:grouphug:

Literally! :D

We really love The Miracle Maker - we watch it every year. Might work?

Boo, Jenny :( I know what you mean about dance being closed - that is the icing on the cake for me, not to have to drive out EVERY afternoon. hope you enjoy that, at least!

Done!

Did anyone else wake up giddy this morning at the thought of spring break? We're off next week, I mean OFF - no ballet, no piano lessons for me to teach, no co-ops to teach at, either. I am almost delirious! Where are y'all going? Who's got a good trip planned they want to share? Anyone else staying put, like we are? I'm Sooooooooo excited to just Be Home! (We went on a multi-state odyssey trip over Christmas; we are bone tired around here). Spring Break, here I come! :hurray:

I remember that we were facing a move mid-ortho treatment. Our ortho said they would work up an approximation of how much had been delivered already (braces + office visits), and pro-rate that against what we had paid, and then give us a balance due. We didn't have insurance that covered it, we were on a payment plan with that ortho's office. We didn't end up moving, though, so I can't say how it worked irl. Hope you get a good solution!

Yes! And from the inside - my ds has just started working for the CFA down the road from us. (Yes, we live .75 miles from a CFA. Be jealous.) They DRILL customer service. It is the reason behind everything they do! It's been very good for ds to work there.

Practical - pay off debt Also Practical - our house needs new roof and windows Would love to - Buy my husband a new flute and pay for braces for him Get my ds a beater car and have money for insurance so he can get his license Or maybe a combination of the above?

What this says. Please, don't deny them this opportunity to help. Maybe if you think of it that way, it will lessen the guilt? And then pay it forward, in whatever way, whenever you can. Even if it's not monetary; by showing extra grace, by blessing someone yourself.

:grouphug: for your daughter :grouphug: for you, too.

Chocolate frosting. Straight. Out. Of. The. Can. :sigh: Five things on my desk: 1. My 8yo's ox cart clay project - I keep it there to remind myself that I'm not an utter failure in the "hands-on project" department 2. An electric pencil sharpener 3. A jar of new AA and AAA batteries - I can't think of a better place for them. 4. My laptop 5. A HUGE stack of papers to grade. I'm around 6 weeks behind. :glare:

Happy dance indeed! :D

Thanks for this - what an amazing thing you did for your daughter. We lived apart for 15 months while dh worked a job about 2.5 hours away in TN - he came home every weekend. This was a few years ago, so all the kids were younger. It. Was. Hard. Really hard. And honestly, during that time I quit caring. I ate terribly, gained a lot of weight (which I still haven't lost), really lost my grounding spiritually. It was hard on the kids, too - they missed their Dad, and he was home every weekend. Which is why I have strong reservations about him being away all year next year. Not just the kids, but for me. I'm just not sure I can make it.

You do know you have to update us. Right? RIGHT???!! :D

Which is why I am SO THANKFUL for this board! See. . . . here I can hash out to my heart's content, whilst letting dh have the peace and quiet he needs right now. :D But do note I stayed far, far away from the cupcake thread. . . . . .;)

Thanks. That's exactly our dynamic. I'd love to jump in, stay up late tonight, get it all hashed out right now. He needs about 2 weeks to think, marinate, process, pray, and think some more. So. . . . we make it work. Marriage :) (Or, as the Impressive Clergyman says. . . . 'Mawwiage!")

He knows how I feel. To continue to harp and bring it up wouldn't be helpful at this point. He has sacrificed so, so much for us. And he needs to work through this for himself; to be honest, I think more quickly on my feet. It would be easy for me to say, 'X,Y,Z. . . so there'. I'm trying to give him the space he needs to think it through without any pressure on my part. Then, once he has the facts straight for himself, we'll discuss together. Does that make sense? It's just our dynamic as a couple.

Tonight's update: Just had a talk with dh. True to his nature, he's unwilling to make a quick decision. He wants to do a good, detailed financial analysis and talk with several people, both in our church and in the university setting. He feels this is his only shot at his dream right now. It's a long story, but basically he walked away from a good job in 2005, to the chaos of what we've lived through. Even though it's only 1 year, it would be a year that he could actually do what he's good at and gifted to do. But. He also said that he doesn't think it's going to work. "I'll be happy to stay at xyz school (current job), just doing whatever I can, to support the family. But I want no regrets. If this isn't going to work, I want to have really thought it through and come to that conclusion." So that's where we are. The waiting, and the holding my tongue while he works this all out for himself, is killing me. I'd appreciate any prayers you might have.

NO way!!!!! I'll not tell my dd. . . she'd be a little wistful. Hope all goes well!

Yes. . . .and when he applied for this job (back in October), he was still cleaning carpets full time, with nothing on the horizon. But now that he's working full-time in music, things are looking up a bit; that makes this a whole 'nother kettle of fish. But even if he were cleaning carpets, it would still be a hard decision.

Thank you all so, so much. You are so encouraging to me! He almost didn't even go for the interview, b/c he knew that the likelihood of him being able to swing this was so low. It has been GOOD for his ego to be "wanted" by someone. . . . . and it really is a great school for his skill set. But. I am so blessed, that he really does understand that he has a responsibility to the entire family, just not himself. In the end, I think he will turn the job down. But it hurts my heart for him. The advice I have gotten from everyone is helping me to know how to encourage him: towards working on his PhD or Ed D from right here, and moving on towards there. If you are a praying type, I would appreciate prayers for me, that I have great wisdom to speak the truth in love.

Aw, honey. . . .:grouphug: Praying.

I think it's just the degree: his theory (ha - no pun intended) was that the BU program had so many qualified applicants, he didn't make the cut (his GRE score was atrocious - he took it many years ago) He could do 1-year residency at the state uni about an hour from here; but honestly I don't know how we'd survive financially. We're already reeling from his long bout of unemployment (lots of consumer debt and no savings). You're right; "terribly frustrated" is the appropriate term here.