Car, Cat and bad news

I got my new car and I love it.  I went in Monday to talk about it and test drive, I took Jackson and he was actually really good.  He went on the test drive with me and it was good.  I was not too happy with the financing terms but it was the best I was able to do, and I can afford it, just means I'd better really use those coupons!  I picked up the car Wednesday, less than a week!  The funniest part is that Jackson still insists it belongs to "the man" and is not ours.  He's getting used to it but it is too funny. 

I also heard back from the vet on Monday.  Mea's anti-inflammatory are high, her protein is low, her liver & kidneys are fine, and her urine was slightly dilute.  Apparently her body is fighting something and it's causing her pain.  I was able to speak to the first vet who saw her, and she was not very optimistic.  Apparently Mea would likely not react well to the medicine they wanted to use for arthritis.  So.  She's on an antibiotic to try and see if it's an infection, as well as a pain med that she was on previously.  I am hopeful these will help, but if not then it is cancer and I will have to say goodbye. 

I am still not entirely sure what to tell Jackson, he knows that she is sick, and I have told him she is getting medicine but she might be too sick for it to work, and she may have to leave us and go to heaven.  I didn't want to use "the farm" because we actually go visit farms on occasion, I didn't want him to ask to, and expect to, see her again. Heaven is a vague term here, we haven't gone to church and I'm not sure he will understand it but I will explain that it's a nice place for Mea to go and live, to be able to play and sleep and have fun whenever she wants.  It will be hard on both of us I think.  I do believe I have seen some improvement in her but not much, and it never lasts long.  I think in another week I will know one way or the other.  The pain meds are only for a week, so if the antibiotics do work I should know by mid week. 

In better news, I heard back about the process I am in at work to keep my promotion, I was invited for language testing and told the next test will be one I've written before.  I am not going for the language testing, I do not speak French at all right now.  I checked my score on the other test and I've got more than is required, so I emailed the contact for the competition and they have confirmed I have the score I need, they have the record. So I am in.  Which is a relief, to get into the pool at this point pretty much means I'll be keeping this permanently.  Phew. 

So that's my week... Jackson has been really good the whole week and is still the light in my life, he makes me smile and is such a good boy.  We've been working on the terrible two issues, and it is going better, he is starting to listen and I'm giving him simple options to choose from, to allow him to feel in control.  Now to deal with the toy issue... every time we go shopping he believes he should get a new toy... which is of course my own fault but now it's a hard habit to break!

Our new car still wrapped in plastic

Of cars and credit

On the last trip to my parents when I started the car to come home the check engine light came on.  It had rained a lot the day before we left, and it was still damp.  It was a long drive home, worrying about what to do.  The car is a 2002, so it's not new or something.  It's got some rust and will need new tires before winter, the heat wasn't working that great by February but we managed, I'm not sure it would last another winter without sinking a lot of money into it.  So the check engine light was a bit of a worry.  It went off a couple days later, and came back on the next time it rained.  To go off again when it got hot and dry again.  It's possible that it's something easy to fix, I'm just so tired of dealing with it. 

So I finally called a car company, they sell a couple different makes, and I've settled on the car I want.  I go in tomorrow to discuss details and test drive a couple models.  I hope it all goes well.  I am not looking forward to the expense, but am looking forward to the new car. I don't feel that my current car is safe to get back and forth to my parents.  And I know I can make the payments, though it may mean putting off a house for an extra year, possibly baby 2 as well, which is somewhat on hold any way.  It seems that having a nice permanent government job is all I really need to get a car loan... how crazy is that?  I believe having the car loan will further improve my credit, and allow me to get a mortgage. 

And about my job, I'm moving to a new position Sept 11th.  I'm pretty sure I'm happy about it.  It is a good opportunity to learn something new.  It's still an acting position, so I'll continue with the higher pay, and once the process wraps up I'll be in the position permanently.  So it's good. 

Jackson has been TWO lately.  He certainly has a mind of his own and does not like to listen until you threaten to take away his bottle, or not buy him a new toy.  He loves his little cars.  I started a sticker chart, but it did not go well, I'm going to try again.  There are moments I am at a loss how to deal with him.  I don't want to lose my temper with him but boy does he push my buttons sometimes!  I know he's not doing it on purpose but it seems like it sometimes.  I am working on it, as much as I am working on him.  We do have some great moments together as well, and I look forward to and try to enjoy those as much as possible. 

I am faced with a small problem.  My poor Mea is sick, she has pretty bad arthritis, and I took her for tests on Friday.  That annoyed me, the tests will say if she is healthy enough for medication, but if she's not they aren't willing to give anything to make her feel better.  So she's suffering while I wait for the blood work to come back.  Any way.  I expect she does not have much longer with us.  And I have no idea how to explain to Jackson where she has gone without unduly upsetting him, or having him connect things badly. For instance I don't want to say she got sick and didn't get better, then every time he or I get sick he will worry about it.  I can't say I took her to the farm, then he'll never want to go to the farm, or he will want to go visit her.  I hope that she can go on medication, and that it will help her live her life again, but I know it won't last long, so it is a dilemma of how long will I do this for her?  Should I have let her go?  I thought she was about 11 but the last very said she's closer to 16... that upsets me.  I've had her 9 years, and she came to me scared of people and very timid.  So while she has had a great life with me, I feel bad for all she obviously went through before me.

