take his job and shove it
A bit of a shake up at the Chenault household. I have convinced the hubby to quit (or at least go down to part time) at his job. Why? you might ask.
My reasons:
1. Zach needs more attention and we are not equipped right now to do that. I can't cut back on my hours, or we would end up homeless, but Chris doesn't make that much in comparison.
2. I paid more in taxes than Chris made.
3. Chris' piddly salary puts us (by a whole 2000 dollars) into a higher tax bracket. So his salary hurts us more than it helps us in the end. I found this out after doing our taxes.
4. This will mean big budget time at the Chenaults. But we have figured it out and I think it will work. We will get an weekly allowence of 50 in cash. Only essentials for the family go on the debit card, all receipts are kept. Piddly crap and personal stuff comes out of the 50 bucks. We have the option of spending it, saving it, or stocking some of it away for the greater good (like a vacation). All eating out has to come from this money, too. We've been doing it for a week and so far it's worked. There has been much cooking here. But not much cleaning.
5. Chris would have more time to clean, which I hate and he doesn't mind doing, but is too tired for now. His current schedule is as follows, and you have to admit it sucks:
Get up between 5:30 and 6:00. Drive all over hell and back. Get home 5:30 - 5:45. Get Zach from after school. Wait for me to get home at 7 or 10 pm. If 7, I cook dinner. If 10, he cooks. Zach goes to bed between 9 and 10. From then until midnight or 1:00 am he can see me. He usually falls asleep on the couch between 11:30 and 12:00. I pull him up to bed and sometimes stay up later and sometimes don't.
No wonder that the strain is beginning to tell on us all. Zach sees chris for 3 hours, me for about 2.5. More on weekends, but he often has judging or rehersals or meetings. Also meetings once a month on Wednesday, for which we always have to get a baby sitter.
Sometimes its like we're strangers passing in the night and that has got to stop. It's been months since Chris played the tuba. He hasn't written at all and I haven't either until recently. We haven't played a game as a family since Christmas. It's really, really sad.
This two income stuff is for the birds. Chris would have to be making three times what he is now to make it worthwhile. And I think then I'd have to hire a nanny or something. Geeze.
So we are going to set a meeting, the two of us, with his boss, and explain our situation. Chris will agree to keep three of the closest schools until the end of the year and would be available for morning subbing for any of the MES schools in our area ONLY. No more traveling to Chicago at the crack of dawn.
Then next year he will go for his masters, but in two years instead of one. Because this is still about spending more time with Zach and creating more, not less, order in all our lives.
Which reminds me. I need to set up a day for my clean sweep. Hum. Maybe in April. I shall see what I have free then try to rope in suckers...volunteers...to help me.
My reasons:
1. Zach needs more attention and we are not equipped right now to do that. I can't cut back on my hours, or we would end up homeless, but Chris doesn't make that much in comparison.
2. I paid more in taxes than Chris made.
3. Chris' piddly salary puts us (by a whole 2000 dollars) into a higher tax bracket. So his salary hurts us more than it helps us in the end. I found this out after doing our taxes.
4. This will mean big budget time at the Chenaults. But we have figured it out and I think it will work. We will get an weekly allowence of 50 in cash. Only essentials for the family go on the debit card, all receipts are kept. Piddly crap and personal stuff comes out of the 50 bucks. We have the option of spending it, saving it, or stocking some of it away for the greater good (like a vacation). All eating out has to come from this money, too. We've been doing it for a week and so far it's worked. There has been much cooking here. But not much cleaning.
5. Chris would have more time to clean, which I hate and he doesn't mind doing, but is too tired for now. His current schedule is as follows, and you have to admit it sucks:
Get up between 5:30 and 6:00. Drive all over hell and back. Get home 5:30 - 5:45. Get Zach from after school. Wait for me to get home at 7 or 10 pm. If 7, I cook dinner. If 10, he cooks. Zach goes to bed between 9 and 10. From then until midnight or 1:00 am he can see me. He usually falls asleep on the couch between 11:30 and 12:00. I pull him up to bed and sometimes stay up later and sometimes don't.
No wonder that the strain is beginning to tell on us all. Zach sees chris for 3 hours, me for about 2.5. More on weekends, but he often has judging or rehersals or meetings. Also meetings once a month on Wednesday, for which we always have to get a baby sitter.
Sometimes its like we're strangers passing in the night and that has got to stop. It's been months since Chris played the tuba. He hasn't written at all and I haven't either until recently. We haven't played a game as a family since Christmas. It's really, really sad.
This two income stuff is for the birds. Chris would have to be making three times what he is now to make it worthwhile. And I think then I'd have to hire a nanny or something. Geeze.
So we are going to set a meeting, the two of us, with his boss, and explain our situation. Chris will agree to keep three of the closest schools until the end of the year and would be available for morning subbing for any of the MES schools in our area ONLY. No more traveling to Chicago at the crack of dawn.
Then next year he will go for his masters, but in two years instead of one. Because this is still about spending more time with Zach and creating more, not less, order in all our lives.
Which reminds me. I need to set up a day for my clean sweep. Hum. Maybe in April. I shall see what I have free then try to rope in suckers...volunteers...to help me.