My big accomplishment for today was finally opening DD's 529 plan account. It takes like 5 minutes so why did I wait 11 months to do it!? I waited way too long to do DS's but that was because I had no idea what to do at the time so I procrastinated. Major regrets there.
...so what do you do? Asking for a friend...
I just opened up a state 529 plan through Fidelity online. I picked my state because I can deduct my contributions on my state taxes (up to a certain amount). You'll want to see if your state offers that. Then I set up auto transfers and have money going into the account every month. Any large cash gifts for birthdays or holidays get deposited as well. The money in the plan earns interest and it can be used for college tuition expenses for the beneficiary with no tax penalty. If DS doesn't go to college I can transfer the funds to DD as beneficiary. Or he can withdraw it but then it incurs tax penalties.
I don't expect it to fully fund their college education but to be a big help towards covering tuition and/or expenses. I also expect them to do their part and get scholarships or whatever else they can do.
He completely ignored her which was blissful for everyone ... up until she got old enough to crawl over to his train table and wreck his train tracks :/ now he is always giving her the side- eye lol!
That's pretty much how it has been here, too. Completely ignoring her, and now a growing annoyance as dd2 is more and more of a nuisance to her.
I know it is very normal, and I can handle the occasional sister battles, but the mornings are bananas lately! I think I'm just going to try to keep them apart for a while after dd1 wakes up. Maybe I'll do dd2's breakfast first and then dd1 can have some alone time to wake up in peace.
Something has got to change....
This is a great idea! I put the twinadoes in their high chairs for breakfast first thing to contain them when DS1 first gets up for school. He is not a morning person and the babies like to crawl and climb all over him because they are excited to see him.
We have 529s for all the girls, but didn't set it up until dd2 was born. All three girls have basically the same amount in them now bc time is a major asset. It makes me sad to think what dd1 and 2 might have looked like if we had gotten started sooner. My family gives us half of their bday and Christmas gift as college money. Those contributions are amazing and at this early age the kids don't miss the big gifts. Ours is through fidelity as well. ETA: lest you think we are high rollers, these accounts might cover their books in the end, but I'm glad we have them
Dh and I worked out yesterday and I am sooooo sore. My hips, calves, butt, and inner thighs are in so much pain. I know exactly what did it and clearly I need to do it more. Ouch. Tomorrow is the last "normal" day of our week. I'm not sure how I feel about that.
My driving lesson went great! My instructor was really nice, and I wasn't super tense, once I got used to the car. He taught me how to parallel parked, which they apparently don't usually do until the third lesson, but he said I was doing really well and he thought I could handle it. I'm so pumped right now! My next lesson is tomorrow morning and I can't wait!
Post by NellieOleson on Feb 6, 2017 23:32:05 GMT -5
14joa31 - I almost forgot! I never did figure out what went down in our neighborhood the other night. Although when I woke up the next morning, my H told me that when he was closing stuff down to go to bed he looked out in our backyard and our garden shed door was open. He said his heart was pounding and he didn't know what to do. He wondered if he should call the cops, but wasn't sure if he should. I had gone to bed about 20 minutes earlier and he didn't want to tell me either, because he knew I would freak out. He said he could barely sleep all night.
The shed door was closed in the morning. There was nothing suspicious out there, though. Was it the wind? Raccoons? The ghost of that opossum who died in the middle of a thunderstorm last fall? A PSYCHOPATHIC KILLER??! We will probably never know.
DD2's bday was pure chaos, but she enjoyed it so it's all good. Her bday party with her friends from preschool is on Friday. I'm sure that will also be chaotic.
Awesome news for me is that I am *finally* starting to slowly lose weight. After all the changes I made in the fall without anything happening, I was feeling very frustrated. I've been using my walking desk for a good two weeks now and am down a pretty consistent 5 lbs. Only lots and lots more to go, but 5 is a good start.
crimsonandclover Freudian slip? I think you meant start working... We are having dd2s bday on Friday too. What do you do for a prep party? Lollipop I'm glad driving is going well. Parallel parking is not my favorite this, but 90 degree backs are worse! How many lessons do you have?
I'm trying something new with my to do list and I think it might be helpful. I actually caught myself thinking I had do a bunch of stuff bc the list was still long and then I remembered it was the list for the week so I sat down since I'd done a few things from my list. I read a book! It was nice. I need to get back to doing some things for me, but if I'm honest I spend too much time on here, parenting and dwp.
