I Survived Another Tax Season!

It’s a good thing people like their Easter eggs hard-boiled or my blog would be a lonely unvisited little rest stop on the information superhighway but once again, this post reels them in 😀  Lord knows I haven’t had the time to write anything new in a while to generate any traffic.

This tax season was both one of the easiest and at the same time one of the most hectic I’ve had, all at the same time.  I knew it would be a challenge with little ones in the house again and school closings and daycare issues thrown into the mix, but this part was considerably easier than I thought it would be this time around.  Unlike when my own kids were young, I had the convenience of an emergency sitter at home (Middle Son J was gracious enough to watch the kids when he didn’t have class) during those pesky two-hour snow delays and cancellations.  My boss realized I’d need some time off here and there to tend to the kids many appointments and took the pressure off by assuring me that things would be okay and in fact, office hours were now only 9 to 5 (except of course for him–when he was usually there before 7 towards the end and even showed up at 4:30 am one day!!).  Of course, I came in early and stayed late whenever I could, but it was nice to know it was not totally expected!

Having Easter fall after tax season is a nice bonus.  Big Daddy made the observation today that this will be the first time I’ll be home with him on Good Friday.  I will actually have time to shop for the kids’ Easter goodies myself and this past Saturday, I was able to take the kids to an Easter egg hunt.

Even though I started back to work this year later than usual (Feb. 28th versus the usual Feb. 15th or so),  I just barely got my own tax return done before the deadline.  Normally I have my own and all the kids’ (and their significant others) returns done before I even go back to work.  With homework and bath times, my evenings disappeared just as fast as the 10 pounds I’d lost reappeared on my gut and ass from stopping for fast food breakfasts every morning on my way to work : (

Bonus Baby adjusted great to the extra few hours at preschool/daycare while I worked.  She was always happy to see me when I came to pick her up, but never in a huge hurry to get out of there as we always had to stop by the infant room and see the babies before she would leave.  Her teachers got to  know her a little better and appreciate her funny and huge personality as much as we do.  We were informed that even though she’s the smallest one in her class, all the other kids pretty much follow along with whatever she wants.  She’s a little charmer, that one.

Bonus Child seemed to have a little rougher time.  She only had to stay an extra hour or so at the school for their after-school care twice a week but she claimed she hated it!  She missed having me around all the time and couldn’t wait for me to quit working.  I actually didn’t spend a whole lot less time with her except for the Saturday mornings when I worked, but she must have sensed how rushed I was and in fact, I didn’t push her as hard to study her spelling words when she balked and her grades suffered a bit.  I’m still amazed and in awe of full-time two-income families (or single working parents) with young children.  There are some successful ones, and I have no idea how they do it.  Thank God I have 10 months to recuperate!!