We had put the chore off long enough, and today was the day that we were going to finally get it done - the dreaded taxes!
We knew this was going to be quite a big chore for us (Brandon's taxes are complicated), but we were determined to do it ourselves. Last year, we had the taxes done for us, and this year our plan was to follow the guide of last year's return. Now, we knew that this wouldn't necessarily make it easy (we had the numbers, but we still had to figure out where they came from!), but we also knew we could do it.
Going into it, we were prepared for a rough time. And a rough time we had! But several hours and only a couple tears later, we were finally done. And we were getting money back. But, as we clicked the "e-file" button, the best feeling of all was that we were in it together. It's certainly not the first time we've done taxes. But it is the first time we've been married, filing jointly!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Day 260: International Night
International Night was a huge success. We had a fantastic turn-out, the school made a lot of money, and my booth was a huge hit (despite the excess of rice).
I have to give most of this credit to my husband. We did as much prepping last night as we could, but some things had to wait till the last minute (like heating up the food and getting it to the school). All of this was left to Brandon because I had stayed at school after the final bell.
I'd brought everything I could with me in the morning (the trays, the utensils, the decorations, my sari); but the food, which was the most important part of the event, was left to him. And, as seems to be a recurring theme in our marriage lately, Brandon spent a good chunk of his day off helping me with some extracurricular school event. And he did an awesome job of it.
I spent a solid hour in the girls' bathroom wrapping and pinning my sari. All the while, Brandon was at home, heating up food and hauling it out to his truck. He had to drive to school slowly, making sure with every bump and every turn that nothing spilled over the edge of its container. He made it to school without a single accident and then went right to work bringing everything inside and helping me set up the table.
I could tell he was exhausted before the event even got underway. But the table looked amazing, the food was delicious, and everyone seemed to enjoy our booth. The whole event went incredibly well, and I was so proud of our part in it. I also know for an absolute fact that I could not have done it on my own!
I have to give most of this credit to my husband. We did as much prepping last night as we could, but some things had to wait till the last minute (like heating up the food and getting it to the school). All of this was left to Brandon because I had stayed at school after the final bell.
I'd brought everything I could with me in the morning (the trays, the utensils, the decorations, my sari); but the food, which was the most important part of the event, was left to him. And, as seems to be a recurring theme in our marriage lately, Brandon spent a good chunk of his day off helping me with some extracurricular school event. And he did an awesome job of it.
I spent a solid hour in the girls' bathroom wrapping and pinning my sari. All the while, Brandon was at home, heating up food and hauling it out to his truck. He had to drive to school slowly, making sure with every bump and every turn that nothing spilled over the edge of its container. He made it to school without a single accident and then went right to work bringing everything inside and helping me set up the table.
I could tell he was exhausted before the event even got underway. But the table looked amazing, the food was delicious, and everyone seemed to enjoy our booth. The whole event went incredibly well, and I was so proud of our part in it. I also know for an absolute fact that I could not have done it on my own!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Day 259: How Many Cups of Rice?
Tomorrow is International Night at school, and I am in charge of the India table. Tonight I had several projects, the most important of which was making enough butter chicken and rice to feed 75 people.
My always-supportive husband offered to help me with this daunting task. "But how many cups of rice should I make?" he asked.
And I had no idea. I've never made rice for more than two people! So at first I said we should make six cups of rice. He measured it into the pot. "Hmm...I don't know if that will be enough," he said. So we put in two more cups and still weren't sure.
"How much is it going to expand?" I wondered out loud. But neither of us could make a good estimate about that. We were a bit at a loss, but Brandon noted that it would be much better to have too much than to have too little. And besides, rice is incredibly cheap and easy to make. So what was the harm in going a bit overboard?
So we made 12 cups of rice.
I remember reading a book as a child in which a lady was trying to make spaghetti. But some spell had been cast, and the spaghetti overflowed the pot and then her house and then the entire town. Well, I'm not sure if that's exactly how the story went, but it was something like that. I remember the illustrations of a spaghetti-covered city! And I was thinking of those illustrations as our rice expanded in its pot.
I guess rice gets a lot bigger when it's cooked. And, wow, 12 cups is a lot of rice!
But, as Brandon noted, it's better to have (way) too much than too little. And we will have way too much. But neither the house nor the town ended up overflowing with it, so at least we're good there.
My always-supportive husband offered to help me with this daunting task. "But how many cups of rice should I make?" he asked.
And I had no idea. I've never made rice for more than two people! So at first I said we should make six cups of rice. He measured it into the pot. "Hmm...I don't know if that will be enough," he said. So we put in two more cups and still weren't sure.
"How much is it going to expand?" I wondered out loud. But neither of us could make a good estimate about that. We were a bit at a loss, but Brandon noted that it would be much better to have too much than to have too little. And besides, rice is incredibly cheap and easy to make. So what was the harm in going a bit overboard?
