The End May Actually Be in Sight...

RoaringTwenties

CathT wrote: »

Hi RoaringTwenties, just found your diary and wanted to let you know I enjoyed reading it. I also have a 6 and 3 year old and took something from the recent posts about enjoying these early years. I think sometimes that life goes so fast, we forget to live in the moment.

Good luck with the rest of your MF journey.

Hi CathT, glad you enjoyed my diary, thanks for reading . I said to my OH last night that I must spend much more time enjoying DD as it's hit me that's she off to nursery now so I haven't got much longer with her and then I've been so busy today I've largely left her to watch Peppa :rotfl:

I'll try & get on to your diary at some point, but I think you've been posting for a while so it might take me a bit of time to read through! Good luck with your MF journey too :money:

RoaringTwenties

Well the Dyson arrived less than 24 hours after I placed the order, which is flipping good going! Haven't had a chance to charge it up & faff with it yet mind

Managed to get DS a second pair of the Autism-friendly jeans in another branch of Sainsys but they were still full price grrrr :mad:

I'm keeping an eye on our figures and they are looking quite good, although I know that the boiler or similar will go & eat up the surplus . I had worked this out as a 4 week month (OH gets paid at 4.5 weeks!) but if we have a surplus at the end I'll stretch us a few days past pay day & make it a 5 week month & that'll make for an easier Feb. In all this shifting of weeks & budgets etc I'm reminded of Dolly in dinnerladies when she is taking about what treats she can have on her diet, she says something like "If I have semi-skimmed milk today I can have full fat tomorrow & if I call tomorrow Saturday I could have a Kit Kat" Am I the only one who gets that?! :rotfl:

RoaringTwenties

Warning: long post upcoming...:D

Well we have a decision on DLA & we've got more than we expected. To be honest that's because we didn't really expect anything! We are so used to DS just being DS, we don't really 'see' his disability, even though it dominates. Managing him has been so instinctive, & we had nothing to compare him to, it was only when DD came along that we realised just how developmentally untypical he is. It's been hard to face, reading through the form & notes & finding how much of it speaks of his many difficulties was both upsetting & validating. I can see why they have awarded what they have, it was a very honest application & supported by letters from the school SENCO & the diagnosing Dr (he never went to the MAAT panel as was so clearly Autistic he was diagnosed on the spot as it were.)

We've decided that the extra money will go towards helping him, & then we're going to make equivalent OPs from our salary. I know it's the same pot of money but psychologically it'll feel different, just like paying all the inheritance off the mortgage helped us to feel we hadn't wasted a penny of G&G's money, even though that then freed us up to take some of 'our' remaining money for a few treats!

The plan is to get our remaining mortgage fully paid off, hopefully in 1 year & 9 months, & then start to pay off our little BTL which will eventually be a fallback home for DS. It was our first home together, we have clung onto it for 10 years on IO with virtually no equity! It is only down the road so we can still be close to him as he effects an almost certainly longer than usual transition to independent living. I know none of us have a crystal ball, he could turn out to be the next Alan Turing (unlikely!) but if he isn't able to be in the sort of permanent, long term work that secures & services a mortgage (& that's going to be hard for any of his generation, let alone someone with his issues) then at least he'll always have a roof over his head.

We've decided to make sure DD has the equivalent monies in inheritance/investments in the longer term & also there may be things we can do in terms of ownership of the flat between them to protect both their interests, DD as protector of DS after we're gone etc. But that's all for the future...

