yeah we already filed our taxes. :) We've got our state money, just waiting on the federal.

i'm glad too! the boys were downstairs, so maybe that made a difference?

It could have, you never know!

Our tax return came in today and went straight onto the credit cards. Hopefully by the end of this year we'll be credit card debt free and only worrying about student loans for 2013. Definitely gotta get back to work, so long as it doesn't harm Terra. Still waiting to hear back from the daycare to see if she's been accepted or not. I hate money. ;_;

We got our tax return on Saturday. It went straight into credit cards and paying off our washer and dryer. We still have some left. And we are hoping to do some home improvements with it.... We'll see though... I really want my wood fence... >.> I am getting kind of impatient with it... But I also want my driveway... But we have to wait and see what the stupid City says about it since part of the paving will be on "city" property even though I have to pay for it, pay taxes on it and tend it to be sure it is neat and tidy >.>;;; what is worse is that I have to pay for double thickness on the cement... So instead of 4 inches which is the minimum I have to pay for EIGHT!!!! I say I should pay for 4 and if the city wants more THEY should have to pay for the other <.<;; stupid ordinances... But at LEAST one of those two things is getting done this year, but hopefully both. We are high interest debt free.... Our plan is to keep both of our student loans in forbearance for the year and pay off Dillon's next year with taxes. and then whittle away and my mass of crazy loans... One month of my loan payments is more then our mortgage is monthly.

We need to pay off our credit cards too, which hubby plans on doing. It's pretty sad though, because we kind of live off that money.

Yeah, it's tough. I've been checking the news, and a lot of changes will happen to free state insurance. If things pass, it would come into effect at the end of this year, which is about a year before we'd be working in fields that provide decent medical plans. I may not be able to work. I just hate that because my husband does everything. :/

I hate that my husband does everything too. I talked to him about it last night even, because I think if I were in his shoes I would be annoyed at me, but he says we'll each be doing this for one another at some point in time, and he doesn't mind since we make ends meet easily on his salary. Which is true. And since he is still persuing a musician career in the future...I guess I'll take over bread winning then. (: Not everything has to be NOW NOW NOW, you girlies need to remember that right now you're taking care of your babies and they're benefiting sooooo much from it. Your job right now is probably more important than theirs, even if theirs is providing the bacon. You don't need me to tell you that, but sometimes a reminder helps.

I started buying groceries with our credit card because it gives us points. >.> Imma use those points on an amazon gift card to make Christmas cheap this year, possibly free. xD Buy with credit card, pay off the same month with money in the account. win/win. :D

I need to bug Scott to get his W-2. >.> Everyone is getting their returns and I haven't even started on mine yet! D:

I am scared for the future :/

I've read that if you don't have health insurance coverage that you pay for, when the plan comes into effect you will have to pay a fine. The fine will be like $200 a month and health insurance is close to $600 for a family our size. Unfortunately Dillon and I did not chose professions that offer insurance either. So we are screwed all the way around.... Worse yet Dillon has not gotten his associate or BFA :/ and talking to him about it leads to arguments because he wants to go back to school but doesn't know how he could manage school and a full time job even though his college of choice now offers BFA's online now (OMG have I seen advertisements for it EVERYWHERE I SWEAR it's a sign!). But daycares and art don't pay well either. I've been questioning my degree for 3 years now.... :/ I think what the government is doing is WRONG! Insurance is nothing but GAMBLING... There are religions out there that view insurance as a SIN, because you are spending $200+ a MONTH on the chance that you or someone in your immediate family are going to get GRAVELY ill or injured. Uninsured one doctor visit for me is $120 but I go once maybe twice a YEAR. For kids well child visit are less if I remember right. And a pap at PP is cheaper too I think. Dillon goes to the doctor even less each year. And the kids have gotten to the age where they only need to go once a year as well. (minus Ellie who goes every 1-2 months or so.) But really... The 4 of us going at the $120 rate is $960 a year. For Ellie it would be $720 until she is a year old then it would just be the same as ours at $240 a person for approximately two visits a year. But to insure our family it would be $7200 as opposed to $1680 for the first year of Elizabeth's life (less once she is older) even just paying the $200 a month would be more then our average NEED for doctors.. That is not to mention insurance have COPAYS as well... They are evil crooked companies!


