare – before one of us has to find gainful employment besides Etsy and babysitting and such. Not paying any rent is very helpful with this endeavor. And also because I have simultaneously been thinking about two things a lot lately. Not so much worrying about them, just thinking. Thinking about how for the next X number of years we will be – at once – paying off debt from our own four university degrees and trying desperately to save enough for our kids’ future degrees. Especially any sons that we may have, because if we read them The Butter Battle Book enough times they might not be eligible for any kind of government financial aid, if you know what I mean.
So there’s also that.
I guess the big questions are: can I make it basically the rest of my life without buying bubble bath, Coke and flavored coffee (still indulging in those two), contact lenses, razor blades and everything else that I truly do not need?
Could the two liter in our pantry be the last one I ever buy? Of course. I would be without my #1 on a very short list of simple, instant pleasures – it would be much more delicious as a treat on a road trip or from some friend’s fridge, as I know from many previous Coke-fasts. Coffee? Yes – I’ve only been drinking that stuff every morning since the first snow-in. I might not want it on warm mornings anyway. I have not bought bubble bath since I was pregnant. I am out of contacts and do not see myself (har har) spending money on them anytime soon because I have perfectly functional glasses. I’m on my last razor blade and hate buying them so much that I might just stop shaving my legs.
I think by the time Hazel is old enough to start asking for some Coke when I pour a glass for myself (SOON), we’ll stop keeping it in the house, so that will be easy. I guess get what I can now, sneaking hits of it here and there, every time I get in the car it seems, a nice big dose at the end of the day, kind of like Mikey’s Other Woman.
Do I stop shaving my legs, though? It gets so itchy.
March 20th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
I remember providing a cautionary tale about the iphone purchase. It is amazing that we made it through labor and delivery without me throwing it across the room. I think I instilled a great enough fear in him that it was likely, that he didn’t whip it out to check facebook when my contractions were coming right on top of each other.
So, after reading him this post Mario said
M – “I’m better with it now though, right?”
J- “You mean since she’s been born?”
M- “Yeah”
J- “Well you don’t look at it too much while you are holding her.”
M- “Right”
J- “But, at night, when I’m feeding her and I think you are sleeping you are really laying there looking at facebook.”
M- “Well, you might need me.”
J – “I don’t. Go to sleep.”
March 20th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Join my leg shaving boycott! It stops itching once it grows out an inch. It’s so liberating!
March 20th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
We’ve had some 70 degree weather in New England, which has left my two girls itching to wear skirts and skorts and other warm weather clothing. My Hazel is trotting around today in a size 6 month skirt (over pants). And, my husband likes to sometimes walk around the house browsing online with our itouch.
Oh, and have you thought about mixing coke with water? I’m not a soda drinker, but when I crave an icy coke or ginger ale, i make it last by cutting it in half with water or seltzer. Is that coke drinking blasphemy?
Love,
your twin.
March 21st, 2010 at 4:40 pm
I’ll send you Coke. And razor blades. Seriously.
March 21st, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Jenn – I remember that! And about 30 conversations with Mikey about how NOT to let them ruin our marriage. Ha.
Twin – the only Coke-drinking blasphemy I know of is accepting Pepsi as an OK substitute :)
Kelly – I just looked up my razor blades on amazon and they are only $12 for an 8-pack… maybe I’ll have a smooth-legged summer after all :) And I will only accept donations of Coke if you are delivering in person because you want to come see us anyway! I know you understand my addiction…
March 24th, 2010 at 10:05 am
Don’t stop any of it. If you must, modify your consumption but don’t stop it. Little pleasures are what life is all about (not those pesky kids!). But really…why not buy disposable razors? You get like 12 for $2. Your legs will get used to them. Or get a razor that takes real razor blades and just buy new blades. Those are super cheap. It’s not like you’re wasting $7 a day on a pack of smokes.
March 24th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
I’ve thought about disposable razors but it’s sooooooooooooo much plastic. Never thought about real razor blades. I also didn’t realize they were so cheap on amazon when I complained – I just hate shelling out $15 or whatever in target on razorblades – you can buy a book or a CD for that! A month of garbage pickup out here is less than a pack of razorblades! $12 for 8 is not too bad though – that would last me months and months and months.