Phew, it's been an emotional few days working it all out. But we feel we really can secure DS' future now & that's a phenomenally reassuring thing <tries not to sniff a bit>

In other news I've resisted the last bits of the sales, despite them hitting the dizzying heights of 70% off :money:. DS has asked to go to the powshe garden centre for lunch on Sun to which we've said a resounding yes! And on Sat he's going to a party at soft play which he'll love, any opportunity to chuck himself about . The cakes in the cafe there aren't much cop so I'll save myself some money & some calories there :T

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend xx

Crumpets

Hi RT, I'm so happy that you have been awarded DLA for Ds, it sounds like it will make the future much more secure for him which is brilliant :T it's amazing to think you will be MF in just over 18 months too, what a wonderful position to be in. (I'm just a tad envious about that, but very happy for you )

It sounds like Ds will have a lovely weekend with lots of fun and treats, which is what life should be like, not just for the kids but for us all enjoy your lovely lunch, and perhaps you can sneak a bit of nice cake into the soft play so you don't miss out :rotfl: :cool:

RoaringTwenties

Crumpets wrote: »

Hi RT, I'm so happy that you have been awarded DLA for Ds, it sounds like it will make the future much more secure for him which is brilliant :T it's amazing to think you will be MF in just over 18 months too, what a wonderful position to be in. (I'm just a tad envious about that, but very happy for you )

It sounds like Ds will have a lovely weekend with lots of fun and treats, which is what life should be like, not just for the kids but for us all enjoy your lovely lunch, and perhaps you can sneak a bit of nice cake into the soft play so you don't miss out :rotfl: :cool:

Thanks Crumpets Sorry you might have a mortgage for a tad longer btw, but the way your OPs are going you'll be MF before I've finished this post

Ooh I hadn't thought of smuggling quality cake in! I like your style there :beer: :rotfl:

RoaringTwenties

Well DS thoroughly enjoyed chucking himself about at soft play and I was easily able to resist the cakes when I was surprised to see that the cafe had a less than fabulous food hygiene rating :eek:

I very nearly bought some goodies in the M&S final sale yesterday - Xmas pudding & one of those cardboard sleighs with lots of little boxes of choc treats as pretend presents, it was £4.99 reduced from £20 & looked so stylish. Then I reminded myself that we have cupboards full of choc & that as it wasn't a gift no-one would appreciate the packaging. I pulled myself together & moved on

I was supposed to be eating with a friend last night & the kids were going to have fishfingers but friend had to postpone so I nipped into Sainsys & grabbed ingredients to make a cauli cheese & blackberry crumble. I had £7.50 of Nectar points so it only came to £3 :money:

Realised last night we have one nappy left in the house :eek:. So will need to pop back to Sainsys after church today, might also dash up to Wilko & get DS yet another pack of their 2 for £1 gloves as he goes through a pair a week minimum at school (where do they all end up? Is there some great glove vortex somewhere sucking the gloves of all primary school children into it? ) It's predicted to be -3 here this week brrrr

Off to the powshe garden centre for sunday lunch today so I'll be 3 stone heavier tomorrow [STRIKE]but it'll be worth it[/STRIKE]

easylife73

Think your DS's gloves must be in the same place as our teaspoons, we seem to lose them at an alarming rate...have a lovely Sunday lunch

Pushkin

With us its socks that go missing - I have a basket of odd socks which I think currently has 12 in it - so somewhere in our house their partners are hiding.

I have never understood it and have to throw the odd socks away every 4 months or so when it becomes apparent they are never going to be matched up.

Where do they go?!!!

RoaringTwenties

You're both so right - teaspoons & socks are the same! Where do they all go <woo woo music> :rotfl:

PS: welcome to my diary Pushkin, thanks for dropping by

Well I've sold two nursing bras on eBay for £1.50! I certainly won't be needing those again :eek:

Bought myself a mug at the powshe garden centre reduced from £12 to £1.99. OH & I were discussing all the intolerances that come with ageing, one of which is the prospect of drinking from a thick rimmed non-porcelain mug. I think we'll be utilising teacups & saucers before too long (little finger appropriately affected )

From the sublime to the ridiculous, it's a fry-up in Asda tomorrow, we'll all get fed for under a tenner

RoaringTwenties

Ooh two posts in a day, this has to be a record [STRIKE]and counting this one it's three[/STRIKE] :rotfl: