Hello friends!

It's been crazy at my house! As you know, we have four kids and all have been exceptionally busy with activities. Two are on week-long school trips, and it was no easy task getting them ready (different trips! different ends of the state!)

Husband has had some business trips lately. Last week, he was gone Sun-Thurs. I know some people do that all the time, but we're really just not used to it. In some ways it's much easier to have him gone... one less person underfoot! But the kids really missed him and he DOES give some help with homework occasionally. Of course, that was also the week when I had a meeting every single night for something or other!

I've been looking for jobs. I have a job, but I don't love the situation. Since we are thinking of moving in the next six months, I've been driving to the new area, picking up applications and meeting people. I think I have some good contacts (through friends, mostly), but I don't expect to have a job open until summer. I'm doing my homework now, though. I've driven and hour and a half away, three separate times in the last two weeks. And that totally cut into my blogging time!

I'm also taking a 3 unit class for professional development. All the assignments are due tomorrow, so I will be busy tonight.

I did the taxes, and we're getting a chunk back! $3000, which I know is too much. But we have owed for the past couple of years, and our situation changed for a few years there (job, layoff, lower-paying job with no 401K, consulting job 1099 and on and on). It was getting so I couldn't predict anything. So this year, we're both back to regular jobs, and I upped my withholding, and Hub's too, just to be sure. Half of the refund will go to savings and the other half will be used for expenses from short terms savings (and then we can leave that account as is). It turns out that I need about $1000 worth of car repairs (new tires, new breaks, new tail light, etc- Hub will do most, but I don't trust him on the brakes and he doesn't really have time), so I will get that done and not have to touch savings. The State of California owes us, too. Not really expecting to see that refund any time soon.



Last weekend, I got Hub and the kids all to help. We GUTTED our house. It's not like it was really messy (I am an everything-in-its-place kind of girl!) But we pulled all the furniture out from the walls and washed the walls, took all the couches apart and vacuumed them, did a little rearranging, cleaned baseboards, washed windows, wiped down all the walls, etc. It feels great to have it done. I think it's because my daffodils are already starting to bloom-- so I felt ready for some spring cleaning!

And all this little extra stuff is happening while I'm still trying to cook meals, do laundry, go to work and keep things together.

For the ebay challenge, I didn't quite make it to $100, but I got busy halfway through the month. I'll get some more things listed this weekend, I hope. I have a bag of items tucked behind my desk, right near the computer... ready to list when I have a few extra minutes.

I keep wondering how everyone's been doing! I haven't had much time to read the blogs these last two weeks and I miss you all!