Musings of a Michigan Mom

I just received this flyer Thursday at my sons Karate class and thought I would share for those that would like to go compete or watch.

Great Lakes All Star Open
Martial Arts Championships
“Competition at it Finest for ALL Ages!!”

Creston High School
1720 Plainfield Ave NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
Mapquest

Hosted by Grand Rapids Karate Academy
Directed by Gene Wudkewych (6th Dan)

Registration: 9:00-10:00AM   
Rules:  9:45 AM
Elimination:  10:00AM

Competitors:  One event ~ $20   or $25 for 2 or 3 events.
Spectators:   Adults ~ $5.00   Childres under 12 ~ $3.00   Pre-School ~ Free~

Notice  All competitors (all ages) must register to compete at their current rank/level.  To insure good competition and a good experience tournament promoter reserves the right to split or combine divisions as needed.   Kids fighting ~ by rank, age & size!

Required Safety Equipment ~ Dipped Foam (Hand & Food Gear), Mouthpiece, Groin Protector (Males) & Headgear.

Certificates of Participation to all Competitors

For More information call (616) 447-2292 or email Genew13601@msn.com, or on the Tournament Day call (616) 520-5678

Yesterday I ended up going to one of the local libraries so I could get some movies for Paul and I to watch since he had the night off last night and there really wasn’t anything on tv.  While I was there I noticed the sign they had up, which bummed me out.  The sign read…

Due to state budget cuts, beginning March 15, we will no longer be able to transport books belonging to other libraries through our delivery service.   PLEASE return any books you pick up at another library to that library.

I can honestly say that was one thing I LOVED about the library.  (Besides being able to check out books & DVD’s for free)    I would say 95% of the time I would return the books/movies from the library I had checked them out from, but there were some days I wasn’t going to be going in the direction of the library I rented them from, but was going to be going past another library so I would just drop them off there.   Plus it was nice to be able to put a hold on a book (which I have done plenty of times) and have them deliver it to the library I like and go to the most.  Now it sounds like that won’t be happening anymore either.  So if I want a book and the only library that has it is 45 minutes away.. it looks as if I will have to drive that far now to get it and will also have to return it there.   I’m not sure now if I would do that or not as it might be cheaper to look for the book online, but it and have it shipped directly to my house. 

Part’s of me would love to ask the library to see how much it costs to run that program as I wonder how many other library users wouldn’t mind chipping in to keep that program.  Somehow though I have a feeling I would be shocked to find out the cost.

By the sounds of things more and more people are having a hard time making ends meet due to prices going up and people loosing their jobs.  I feel fortunate that for us the only thing that’s changed is prices going up, but who knows what will happen the next time Paul has to vote on his new contract.  Every time they change their contract it keeps getting worse and worse. 

The thing I don’t understand though is people who are having a hard time finding ends meet, but yet they still will go out to eat, out to the movies, still buying stuff they don’t NEED, but WANT.   That’s when I can’t feel sorry for them. 

Some of you might be thinking, but how are we to save?  Especially when things like Valentines day is around the corner.  I HAVE to do something for my significant other. 

To tell you the truth… what Paul and I usually end up doing for Valentines day is we find a babysitter for the kids (which is usually my parents.. so therefor free) and going out for a dinner.  We don’t go to the nicest place around, just as long as we are together.    But a cheaper way could be for once again have my parents watch the kids, but we could make a nice dinner at home together and then rent some movies from the library (which is FREE) and just spend a nice romantic night at home.  Now if we lived somewhere warmer and close to the beach another thing would be to take a drive to the beach and take a nice romantic moon lit walk while listening to the waves crash.

There are so many “cheap” things you can do for Valentines day, you don’t need to go to the expensive jewelery store to show your love or keep looking online for the daily deal hoping to score there.   At least for me.. just spending quality time together means the most.

What do you do for Valentines day?  Do you usually go all out?   Or are you like us and like to have the more laid back Valentines night?

Do you have life insurance?  If so, how did you choose where to go?  There are plenty of differnt places where you can get life insurance.  You can look in the yellow pages, ask friends where they got theirs or even look for online life insurance.