So we made 12 cups of rice.
I remember reading a book as a child in which a lady was trying to make spaghetti. But some spell had been cast, and the spaghetti overflowed the pot and then her house and then the entire town. Well, I'm not sure if that's exactly how the story went, but it was something like that. I remember the illustrations of a spaghetti-covered city! And I was thinking of those illustrations as our rice expanded in its pot.
I guess rice gets a lot bigger when it's cooked. And, wow, 12 cups is a lot of rice!
But, as Brandon noted, it's better to have (way) too much than too little. And we will have way too much. But neither the house nor the town ended up overflowing with it, so at least we're good there.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Day 249: Char-Time
Brandon works every other weekend, and, although I would rather spend Saturdays and Sundays with my husband, I can't deny that I look forward to these few days I get to simply do my own thing.
This weekend I took full advantage of it. Often, I have a lot to do on the weekends - household chores that fall to the wayside during the week or school stuff that needs to be ready for Monday. But this weekend, I didn't have any obligations, and I wanted nothing more than to relax and enjoy not having to be anywhere at any time.
Friday night was movie night. I made popcorn and drinks and put the first movie in the DVD player. I had several lined up, and I planned to stay up really late to watch them all. But I fell asleep around 10:00, when I was only halfway through the first one.
So the next morning, after sleeping in late and waking up rested, I moved from my comfy spot in the bed back to my comfy spot on the couch, and followed up movie night with movie day. It's amazing how quickly time goes by when you put it in two- to three-hour chunks.
Before I knew it, dusk was falling, and it was time to begin my girls' night down the block. A friend of mine had just gotten a new hot tub, and I was going to check it out! We ordered Chinese, made some fruity drinks, got in the warm water, and gossiped into the night.
I got up and went to church this morning, then settled back into that comfy spot on the couch for more movies. Perhaps it seems that I watch a lot of movies, and that is true; I can't think of a whole lot of things I'd rather do, and Netflix makes it possible to have a continuous stream of movies lined up! So, after I'd watched the weekend's seventh movie, I realized just how much time had gone by and that my husband would be home in less than an hour.
I was glad. I love my Char-time, and I do look forward to it; but I can't help missing my husband when he's gone.
He walked through the door, and I gave him a big hug. "I'm so glad you're home," I said. "What do you want to do?"
"Me too," he replied. "And, I'm not sure. Want to watch a movie?"
This weekend I took full advantage of it. Often, I have a lot to do on the weekends - household chores that fall to the wayside during the week or school stuff that needs to be ready for Monday. But this weekend, I didn't have any obligations, and I wanted nothing more than to relax and enjoy not having to be anywhere at any time.
Friday night was movie night. I made popcorn and drinks and put the first movie in the DVD player. I had several lined up, and I planned to stay up really late to watch them all. But I fell asleep around 10:00, when I was only halfway through the first one.
So the next morning, after sleeping in late and waking up rested, I moved from my comfy spot in the bed back to my comfy spot on the couch, and followed up movie night with movie day. It's amazing how quickly time goes by when you put it in two- to three-hour chunks.
Before I knew it, dusk was falling, and it was time to begin my girls' night down the block. A friend of mine had just gotten a new hot tub, and I was going to check it out! We ordered Chinese, made some fruity drinks, got in the warm water, and gossiped into the night.
I got up and went to church this morning, then settled back into that comfy spot on the couch for more movies. Perhaps it seems that I watch a lot of movies, and that is true; I can't think of a whole lot of things I'd rather do, and Netflix makes it possible to have a continuous stream of movies lined up! So, after I'd watched the weekend's seventh movie, I realized just how much time had gone by and that my husband would be home in less than an hour.
I was glad. I love my Char-time, and I do look forward to it; but I can't help missing my husband when he's gone.
He walked through the door, and I gave him a big hug. "I'm so glad you're home," I said. "What do you want to do?"
"Me too," he replied. "And, I'm not sure. Want to watch a movie?"
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Day 246: The Good Husband
It has been a crazy week at Grandview Preparatory School. Our boys made it to the state finals in basketball, and today they played in the championship game.
The school has been in a state of chaos all week. On Monday, everyone was riding the high of a big win over the weekend. No one could settle down long enough to get any learning done. On Tuesday, the players and cheerleaders were sent off with a big pep rally, complete with red carpet entrances, trivia games, and "Dancing with the Stars" (our center, 6-foot-9 "ID" did the cutest dance with a precious kindergartener). Yesterday, hardly anyone was in school, as we had sent two fan buses to the semi-final game (about four hours away), and those who were listened to the live broadcast of the game, which ended in another big win for the Pride!
