A Lot Can Happen When You Let It

It's been a year since this post. A year that has flown by. So much has changed since I wrote that post. So much around me, and so much inside me. I shudder to think what my life would be like now, had things not taken such a drastic turn.

Sean has a year and a half of school under his belt, and a scholarship awaiting him at the U. We started a business, and have been plugging away at actually making it work. It is. I started homeschooling Maggie, probably one of the best decisions I've made as a parent. We have a whole new appreciation for all types of assistance; family, church, government, and so on. The sacrifices we are making now are for a bigger pay off in the end, and I know we have the gumption to do it.

I see how smart Sean is, and I see how his mind wasn't being put to its full potential at his job. I see how he can excel at anything he chooses, and I know in my heart of hearts that he will be very successful and happy with whatever road he chooses. I'm content to be a working mom, a homeschooling mom, and a crazy mom, for a while, because I know my family is benefiting more than they would if we were just to be mediocre at something else.

I'm not gonna lie, I miss the money. It's still hard to not buy the kids something they want, or to not go out to eat because we can't afford it. Saying "we can't afford it" still tastes like vinegar when it comes out, but it's getting easier. I miss the perks. The Cubs games, the Bulls games, the trailer, the big house, the vacations, and the ease of not worrying about where the next paycheck was coming from. But I feel far more fulfilled now, so I guess that's saying something. I know this is part of the plan for us, and I know it will work. Sometimes life is hard, but sometimes it's easy. Either way, it keeps coming around.

I'm so glad we were given this trial. We have had a lot happen that would never have happened otherwise, and we're better people for it. I guess that's a good thing.

Assistance, Please

Well, now that we have joined the ranks of the unemployed, we are eagerly anticipating our moochiness to begin.

Problem with being government mooches? Paperwork.

Holy crap, it's a lot of work to be on assistance. Papers for everything, and phone calls, and meetings, and proofs of everything. But I figure we've paid into it long enough, we should be able to use it now that we need it.

I feel a little bit guilty about starting my kids on WIC and CHIP because we still have severance coming in. But honestly, if we can use these programs now, it will be easier to make the transition to full time studenthood and possibly the student loans route in the future.

Plus, we need CHIP since my kids don't have insurance at all. That is scary, folks. Gretta has been battling a double barrel booger fest for the last few days, I'm pretty sure she has a sinus infection, but what can I do? Wait for the 30 day waiting period to be over and then take her to the doctor. By then it will probably be cleared up on its own, but I don't think I have any other choice at this point.

I'm learning all about humility and how to see people for more than their circumstances. It's hard, but it's a lesson I obviously need to learn. I think I need a little assistance with that, as well.