Child support........

Child support is such a complicated topic right?? We get infuriated when someone is not paying it to a single mom struggling......and the injustice that lives there.......and I am fortunate that that is NOT my story.......I have received our agreed upon child support every month in this story.......and for that I am deeply appreciative.....I do not think the amount reflects the current cost of living at all, it was decided upon so long ago........but I am grateful for every bit of what comes in to make THIS life work.......and when you are the one with your kids for the majority of the days and the rest it is paramount......but it is a weird thing right.....it is like you had kids with a person....and then they go, and the stipend that is agreed upon is their portion of helping to pay for your kids, or often times less than the portion that it requires to care for them.....and my ex is good about buying them stuff when they are with him that they might need, clothes or sneakers etc, and that is also appreciated.....however we all know how much it costs to care for kids these days and it is crazy right?? I can go into Dollar General for a few necessities, and spend $100 without even trying......and heating fuel all of it.....so it requires a level of creativity......to work within the confines of a budget, and adjust to one income versus two.......that is one of the things that took me a minute to acclimate to, my ex was a good provider in our story alongside my income......and I am wildly fortunate that I was teaching for two decades when this all happened, and my salary was at a point where it was feasible for me to pull it all off.....but it has still not been easy and required my business to have been born......and I hustle hard to make it all work.....and have had to accrue some debt I don't love......but feel like it is part of the world too now.....but I am forever making financial decisions that will be for our best....and I think decision overload is tough.....and real and endless when you are on your own, and it is on repeat....and it is all up to me.....no bouncing it off of another person....and I am proud of where I am today.....doing the best with what I have been given.....but this year I was thinking of getting even more creative and going harder after saving.....like saving saving.....the truth is the kids and I have all we need or want at this point going into the new school year soon.....we are lucky that life includes extras:) and they will need a couple of things.....but I am going to resist the new stuff we don't need, and try not to buy anymore clothes or shoes lol.....and be more creative with my food budget, which isn't easy lol yikes.....and I guess challenging myself is what I enjoy doing these days.... in lots of ways....so maybe challenging myself to save and restructure some stuff might be the order of the day.....just to see where this time next year lands for me.....I have a West trip in my sights and that will take some planning and saving too.....so yes I am grateful for child support, I truly am, and believe it needs to exist in stories like mine.....but I am also aware of the truth that the lion's share of finances lands with the other parent that is just the reality, especially in this economy, and I guess it could be argued that that is because the time with the kiddos lands with that parent too, which makes me also grateful, having my kids is where I want to be...........and it is a fact that I understand fully.....and accept.....and understand the reality of it all.....I am sure if I asked him how he feels about it, I would get a different perspective and his as well......so while it always seems odd to me in some ways when you enter into having a family......it is a part of the story no doubt......so this morning has me sitting on this little porch where we are staying, typing my blog with my early rising boy beside me, drinking my coffee and overlooking the lake.....and feeling so grateful for the spectacular day we had yesterday......I would recommend The Wild Center at Tupper Lake, the entire place is kid magic, and my daughter was perfect for it.....age wise.....they had these places in the woods where you could take a wooden ball through chutes and pulleys and long traveling troughs.....like cartoon stuff, and she was all in......running from one to the next to make her ball go through the obstacle course....and my boy loved it too....and the sun was shining, and the temperatures perfect......dinner on the lake, and the sun is shining this morning.....and we are off to adventure number 2! Ending tonight in a magical treehouse having dinner! So this morning finds me the way most days do.......blessed to live this life......and grateful for every bit of it......knowing so deeply that everything is always working out for me.....always and grateful for that fact:)