Pondering the Holidays...

Okay, so here we are, 2 weeks from Thanksgiving. I haven't been working much, so my paycheck tomorrow will be only about 65.00. That might cover Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe if I am frugal and shop smart.

Then we have Christmas coming up. I had hoped I would have been working the hours originally promised to me, all this time since I was hired in August. Turned out I had 3 good solid weeks of full time work, then sporadic, almost nothing weeks... and now good 'part time' hours.. (about 20 hours this week). IF we keep up at 20 hours a week, for the next 3 weeks at least, we can get the girls a few things for Christmas. And the boys even, and of course Raylen. It won't be laptops like we WANTED to if I had kept working full time all this time, but they will get something IF the hours keep up.

Daryl and I won't be giving each other gifts this year, as much as I have been longing for these boots..  and season 5 of Supernatural, it's not in the cards this year.

I asked my girls to come up with 'reasonable' wish lists.. and I know they understand the financial constraints, so I don't expect that they will be too disappointed with whatever it is we manage to gift them.  For Raylen, I have a beautiful wooden cradle that was given to me, and I have plans to make a doll quilt, and pillow to put in it for her, and if I have time, I will make her a matching one. I am also going to make her a couple little dresses, (she loves to wear dresses!) I have fabric and patterns already, it's just getting time to do it. But I am going to MAKE time. I may hand make a few more things for people, I just don't know if they would be appreciated by teens and adults.. 

I also want to bake, make snacks, and holiday foods...  BUT I don't want to eat any of it, haha.. so I think I will make things, leave a small amount at home for the kids, and either send it with Daryl to work, or take it to my job to share.. that way I get my satisfaction that I did the baking, but I don't have to have it around the house! And sugar, flour and cocoa are not that expensive! In fact EGGS were only .49 a dozen for large ones just the other day!

Anyhow.. right now it's Thanksgiving I have on my mind.. Watching sale ads, will stock up on things we need this week,  and then three days before I will buy our Turkey.. no room in our borrowed refrigerator to store one in the freezer beforehand.

If I keep working, my paycheck in 2 weeks will be a decent one, I am just praying it keeps up this well until at least the week before Christmas, that way I will get 3 more "better' paychecks before Christmas.. (Even though the last one we will get on Christmas eve, I will still be happy to use it for the holiday.. )