OM freaking G My children & brother are driving me freaking BONKERS!!!! Mikes stayed home from school "sick" he had a fever this morning so there is actual proof he was sick. But he is not laying down and resting now that the tylonal has kicked in... He's complaining that he can't watch TV or pick movies or be up bouncing off the walls and he's freaking whinny to boot. Sean pooped his pants this morning wiped it on a pillow, LIED to me about it for 10 minutes, took another 30 to change OUT of the dirty underwear and has been bouncing off the freaking walls and ignoring everything I say.... Ellie has been super needy for almost a week now. She wants to nurse non-stop and putting her down anywhere (even if she is asleep) she immediately starts screaming like someone is stabbing her... And my lazy pain in my ass brother sits on the fucking desktop (that just EATS fucking electricity) all flippin day. I have to ask him to do anything in the house and 99% of the time he doesn't FINISH what I ask him to do.... Like the dishes that are STILL flipping sitting in the sink after he did ONE flipping load... I'm at my wits end right now. Dillon works too long to pick up much of the slack. And Ellie won't let me do anything and the boys are undoing anything I do manage to get done... I feel like crying right now....

Right! Jazzy, are you planning on staying in your house instead of leaving when the mandatory time period is up? Because if you're not planning on staying you should just save the money you were considering for repairs (EG driveway/fence) unless it also improves the value of the property to more than what you paid for it + the cost of renovations. When I made my last post I knew there was something else I wanted to say to you but couldn't remember what it was... xD


Aaaaaaand :hug: Tell your brother that if he plans on staying with you he needs to pick up the slack and take care of some of the chores that need doing. If he's not paying rent, or any of the bills he really does need to help out in some way. I think he's been there past what I consider my standard two week guest and become a bit of a tenant. He needs to do something to earn his keep.
Kura was the same way. Putting her down was impossible. I got a sling for her and she just stayed on me ALL DAY. But it made me stronger so I really can't complain.
Ewwwww poop on pillows. D: Boys. They're so gross sometimes.

Boys are gross! :P I'm sorry they aren't behaving for you today Jaz! and yeah! tell the brother he better start helping if he wants to stay! I think could tell my own brother that, but hubby's brothers...:P it's hard.

That insurance bull crap scares me too. like they think charging a fine every month will help families out. pppffftttt!! that would harm us more than do good. shoot some people would rather pay out of pocket, because they only go like once or twice a year. i hope that shit doesn't go into effect. :P

The improvements would raise the value of the house! Just adding grass would increase the value of the house drastically... And Putting up a fence that isn't in such bad disrepair (the rod iron fence isn't finished and is no good for keeping anything in or out even if it was and the wood fence is in TERRIBLE condition!)will help me do so, not to mention keep me from going crazy with the stupid amount of strays running in and out of our yard digging and crapping in my yard where my kids play, and tormenting MY cat. We aren't sure what we want to do with the house but selling it is off the menu until the economy is better (and hopefully the AREA get better in that time too so that we aren't getting docked for being in a not so great part of town.)... But even if we bought a new house and I used the house like I want to by turning it into a daycare the fence would be needed and the driveway could be used as a bike area.

I've told my brother he needs to help out, and though he doesn't fight about anything I ask him. He NEVER finishes anything I ask on the day I ask, and he almost never does it all... As of the 15th the money my mom was giving us is done with... She paid $600 for him to stay with us a month and a half. But he is eating almost $100 a week in food alone. :/ He's making me nuts... I feel terrible for Dillon cause it is putting me in a HORRID mood and all I do is complain to him about it cause I am lacking the balls to lay down the law. He asks for the washer and dryer when he has nothing left instead of giving me warning a day or two before. And 90% of the time it is when I am washing diapers or trying to wash school clothes that the kids refuse to put in the laundry basket so now they are out of clothes too....

I need to find my wrap and watch the tutorial for it as I forgot how to put it all together. I don't know how I lost the wrap in the first place I had it in the living room when Ellie was born (it was Sean's when he was a baby so I washed it and it was hanging on my coat rack but I clean that off and now I have NO clue where it wound up)... Ellie's not usually so needy... I don't know what is up with her lately... But yeah the sling/ wrap was what I've wanted to do just have gotten the chance to find said item...

As for Sean he's regressing just like Mikes... Just his isn't causing as much problem because he isn't doing it in bed (the pillow was in the box he was playing in this morning) so laundry isn't NEAR as bad... Cause it is usually just his underwear he gets dirty sometimes his pants not an entire bed + PJ's and underroos... But cleaning poo undies is soooo much grosser then cleaning pee beds...

Jaz, I still can't do anything most days because Terra is still needy. I just started cutting back her nursing sessions and she's instead become obsessed. If I'm in proximity, she's grabbing my tits and crying. I think I need to rethink the strategy because she's clearly bothered. But she's 17 months old. Sigh.

