The theme for July: spend, spend, spend.
We are about $11k into our remodel, and I expect to hit $15k to finish the interior. This number doesn't include the roof/gutters/soffit (to be completed this fall). The reason the budget number sky rocketed is that 1) we ended up installing AC which costs about $3k to do it all with parts, labor, and electrician work (which was needed for other things as well), and then 2) we decided instead of salvaging the bathroom, we gutted and are putting in our final bathroom. There was an issue with mold (mild, but enough that I didn't want to risk it with my little ones), really bad plumbing, really strange electrical, and just bad design. Whoomp, up goes the costs by $5k. It'll probably add another four weeks on before we can move in - it's looking like mid-to-late august.
On the kids front, we finally got into a new speech therapy program, but it doesn't start until next week. I got a tour of the facility and I think it will be great. It's so different. Not sure if insurance will cover it, but I think it still will be worth it, even if I have to pay out of pocket. Figuring out speech is so frustrating. Thankfully his comprehension is really good. He understands us and follows directions, but when he tries to convey what he wants... sigh.
I started tracking his words, and at a few months over 2yrs, he has only about 25 words that are correct, 4 "phrases" (they are all combos that he hears all the time, ie: thank you, which could be one word in his head), about 10 more words that aren't pronounced correctly (missing syllables/wrong consonants) or his definition is wrong (ie: says three, means flowers.). I haven't had a new word in awhile, but he has been combining a few words this last week (bye truck, see truck) which is so very NICE, but his vocabulary is still way behind. Looking over my notes for the last six months, while he's slowly gaining, he's lost quite a few words that he doesn't say any more. so it's like add 5, forget 2 each month.
As for my littlest, I think we're done with medical issues until mid-to-late fall when he'll have the follow up visits. It's nice that we have finally slowed down on that front. Hoping that the follow up tests confirm that we did the right treatment and we can go from following up every 6mo to 1+ years.
Oh, and in other news, husband is going back to school this fall. We've been going around and around, but we think this is best for his career path. He's going to keep working and do it at night. He will get partial reimbursement through his work, so I'm hoping it won't hit the budget too hard.
2015 is proving to be a very interesting, spendy year between medical, house, and schooling.
PS: Sara - I just noticed your really long note about speech ideas! Thank you!
Money, Honey. Lots 'o Money.
July 22nd, 2015 at 02:07 pm
July 22nd, 2015 at 02:44 pm 1437576299
July 22nd, 2015 at 03:39 pm 1437579546
July 23rd, 2015 at 02:46 am 1437619595
When I was 2 my mom despaired of anyone ever understanding me. I would babble away and she would understand what I was saying (mostly) but no one else could. When she married my dad and had insurance (they married when I was 2 1/2, he adopted me) they put me in speech therapy.
By the time I was 4 I could babble away AND be understood 90% of the time.
As for vocabulary - read aloud as much as you can! My mom did that with me, and by the time I could read for myself (Kindergarten) it was all uphill. Throughout elementary and high-school I tested in the 90+% on the standardized tests for vocabulary. All because of being read aloud to, and my own love of reading.
July 23rd, 2015 at 01:19 pm 1437657544