A Closing Door

A door is closing today. Hopefully another will open again soon.
For those of you who don't know, my husband lost his job. Today is his last official day of working. The entire store closed because the lease was not renewed. So it wasn't due to any fault of his own but never the less, he's out of a job. And we are now a no-income family of four. Boy oh boy, that's scary.

So the job search is on and even though he has had a few leads so far, they haven't amounted to anything yet. Being given only nine (yes, that's 9) days notice that you will no longer have a job, a career, a paycheck... is quite a blow. Not even the standard two weeks. So although he's discouraged, I'm not. Not yet. It takes time and patience to find a good job. Hopefully not too much time.

But we have family to help and support us if the need arises. And there's always savings and collecting unemployment (which neither of us know anything about but will quickly learn I guess). So far we haven't told the kids anything. We've done pretty good at talking in code and hiding the stress of the situation from them. But after today they just might notice somethings up when Papa doesn't head off to work every day. I guess we can say he's on vacation. But after a few weeks or months of being home (which hopefully it won't come to) they might catch on... The jig will be up... especially for Nola, she's a smart one. How do you explain that to a kid? Not that she'd even know to judge him... but in my opinion it's just not something they need to even concern themselves with. That's our job (unpaying as it may be) to hold that weight on our shoulders. I'm actually looking forward to having him home a little more for a while. For purely selfish reasons... like having more personal freedom...

So if anyone out there in the St. Louis area knows anyone who knows anyone who might know someone looking for a management position in the restaurant field, you feel free to let me know!

Random Stuffs

Still having a hard time getting back into writing here... Not too sure why. But here are some things going on lately.

Kid Stuff:
Nola is almost all the way potty trained. I've even been brave enough to take her in the car and to the store with underwear (and no pull-up) on. And so far, no accidents. She went potty at Walmart for the first time yesterday (first time in public anywhere). Sadley though, after she was finished she was running out of the stall in excitement and ran smack into a plastic changing table that someone had left down in the main part of the restroom. She was face level to it and was running forward while looking backwards, as kids will stupidly sometimes do. She hit her head and then went down on the tile floor - BAM! Lots of tears and crying. So much for our milestone! But the water that appeared for her 'like magic' when she washed her hands made her feel much better.


I think we will move her into a toddler bed soon. I think we're doing it a little later than some people do anyway. But in order to continue down the potty training road, she has to be able to get out of bed to go. Unfortunately that will allow her much more freedom than I want her to have. This will begin the stage of getting out of bed over and over.... But I guess it's what has to be done. I can't very well have grade school kid locked up in a crib (althought that would be nice).


Logan is a giant. He has his two front bottom teeth already and is now getting some top ones. The front two, you ask? Oh, no. The next ones over. Great! Now he's gonna look like a big doofus for a month or more with a gaping hole in the front of his mount. I'm not even sure this is normal? I thought the front two were always the first to come in... oh well.

And speaking of teeth, his lovely older sister has bit him twice now! The first time was because he had a death grip on her hair and it was her way of escape. She got a 'talkin to' but no real trouble because she was defending herself in a way. But today she just walked up to him, lifted his hand to her mouth and bit down on his little finger! I was SO mad! The she bit Kirk. The time-out spot has been kept warm by her ass today!
We finally got around to spiking Logan's hair up today too. He looks so cute! Here's a pic of him with his new do:



Garden Stuff:
I have been in great turmoil over what to do outside this year. We have thrown around the ideas of moving and staying so much. Well, we've finally decided to just stay for a while... maybe another 2 years. It's small but once we get them sharing a room and what not we will be good for a couple of years. We got such a good deal on the house and I don't want to scrifice that because of the economy. So we will just stay and pay down the mortgage, make due with our small space and hopefully it will all pay off when we buy the mansion of our dreams (HA!). So, anyway, back to gardening.... Now that we know we will be here I feel good about gardenign in the yard... I won't have to leave all my plants and work behind so soon. I want to have a vegetable garden this year. An inground garden. And I want to plant lots of plants and flowers so we can have a nice view out back.... (If anyone feel like getting dirty feel free to come on by this summer and help out with our projects.) My tulips are blooming and it just inspires me to plant plant plant! I will have to make a plan and a design... then price out all the projects that are actually possible. I want to do so much back there! I would love to demo our concrete slab patio and put in a nice level deck or stone area.... Kirk would get to use a jack hammer on that one - he'll like that! Obviously if we do anything major I will document it in photos... Here are some backyard pics from today.







