Why is it that I always forget how expensive it is to exist with two children in the summer? Those movie people don’t help they come out with a different movie every week and by the time you add the popcorn and drinks you could have made a house payment. I do confess that most of the time we do redneck snacks at the theatre. I stop at 7-11 and fill my big purse with drinks and candy and then we buy a big popcorn and share it. How do you get your kids to share you ask? Why, I pull ziploc bags out of the big purse and ration. Michael is the hardest to please. He thinks a boy in social motion should remain in motion until he has completely drained his parents bank account. He is trying to break me by purchasing frozen cokes every day. He really should have been born into a 7-11 owning family.

Ashley doesn’t need the day to day financing but does however want a $300.00 cell phone called the EnV from Verizon. I have refrained from my ” that cost more than my first car lecture” because Steve says it is getting old and nobody believes it. But for those of you that know Woody (my dad) you are sure to back up my story. The big problem with the 300.00 phone is that it is used primarily for texting. I don’t understand the texting which makes it hard for me to spy on my teenager and it is expensive which makes it hard to stay married to my husband. As you can see this not yet purchased phone is already causing me much anxiety. I told her she would have to save up for it and she has begun to put a price tag on everything. I hope I don’t need her to perform cpr because I’m sure as I lay gasping for breath she would be negotiating her fee. The other day I needed cash to send with Michael to the movies and I borrowed $20.00 from her before the mom came to pick Michael up. She informed me that she would charging me 10% interest if she wasn’t paid back by the end of the day. Can you believe my own daughter is charging me “juice” on my loan? The trauma of being a mama never ends.