Update Post

No Shampoo (Previous Post)

I quit. I know. I suck. I just couldn't do it anymore. It wasn't getting any better and it made me feel really bad about myself. My hair felt like an old dirty wet mop. I felt dirty and awful all the time.

I'm sure it would have turned around eventually, but I am already fighting depression as it is so I felt like it wasn't the right thing for me right now.

But, I am showering a lot less. And when my shampoo runs out, I will be going to the local natural foods store to find a better shampoo for the environment. Any suggestions on what I should be looking for?

Financial (Previous Post)

Unfortunately, there's nothing new to report here. I only have one part time child left. I haven't had any success with getting new kids. What has always worked in the past is putting an ad in the paper in late August. Things are going to be really hard between now and then.

I had hope that two kids would be coming back when their Dad found a new job, but that is not looking good. Their parents had them still getting on and off the bus here everyday with the goal of them coming back soon, but just last week they changed the bus stops to their own house to save gas money. I understand why they did it, but it was heartbreaking. They kids gave me a card that said they will never forget me. They had been coming here for four years.

We contacted our student loans about getting a forbearance. Adam was able to get 7 months. I was only able to get two months. That was disappointing. But at least we have until the Fall for Adam's loan. I hated doing it, but it needed to be done. We'll be paying his loans until we're in an old age home anyway...what's 7 more months, right?

It's hard to cut more from a budget that was already cut when we made the decision to adopt, but we're trying. The biggest change we've made is that we've stopped all eating out/ordering in and I have been cooking a lot more.

Thanks to H from Soldier To Mother for helping me with making my own laundry detergent!

It's really hard not to spend any money when things come up. Like needing a new frying pan. Or Adam's shoes getting worn down so his socks get wet anytime the ground is wet at all. Or our good sheets getting worn down resulting in a giant rip in them. Hopefully those are things we can take care of when we get our tax money. We did our taxes earlier this year than ever before!

I bought discount Valentine's Day chocolate yesterday and I have felt incredibly guilty about it since. I guess that is the really hard thing. Always feeling guilty. Always feeling like I'm doing something wrong. We are in this financial situation because of me.

 

Co-Sleeping (Previous Post)


It's still going very well. We love having Jayden right with us during the night and knowing he is getting the sleep he needs. It's a lot less stress overall.

There have been sacrafices. Like giving up watching TV in bed until I fall asleep. For as long as I can remember I have always fallen asleep watching TV. That was a really hard habit to break.

It does give a new meaning to parenting being a 24 hour a day job, but it won't last forever and I know when we move him to his own bed I will miss this time with him.

Best of all- We all get SLEEP!