What's Going On

Haven't made a personal post in a while so I thought I would.

The endless game of financial catch-up is what is taking most of my time and energy lately. Brie and I had thought that the bank was going to except our request for a skip payment for our car loan because of the financial situation Hurricane Isabel left us in, but on the day the car payment was due they called and said no. That means that now the car payment is being paid two weeks late instead of two weeks early. Frustrating, but something we can set right over time.

Also on the auto front, we got our cars registered in Virginia finally. We got personalized license plates because they are so cheap here, $10 a year. I got "DADS D" for the Durango and Brie got "LOWTUS". After getting the cars registered you are required to submit them to a yearly state safety inspection. I took the D down thinking it would be an easy pass. Much to my surprise the dealer says I need new brake pads and the Rack and Pinion needs to be replaced. The brake pads are $100, but the Rack and Pinion is $650. This is definitely not something we can afford, luckily it is believed that my extended warranty should cover it minus a $50 deductable.

Now for the kids ...

Sebastian went to the dentist last week. One of his front baby teeth is dead and it hasn't come out on it's own. I noticed a few weeks ago that the adult tooth was actually already coming in and was behind the dead tooth. Not good! So we took him to this great dentist in Chesapeake. He specializes in children and works with kids who have handicaps such as down syndrome. They really made Sebastian feel comfortable, but in order to pull the tooth they will have to use nitrous-oxide enough to calm him down, they do not put kids out. Of course, insurance doesn't cover stuff like that. They strictly cover novacaine shots, so the tooth removal is going to cost $125 because of yet another deductable.

I was also informed by the IEP teacher on Monday that after being observed by the autism specialist and Windsor Elementary, where the district has a special class for autistic children, the specialist has made a formal recommendation that we move Sebastian into that class. This is something that is difficult for us to grapple with because it would mean placing a label on Sebastian. Something that we have worked to avoid. We will have a meeting soon with the specialist so we can hear her observations. In the end all that matters is that we do what is best for Sebastian and what we feel is going to give him the best chance and a successful future.

Keegan is doing great in school. He really loves to color and learn vocabulary. He scored so well on his assesment test that he has been moved from the middle group to the top for vocabulary. It is interesting to see how Keegan behaves/learns in school because it is so different from Sebastian.

Madeline is still not potty trained, but we are getting close. She is wearing underwear pretty much all day long, but still has accidents. The main issue is her refusal to tell the truth when she has accidents or when she needs to go to the bathroom. No matter how many times I ask her to go she tends to say she doesn't have to, then has an accident. It really wears at my patience. She knows what she is doing, she knows when she has to go.

As for the adults.....

Things are going really well at work for Brie. They are still in season so she has been putting in 10 hour days and going in for a few hours every other Saturday. that has put stress on our home life, but not much we can do.

I have had a cold for the last few days. Which means the house is a mess. I haven't been able to finish the office/studio since I don't actually have any place to put anything. We need to get some cabinets or shelving in here. Lately I've been in that "nesting" mood where I really want to focus on decorating the inside of the house. We need plants, framed art, and accessories. Hopefully over the next few months we can get caught up with all of these sudden costs and start focusing on living like I feel we should.

Reading back over this post it would seem like I am in a negative mood. I am sharing a lot of personal financial information, something Brie would rather I don't do. Everyone who knows me knows I tend to be rather forthright when it comes to money and that I think out loud a lot. That's a lot of what my blog is about. Putting myself out there. The thing is that even with all the financial stresses going on I am much happier than I have been in a long time. Finances and time management are things we can work on and get under control and being here we definitely are not distracted or bogged down by worrying about other things. Moving to Virginia was like making a turn in a tunnel so that you can finally see the light on the other side. If San Diego was our descent into the darkest parts of the tunnel then we are definitely ascending and feel for the first time in years like we are on the verge of getting our lives under control and even better, we are doing it on our own. For a while I didn't dare think to far into the future because I was sure that something would come at me and stop me from achieving my vision. I don't feel that way anymore. I know that if I stay the path, acknowledge and move on from the obstacles, I will get start reaching some of the goals I've set.

Posted by John at October 29, 2003 10:56 AM