Herpa-what??

Took Ethan to the doctor today because his fever was 102 all day yesterday, even with the Children's Tylenol. This morning, he woke up complaining about his mouth hurting, and when I looked inside I saw tiny red spots, some raised, across the back of the roof of his mouth. The first thing I thought of was strep throat, but that would be way too normal (and treatable!) for my kid! Instead, it was "herpangina." Yes, you read it right the first time. I went to Dr.Greene.com, a pediatric health website, to get the skinny:

What is herpangina?

Herpangina is the name of a painful mouth infection, usually with a fever. Even though the name sounds like herpes, almost all of the many viruses that cause it are coxsackieviruses or other enteroviruses—not herpesvirus.

Who gets herpangina?

Herpangina is most common among young children but can occur at any age. Once people have had a specific strain of coxsackievirus, they are generally immune, but they could become sick with one of the other strains. Most infections occur in the summer or early fall, with a peak from August to October in the northern hemisphere.

What are the symptoms of herpangina?

This illness starts abruptly, usually with a fever. Often the fever is high (103–104°F). Occasionally, children lose their sparkle (and appetite) a few hours before the fever begins. The mouth sores usually begin at the same time as the fever or shortly afterward. Children average about five blisters in the mouth. These blisters are surrounded by red rings and can occur in the back of the throat, on the roof of the mouth, on the tonsils, on the uvula, inside the cheeks, or on the tongue. The blisters may start as small red bumps and may go on to become ulcers after the blister stage. The illness usually lasts 3 to 6 days.

Almost all children with herpangina have a decreased appetite – swallowing may be very painful. Other symptoms might include headache, backache, runny nose, drooling, vomiting, or diarrhea. Children first become ill 4 to 6 days after being exposed.

How is herpangina treated?

Antibiotics do not help with herpangina. The important issues are getting children plenty of fluids, relieving their pain, and treating their other symptoms as appropriate.
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So, I'm now on day 2 (unpaid) off of work, looking at possibly another one tomorrow... WHEN WILL THIS FINANCIAL DISASTER END?!?!?!?!?!? I mean, I hope he gets better soon just because it's painful and uncomfortable for him, but also because every day off work sucks another $100 out of my paycheck. God, I need benefits NOW. :(

Dental Drama: The Toddler Edition

Joel took Ethan in today for his first dental visit, and it wasn't good news. He has a cavity that needs to get sealed off so that it doesn't get worse and potentially cause major problems with his mouth and possibly health. Unfortunately, we don't have dental coverage for him. Paying cash means that they'll work with us on payments, but we still have to put down a hefty deposit ($350) before they'll consider working with us. I haven't asked them yet if they accept Care Credit, which is sort of a medical/dental/health credit card, but maybe if they do we can use what's left on my card to pay for the services. It's going to be a total of around $1300 to take care of his poor tooth. Ouch.

And you want to hear something weird? The dentist wants us to floss Ethan's teeth. Floss? At his age? I honestly don't think I flossed until I was a young adult. Like, even in high school, which is so gross now that I look back on it. But to think that my poor little guy is already having dental issues, when I treated my teeth so horribly and didn't have any major issues at such a young age, just confuses and saddens me.

Bad mom award, for not keeping his teeth pristine until he can do it himself. :(

Surprise, surprise... surprise!

Three big surprises in my life: First, Joel got me an ergonomic wireless keyboard and wireless mouse yesterday... How sweet is that? It is going to be so much easier to type up the multitude of papers and essays required for my MBA program with thiese handy dandy little tools. :)

Second, today is Ethan's first day at daycare! He was able to get in to Miss Janet's daycare, the same one that his buddy Aidan goes to, which is so great because at least he'll have someone he knows there. I've got mixed emotions about it; I know that I'm going to miss him, but I know as well that he is going to really love being around other kids and playing and learning and all of that. He definitely needs the interaction time, and will really benefit from it. I've been so lucky, despite all of these financial woes, because I've been blessed to spend the past two years at home with my little boy. But now it's time for him to take one little step on the path towards growing up, and I'm sure he's going to have a great time!

Third, and perhaps just a teensy smidge more importantly, I have a second interview today at the firm I interviewed with last week. I'm so happy and excited about it! Candace, the placement tech from availABILITY, called and asked me if I'd be available for a 2nd interview at 10:00 on Monday. I told her yes, because Ethan was starting daycare Monday morning so we'd be all set for to start working from this day forward. She responded with, "That's great! Because you just might be working by Tuesday." WOW! Now that's what I call fast service. Well, we'll hope that things go well and that this position works out, but if not-- I'm confident that I'll be working by the end of April. Watch out, world, I'm a woman with a mission and I'm on my way!

