Fingertips

So, for . . . oh, I don't know, the last year-ish or so . . . I've been feeling like I'm just barely hanging on by my fingernails. I'm trying to focus on the positive, but between kids, work, finances, the house (oh, the house!), and all the little obligations (don't get me started on thank-you notes), it's really hard to feel even marginally competent.

Summer is rapidly winding down--but there are still a couple of weeks, I tell you!--and I'm trying to at least to where I feel like I've advanced from fingernails to fingertips.

So, as of today, the kids can play downstairs! Oh, you have no idea. We have a bi-level (or a raised ranch, as we called it where I grew up). For the last year, we have lived almost exclusively in the upstairs. The downstairs has been reserved for guests (the guest room), work (on top of piles of paper in the office or on top of piles of junk in the family room), laundry, and late-night Ne.t.f.lix viewing or work on finances. We had one little oasis of a five-foot diameter play yard, which the kids hated unless one of us was in there with them. And as of now, it is babyproofed enough that I can bring the kids down and they can play while I fold laundry, do some work, whatever. Hallelujah!

And another thing! We started D.a.ve R.ams.ey on Christmas Eve this past year. And thank God we did! We started using a budget (we are AWFUL at it, but we're doing our best) just when Mr. X's business started slowing down. We cut back our spending, and we're continuing to try to cut whatever we can. Our intent was to pay off our debts, but between slower work and even slower payment from clients, we haven't made much of a dent. But--and this is important--we're doing fine financially, because we started paying attention. If we hadn't been paying attention, we could have gotten into a bit of a mess here. It's also giving me hope about the whole work situation because, for the first time in a long time, we know how much we're spending on what. Once we figure out how much we can cut our expenses, we'll have a much better idea of how much income we actually need . . . and whether I can cut back on work at all to spend more time with the kids. I feel like I have to say that it's not as though we spent money wantonly in the past. Our big area of frivolous expense was eating out. And now we don't :)

I'm so behind with the blog. Nicholas had a birthday, too, but I was weirdly sick on his birthday (woke up in the middle of the night with severe vertigo that gave me motion sickness), so I still haven't finished the photo post for his birthday. I may end up posting it for his adoption anniversary (Friday! Already!) instead. And now, I'd better get back to the little bit of work I'm trying to finish up during the simultaneous nap so that I can keep what momentum I have going.