I’ll admit when we started shopping for ours we did look online some as we were wondering where Dave Ramsey would recommend and ended up getting an online quote with them.  Then Paul called a local place that shops around for the best place and they also had recommended the same place Dave Ramsey’s place recommended.  Since they were the same price we did end up going with the local person as in case we actually had to use it, we would have someone close by to help us.  I just pray we don’t have to use it anytime soon, but at least if we had to we can deal with someone close.

Oh how I wish I could of won more than $100 when I went to Vegas.    Had I of won $2000 I would love to of said I would of spent it on myself by buying me a nordictrack or some sort of exercise equipment.  I keep thinking I should join a gym, but I know I wouldn’t find the time to go to it, but I would like to think if I had something in my basement I just might use it and get the excercise I should every day.

But instead of doing something like that for me, I know I would of just put it in our savings as we are in the process of building our nest egg back up.

So what would you of done if you had won $2000 in Las Vegas?  Would you of saved it, spent it on yourself or spent it on someone else?

I wonder what my life will be like in 7 years since I will then have a teenage son and I’m sure a daughter who thinks she is a teenager.

 When I think of 7 years it sounds like a lot, but then I think it’s only 1 year longer than what Kevin is.   So 7 years really isn’t that far off. 

Instead of deal with kids fighting over Lego’s, match box cars and what cartoon to watch.   I’ll probably be dealing with kids fighting over who gets to watch what music station, who gets the phone, and who needs the bathroom. (Thankfully we have 2 bathrooms so that might not be so bad)  

To think though.. I’ll then be dealing with kids and acne (hello acne solutions) and a little girl starting to be a woman.  YIKES!!!  I don’t know if I’m ready for this kind of stuff.  Is there any way possible to keep my kids the ages they are?  4 & 6!!

You know what I find to be a little annoying… when you’re sitting on an airplane with someone skinny next to you thinking she needs to read a  fat burners review article in a magazine.  That’s what ended up happening to me and I couldn’t help but hope she was reading it for someone else as she looked perfect to me.  I would of died to look half as good as she did.   I just wish that girls didn’t think they need to be stick and bones all the time, they just need to be healthy.

Do you ever have something that you like to go to the store and find out they no longer carry it?  That has happened not only once to my Mom, but twice!  First it was the phisoderm face wash.  She liked it because a lot of face washes tend to try out her skin, but this one was that she found that didn’t.  Her face actually felt clean after using it.

Then it was the Bakers Joy spray.  I’ll never forget her complaining how she couldn’t find it at any of the local grocery stores anymore to of had me go to Save-A-Lot last year and saw a big selection of it.  She ended up stocking up because the employee said that it was just a seasonal item.  We never did figure that one out because don’t people bake all year long, not just during the holiday’s?    Now this season when we went to stock up on more, the no longer carried it as well.   So I guess when we go south this year, that is one thing I should look for as that might be a good present for my Mom.  At least I know she would like it.

It’s kinda funny how men and women can be the same, yet different at the same time.  We can be the same because yes all of us would love to look our best, but the difference between looking our best is that women tend to pop the diet pills hoping to get down to a size 0 while guys might pop the testosterone booster since it’s suppose to help you gain muscle.

So while both men and women want to be thin, the women like to be as small as they can, while the guys want the 6 pack along with the big guns.

It seems like back when I was in high school (18 years ago) weight seemed to somewhat be an issue. Even though I was in basketball and soccer I remember thinking how I was still fat. Now I look back at those pictures and think how I would give anything to look like that again and how much happier I know I would be as I would be feeling a lot better about myself.

I look at the girls walking around the mall and wonder what they must be thinking. Do they think the same as I did back then? Some of these girls though seem so skinny where they couldn’t afford to lose anymore weight and I just hope that they aren’t looking online at night what the best weight loss diet pills are. If they are, I just hope they learn to realize that it doesn’t matter what the number is on the back of those shirts or pants, just make sure you stay healthy! Being healthy is the most important thing!