Other Stuff:
Our medical debt/bills are all now offically paid off! Having two kids and a few other incidents really adds up! Especailly when you don't have the best medical insurance.... But we are now free of all medical bills! And since I don't plan on having another baby this year we should be in the clear in that department for a while!
Our Home Depot debt is also gone (from redoing the bathroom, kitchen floors, and refinishing our hardwood floors last spring). So Hello! garden center at Home Depot! Just kidding!

Ok - enough random stuff for today... here are a few other random pics:


My mother-in-law's birthday was the other day and we had her over for home made lasagna and a home made birthday cake. (as in, I bought the box and mad eit at home) Since I have flowers on the brain I decorated it liek a giant flower!


My rose (from the clipping) is doing fabulously!


And we got to meet our niece, Elena, last week for the first time. Kirk's brother was in from MI and brought the family! Elena isn't allowed on the internet, but I thought the side of her head and her ear would be okay... Nola was in love!

How Much Is That Baby?

Being such an anal person with money and numbers I've been meaning to budget for how much the baby cost us these days.... I finally got around to doing that and I thought I would share....

Main Expenses:
Formula
Diapers
Baby Food
Wipes
(Clothes and Toys were all presents or hand-me-downs)

Formula - $12/can (this is the generic formula from Target, brand name is double that)
A can will last us approximately 6 days. That is $2 a day for formula, $14/week
Diapers - $30/case (this is a 176 count case from Sams, size 4)
Each diaper comes out to roughly 18 cents. If baby uses an average of 6 diapers a day, that's $1.08/day and $7.56/week
Baby Food - $1.00/2pk stage 2 at Target. (Rice Cereal is around $3 a box and lists for weeks so I'm not counting that.) We use 2 baby foods a day, one fruit, one veggie. So that's about $1/day, $7/week.
Wipes - $9/case (this is a case of 6 72count packs) One pack last roughly a week, and this is with 2 kids. That's 22 cents/day, $1.50/week.

Grand Totals:
Each DAY my baby costs: $4.30
Each WEEK my baby costs: $30.10
Each MONTH my baby costs: $130.00

Projects Update - August & September

Creating Human Life - FINISHED!
Well - Logan was born so this is over... and there are no plans to have any more so I think my baby making days are over. Good... and sad.

Starting Roses from Clippings - In Progress
I have roots but the clippings are still in water. I'm too scared to move them to pots with dirt. I'm afraid that the hard work (of waiting so long) will be ruined if they die.... Who know what I will do. I think I have to move them to dirt soon.

Growing Vegetables - FINISHED for this year
It's fall and I just don't care anymore... will try again next year.

365 Project - 97/365 - In Progress
(see the other blog for this one)

Selling My House - Quitting Soon
As soon as our agreement is up with our Realtor we will take the house off the market and start doing some major changes around here. We are learning to live in our small house with us and the kids, so we are just going to work it out until we can't anymore. We have plans for a play room in the basement and a new patio out back. I have plans for new flower beds and maybe a new garden.... We shall see.

Paying Off Debt - In Progress
We have obtained more debt thanks to a car problem ($700+) but we have a plan in the works... possibly going to refi our house... Still have to meet with someone to weigh the pros and cons financially - but I think it may get rid of our car payment and free up a lot of money...

Being 'Greener' - OnGoing
Nothing to report here - will get back into this more when life settles down some

Learning About my Camera - OnGoing
Not doing much on this front either... just barely taking pictures these days...

Buying a Bigger House - Project Abandoned
Enough said....

Projects Update - July

Finishing Nola's Baby Book
I have about 2 pages that aren't complete... and they most likely never will be. So I'm going to say FINISHED! on this one.

Crocheting a Blanket for Molly
I have about 4 rows to go and then some tails to tuck in... that's a Sooooo Almost Finished!

