Yeesh. I am exhausted.

*I had a tax class Friday. IT was depressing. Life isn't fair. Plain and simple. Learn it now.

*I watched Maxed Out last night. Much the same conclusion. I know we know all sorts of people irresponsible with money. But the credit card and mortgage industries are very shady and pay little for all the people they victimize. The truly poor and uneducated. Almost makes me want to shred up my credit cards. (Oh yes and the other unfair part - FICO. How one little mistake on their end is hard to clear up because they just don't care, etc., etc. It's just a very unfair system in that regard. The story they did share was of a woman who had been taken to court to prove she wasn't DEAD. There was a mixup, really it was her daughter who had died. Like she hadn't been through enough.)

They also had the suicide stories here, which everyone should know is very common when it comes to debt. But these were 2 college kids, in the movie. One had $12k debt. It struck me as so sad. Like obviously with such loving parents they could have gotten some help and worked themselves out. & yet they couldn't see past the $12k debt. The only solution was suicide. Very sad.

More life isn't fair.

On to lighter notes:

*We went to San Francisco yesterday to the Exploratorium (science museum). Kids LOVED it. Both of them actually really enjoyed it. (Surprised the 2yo got so much from it). Went with my dad and he had a blast. I was never much into science and so my dad is excited at least his grandkids are. BM loves to watch Mythbusters and do science experiments at home with daddy. So he already has that love of science. Of course I think I was a little bored. The highlight of my day was the fish phone. (Didn't catch the science part?) IT was a phone hooked up to an aquarium with a fish. That was more my speed. LM thought it was pretty funny too. The fish "talks" to you. When we went upstairs they had some more real fish and LM looked at me and said, "Where's the phone?" LOL. I wonder if he will ask me that every time we see fish now. Wants to talk to the fish.

YEs, I am easily amused. No, but really, the Exploratorium is pretty cool. There was much more truly science stuff that actually interested me. They do a good job. There's just only so much science I can take.

Anyway, we paid for grandpa to get in as part of his birthday gift. So it was around $50 for all of us. (Would have been $35 just us). We also spent $30 on food, easily.

We then stopped for dinner on the way home last night out of exhaustion and hunger. Knew we didn't have much at home. Dh really wanted to go cheap - Taco Bell - but I had eaten two $1 meals last week, at TB, since we didn't have any leftovers, and I was lazy. IT didn't sound appealing in the least. We actually settled on a diner. Which is rare. Particularly since my parents took us out to eat the night before. But it was $20 for the 4 of us so it wasn't horrendous. I think we spent $100 then yesterday ($50 food/$50 admission) and about $50 gas. Took the van because we had a TV to deliver to grandma (she was looking for one to borrow and we had a spare). & also because we were going to drive grandpa to San Francisco. Car seats make life so complicated.

*Grandma has free tickets to the children's science museum in San Jose, which expire 12/31, so we're going there in a couple of weeks.

*We're also going back for the Walking with Dinosaurs show on the 28th or so AND also nephew's birthday on New Years Eve. At least we can take dh's car which gets very great gas mileage (35mpg easy, freeway).

*We've settled on vacations for next year. (Mind you last December I think we had NO vacation plans and the year was very crazy). But we are thinking Disneyland for Spring, Yosemite for summer, and that's that. I think dh and I are exhausted from this year's travels. Plus these will both by FAMILY vacations. I really look forward to that. Wouldn't be surprised if we got a weekend or 2 or 3 away, sans kids, but we can probably get free stays and make it really low key.

We usually do DL cheap, which is easier without kids. We kind of throw in the towel and figure we'll do a full week or something. It won't be our typical vacation. But I still figure we'll drive and probably get a free room. So it won't be TOO bad.

*We also want to try to hit the snow this January. It's hard because snow season coincides with tax season. I was pretty admandant they couldn't go the snow without me for BM's first time. I am not sure I care so much with LM, but will try to go. Then they can go to their heart's desire without me. LOL. It's just a 2-hour drive, we have a cabin 1/2 way to stay if we want, AND the cabin is filled with old snow clothes/sleds from generations past so it is not an activity that costs much money (not more than gas really). So the kids are in for a treat. We haven't gone since I was pregnant with LM - about 3 years. BM was 18 months?

*Christmas... I think we are pretty set. I bought the mos luxurious blanket at that boutique Thursday. She is making a "cat" blanket for my mom. (I am keeping the first one!) It will be around $30 but I know she will LOVE it. I also have to do her donation - probably $25. Also need gift for one gift exchange. Buying some jewelry. I figured I would probably buy $25 for myself and dh wanted a $25 or so movie. We weren't going to gift each other but told him maybe these would be our gifts to each other. I can't order jewlery and pay the shipping without getting something for myself too. An advance on my Christmas money really. My boss gave me some Ghiradhelli chocolate which I also passed onto my dad for his birthday. We paid for his Dinosaur ticket for Christmas so he is all set.

I need to chip in $25 or so for Grandma's gift. This is up in the air. I asked MIL to pick up a gift certificate for her - we settled on her hair/nail place. It's her small luxury. BUT dh is all concerned she'll feel bad because we asked her not to get us anything. (Mind you she probably handed us $200-$300 throughout the year, if not more). Um, I think she just has to accept the gift and suck it up. Yeesh. Why does gift giving have to be so complicated????? We do not exchange gifts with hardly anyone, but if money is tight for her, it is the least we could do. So usually I am griping at the people that demand gifts, and now probably the only one person we REALLY want to give a gift too, well they don't want us to. I think if nothing else I am annoyed with the whole you have to give a gift to buy a gift. Literal reciprocation. It is annoying. What happened to giving because you WANT to give??? (Or since when did $300 cash throughout the year get totally forgotten and it would be unfair for us to buy a $30 gift?)

We'll see. I told dh his mom was fine with it and she would know best. But we'll double check. Heck, she doesn't have to even know it is from us. Probably the angle we can go for - Secret Santa or just say it is from MIL. Whatever...

*We have our one and only Christmas party today. This one is White elephant gift exchange and I have all sorts of crap from prior years. see what we can get rid of this year. Hehe. (& wonder what we'll get stuck with in exchange. Always excited to get rid of hideous things, and then 1/2 the time you end up with something worse!!!)

*Oh yeah! Dh has the magic touch. He got rid of ugly chair. (A very old/tired recliner that we used in the nursery for the babies). I joked people weren't too desparate if they wouldn't take our chair. It worked fine for us; come on. But he listed it since he wanted to make room for the Christmas Tree and he got about 5 bites. WOW. & best of all, it is gone...