Claire the Afena Mom Blog

Let’s talk about soccer. It’s a subject that’s been in my home a lot lately, as my oldest daughter is in the league at PAL club this year. It’s her first year, and if you’ve never seen a group of 1st graders chasing a ball around a field, you’re missing out. It’s ADORABLE. I’ve been searching for a 16 terabyte memory card for my smart phone to hold all the photos and videos, but I can’t help myself, it’s just so incredibly camera worthy.

How many times have you thought about a goal in your life and wish you’d started on it just a little bit sooner? For instance, before I had kids, I definitely could have saved a little bit out of my paycheck every week. Or, knowing that I’d be in my friend’s wedding next week, I probably could have started trying to lose that extra 20 pounds a few months ago instead of counting on a diet of water and crackers and prayer when I’m trying on that dress next Saturday. How much of a difference would it make if we did something just a little bit differently every day?

The air is getting crisper, Halloween costumes are in the stores, and football is a regular program in our home again…this all means one thing to my youngest daughter. It’s pumpkin time! To those of you who have felt the draw of the pumpkin patch, you probably understand my mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I love the hot chocolate, the fun of picking out a pumpkin (or pumpkins…we need an entire pumpkin FAMILY), and the hayride to and from the pumpkin patch. On the other hand, there’s the scale at the end of this journey. The scale to weigh our pumpkins…and the heavier they are, the lighter our wallets become.

Where has all the time gone? You hear it all the time…I’m a parent, I have school activities, I have work, I have to check Facebook, answer e-mails and make dinner. Time is a commodity that we’re all a little short on these days. Being a mom to three rambunctious little ones, I definitely can use all the time I can get. Take yesterday for instance…

This week I dropped my second child off at pre-school for the first time. We got up in time to get big sis ready for kindergarten, eat some breakfast, and tuck the little man into a new diaper and his baby seat. And then away we went to the elementary school. My oldest started school a few weeks ago, so the sting has worn off. And I figured conquering that milestone meant baby girl’s first day of preschool would be a breeze, no big deal, just a little alone time for me and the baby…and boy was I wrong.

Picture this…3 AM, 85 degrees outside, and your air conditioner kicks the bucket with one last, half-hearted rattle. Now remember, you have three kids and a husband in the house, none of whom do well in the heat. And tomorrow? Your friendly meteorologist confirms it will be a scorcher.

I was 18 when I got my first credit card. This was before the laws changed, and the big credit card companies flooded college campuses, offering free t-shirts and pizzas for filling out a credit card application. And WOW, what a surprise to find out I qualified for a credit card with a $5000 limit! I don’t know today what the interest rate was on that card, and away from home for the first time, I didn’t even care or really understand what a higher interest rate meant. But I do know that after a few late payments, I was knocking on 30% APR. I was 18, drunk with freedom, and ready to take the world by storm.

When I was a little girl, my daddy was my hero. He was a big man, tall, a gentle giant. He took me to baseball games, ice cream shops, and matinees. He was so big, that his hand would envelop my own, practically up to my elbow. More often than not, I’d tag along with him, my small hand clasped tightly around his finger.