Interview Bust

So, yet another group interview, except this time we all had to get up and tell each other-- the other applicants as well as the interviewers-- why we were most qualified for the job. It just gets more and more humiliating the longer I'm out here, I swear... after all that effort, too, it came down to the very end and I finally got to ask a question about the hours. Thank goodness, too, because there's no way I could have even done the job when they want me there from 1-9 p.m. four days during the week plus Saturday. I don't really think a lot of people understand just how difficult it is to look for work when you have a toddler that needs daycare and a husband who isn't available in the evenings to watch the baby.

I have a new-found appreciation for single parents out there who are trying to make it in this economy. How the heck are we supposed to work for low wages, put our kid(s) in daycare at $550/month for home care (if you can find it) or $990/month for center care, both of which close at the latest by 5:30 (home) or 6:00 (center) every night? How is that supposed to work? And how are people doing it when they have more than one child, too? It's ridiculous, really; sometimes I get so frustrated by the whole thing that I just want to scream.

Processing....

Going through the final steps before classes begin on the 22nd... starting to get a little nervous, a little excited, a little curious about what it will be like to go back to grad school after such a long break and this time, with a two-year-old on my lap. Still haven't had any positive responses from the job applications, but I'm trying to stay positive and hope for the best. My unemployment extension runs out at the end of April; that gives me a few weeks left to get things sorted out, right?

Bummed.

Sorry, haven't been posting this week because I'm pretty down lately. Not only did zero of the interviews result in a job offer, but then our washer AND dryer broke down completely on Wednesday, plus on Thursday I got a letter from the state saying that we owe another $905 from our 2009 taxes. We're already paying state and federal back taxes, and now have to add this huge amount on top of those. Really? We're hardly making any money at all, and still have to pay this huge amount of taxes.

Sigh.

It's just all so overwhelming right now. And the stress is turning me into a crazy person. I keep blowing up and losing my temper, and it gets so ugly that I can hardly stand being in the same room with myself. I really don't know how to get positive and believe that things will get better for us. I only have around five more checks from unemployment, meaning 2 and a half more months left of income. What in the world are we going to do? And what is this, some kind of karmic retribution or payback for bad things I did in a former life? I just want someone to save us. :(

Budget Superhero(ine)

I found what may end up being my next big purchase next month. The proceeds all go to the Make A Wish Foundation, but the benefits are all for me-- an excellent and useful budgeting analysis tool that can help me get my financial crisis under control and get our family on track to seeing some of our goals in life actually come true.

The budgeting tool was developed by the owner of the Fabulously Broke blog. I found her website by chance the other day, and I think I might have a slight crush on her already. Mostly because she is ten years younger than me but already making her dreams and goals become a reality because she is taking control of her spending and really thinking deeply about what is important to her in life; another pair of shoes, or a secure retirement? A night out on the town or a significant savings account? Well, in her case, she decided that it's okay to have both, and you can-- as long as you are managing your expenses and income with a lot of forethought and planning.

Can't wait to jump on the Fabulously Broke Bandwagon!

Taxes, Shmaxes

Just got my Form 1099-G listing my unemployment income from the EDD, so I guess all we have to do now is get Joel's tax information together and then we're ready to hit up our favorite H&R tax lady and get it done. This is especially good timing because we just got a notice in the mail from the IRS stating that they appreciate our correspondence from March 2008 and believe that we never filed our 2006 tax return. This is strange because I happen to have a copy of that return in my hot little hands as we speak. It's also strange because the state just recently contacted me saying that I never actually filed our 2008 tax return, although they acknowledge that we did file our 2007 & 2009-- even though all three tax years were mailed in the same envelope because H&R submitted amendments for 2007 & 2008 when we filed our 2009 taxes. So how can they have received two out of the three forms, when we sent them everything in one big packet?? This is beginning to feel like a bigger scam than it already is. :(

Impending Doom

I haven't heard back from the jobs at the City or the County yet, and right now I'm just trying to stop the tidal wave of sheer, panicked terror that is threatening to wash over me.

Today I got my last full check from unemployment, which allowed me to pay for rent with nothing left over for any December bills. Next week, I will get my last check- PERIOD- which will be approximately $450. Here's a brief list of the bills I have to pay in December:
- $85: City of Modesto (garbage & water)
- $48: PG&E (gas)
- $40: AT&T (internet)
- $180: MID (electricity)
- $8: Kaiser (Ethan's health ins)
- $62: Fed Tax Debt Pay-off (due the 25th)
- $30: State Tax Debt Pay-off (automatic on the 15th)
- $39: Melanie's cell phone
- $55: Joel's cell phone
- $54: Care Credit (dental bill)

Just our utilities add up to $353, and that's if my estimates above are accurate. The rest of those bills really do have to be paid, and they add up to an additional $248, and that's not even including the car insurance bill-- we overpaid a couple of times so don't owe anything in December, but it'll be $150-180 in January. That means that, in addition to $900 in rent, we have about $760 in other bills due every month, and that doesn't even begin to count groceries, diapers, or household necessities.