Her infancy consisted of me sitting in a chair, nursing what felt like 24/7, until she started solids. After that I could get a moment to cook a decent meal and do the dishes. Now? I have to put her in her booster seat with fruit so I can unload and load the dishwasher. She's a very needy child. Love her to pieces, but I'm so tapped out right now. I need to sleep for an entire day. I feel like I'm failing her.

And Mellie, I actually needed to hear that today, that raising children is more important than work. I feel like a useless slob most days who does nothing. I'm so exhausted by the time Cole comes home that I feel like all I do is ask him to do this or that. I don't know if it's winter, or what, but I feel like I'm failing all the way around and I'm doing nothing to fix anything. ~_~;

Aw i remember my ex's neice and nephew being like that at that age though, so needy. She couldn't even go to the bathroom or dry her hair, they'd start crying! Even if they were left with somebody else for the 5 minutes. She had to be within eye level at all times bless em. And the older boy was incredibly hard to get to sleep for a while, she sometimes had to sit with him till he dropped off which could be hours cause he wanted mummy with him. She was definitely glad he got out of that haha.

But then after about 2 they started doing their own thing more, and didn't seem as bothered where mummy was 24/7. Unless they were out and mum went to the toilet without them leaving them with granny or auntie me or uncle ex xD

sorry to jump in during the middle of your conversation, but hi! i'm new here and i think this looks like an awesome hangout.

Hey Pipi, Im new in here too, just found out im pregnant so im lurking for advice here n there haha.

ohh, congrats!

mine is growin up too fast. :c he's 15 months but he's at about the level of a 2 year old.

they do have a growth spurt don't they. i remember my ex's nephew shooting up after 1, people think he's 5 when they look at him in pics, he's only 3, right little man.

I knew his neice and nephew pretty much from birth so thats my experience haha. Also babysit for my best friends alot they're 2 and 4 ^^

And im not sure if its a congrats in my case yet. it wasn't planned and im not really ready i was going to go UK college this september to up my credits for university to become a small school teacher. But at the same time i love kids so much i dont think i could abort D=

well, if you ever need any advice or someone to vent to, let me know! :3 when i had eli i was completely unprepared, it was entirely unexpected and i was terrified! i didn't really have anyone who could sympathize back then and i know i could've used it.

Aw, its good to see it worked out eh.

Are you with the dad or single?
Im not with the dad but we do have alot of history, and i know he'd support me where money was concerned and perhaps lifts too cause he drives, but we're not in a relationship anymore. It was sort of an arrangement we had...so def an unexpected pregnancy. So it'll be super hard me being a single mum, but like i say, if i did keep it im pretty sure he'd support me after the sudden shock D=

i'm single too. babydaddy.. well, we'll just say we're not on the best of terms and he doesn't pay child support because he's a loser.

Aw. I bet it was tough then!

I really don't know what babydaddy's reaction will be. But as close as we are, i'd HOPE he was an adult about it if i decided to keep it and offered support. He's nearly 27, he works fulltime, and he has his own 1 bed flat and a car, so if he refuses to pay, i could take it up with services and make him anyway i think xD

I know it'll be hard if i choose this. Its just bad timing with wanting to go back to studying to become at least a nursery assistant. But i suppose if i have the baby i'll just have to wait a few years till it starts school. If im single i'd struggle to work or study anyway, unless i found worlds best babysitter or won the lottery to afford a childminder. But then again i'd rather do it myself, without help, so i can turn around in years to come and say yes i did it, everybody told me it was a bad idea but i did it, by myself, with no help, and i'm never happier!

exactly!

it sounds like you have a really good attitude. once the word gets out, hopefully you'll find that you have more supporters than enemies and it'll make your decisions a lot easier. you'll figure it out, hun. :hug:

Yeah lets hope, thanks Pipi. I should find out how many weeks i am next week, had to do another test at the doctors so they can confirm it their side. But i think im about 8 weeks, so still some time to decide what to do and ask advice. Im not going to tell the dad till i know how far along i am, just seems easier that way xD

yeah, it's probably a wise idea to wait since you'll want to be as informed as possible for the barrage of questions you'll be getting from him. i'm excited for you, regardless of what you choose! this is a really good learning experience.

Lavinia, both my kiddos were a surprise too. well i wanted Jacob, but kaleb we didn't try for. it is pretty scary, but i could never give them up. I did have to put school on hold, and I don't regret it. Being a mom is fun, but can be frustrating. I'm here to chat too, if you need help with anything! :hug:

Heh, yeah i can imagine. I've wanted kids for so long though its just typical it was at the wrong time xD

But hey, sometimes it works out for the better even if its bad timing! We'll just have to wait and see.

Whats your kid called anyway? He got any funny habits atm?