However, December is also the month of vacations, festivities and frivolities. 'Tis the season to be jolly, you say? Yeah, jolly is as jolly does. Most of the shitloads of money had thus disappeared (and are most likely to disappear still) into savings, bills, groceries and school preparations for the brother, such that I now have shitloads of air in my pockets instead of cash.

Hurhurhur, don't you just lurrrve December???

Anyhow, I'm very thankful that I'm able to work and help with the household finances because I always wonder, how do families with single breadwinners and yet have plenty of mouths to feed, survive? Espcially with the advent of the approaching school terms and the need to purchase new textbooks, uniforms and other what-nots?

I've seen and known such families of course, since I've ever taught their children. There are, undoubtedly, plans and financial schemes available for those who need it. Sad to say, there are many criteria that determine whether or not a family is eligible for assistance, and more often than not, the "free textbooks" schemes usually (I say *usually*) attract the wrong kind of crowd.

I will be seeing my kids again next week (missing the little monkeys) and for sure, there will be some who will attend school with missing books and the absence of stationeries. My heart goes out to them. As much as possible, I let them share textbooks but when it comes to workbooks, things get tricky.

Well, what's a teacher to do? You tell me.