...for tax documents to arrive! Specifically, I'm waiting on my daughter's 1098 from her college. I checked the school's site, and they will be mailed out on Jan 31, and they aren't available electronically - arg! I have all else that I need for our taxes and the fafsa for my two oldest. As soon as the 1098 arrives, I can finish it all up.

Tomorrow I took off from work due to medical appointments for my two youngest (had to take a whole day as the appt overlaps morning and afternoon half days.) With the extra time off, I'm going to try to figure how to get reimbursed from the fsa. In the past, we were issued a debit card, and it was very simple to use. Now we're supposed to file a claim, one per person with original receipt. Because the only way we can get our meds is through the insurance's mail-order, we get several prescriptions for multiple family members on one receipt. Hopefully they'll have an easy answer....

I'm also doing a quick gathering of donations tonight, as the donation drop-off is near tomorrow's appointment. So far this month, I've dropped off about ten sacks of household and clothing two other times. Why does it still amaze me how much we can keep clearing out of our house?

It started snowing last night, and has continued all day. It took me and the girls thirty minutes to get to school, only four miles away. Unfortunately, my husband had a job that took him to Eau Claire, WI today, so hopefully he'll have no trouble getting home. I'm making chili to warm us all up tonight.

Stay warm!!

Work - I recently made a lateral position change, which has been great. I work in a public school with special ed kids, and well, luckily there are rewards beyond the paycheck. Since I've gone back to work (after being home with my girls for eleven years) my paycheck has been for the extras in our life. We have no debt, and are currently in the midst of the pay-as-we-go college years for my girls. After the youngest graduates college, my husband and I can collapse, err, I mean retire! Specifics for now would be to enjoy my new position and that I get to learn right along with my students.

Myself/Home/Life - As for myself, I say if I haven't made peace with myself by this age...well, there is the general losing a little weight and getting into shape and a little damage control. The specific is attending AND FOLLOWING the Weight Watchers that I'm paying for - there's a saying at the meetings that you should track your foods only the weeks you want to lose. Well, it's quite true! I also try be active daily, with longer periods on the weekend/days off. I am needing to get a haircut this weekend too.

As for my home, what I said above about making peace applies here too! My husband and I bought our starter house, and then stayed and added our own wear and tear. While we chose to not upgrade our house size, we did upgrade our family size, and we've lived to tell the tale. Our house is not young (built in 1925) and not so big (1200 sq.ft.) Every owner has left their unique mark (including, but not limited to, the bank of windows along the house's front placed unevenly apart, the upstairs heat vents cut into the floors with no ductwork, the oh my 1940s newspaper insulation in part of the attic, and our very own mark, creating a half bathroom upstairs out of the lone closet on the second floor - utmost priority to a pregnant woman.) The specifics mean we fix and replace, clean and purge on a regular basis. When it stops is the day we move to assisted living!

As for my life, I wouldn't change a thing at the moment :-) I go a lot on my gut feeling, and if a change needs to be made, I give it a good think, list the pros and cons, and take a chance. Life's too short to not enjoy it! I also try to not have too many regrets as I go along - the cliches that I live by. Through the years this has seen me through job changes, the chance to be home with my girls, as well as time spent with both my parents at the ends of their lives. Specifically I keep reminding myself to not wish away anything as it all goes by too fast.

Interesting, interesting...what a thoughtful topic Ceejay has presented. I'm looking forward to seeing what others write!

...even my old standby highlight and copy wasn't keeping them safe. Well, maybe I was just too wordy!

So short and sweet-

Oldest back to college and new room is working out. Got her bill for 2nd term with an increased state grant amount - surprised, but will take it!

My new job is a blast! I moved over to our middle school, and a very different experience than early childhood, but I'm loving it. Same special ed needs, just taller kids!

We're on the search for a new range. We replaced the washer, dryer, and dishwasher in Oct. I guess the range too is feeling its use and age. (This is what we get for buying all of our appliances all at once eons ago!) Luckily we've been skimming along using the burners and crockpot and microwave, so as to do some comparison shopping. My husband is very handy, but when we priced the part needed for the repair and figured in the age and wear of the appliance, it made sense to find a good sale. (Fingers crossed for our hard working frig - we need a couple more years and then we could downsize a little too.)

As many here have mentioned, I too am awaiting the tax forms to do our taxes and fafsa (for two girls this year!) Soon enough we'll have an idea of what to expect to pay for next year with two in higher educational pursuits - it's like you want know, but you don't want to know :-) I just keep throwing money into the savings in anticipation of what it might be. We didn't have the means earlier on, but learn from me - you'll be so thankful for any dollars saved ahead. The pay-as-you-go method is hair-raising!

Ok, getting a little wordy at the end, but I'll try it, and hopefully it'll publish! Take care!!

...though the list may be endless!

Drove off the other day without the three bags of donations - so I have a good start to this year's donations. Thrift-o-rama commented in my last post about checking out resale shops. We do sell (and buy!) from Plato's Closet, but ours is pretty particular about what labels are on the clothing and they can be no older than last year's season. These were my oldest's who keeps her clothes a while and most were Target brand (not quite what they look for at this store.) My second is the fashion girl, and so has more luck selling to Plato's. There are other resale places, but not nearby, and we have found each store has a particular look they will purchase (and it's not often the eclectic jumble of clothes we acquire:-)

I have to make one last return - a pair of snow gloves for my youngest. I picked up a large youth size, and somehow, some way she's bigger than that! My baby!! Will exchange them for a pair that fits.

I did get to Sam's a couple days ago, so we are pretty stocked up food-wise for a while. I bought a huge beef roast there that I put in the crockpot yesterday for shredded beef sandwiches. It smelled wonderful cooking all day as we took down our tree and cleaned the house. We then brought it and other meal items over to dad-in-law's yesterday to eat after we took down his tree and decor. There are lots of it leftover, so that's what we're eating tonight.

I've been reminding the girls to get their school stuff together for tomorrow. I start my new position too, and am figuring out a new routine for the morning, as I have an earlier start time. Much of the household tasks got done before I left for work, but we'll have to see how it all works (I'm an early riser, but 5 or after is more my style, and I already do that!) I have a couple of crockpot meals planned. There's one medical appt and a marching band night, but otherwise a pretty quiet week. Yay!!

My oldest will be heading back to school next weekend, and we may head up with her to help her get settled in her new place, depending on who of her friends is up there to help. Either way we'll buy her what groceries and the few items she'll need.

I have a couple of bills to pay out this week. I'm starting to collect what's needed for the taxes and fafsa (two this year!) ...like I say, the list never ends......so I better get to it!

Take care!

...though the list may be endless!

Drove off the other day without the three bags of donations - so I have a good start to this year's donations. Thrift-o-rama commented in my last post about checking out resale shops. We do sell (and buy!) from Plato's Closet, but ours is pretty particular about what labels are on the clothing and they can be no older than last year's season. These were my oldest's who keeps her clothes a while and most were Target brand (not quite what they look for at this store.) My second is the fashion girl, and so has more luck selling to Plato's. There are other resale places, but not nearby, and we have found each store has a particular look they will purchase (and it's not often the eclectic jumble of clothes we acquire:-)

I have to make one last return - a pair of snow gloves for my youngest. I picked up a large youth size, and somehow, some way she's bigger than that! My baby!! Will exchange them for a pair that fits.

I did get to Sam's a couple days ago, so we are pretty stocked up food-wise for a while. I bought a huge beef roast there that I put in the crockpot yesterday for shredded beef sandwiches. It smelled wonderful cooking all day as we took down our tree and cleaned the house. We then brought it and other meal items over to dad-in-law's yesterday to eat after we took down his tree and decor. There are lots of it leftover, so that's what we're eating tonight.

I've been reminding the girls to get their school stuff together for tomorrow. I start my new position too, and am figuring out a new routine for the morning, as I have an earlier start time. Much of the household tasks got done before I left for work, but we'll have to see how it all works (I'm an early riser, but 5 or after is more my style, and I already do that!) I have a couple of crockpot meals planned. There's one medical appt and a marching band night, but otherwise a pretty quiet week. Yay!!

My oldest will be heading back to school next weekend, and we may head up with her to help her get settled in her new place, depending on who of her friends is up there to help. Either way we'll buy her what groceries and the few items she'll need.

I have a couple of bills to pay out this week. I'm starting to collect what's needed for the taxes and fafsa (two this year!) ...like I say, the list never ends......so I better get to it!

Take care!