Thank you all for the suggestions. I am going to do what I can. *sigh* This is just a statement of fact but dh will not take a second job. He won't do anything but his job until we move out of the south, so he says. It is just what he says. *shrug* He's rather declare bankruptcy than "work himself into the ground". I just had to throw that out there because a lot of you were asking about dh. :)

OK, based off the advice of everyone I went back through and looked at his pay, my pay, the budget and how many hours I can squeeze out of me. I am going to in 5 extra hours a week. One hour One little hour on my days off that I allotted myself and one hour before bed on the others. That won't be to hard and it puts us over the hump. We still don't come out ahead but we can break even more easily. I am still going to contact the credit card companies about lowering interest rates, even just a couple points could be helpful!

Thank you for all the words of wisdom. Sounds to me like I pretty much have done everything but call the companies myself. I am going to work on that today and tomorrow. Another question, some cards are in only one name or the other. I would need a power of attorney for dh in order for me to speak on his behalf correct?

With everything that has happened to us we have racked up the debt. We had some before that but we were fine and we were making more than the minimum payments. However we are now maxed and can't afford to make all the payments at once. I really, really want to just pay these off and not declare bankruptcy or go through of those agencies that get your payments and interest lowered or whatnot and then you pay them and they in turn pay the credit card companies. I don't remember what they are called. I have looked at Dave Ramsey's baby steps and don't mind trying it but with the current payments what they are we just can't afford it. We are about $200 a month over budget and that is with being on food stamps, which we haven't been approved for yet because our county is really, really slow. We are getting late fees and, if I don't pay this month (which we are going to try to do) we will start getting hit with over the limit fees.I have already trimmed as much fat as I can. No fancy cell plans, no cable TV. We have internet but that is essential since we work from home. Does anyone have any experience in how to go about this? What can I do? I haven't ever had to do this so I am really unsure on how to proceed. We screwed ourselves royally over the last couple months. It wasn't intentional but we sure are paying to price. Any knowledge? I can PM specifics if anyone needs it.

I want something sweet. So I was thinking cinnamon buns with extra icing. However I wanted something a little different too. How does this sound? Adding some toasted hazelnuts (finely chopped) and chocolate to the cinnamon filling and adding some almond paste to the icing? Or vice versa? I am drooling but what do you think?

I sent a letter to my landlord to his PO Box. It is return receipt. I can track it and have been and it hasn't been picked up yet. How long will it stay there until it is returned to me or will it be returned to me? With him being as much as a slacker as he is I am thinking he may not even try to pick up his mail until around rent time but I am not sure. I Can't predict as all what he will do. With all the trouble we are having in this place we haven't heard from him in over 2 weeks. I digress. So how long will to post office keep it there? I couldn't find the info online.

I need one for ds11. He isn't on level so I need it at about a 4-5th grade level. What programs are out there that have baby steps and hand hold a lot? Please? :)

Does anyone know what happens, or what I can do, if my application for food stamps isn't handled (or I haven't heard anything) within the 30 days? I have tried calling but no one calls me back.

Depends on how long he is with them. Usually after a little bit he acts the same with others as with us. :glare: Usually I can deal with it but it has been a horrendous summer and I am just not holding it together like usual. I think dh puts in on me because he has no clue what to do with him. He wants to be able to call it a name and then deal with it that way I guess. Not real sure on that front. It just isn't in his nature to deal with stuff like that. Positive attention... your right, once I am frustrated it is hard to gear up for that. I think when he misbehaves I need to put myself in time out... the only problem is that I take longer to cool off and by the time I do he is usually OK! Hmm... maybe I am on to something there. We have been under tremendous stress and it isn't about to let up yet. That isn't something we can help right now. We are in a waiting game with that. I agree, if I can't contain there is no way he can contain. I do need to work on that. He was seeing an OT but it really wasn't helping... at least I didn't see any difference and we went for 6 months. I need to calm myself first. That needs to be my mantra.

My son (ds5) is being royal pain in the ... He doesn't listen. He complains about everything. Is is my sensory seeker major type A child. If he doesn't get his way he pitches a royal fit. I can't take him anywhere because he won't behave. He destroys things on purpose, he hurts things on purpose (like stepping on your foot when he walks by). I have tried all sorts of discipline. Time-Out, spanking, yelling (obviously that doesn't work) and I can't remember what else. I have tried to remain calm, I have tired patience but that can only last for so long before I blow my stack. Dh doesn't help. He just says he has a mental disorder or something. He isn't hungry (he just ate), he isn't tired (he napped a couple hours ago). Maybe I need to change my way of thinking but I don't know how. I have worlds of stress on me right now. I could type for an hour and still not convey all my angst. Life right now is a pile of that nasty brown stuff and I can't seem to get past it. I am snappy, and I don't have as much patience as before right now. I can't get passed the stress. I can't escape. I have absolutely no one I can talk to about it, at least no one that is living here. I just don't know what to do. I try to keep appearances for the kids but I am cracking. I just don't. know. what. to. do. I don't expect an epiphany here just venting but I am so ready to run away.