I seriously have no idea what in the world we are going to do. It feels like the world is ending.

(D) E.B.T.

So, I'm looking into the "food stamps" issue, and finding out that it's very different than I thought it was. First of all, they're not called food stamps any more; the money is instead transferred monthly onto "EBT" (Electronic Balance Transfer) cards that look just like a debit/credit card.


I suppose they chose that form to reduce the shame factor for those people who rely on food aid to get through the month. Secondly, the range of items you can buy is pretty broad. Check it out:

What you can buy with food stamps [7 C.F.R. § 271.2]
--- Any food for human consumption except hot food (but remember, there is also an exception for approved restaurant meals programs).
--- Seeds and plants to grow food for yourself or your family.

What you cannot buy [7 C.F.R. § 271.2]
--- Pet food.
--- Alcohol.
--- Non-food items such as soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, cigarettes, etc.
--- Vitamins and medicines.
--- Any hot food, including hot food intended for immediate consumption (with the exception of restaurant meals programs).

Interesting, right? I actually found out that Papa Murphy's Take & Bake Pizza accepts EBT cards. Considering that it's around $6-8 per pizza, and that is a meal that feeds my family, I think it's not a bad deal. Not for regular use, of course, but pretty neat. Anyway, hopefully it doesn't come down to that. But if it does, I'll know how to use it!

Interview...

The latest income updates are as follows: (1) We may finally be on the last legs of our unemployment benefits, and (2) I have an interview this Wednesday with the County Office of Education. Boo and yay, all in the same breath! If this is indeed the end of my unemployment checks, and I *don't* end up getting an offer of employment this week, then I have approximately $1200 remaining in benefits. That means I have one more month of rent paid for (December) and then-- well, let's not think about it too much. If I don't get offered a job, then I plan on enrolling at a temp agency and taking whatever comes along. We'd apply for food stamp benefits and whatever else we qualify for, and hope we can make it. Joel would have to watch Ethan during the day, because we wouldn't be able to afford daycare, and I would have to make sure to be back by the time Joel has to leave for his Heald classes (4:45). If I had to do a temp job that ended at 5:00, Joel could always drop Ethan off with my parents until I can come pick him up. I don't see how we'd make enough to pay rent on that plan, but I also don't see any other options. We have to try, right?



The other possible solution, of course, is that my interview tomorrow goes swimmingly, and I get offered a position with the County Office of Education. The job is as a Child Care Specialist, and it basically involves outreach and enrollment for child care seekers, training and support for providers, workshops and technical assistance, etc. I know I can do it, and it's very similar to what I was doing for seven years at my last job, so I'm planning on knocking their socks off at the interview. I need this job; not only for monetary purposes, but for personal ones as well. I really think that having a job would benefit my entire family. Ethan needs to be in daycare around other kids his age, and he is so ready and eager to socialize that I feel like being at home with me is not the ideal place for him. My relationship would improve, even though-- or maybe because-- we'd see each other less, in that I'd feel more secure and wouldn't have quite as much stress worrying about whether or not we'll make it through the next month. And I know that my soul is craving interaction with other women and men in the workplace and community; it has been far too long to go without that kind of connection, at least for me.

Obviously, I'm hoping for the second outcome. But whatever happens, our family will survive.

Grocery Reality.

We spend too much on food. I freely admit it. I love food, and I love to shop for it, and I love to cook it. (Did I mention I often enjoy eating it, as well?) I love to prepare food for parties, and make cute and tasty little appetizers or finger food for people to enjoy... but I also need to face the facts that we are currently in the midst of an economic crisis the likes of which could put us under if we're not careful. I've been searching for ways to cut back on costs, and I think that the main cuts will have to take place in a couple of areas: Entertainment, and Groceries. Since I'm the one in our house who's responsible for the food, I'm going to be the one who has to exercise discipline in this instance.



