Busy busy busy!!!!

May is always a crazy time for us. Literally, within six weeks, we have to buy presents for almost everyone in the entire extended family. It starts May 2, with my SIL Jen's birthday (this year I'm taking her to a beading class where we'll make a necklace and bracelet like Josie and I did a few months ago), then continues with Mother's Day, Josie's birthday, our anniversary, DH's mother's birthday, and Father's Day. We usually have sent cards and small gifts to the other moms in our family, but this year I think we'll just do ecards for everyone but our own mothers, because we're pretty tight right now since we also have to have the hot tub repaired (the previous owners didn't wire it correctly, so the heater is blown, and the guy kind of helped it limp along last season but it's totally overheating now every time we turn the thing on), and Delilah has her spaying appointment this month, too. Both of those things will run us about $350 or so. Plus, life insurance is due this month, technically, to the tune of $520, but we always put that off until the last minute of the 30 day grace period in June. Thankfully, there's always a three-paycheck month floating around the beginning of the summer, so some years we've put off paying some bills until then. This year, it's in July, so, sorry utility company, but you're probably going to have to wait until then for your June payments.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to start substitute teaching next year to bring in some badly-needed extra money. That means I will probably no longer do MOPS, but I'm OK with that, I think. I don't know, since we have that organ, I kind of feel obligated to do a lot whether I want to or not, so maybe I'll still do it. Still, even two days a week of subbing would be an extra $130 or so a week.

Also, this is teacher appreciation week, and I'm on the PTA committee to make that happen, and since of course not many people volunteered, those of us that did are buried. Yesterday, I made a huge poster for the teachers with a place to post the cards the kids are being encouraged to make, and made eight or ten dozen cookies (although a bunch did get eaten) to bring in today for Tea and Cookie Day. Before I deliver them, I have to swing by the store and get some tea. Then I'll go to Josie's class for reading, and then to Patrick's class to help with ice cream making. Tomorrow I have MOPS, and then Thurs I'm helping set up the ice cream party for the teachers before heading to the hospital to wait for DH to get out of surgery. Actually, I think all I have to do is put a sign on the refridgerator and stick some soda cans in the teacher's inboxes with stickers on them that read 'you're our idols!' (the theme is American Idol). Friday, miraculously, I have nothing planned.

Oh, and the cable guy is supposed to come today, because our upstairs TV isn't getting it at all anymore. When I called, the woman said, 'sounds like you have something hooked up wrong'. Now, please tell me how this could have POSSIBLY happened, since THEY hook the cable up, and it was done A YEAR AGO. Um, Bueller? What a dumb thing to say. She then proceeded to tell me that the techs don't make appointments, but will just call a half hour before they show up. Okey-dokey. They have a TWELVE HOUR WINDOW. I started laughing, and said that she has a really crappy job, telling people that, and she kind of laughed and said that they get free medication in addition to free cable. That's not such a bad deal, really.

Oh, a postscript from yesterday - my friend kind of came to his senses and apologized in a much, much nicer email that came late yesterday. That was a big relief.