I am in desperate need of a schedule. I am not afraid of being militant about it. However I just don't know what to do with it. Here is what we have. I need to work 24 hours a week between the hours of 9am and 10pm. Days don't matter I can schedule all 7 days. We have karate on Tues/Thur so the slot from 5:30pm to 9pm is gone on those nights. We have speech/debate on Mondays so the slot from 1:30pm to 6:30pm is gone. How should I schedule work as well as school with this? I am sure I am making a mountain out of a molehill but it just seems to overwhelming! Help?

I can't remember what paper towels they are? Viva? The ones that are really good when they are wet. Kinda like a baby wipe. Suggestions?

I do a combination of what others suggested. Do like WendyK suggested with the pan drippings, then carmelize the onions in another pan, or the same one it would be easier. Then make your roux and finish off with WendyK's instructions with the stock and such. Man that sounds good.

So which? Why?

Thank you!! ROFL, I won this debate with dh! :)

How do you make sure you collect the money? MY dh and I are having a debate. :) He thinks law enforcement will get it for us by taking his property or some such thing. I say they won't. :)

What does this mean? I have the opportunity to get my dd into a speech/debate club and they said the speech part is this kind of speech. I am :huh: :confused1: Help?

There has been nothing in writing. We haven't done anything yet but spakle a few holes and clean the place. As for the tasks. It is monumental. I have pictures. It would take us roughly 15 hours (or so) to do all the work that we would be able to do. That is a lot of time. We aren't talking menial tasks here. For those that have renters that do some of the work if needed and only pay for materials is this immediately after they move in, as in things that should have been done before they even moved in? Do the tasks include pressure washing the entire house and overly large deck? Do they include sanding down doors and making sure they close? Do they include replacing drywall? These are the kind of tasks we would be doing. 15 hours is a lot of time. That is $180 dollars at my normal wage and $277 at my dh normal wage. We can't afford to lose that kind of work time. My dh can only work 20 hours a week as it is. That is the cap for his job. I don't know, I am getting the feeling that the consensus here is that it is unreasonable or else I wouldn't feel like I have to defend my position. In which case we can just have the landlord do it all himself or hire someone out. My only fear is that it won't get done for weeks. It has already been almost 3 weeks and there is still drywall missing (with exposed wires to boot) and doors won't close and the pressure washing isn't done. The toilet still leaks and blinds are still missing. There is an old junked out couch, chair, dog house and bags of clothes in front of the garage from the previous tenants as well as a refrigerator, microwave and mattress (box springs and all) still in the garage. There is broken glass strewn about in the garage. How long are we supposed to wait for this stuff to be fixed? Does that sound like stuff we should have to do? I guess I am just frustrated because although we have said it to him many, many times he still hasn't done it. *sigh*

Can I have you for a landlord then? :)

I agree with the others, no and no. When I was growing up My dad, both my grandpas and my uncle all had the same name. We were never confused who we were talking about. Between dh family and my family my kids had three(!) Uncle Justins. We just clarified by saying last names or where they lived. It was just fine. If you ask me they are being nasty and I wouldn't give in even under threat of death! :)

I had this huge long tale all typed out about our landlord and what is going on and then my browser cashes. Story of my life right now. Here is what I took 30 minutes to type in a nutshell. Our landlord is lazy, doesn't care, on drugs or is the most absent minded person I have ever met. He won't finish one thing before going on to another and then expects us to complete it. He has said we can do things around the house and take it out of rent. The problem with that is that the tasks that need to be done, while not hard, are very time consuming. For instance he said we could pressure wash the deck since he hasn't gotten to it yet. He brought over a pressure washer a week ago (said he was going to do it) then left it and never did anything with it. He said we could use it. If it even starts. The problem is we have a very large deck. I measured it and it is 737 square feet. That doesn't include pressure washing the house. Do you know how long that would take? I have to work. Dh has to work. We don't have that kind of time for free. We are already going to negotiate a lesser rent but is it unreasonable to write into the lease that if we do the work that we take parts, tools and labor out of the rent? I am tired of waiting for this man. We have been here almost three weeks and he said that things were going to be done before we moved in. Like I said I had the whole thing typed out but we kinda had to move in, were we camping and the campsite we had was reserved and we had to vacate so we just moved in anyway. Another mistake but judging from how this guy is operating we would have had to camp for another 2 weeks and I need to work. We need the money and I can lose my contract if I don't work. So what says the hive? Am I being unreasonable if I negotiate these terms into the lease?

You can also just replace the .mdb file. After you install HST just delete or rename the existing mdb and drag and drop (or copy and paste) your mdb file into that same place. Easy as pie! :) Easier if you as me!

See I agree with all of you. His argument is.. "Well we are going to look to down grade. Get something with less rent." He will *NOT* like this place even if it is fixed. There isn't enough light and the yard isn't big enough or so he says. It is true that there isn't much light. We need the kitchen light on no matter the time of day. He says he will go nuts if he has to stay here longer than absolutely needed. I have told him we are maxed, he know we have to pay my sister back. He knows our financial situation. I don't know. If he is going to do everything, without an ounce oh help from me, then I guess I will just have to follow. I am just sick and tired of hearing about it every. single. day. From the time he wakes up to the time he goes to bed. I have taken to hiding in the bedroom. That is where my laptop is :) We shall see. Maybe I am just borrowing trouble.

I was looking for something to do with dd15 for history and came across this post. I just have to say... Notgrass for a light year? :svengo:I thought it was a lot! Though in my defense I am not a writingish person. I like logic and math. :tongue_smilie: