Moving

   Did I mention we bought a house? We did. It was the split level I liked, which I mentioned in an earlier post. Now the time issue regarding student loans, has changed some. First it was pushed back to September 15, instead of June, and it might not have affected me, since I had an established payment. So a little part of me is like darn! we could have gotten something new and better with more time to look. But I suppose I'd drive myself better thinking like that (there will ALWAYS be missed opportunity), and I like the house.

   Today I will be busy finalizing summer school plans. I am going to have an intern from MSU, which on the one hand will be nice, but on the other, I wanna do it myself, wah. Anyway. I need to have everything organized and ready for the going-into-kindergarteners on Monday. I am excited! We are going to be trying out the new technologies for math and reading (basically, they will be working on software in each up to 30 minutes a day, each), and also doing a fun thing called-oh, I don't remember, but basically, you give them materials (and possibly a project or problem to solve), and they get to find a creative way to make something on their own. It's supposed to trial and error. It sounds like a great idea to me. The only thing I didn't like was during the training  we were working in groups of four, and I really felt I could do better work if I could just take the materials to my corner and work on them, and then share with the group. I needed time to actually touch and manipulate the materials, and I couldn't do that with the group. So I will let them work individually if they choose, and then have them share the results. I think the hard part will be not just letting it turn into arts and crafts.

   We plan to move the big furniture out tomorrow, but we won't have cable moved over until Tuesday. That is going to be unpleasant. It'll be like 1994 without any internet. I used to read a lot more. I personally will be too busy to care too much, but the kids'll be bored. 

   I'll post pics, soon.

Still Waiting

We have to provide some more information. This makes sense, since we closed a CD and put it in the bank account to pay bills down. However on our statements and online it just says, "Deposit." We are unable to show where it came from. The bank wrote in the CD and the number of the CD and notorized it, but was unable to print something that said it was from a CD. Hopefully that will work. Now that we are getting closer to closing date, I am getting a little nervous. It's only 2.5 weeks away, and we aren't sure yet?

I also let Taryn look in the windows and drove Caleb by, so I feel like more people would be involved if it results in a disappointment.

I am trying to be all zen about it, you know, "If it's meant to be it will be. Otherwise, something better is waiting."

But the law on student loans and home loans is changing supposedly (and it's not in my favor-if it does it will hurt the market), and I am  up at 3 a.m. stressing, so I don't know how well the zen thing is working.

And I feel sick. 

An Offer

We put in an offer on a home..and it was accepted. Now to just wait it out.

After years of expecting Liam to go to school at Rountree or to find a southeast school, it's sort of weird to think he will start at Horace Mann in August (although he is signed up for summer school at Rountree). This was never an area I imagined moving. But here we are. Now we just have to hope there are no bumps in the loan, and life moves smoothly on.
I am a little scared, but also apprehensive about moving. At least the boys will have summer school, so I can move things slowly through the summer. I think I have Gabe signed up for M/W/F mornings this summer. I will have to doublecheck. I guess it's a good thing I didn't find a summer school job.



House pics

House hunting is supposed to be fun, right?

So we met with the realtor and looked at five houses today.

Number one, had some little problems, but overall we loved it and wanted it. It had a big backyard, the neighborhood was nice and clean, four bedrooms (although they were on the small side, a separate laundry room, a big deck.

The second house was big with five good-sized bedrooms, and in a quiet, almost country neighborhood. BUT the backyard was quite small, and that is just a dealbreaker. 

The third was in a nice SE neighborhood, but unfininshed. The buyer could choose the trimmings, but there is a time crunch that might be a problem (and the basement smelled damp).

The fourth Karl loved. It was quiet big. Four bedroom, three full baths, various levels (even a deeper extra room. The yard was big, had a treehouse, a wooded area along the back. Karl was ready to move it, but there there were things that bugged me. Like mildew on the shower grout, which I know can be changed, but...and just little shabby things that bugged me. And the neighborhood was Mark Twain and just not quite as nice as I'd like. Karl wants this house. 

The fifth I loved, it was an older home which has been updated, but there is no bathroom upstairs which is just crazy. 

So Karl keeps asking me what is wrong with the fourth, and I keep telling him my gut says I don't want to live there. So blah.