Luckily, I found an awesome blog-post about doing just what I want to do-- cut down food costs, while keeping my family eating healthy-- on The Frugal Kitchen blog, posted all the way back in 2007. It describes a month-long Basic Frugal Meal Plan that will feed a family of ten. TEN!! For less money than I spend each month on a family of three, plus random friends who pop in every week, this woman is able to satisfy the stomachs of ten people. This is really inspiring me to get my act together in regards to our diet and the spending related to it. After my interview Monday afternoon, I'll work on our own meal plan and budget, and post it when I'm done. I plan on adjusting her meal plan to our preferences (like, less eggs/bread and more seafood), but here's the gist of it:

(B)= breakfast (S)= supper

1st Sunday: (B) oatmeal (S) baked chicken and rice, frozen vegetables, dinner rolls
2nd Sunday: (B) oatmeal (S) burgers, oven fries, frozen vegetables
3rd Sunday: (B) oatmeal (S) baked chicken and rice, frozen vegetables, dinner rolls
4th Sunday: (B) oatmeal (S) baked fish, rice, frozen vegetables, dinner rolls

every Monday: (B) scrambled eggs (S) vegetable soup, breadsticks
every Tuesday: (B) fried eggs (S) skillet meal *, bread and butter
every Wednesday: (B) oatmeal (S) beans and rice, tortillas
every Thursday: (B) fried eggs (S) vegetable soup, breadsticks
every Friday: (B) pancakes (S) skillet meal *, bread and butter
every Saturday: (B) fried eggs (S) beans and rice, tortillas

Selling Out... Furniture, that is!

Not my soul, of course, don't worry. I'm actually beginning the process of selling certain furniture items, like our bedroom set, and our miscellaneous unnecessary items, like half the stuff in our storage areas. Partially because I love to get rid of things we're not really using, partly because I no longer want those items (goodbye, big bed, and hello, platform!), partly for the money, and partly because if we end up getting a job out of this area, we are going to have to move... without a lot of our stuff. Especially if this current job opportunity works out, but really if *anything* comes through outside of Modesto, we will most likely end up moving into a smaller place than where we are currently living. It would be difficult to sell everything, pack, find a new place, and move all in the two weeks or so we'd have between a job offer and beginning work, so I'd rather do it in stages. Do you see how I'm confidently assuming we'll get an offer sometime soon? Just blame it on The Secret.

Anyway, we're selling our bedroom set. I do love it, but it has outlived its usefulness, and besides-- I want a platform bed, eventually. In the meantime, we'd probably just use our futon, which is currently in Joel's office. I'm actually looking forward to getting this big furniture out of our room! We'll figure out what to do with all the stuff in the drawers later.



I put up the entire set-- headboard, footboard, two nightstands, bureau + mirror, on Modesto's Craigslist for $500. That's not asking a lot, compared to so many others out there, and I think it's a great deal. Just check out the gorgeous Harlequin "diamond" details, and the curving, bowed out areas.



I've loved it since 2004, but now it's time to re-home this furniture. Goodbye, bedroom set, you served me well!

Unemployment Update: Extensions are So "In"

Just wanted to do the job update: I finally received approval for my first unemployment extension! What a relief. I was really starting to wonder there if things were going to work out for us; I mean, I knew that I qualified, but hadn't received any notices or letters or information at all about whether or not I'd be getting the extension, and how to file my claim. California apparently messed up on about 30,000 people's unemployment insurance accounts, and I turned out to be one of the lucky few. Anyway... game back on! I'm still applying for jobs, of course, but have yet to see any results from that. On another good note, Joel may have a connection for a job himself! Keep your fingers crossed, light a candle, say a prayer, and send positive vibes our way, folks; we need this job!

Job Worries...

I'm really nervous about this whole unemployment thing. I just got my last pay claim, and should be getting my last check this week-- that is, unless the EDD gets their stuff together and grants the automatic extension that should be coming my way. They sent out a notice saying that they had tens of thousands of errors and were trying to fix them, but that people who *didn't* receive their automatic first extension *should* be receiving it in enough time to not have a long time lag between checks. Since August, I've been receiving them every two weeks. As of now, I may be experiencing a bit of a lull... lull... lull... God willing, it's only a small gap, rather than the end of unemployment altogether. I really hadn't banked on (ha ha, pun intended, I guess) not having any more income. That would definitely put a bit of a crimp in my plans. You know, plans to pay rent and so on. /:)

Blank Check-- Literally.

I got my unemployment check and claim form in the mail today, as usual, and everything looked normal at first-- until I noticed that there was only one week open to record my job search efforts. The other week was marked out, so I read a little closer and the form said that I only have $450 left in my claim. So my next check, which should come in a couple of weeks, will be $450, and that's it. What happened to the extensions that everyone is talking about? What happened to Obama's plan to support those of us who are unemployed in states like California, with such high unemployment rates and no jobs to be found? I'm just a touch scared right now. I'll call on Monday to get more clarification before going into full panic mode, but this may be a very nerve-wracking weekend. Guess it's time to bust out the Chenin Blanc!