Done!

It is always a good week when it ends like this...

Chapter Closes
Image by L. Carilo, June 2015

Pomp & Circumstance

Today was Kid 3's high school graduation ceremony, but as I've mentioned on this blog, my Facebook and Twitter feeds, we decided to pass on attending the outdoor event.  I'll take my daughter to pick up her diploma tomorrow morning, then maybe her sister, brother and I can go out for a nice celebratory lunch at one of her favorite restaurants; maybe Panera. We'll see.

So, now we have arrived at official college saving and monetary gift fundraising phase... on top of summer job hunting for Kid 2 & Kid 3. As well as continued efforts by Dad and Brother to find 2nd jobs. It's wonderful that our college girls received generous scholarships that make it possible for us to help them with small tuition balances.  Our problem is that recent search for new rental requiring immediate move-in has left us with very little budget for anything else, the idea of becoming homeless again so soon was unsettling.  We are now faced with having to make available nearly three weeks worth of my husband's pay to go toward monthly rent payments.  Our household budget is beyond tight... must be able to afford monthly supply of prescription medications, so lots of .19 cents ramen noodle soups and cheap frozen burritos stock our shelves and refrigerator.

Summer break is officially on, and the crunch is on.  Upcoming expenses include yearly salon haircuts for the girls, twice yearly haircut for Bookstore Boy. My girls need new computers and dorm essentials. Eye exams and new glasses are needed family-wide.  Kid 2 currently has on her must-have list appropriate attire for when she begins student-teaching in the Fall.  Kid 3's wish list has basic college apparel for when she lives in a much colder climate - we donated all our winter gear when we left Colorado. I'm stressed about how much of these needs may not be met.  But hopeful yard sales may bring in a few dollars.

Kid 3 is hoping to sell some of her sketch work, and she's trying her hand at watercolors.  Her sister is knitting scarves to try to sell, so we'll see how that goes.  Time to start researching how to set up online store to put items up for sale.

This is a sample of type of artwork we hope to post on store:

First Flowers
watercolors by E. Carilo June 2015

If there is any interest please inquire via gmail (.) com account: thisisfiftywithlil

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

My Last Day

Today is my last day of being a mom to school-age children.  Tomorrow is graduation day for my youngest child and we are all in agreement to skip out on the ceremony part of it.  If you lived where we do you'd understand - we live in the Southern California desert.  If your kids have moved around (we've lived in four states - one in the middle of the Pacific Ocean - and returned to the state where all three kids were born) and changed schools as much as my kids have you'd know exactly where my youngest was coming from - all her closest schoolmates graduated a couple of weeks ago in Colorado.  Sometimes, for some people, there are certain things or events where sentimentality is lost completely.  Our girl held up her end of the bargain... did brilliantly, even under the worst of circumstance.  She's worked diligently to get high marks in school and will be leaving home for college in the Fall. We could not be more thrilled for her. We are in awe at her ability to persevere, remain focused and determined to do her best in school. We, in turn, will honor her wishes and not force her to walk across a stage in a hundred degree temps.  She'll pick up her diploma on Friday, we'll go out to dinner someplace special, just the five of us, and close the book on The School Years.

Image by L Carilo, 1998
Home School

Let's Go Summer 2015!

Go?  Where!  I'm not planning on going anywhere. Wait, I went to take an afternoon nap today; slept for just over five hours! Who does that!?  Me, actually, but usually earlier in the day.  Like, on a bad day health-wise, when I return home from driving people to school and work, I'll tuck back into my awaiting unmade bed. But, in all fairness, I have to be really sick to sleep five hours; normal is more like three hours, tops. That's right, sometimes my body needs a few hours in the morning to recover from sleep and early morning drives around town.  It's the worst during summer.

Summer is all about get-togethers, and on social media these events come in the form of conventions.  For example, BlogHer - a blogging network community where I share my blog posts - posted this NaBloPoMo prompt for June 2: 

"Are you going to the BlogHer conference in July? What part are you most excited about? What are your fears?"

Yeah, no, I will not be going.  But, it's in NYC, me!  I'd love to visit NYC... but not in July. Also, I'm not much of a writer, much less a mover and a shaker in the blogging world. So, yes, I think it would be kinda cool to attend the BlogHer Conference, however, I fear, there is no budget for this type of travel. That said, I'd put going this Summer on my wish list.

More conferences I wish finances would allow me the chance to attend with my kids this Summer:

• VidCon... yup.  It's in July too, and I don't care if I'm an oldster among an ocean of youth-tubers, seeing some of my favorite YouTube creators would be pretty great.
• SDCC... San Diego Comic Con, for those living under a rock. Anywhere some nerd named Chris Hardwick can be found in the wild, actually.
• LeakyCon... which, I just discovered is now dubbed GeekyCon!? Whaaat?? This is a problem; I don't handle change well. Anyway, I love all things Harry Potter. So, duh, I'd want to go to this event.

Attending  any of these "cons" would be great, but I have other places to be, like, my mom's... on a daily basis.  I'll go to her apartment each morning to make sure she takes her A.M. meds; mid-day, to administer lunchtime meds; and some evenings, when I'll drop off her dinner & bedtime meds.  Oh, and as I did this morning, I'll be going on those frequent Mom grocery shopping runs all Summer, same as I would every other season of the year.

I get tired just thinking about it.  Nap time, anyone?

Introducing The Mom Page

I'm a daughter.

I have a mother.

This is where you'll find stories featuring Mom...

The Mom Page

Let The Games Begin!

Catch all the action,

high scores

&

sob stories over at

#TableTopSummerGames2015

Stuck? Stuck. Stuck!

Well, this is an unwelcome turn of events... I don't know where I'm going here.  I wonder what this photograph was supposed to show.  I don't know.

Whaaaa?
Image by L Carilo, May 2015