So ends my Sunday rambling.  Car, hopefully a new one soon!. Child... he's awesome but wow is he getting his own personality!  And my poor Mea... sweet little kitty that I love.



My Mea



Back to work tomorrow

Tomorrow we are back to the grind.  I managed to get him mostly back on track today in terms of naps and sleep, so hopefully tomorrow is not too much of a struggle for either of us.  We had a nice play date with a friend and her daughter, we haven't seen them since Jackson started daycare I think, so over a year!  close to 2 years actually.  They both had fun and want to do it again, Jackson asked to go back there and she asked for him to come swim in her little pool. It was nice that they got along, though of course my boy pushed her... a few times... sigh... He also ate two hot dogs for lunch there, which was actually a good things since he hardly had any breakfast before we left.  And Olivia had two hot dogs with buns, Jackson won't eat them like that... silly boy.  They have a new baby, well he's 3 months old now, which Jackson thought was pretty neat, he wanted the baby in the swing though, so every time he came out of it Jackson wasn't too pleased.  It was kind of funny to me.  I see how hard it is to have two little ones but still want another. Working on it.

A nice (short) vacation and my new obsession

I booked a week off from work.  We went to visit my parent's and it was a nice break.  But I have to say the "terrible two's" are no fun at all.  I am losing it more than I'd like and feel like I need a month off to calm myself down.  But of course that isn't an option right now so I will hopefully manage with a few long weekends between now and the end of the year, when I am off for just over a week at Christmas... less than 6 months away! 

Jackson has certainly been trying my patience, and I've been losing it.  He runs off, scares me, hits, hits my poor little cat with arthritis, pulls her tail, she can't even move fast enough to get away from him.  He doesn't listen, and I am just at a loss.  I mean I know he's two and testing his boundaries and all that, but now he is forced to ride in the cart because he runs off, and up and down the aisles screaming and looking for "toys".  He torments the animals, throws things on the floor, and generally doesn't listen.  I am tired.  I know I am stressed, partly because of all the changes at work, and partly because I just need a break.  Even the trip to my parent's was not so restful.  And on the way home the check engine light came on... great... I'm not ready to get a new car!  Not that I wouldn't love one but I'm not ready.

I know my credit is improved, and I spoke to the bank before my holidays.  There were two things to be cleaned up on my report and then I'd qualify for a mortgage (if I had the down payment).  I've called about one and am supposed to be looking into the other one, but am secretly hoping it just goes away.  I know.  I'll get my report again in a couple weeks, once the one issue has time to be resolved and then see where I stand. One interesting thing, the banker mentioned the HBP, yeah I know, put money in my RRSP and use up to $25k as the down payment/closing costs. I currently have $2500 in there lol, but am expecting another $11k late in the year through a work contract thing.  He mentioned I could use an RRSP loan to top it up... get the money back when I file my taxes of course, and be able to use the full $25k.  Interesting.  I had not thought of that so it was a good trip to the bank.

And my new obsession... coupons.  Seriously.  I'm a little obsessed, ok a lot.  I have a coupon organizer and am on coupon trains, trading with people.  I am looking for bargains and matching up the coupons I have to the sales to get the best deals.  Today I got Palmolive dish soap for 99 cents, degree deodorant for $1.50, purex action pacs for $2.99 and dove body wash for $1.99.  I also found some bagged lettuce on sale for 50 cents, and dug through to find the latest expiry date hidden at the back :-)  All in all, I'm saving money. 

This month I am trying to use my freezer stock up. I have a lot of food in there and no room for any more, so I am eating what I have, the only food items I'm allowed to buy are fresh produce and milk.  I have enough of everything else to last the month. At least.  I wish that coupons worked as well here as they do in the US, I can't stack them or double them or anything like that, but I can use them on sale items, and can price match at Walmart, which I have not yet done because it intimidates me, but I will.  I am riding coupon trains to get my wish list coupons, my wish list which I need to revamp or I'm going to end up with 20 of the same coupon that I'll never be able to use.  And I am building up a stock pile of things like toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo and toothbrushes.  Things that don't really go bad and I can get a really good deal on.

I am also really using my shopper's points, or rather really saving them up to get some nice Christmas presents, I plan to get a free Wii, and possibly a few other gifts at that time of year.  I am learning all these things, and really enjoying it in the process.  As far as obsessions go, at least this one is saving me money!  I am carefully not buying things just because I have a coupon, but taking care to get things I will use and need. 

All of this has also cause me to purge and clean my house, also a work in progress, but I got rid of 5 bags of clothes, made a lot of room in my kitchen, both in the cupboards and on the counters, and will be tackling the baby items soon.  Those are a bit of a sore spot though, since I think I will need them for another baby, but see no way I'll be able to afford to have another one. Though with coupons I'm sure I could get a lot of stuff free or nearly free lol.  I am hoping my grocery budget will be greatly helped through all of this.  And yes I am buying healthy things too, or will be once my freezer is used up.  I have coupons for fresh chicken, salad, eggs, milk, and cheese, not just snacks and junk food.  Though I have a few of those too ;-)  And speaking of the freezer,I'd love to get a bigger one, but won't until my credit card is paid off, and I can pay cash for it.  So it'll be awhile.  Sigh.  It would come in so handy to be able to stock up on some great deals!  Oh well... I'm saving money either way.