Creating Human Life
My due date is 15 days away! I better be Almost Finished! Will go on no longer than 27 days from now (c-section planned for 28th if no labor)

Starting Roses from Clippings
Ends look truly disgusting... and I think it's time to put the suckers in some dirt and see what they do.... no visible roots popping out but the tops are still alive and kicking in the window sill. So we will give this one an In Progress still.

Growing Vegetables
Well - my planter box has been very much neglected since I entered my 8th or 9th month of pregnancy...I have still collected some green beans and one pepper... but it's so hot out that I just don't go check on them all that much. I did pull out some plants to give the others a chance to grow larger... I planted the rejects in an abandoned pot along my driveway and have done even more than nothing to them... well, they look 100 times better than the ones in my planter box. I guess they are shaded more or something... Maybe next year I will have the luxury of an in ground garden or just not be pregnant in the heat of the summer! Either way, this one is still In Progress.

Selling My House
No news on this front - it's about to come to a close for a while when I have the baby but until we actually sell, it will be In Progress ... Unless we decide to bunk up the little ones, give up on the sale and just stay here longer to save hassle and money.... you never know!

Buying a Bigger House
Really - this one Hasn't Started Yet.

365 Project
I think I am on 46 out of 365... that's about 12% complete. So this one also gets an In Progress

Learning About my Camera
This has been labeled, In Progress, but seeing as that learning is an ongoing thing I think I need to relabel it as OnGoing.

Being 'Greener'
Also better known as OnGoing. We have been very conscious of saving on water and electricity and while my electric is on budget billing I can still tell we've used less... and our water bill was about $20 cheaper than last time... so that's progress. And I think I will join a wholesale club after that baby comes. If anything it will allow me to stock up and save on gas going to the store... and hopefully money. Still in the process of getting rid of all current cleaners before making my own.

Paying Off Debt
We are about 3 months into my 3 year plan... and so far so good. I'm keeping track of all the debt that's being paid off... and it's definitely decreasing! And we are about ready to get rid of another credit card! We will have only one left for emergencies (which always come up). And pretty soon we will start aggressively paying off Kirk's car early. So this one deserves a very proud In Progress!

Shopping Without Money & My Uterus

How's that for a post title?

My Uterus: I had a doctor's appointment today. I sat in the waiting room for almost an hour, then witnessed my doctor yelling at nurses to give her some patients to see instead of leaving them all in the waiting room while she had nothing to do... that was funny. Almost worth the wait.
My blood pressure is just fine, I didn't gain any weight and my belly is measuring on time again. After complaining about how bad I feel and how hard it is to do things, she replied exactly how I knew she would, " Yeah - that's sucks, but you are pregnant..." I guess there isn't really a lot to do about being uncomfortable except for having the baby.... just a few more weeks or so...

Shopping Without Money: I found a great hobby. After going to a bridal shower for a friend of mine several weeks ago and shopping for a gift off of her registry I realized what a great job she did. She registered for all kinds of great things... It made me want to go back in time and re-do my own wedding registry. Put a few more practical things on it, as well as a few more splurge items. Mine was kind of middle of the road. It also made me want to re-do my kitchen and a few other spots in my home.

After a few weeks of random thoughts of what I would like to improve about my household items I just did it! I went online to www.bedbathandbeyond.com and made a registry. I called it a House Warming Registry since we are eventually moving to a new house. And I set the event date for 2014 so I can keep it going. But it was really fun. I shopped online all night! I picked out cookware, kitchen gadgets, some new small appliances, etc. And I had fun and spent 0! dollars. But, so it wasn't a complete waste of time, I actually chose items I want to eventually purchase. So it is essentially a running list of what I want.

Now, when my birthday or Christmas, or any other gift giving occasion rolls around and people ask me what do you want? I can refer them to my registry or just give them a list of what's left on it. I think I will also make a registry a few other places. This way, when I'm stuck at home with no money and two kids I can still go shopping.... for free! It will at least get that urge to go buy something out.

So if you're broke like me, or stuck at home like me... or just like to shop - I think starting a registry online is a great way to pass he time. It fun and free. And who knows, maybe someday you will be able to fulfill all the items!