$60.82

A strange number up there isn't it? You could probably buy a lot with that amount of money if you were a savvy shopper. Maybe a new summer outfit. Or just two new pairs (maybe three on a sale) of new summer sandals. It could buy me approximately 6 packs of size 4 diapers in the mega or 40 count variety. I could probably splurge and go out to a really nice dinner with the kids and order drinks, appetizers, main meal and desserts. Of course it wouldn't buy dinner for Gary and I at a regular adult restaurant. Interesting what all of the possibilities would bring.

Instead, that $60.82 represents a final payment, due May 21st for my student loans. It will buy me freedom from almost 11 years of repayment of my Stafford loans from my undergraduate education and the University of Rhode Island. The payments weren't always this small granted but after all the payments have been totalled, interest figured out and applied, this is the last lingering bit of loan that I have to pay.

Strangely enough I didn't rack up any student loans for my masters degree. It was paid 75% by my company while I worked full time so I was able to swing the additional 25% on my own. Of course that was before Gary (well I met him during the last class for my degree), before kids and before my life really seemed to have started. Incidentally though, I do feel like it aged me more than having kids because sleep then was just as scarce as it is now with the late nights it brought on. Nonetheless, it has been paid for since 2003 when I got my masters degree.

But in May 1997, when I received my bachelors degree after 5 years with my eyes on that prize I didn't even fathom how liberating it would be to be done with student loan payments since I hadn't even started them yet and was in a grace period until January 1998. So here I am over 11 years later and I am finally in the home stretch. So here is to May 21st and $60.82, it's almost over baby!

They're back!

It's been a busy and exciting time over here in our household. I picked my parents up at the airport last Friday and checked out the new cell phone lot at the airport. Well, I don't really know that it is new seeing as how I haven't been to Logan Airport to pick someone up in ages. But right across the street from the Hyatt there is a little lot where you can park for up to 30 minutes with your car shut off (it's against the law to let your car idle for more than 5 minutes when parked) and talk to your incoming party on your cell phone as they update when they have collected their bags and are waiting by road at their terminal. It was way better than doing victory laps around the airport and fearing that I will take a wrong turn and end up in Revere or someplace unrecognizable in East Boston. I may work near the big City but there are only so many places I am comfortable with getting to.

So we headed home and Gary had picked up Aimee from her dancing lessons (which she has decided he needs to do more often) and had pizzas and salads waiting for us when we got home. It was so nice to see my girls excited to see them and climbing all over their Nana and Papa. Of course mom and dad had to take a back seat and were not allowed to assist with putting on of pjs, teeth brushing and the like when the bedtime hour approached. On Saturday we went to do errands with my mom and I realized how nice it is to once again have someone adult to talk to while shuttling around and how easy it is to run in and out of stores when someone stays in the car with the girls. My kids are pretty well behaved and listen fairly well to me so I don't mind taking them to stores but I know their limits too and realize when it's better to just run in and out of the store. Luckily with my mom back I was able to get a ton done despite all the rain.

Since they have been home though my dad has been complaining of his belly feeling fluid filled and that some days he has a hard time walking without getting winded. He had an appointment for an EKG on Tuesday and the results revealed that his aortic valve is not functioning properly so he will need to have it replaced. At first we were thinking it could be a quick surgery without having to open up his chest plate but it turns out that he will actually need the more involved one because of his age (a young 74) and because they can see with their eyes what is going on rather than relying on cameras and potential blind spots that can be problematic. We don't have a surgery date yet but I will fill you in when we do. So if you have any extra prayers that you were thinking of making, we'll take a few from you.

Counting Down

Today is April 1st and it's no fools that my parents come home on April 10th. So we're in countdown mode to when Nana and Papa come back to see us all. It's been a tough two months for sure because my parents are a good diversion to the everyday stuff that I apparently put my children through. It's been interesting to talk to the girls about where Nana and Papa (and now Freddy and Tee Tee - my brother and sister in law who are at my parent's house in Florida) have been. They realize that they are not in their blue house next door but aren't really sure where Florida is located. In some of their cuter moments they will pack some toys into a bag, sling it over their shoulder, put on a pair of their dress up shoes and tell me they will be back because they are going to Flor-da. Too funny.

Speaking of packing bags, I think I have on my hands two pack rats. I have found random blocks, play kitchen food, socks, you name it in the multitude of pocketbooks that we have around the house. I am not sure what drives this but it is interesting that both of my kids do this. I am not sure if it is because Aimee has always had a love of pocketbooks and things contained in them and Nicole is just following in her usual admiration of all things her big sister does. Or perhaps it is just a toddler/preschooler thing to do. In any event, they are sure to be ready for next year when we are definitely going to Flor-da to visit because their bags are already self-packed.

Ten...nine....eight....seven......