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[keljonma]

I am sorry to hear about dh's situation at work, PP! A number of us in Ashtabula County are really feeling the pinch. I know of six families in our church alone that have lost jobs since January. Keep up the prayer. And keep pinching those pennies until they squeal!

 

[TanksHill]

Congrats on the speedy link. It does make doing searches so much easier. Sorry to hear about Dh job. Didn't you say before he works in the cell industry? My dh and father do the construction on sites. They are trying to diversify big time because of all the cuts. It sure roll down hill I tell ya.

Hows baby today? Brothers still spoiling her? I hope so!!!

 

[PamsPride]

Congrats on the speedy link. It does make doing searches so much easier. Sorry to hear about Dh job. Didn't you say before he works in the cell industry? My dh and father do the construction on sites. They are trying to diversify big time because of all the cuts. It sure roll down hill I tell ya.

Hows baby today? Brothers still spoiling her? I hope so!!!

He used to work in the cell industry. AT and T bought out Cellular One. He worked for Cell One for 13 years. Then AT and T bought them and he got the ax!! Which according to one of the guys that got to keep his job that is a good thing because they are horrible to work for! DH's former co-worker, who also got laid off, is now working for a tower company and he is going to talk to him and see if that company is hiring.

Baby girl is doing great! Of course the boys are still spoiling her! They are now using her to get out of work!! If they are holding her then I don't ask them to do dishes, go check for eggs, get wood, laundry etc, etc!!

I can already hear my pennies screaming from all the pinching!!
I am seriously considering not having the boys continue with their piano lessons. That is $40 a month. I am also considering cancelling my 11 yo's speech. The school pays for it but I have to drive to town every Friday for it and then we end up eating lunch out and I go to JoAnn's to go shopping and other stores...plus it is a 45 minute drive one way in our big van....spending money that I probably shouldn't. Last on my list of things to cancel in Tae Kwon Do. I would really like the boys to learn that. It is $12 a week...$48 a month. The $88 for those two activities, plus $8 a month for 4H shooting, then Rangers (don't even want to know what that comes up to each month for four boys...but it sure adds up fast!). They had to buy cars for the Ranger Derby $5 each then to go to the Derby it is a $5 fee for each of them to participate!!! $40 for a car derby!! All that driving in the big van sure does add up! The boys have not missed speech or piano this last two months since I was on bedrest and had the baby. I have not either of those activities since before Christmas. I am really just enjoying staying home and not running 5 days out of the week! Band Monday, piano lessons Tuesday, Rangers/church Wednesday (DH and kids are going but I have stayed home), Tae Kwon Do on Thursday, and speech and 4H shooting on Fridays. Then DH takes the boys to the mens breakfast on one or two Saturdays a month and then Care group the first Sunday evening of the month then the second Sunday evening of the month we watch a friends kids so they can go to a leadership meeting at church.
I feel good enough to drive again BUT I have been telling everyone that I can not drive until March 12th (that is the day my medical discharge papers say) because I just do not want to start that crazy schedule again!
Plus softball practices are going to be starting soon! Maybe I will feel better once I start exercising and doing something for myself that I truly enjoy! Then in May I start a conseal and carry course with my mom and I am thinking about joining my moms wieght loss challenge group at the end of March. Those two activities would put me out of the house two nights a week ALL by myself!! I am about jumping out of my skin I am so excited about the C&C course! I am ho-hum about the weight loss challenge but it would get me up and out to talk with other adults...and the chance to win nearly $200!! My mom will drive to both of those activities.


Note to self: Do not eat pizza, Doritos, and Dr. Pepper for supper and then again for breakfast and then expect your weight to go down instead of UP!!

 

[PamsPride]

The second laptop that we had bit the dust last night!! I have no idea what happened to it! I went grocery shopping and DH used it while I was gone! I came home and tried to turn it on and it would not work!! Finally he told me that it stopped working on him!!! So, I am on the old desktop computer which is in 4 yo DD's room so not easily accessable and still be able to see all of the kiddos so I only get to pop in here once in a while.