Today was the championship game, and I wanted to go. I could have taken a chaperon spot on one of the fan buses, but the day was going to be altogether more fun for me if Brandon came along. And I did not want to subject him to the fan bus. (I might get paid to chaperon 80 rowdy kids, but he couldn't get paid enough to want that job!) So I asked him if he would want to drive the four hours to the game. Since he was off work anyway, he said he was game (no pun intended).
So, we got up early and drove the four hours to Lakeland. It's not a horrible drive through Florida's countryside (yes, there is one here), but it does get boring when it's that long. But we played music and talked and were in high spirits when we arrived. Not so when we left...
Our boys had played a great game, but they could not pull out their last win. Of course, we were all immensely proud of them for their second-place finish, but it's hard to make the four-hour drive back to Boca after such a tough loss. I have a feeling the fan bus was pretty quiet as it made its way across the state.
But I can't be sure because I was, once again, in the car with my husband for four more hours. We didn't get home until after seven, having spent a total of eight hours in the car and only about two at the game. As Brandon pulled into our driveway (and I woke up from a little nap), I was struck by the sacrifice he had made for me. Brandon is 100 percent supportive of my job and its extra requirements, but he doesn't like basketball all that much, and he certainly could have thought of some better things to do with 10 hours than escort me to some silly high school state final. And yet, he chose to give up his day off, spend eight hours in the car with me, and cheer on my team.
Now that's a good husband.
The school has been in a state of chaos all week. On Monday, everyone was riding the high of a big win over the weekend. No one could settle down long enough to get any learning done. On Tuesday, the players and cheerleaders were sent off with a big pep rally, complete with red carpet entrances, trivia games, and "Dancing with the Stars" (our center, 6-foot-9 "ID" did the cutest dance with a precious kindergartener). Yesterday, hardly anyone was in school, as we had sent two fan buses to the semi-final game (about four hours away), and those who were listened to the live broadcast of the game, which ended in another big win for the Pride!
Today was the championship game, and I wanted to go. I could have taken a chaperon spot on one of the fan buses, but the day was going to be altogether more fun for me if Brandon came along. And I did not want to subject him to the fan bus. (I might get paid to chaperon 80 rowdy kids, but he couldn't get paid enough to want that job!) So I asked him if he would want to drive the four hours to the game. Since he was off work anyway, he said he was game (no pun intended).
So, we got up early and drove the four hours to Lakeland. It's not a horrible drive through Florida's countryside (yes, there is one here), but it does get boring when it's that long. But we played music and talked and were in high spirits when we arrived. Not so when we left...
Our boys had played a great game, but they could not pull out their last win. Of course, we were all immensely proud of them for their second-place finish, but it's hard to make the four-hour drive back to Boca after such a tough loss. I have a feeling the fan bus was pretty quiet as it made its way across the state.
But I can't be sure because I was, once again, in the car with my husband for four more hours. We didn't get home until after seven, having spent a total of eight hours in the car and only about two at the game. As Brandon pulled into our driveway (and I woke up from a little nap), I was struck by the sacrifice he had made for me. Brandon is 100 percent supportive of my job and its extra requirements, but he doesn't like basketball all that much, and he certainly could have thought of some better things to do with 10 hours than escort me to some silly high school state final. And yet, he chose to give up his day off, spend eight hours in the car with me, and cheer on my team.
Now that's a good husband.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Day 244: 8 Months In
We are two-thirds of the way through our year as newlyweds. I know I say it a lot, but it is hard to believe, and even to accept, that time is going by so quickly.
With each passing month, it seems we get busier and busier. There is always another chore to be done, some old project to finally complete, and then a new project to begin. I feel ever more distracted by my day-to-day duties, and Brandon seems ever more stressed by his. We spend more time together since he went to a day schedule, but more and more of that time is devoted to checking things off our growing list. And that means less and less of it is devoted to enjoying each other and celebrating what we have.
But on the first of every month, we make it a point to put everything on pause, even if just for a few moments, to remember our special day eight months ago.
And as I consider everything that has happened in the eight months that have gone by, I feel newly committed to the gratitude I have for the love of my husband. I never cease to be thankful, but I do forget or simply fail to take the time to tell him so and to remind myself, in the midst of everything else that is going on, about what really matters.
With each passing month, it seems we get busier and busier. There is always another chore to be done, some old project to finally complete, and then a new project to begin. I feel ever more distracted by my day-to-day duties, and Brandon seems ever more stressed by his. We spend more time together since he went to a day schedule, but more and more of that time is devoted to checking things off our growing list. And that means less and less of it is devoted to enjoying each other and celebrating what we have.
But on the first of every month, we make it a point to put everything on pause, even if just for a few moments, to remember our special day eight months ago.
And as I consider everything that has happened in the eight months that have gone by, I feel newly committed to the gratitude I have for the love of my husband. I never cease to be thankful, but I do forget or simply fail to take the time to tell him so and to remind myself, in the midst of everything else that is going on, about what really matters.
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