...since my last entry! And for good reason, as I started the new summer job on Monday. Challenging, but very rewarding work. I drop off my oldest to her job at the school pool, and then head over to the middle school, where the extended school year classes are (it's the only school with a/c.) The students run the gamut of abilities - autism (I think of contrary1 often!) to physical disabilities to blindness to Down's Syndrome. My second daughter takes care of my two youngest, and I'm home by noon. So far, it's working out great!

The weather has been holding out well for hanging out the laundry, and all meals continue to be at home. This is good, as I don't want to be so busy as to lose out on the savings of these activities. (Hey, I don't make that much at this summer position to slack off!)

We've also come to a less stressful level with my daughters' medical expenses, thankfully. Three visits a week are currently covered by our insurance, and we pay the $25 co-pay for each. One visit a week, we pay at an agreed-upon (with the facility) amount of $35, which we aren't putting through the insurance. They have written up an appeal to our insurance for more visits for my oldest, and then we'll get credited $10 for the $35 visits. We will run out of my oldest's visits covered by our insurance by the end of July. If the appeal doesn't go in our favor, the medical facility has agreed to charge us at $35 for all the visits once our oldest's insurance runs out. My third daughter's number of visits won't run out before the end of the year, so we'll continue paying them at the co-pay amount. I'm so thankful this is at least nearer to what we can afford, given how expensive these visits are uninsured. In addition, we have about $200 a month for all prescriptions. I would have never guessed our medical expenses would become such the beast it has! I know we're extremely lucky to be able to afford the care needed by our daughters, and to be able to keep current on those accounts. (Pooh - it's just not a very fun way to spend near a quarter of our money...enough pouting already!)

Back to the laundry, and need to pick up my oldest at the pool...Take care!