DH went to go get the wheel barings (??) fixed on his car this morning...$400!! Then they called and said the brand new brakes were really bad and HAD to be replaced because they were wearing all wrong because of the bad wheel barings...I am guessing. Another $200!! This all got put on our credit card!! I HATE putting stuff on our credit card!! I had planned on paying off our HELOC with our income tax return but now it is looking like it will be paying off the cc and the rest of the medical bills...then if there is anything left after that it will go on the HELOC.

I can't complain to much about DH getting his car fixed because he drives over 150 miles a day! I went to drive his car last night to go grocery shopping...to save gas vs driving my big van...and I did not even get a mile off of my road before I turned back around and go my van because the car was vibrating so bad!!
DH just got out of the repair shop and said the cars is running great now!!

 

[Okiemommy]

Sorry to hear about DH's job situation. ;( Keep us posted on how that goes.

I am also considering cancelling my 11 yo's speech. The school pays for it but I have to drive to town every Friday for it and then we end up eating lunch out and I go to JoAnn's to go shopping and other stores...plus it is a 45 minute drive one way in our big van....spending money that I probably shouldn't.

The school district that my kids used to be in gave us a mileage allowance for having to drive our daughter to speech. You might check and see if your district has the same kind of program. Every little bit helps.


I understand about the laptop frustration. The kids dropped my old one and cracked the screen. I have a new one now, and the charger cord has a design flaw(or planned obsolescence) that causes the cord to be replaced every 6 months or so. grrrr

 

[PamsPride]

It is not the going to speech that is really the $$ sucker even though I drive my big van...it is the stopping for lunch and going to JoAnn's and buying fabric and other stuff I just don't need!! LOL!
If you talked to my 11 yo you would not even know that he has/had any speech problems. Actually very few people even know that he is taking speech.


I drove DH's car this evening and OMG the difference is unbelievable from when I tried to drive it last night! It rides so smooth and nice now! It does not feel like the wheels are going to vibrate right off the car now either!

 

[lorihadams]

Isn't it funny....feels like you're driving a totally different car and now you have to get used to it all over again! Sorry to hear about all the cutbacks but glad you guys were able to get the car fixed, even if it had to go on the credit card. I think that would justify an "emergency". I want to keep one credit card for those type situations...problem is that my hubby thinks dinner out is justifiable!

How's our baby girl doing? She gaining anymore weight? Are we up to newborn clothes yet!?

 

[PamsPride]

Nope, not up to newborn clothes yet! She did outgrow one of her preemie outfits though!! She has a Ped appointment March 5th so I will be able to get her weight then. I up dated pics on my blog and if you go back to the other pics that I took when she came home with her next to 4 yo DD's doll you can see the difference. She was 5 weeks old yesterday and Friday was her original due date.


My mom said it is supposed to get down to 8F tonight!! I saw snow flurries earlier!! I am so ready for spring!!

I HAVE go to start getting my butt on the treadmill and working out because I am thinking there is going to be some kind of try outs or something and I want to be on the 'aggressive' team and NOT on Ron's team!!

My mom and I are going to a sewing and quilting convention on March 28th! We have gone before and it is fun and we learn a lot because they let you try out the sewing machines and they have speakers all day long doing demonstrations.

I went to Goodwill on Friday night and got a super cute pillow case for .49 that I am going to make into a pillow case dress for 4 yo DD!

 

[TanksHill]

The aggressive team huh?? Something about women named Pam who play soft ball. I have a sister Pam that plays as well. She is always telling me stories.

The pillow case comment caught my eye. can you elaborate on what your making and maybe post a pic of the dress. I would love to see the finished project.

I have been reviewing my budget as well. I just am not sure where I can cut the fat. We are pretty lean already. Next to go would be The bug man, and the DirectV. I think that just feels a bit desperate. I was hoping it would not come to that.

Tomorrow is another day.

 

[PamsPride]

Some pillow case dresses on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=tag_title&search_query=pillow+case+dress

Here is one I made:
http://pamspride.blogspot.com/2008/08/chocolate-truffles.html

But, for this one I am going to actually use a pillow case. I put elastic in the top across the back and front and then I sewed the ribbon in.

Some other things I want to try:
Towel wrap:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=283149.0

Boys shirt into little girl dress:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=170402.0