I stopped into Starbucks, a.k.a. my absolute favorite place to be in the morning with no kids, yesterday morning.

While I was sitting their sipping my Americano and checking email a younger gal walked in and, while I don't normally pay too much attention, let me tell you she was IN SHAPE. Super toned legs.

My first thought was not....Wow isn't she lucky.....no. My first thought was...."Well she obviously doesn't have kids"....no wedding ring on her finger so I am guessing no kids.

And it's not like you can't be in shape and have kids, you can, and many people are, its just that finding the time is a TERRIBLY IMPOSSIBLE GOAL.

I already wake up at 5:15 every morning. What time would I possibly get up to exercise? By the time 8:00 hits and I am getting to work, I've already been up for 3 hours, taking care of other little people.

I'll say it again...kids are awesome, great, fantastic. I wouldn't not have kids for anything. But mom's put themselves second. They just do. No getting around that. Even if you are not a selfish person, you become much less selfish after kids.

My hair = damaged. So I bought this and it cost me $25. I know, I just about died too. It probably has some gold in it for all I know. But so far it's worth it.

Wheatgrass. This stuff is SICK. It literally tastes like you are drinking grass, that you just mowed. But it IS SO FREAKING GOOD FOR YOU. So I've started taking it everyday. Helps that I don't have to pay for it. It's expensive.
IZZE. This is my favorite thing. Ever.

New Blog- Spin off

I've decided not to leave this blog for now, but I will be blogging my way through the CPA exam.

Check it out if you are ever interested, although I am giving you fair warning that it will be about studying, test taking, strategy etc. No cutesy pictures or stories. Well...maybe a story or 2 of me throwing up from nerves, but let's hope not.

Check it out!

CPA Summer

Annie

6 more days

Ahh, the life of an intern. Just 6 more days. I initially thought that I would be done on the 15th, even though the tax deadline is pushed back to the 18th this year (a Monday), but they said we can't miss the last day. I agree-- work all busy season and then don't even get to work on the final day! Plus it's one more day of pay. I'll take it!

In case you are wondering, I did 122 tax returns this year...plus my own...so 123 individual returns.

I bet there aren't a whole lot of people who do 123 tax returns, or maybe there are. I don't know. I also don't know how many businesses I did....maybe 40 or 50 business returns? I didn't keep track of them the same.

I do know that I have probably learned more in the last 3 months than my entire life. I feel like a toddler who is learning so much so fast that it's easy to get frustrated.

We've finally. FINALLY totally adjusted. The kids ask to go to daycare, they get to play outside a lot there now too because the snow has melted (finally), so I think they just have a grand time running and swinging outside. No more screaming matches in the morning about getting up and getting dressed. They pop out of bed all smiles and ready to roll. I LOVE it. Of course this also means that they get up at 6:30-7:00 on the weekends, but I guess I get up around 5:30-6:00 on the weekends so its not a big deal. Funny how we adjust like that.

We were out and at Starbucks around 8:00 this morning (I had the most amazing cup of coffee) and had groceries by 10:00. Its amazing how much more awesome it is to get things done early. Read: less crowded.

Tomorrow the high is 77 degrees. What the heck? It snowed pretty much last week. Gotta love MN for that. We always get some crazy high temps early on. It makes life fun for us. Mike has to work all day, but at least the kiddos and I can enjoy the day!

HELP (seriously) can someone please tell my kids I don't like WHINING

you know what I hate? I hate it when someone says: "when my kids whine, I tell them I can't hear whining, and I only listen to nice voices."

apparently mine didn't get the memo, or they are too young, or I am doing this totally wrong, because oh.my.word. AHHHHH.

okay, deep breath. they are both napping now so i am sipping coffee and pretending all is right in the world.

I think its their ages. I knew the year of a 2 year old and a 3 year old would be "challenging" to say the least. But the whining and screaming all.day.long. makes me yell at them and well, that's not good for any of us. Regretful words have happened in this house recently. Sad to have to write that, but its true.

I am totally at a loss for what to do. And the worst part? I feel so frantic with all the other areas of life, that it some days I have no energy for the most important parts. I am raising them into adults. I always need to remember that.

So if anyone has good tips or tricks, or books or ANYTHING I'd love to hear it.

Deep Breath. In and out. It will be okay...

a blog? what's that. i think it might be time to shut down.

yep.

I think for a couple of weeks I forgot I even had a blog. I don't have time to write in it, and to be honest, I am not all that interested in writing in it. I might write a few more times, but I think it's time to throw in the towel.

I will say that I do love working though. I couldn't imagine staying home with the kids (no, this doesn't mean I don't miss them, it just means I feel SO much more balanced). Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Except right now everyone is PISSED OFF at work. Might have something to do with that tax deadline looming. If you do not like getting chewed out on a semi-regular basis, public accounting isn't for you. But you do grow immune to it. I've personally come to hate it, but accept it.

okay, that's all for now!

Doing Tax Returns

What day is it?

I seriously don't know.

I've been doing tax return, after tax return, after tax return. It can put you in a little bit of a trance, but it is sort of fun.

Today I did a tax return for an old man that lived in a million dollar house that he owned (no mortgage) and he had an "income" of $122,000. I say "income" because he is retired. He had dividends and Roth IRA distributions. Man, I'd love to make that much and not actually go to a job. I wonder what he spends his money on. He doesn't have a mortgage.

I also did a tax return today for 2 doctors. Combined they had almost $300,000 in student loan debt. OUCH.

Or the family who's TAX BILL was $209,000. Do you THINK they make good money? Yeah they did.