Tomorrow, we are going to look at the fourth and the first again in reverse order, and see how we feel. Ugg.

Just an Update

We called a loan officer and started all the stuff for buying a house. We didn't ask the right questions (things like rates and fees) because we just expected a big no.
Although we weren't pre-qualified for as much as we had hoped, we did get an approval for 150K (it was 115K when we were making half as much, but then I guess actually being able to pay the bill is helpful. It costs a lot to feed my family), which would easily buy a 4 bedroom house somewhere, if we can find someone to take our terms (they have to cover closing costs). Someone will be desperate enough.

I can't really say I am excited, because we have been here before and still been denied in the end. But, I guess it won't have a chance to happen unless we try.

Buying a House

We are thinking of trying to buy a house again. We tried 3 years ago, when I was pregnant with Gabe. I didn't think it would happen, but we went through the process, and then a month before closing (a month after making the offer). Bam. No go. So. I am scared. Money is my weak spot, and an area that just makes me tense and nervous and sick. And I am not pretty enough for a rich, Prince Charming apparently (although Karl Evans isn't so bad;o)). So. I . am. scared. Being human, disappointment isn't a feeling I desire. In fact, it's about the worst feeling, isn't it?

We are doing our final credit score checks, before we head to the bank so they can do their own "real" checks.

Last time, we were told we were denied because with income based repayment on my student loans I didn't have to pay anything. They said if it says zero, then they will take the full amount. Although I still owe zero, I have been claiming one less dependent to mohela in order to have to make payments. But I just redid it, and it's zero again. So I have to send a new form in quick, because they put it in forbearance without my permission, so I can owe zero. But supposedly that is what hurt us. We'll find out.
And even if that is okay, apparently banks just aren't approving many people right now.

so I am going to chin up, find the strength (really, I just need to disengage emotionally, I guess), and go through the steps. If it doesn't happen..we'll maybe in another three years.

Gabriel's speech and language therapy

When Gabe turns three in August he will no longer qualify for First Steps. We are in the process of having him evaluated to see if he is eligible to receive services through the public schools. He has improved so much, the lady doing the evaluation didn't even give him the extra speech screening. It wasn't until she was scoring the test and reading through my surveys that she realized he was in First Steps. She then asked why, and after I told her for speech and language, she took him back to test him again. Then she said she would go ahead and give him a referral for further testing with Shining Stars. So even if he doesn't qualify (which is okay, because his daycare will not let a therapist in for some reason), he must not be too far off target.

His DIAL screening was great: 94th percentile overall. He scored 99 on concepts. I am sure it is from the preschool and the one-on-one time with the play therapist. It's weird though, because Liam's DIAL screening was so poor, but Liam appears to know so much. I know the screening is just looking for possible problems, but the lady who screened Liam actually suggested seeing if he qualified for The Wonder Years. I guess I am feeling like it's an intellectual slam on him, but his true issues lie in motor control. He did score below average in language, which blew me away, because he has known letters and their sounds for quite a while. I am not really concerned with his intellect, but I am concerned with his ability to conform to expectations. I guess I worry too much. It's just if an outsider is seeing something different, then he might start viewing himself as different. He is already self-conscious of his body and says he needs to lose weight. I don't want him worrying about his mind. His teacher said he is quite smart, but what good is it, if he doesn't SHOW it? Eh, I don't know. I probably just need to focus on his motor skills and let his teachers worry about his academic pursuits. I don't think he will have problems learning, just cooperating. He is quite a stinker. But his preschool teacher said his behavior is in line with other boys his age, so am probably just worrying over nothing. I don't know why I  worry over him so much. It probably doesn't help that Gabe is quite compliant, and even apologizes when he misbehaves. Gabe is pure sweetness (with a bit of sibling rivalry with Liam, thrown in).

Anyhoo, Gabe will get further testing for S and L, and I woke up too early (not for any reason, just that Gabe came in my room).

Funny thing, Gabe's reported self-help score was 1%. I guess we aren't letting him do as much as other kids are doing. He isn't potty-trained either. He was getting there, but I just got tired of pee all over everything and decided to wait until summer. Plus it just isn't the point of pride that it was when I was younger. Who cares?