Post by crimsonandclover on Feb 7, 2017 8:38:12 GMT -5
dizzycooks, haha! Definitely a Freudian slip! And as for a preschool party, it seems like every party they go to does a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood that ends with them finding little goody bags. On the one hand I think it's stupid that *everyone* does it, but on the other hand I didn't do it at DD1's party last year and the kids complained and made us hide the bags around the house so they could go look for them. So... I guess we'll be doing a scavenger hunt. The typical schedule around here (seriously, they're so German, they all do it the same): 3pm kids arrive, open presents & eat cake, then go out on the scavenger hunt to find the goody bags, then come back and do a craft project, then eat a light dinner, and kids are picked up at 6pm. I still need to organize the scavenger hunt and pick out hte craft project (plus buy any materials necessary). Crap. I need to get on that.
crimsonandclover - congrats on the 5 lb weight loss that is awesome!! I am obsessed with weight loss right now. I'm doing the bikini body mommy workout and check-in over on Parenting. I'm also in the bikini body mommy diet bet. I need to lose 2.2 lbs by next week to win and ... it doesn't seem likely. But I'm going to try my darndest! We can do this!!! xoxoxo!
I'm in the exact same boat with my blood pressure as well. It went up when dd1 was about 4 days old, and then never went all the way back to normal.
I'm waiting until I wean dd2 and then will most likely start on blood pressure meds. I hated the way nifedipine made me feel, so I hope whatever I end up taking doesn't have crazy side effects, too. Such a pain.
She put me on amlodipine and I've been feeling a little dizzy/foggy at times. I plan on bringing it up during my follow up but not sure if she will switch me. Are you taking your BP at home? I imagine much of this is related to stress. Or we could just have nikiswimr take care of us, she's in medicine, right?
I was checking my BP at home during 3rd tri of this last pregnancy, and then for about 8 weeks pp. It got reaaaaally high postpartum this time around.
I check it every once in a while now, and it's holding steady, but still above where it should be. I hated the dizzy/foggy feeling from nifedipine, so I'm kind of holding off until I can take something with less side effects, but most of those classes of drugs aren't compatible with BF.
NellieOleson I don't have any advice. I need to fix our mornings too. As it stands 98% of the time S gets up and watches a show, and I go back to sleep until M gets up. Which would be fine, except the second my foot touches the living room, S is asking for breakfast, M is wanting a bottle or to play, and meanwhile I barely have my eyes open. I really need to figure out a way to get up before the kids. The only thing I've come up with is to get up with H, but that's earlier than I need to be up.
What time does S wake up? Maybe it would help if you got up when he did? You could cuddle up while he watched a show so you had time to wake up, then you could get his breakfast started before M wakes up?
Lollipop, yay on the driving practice! Also with nellie on getting up with S so you can take your time to wake up. If you go back to sleep I think you have to expect he is going to be hungry the second you are finally awake.
My Fitbit is delayed. Was supposed to be here yesterday, now tracking says tomorrow.
I need to get on the healthy/weight loss trend with you all. I'm so stuck in unmotivated land and I hate it.
Post by silverspoon on Feb 7, 2017 10:09:41 GMT -5
Hello.
I haven't read.
I'm tired.
What was supposed to be just a replacement door and window is now walls, siding, flooring, and probably a new washer and dryer as mine are not acting right. They might be fine. They might not be. They are definitely out of warranty.
What was supposed to be just a replacement door and window is now walls, siding, flooring, and probably a new washer and dryer as mine are not acting right. They might be fine. They might not be. They are definitely out of warranty.
I am... overwhelmed.
I'll catch up soon.
I'm sorry. Our townhouse is turning out to be the same. Needs paint everywhere, furnace, ac, flooring and vanity. $$ you have alll my sorries.
NellieOleson I don't have any advice. I need to fix our mornings too. As it stands 98% of the time S gets up and watches a show, and I go back to sleep until M gets up. Which would be fine, except the second my foot touches the living room, S is asking for breakfast, M is wanting a bottle or to play, and meanwhile I barely have my eyes open. I really need to figure out a way to get up before the kids. The only thing I've come up with is to get up with H, but that's earlier than I need to be up.
What time does S wake up? Maybe it would help if you got up when he did? You could cuddle up while he watched a show so you had time to wake up, then you could get his breakfast started before M wakes up?
He's *supposed* to get up at 8, but it's usually more like 6:30-7. I might try that.
dizzycooks I have 5 lessons, 2 hours each. My next one is in about 45 minutes, and then I don't have any until Monday. My last one is next Thursday, and if I pass the mock exam, I'll be ready for my road test. If not, I can take more lessons, or just practice more.
Post by crimsonandclover on Feb 7, 2017 13:23:14 GMT -5
silverspoon and dizzycooks, sorry for the money pits. I hope that you get good deals on some of the things you have to have done.
omg. I picked up the DDs at 3:00 today but it took us until 3:45 to get out of the building because they were not listening to anything I said. Then we went home and DD2 melted down nuclear-style. For about 2 hours she freaked out about everything on the planet, and DD3 decided to join her for fun. Nothing I did got either of them to settle down. I may have lost my cool once or twice over relatively minor things at bedtime because I was so fed up with the screaming and crying and not listening. Tomorrow is a new day.
I need prescription sunglasses. Officially, according to my license, I don't need glasses, because when I got it 5 years ago, I only needed them to help with headaches. But now, I can't see very well without them. So when I go take my test, they do an eye exam, and then I'll have to wear them.
Post by silverspoon on Feb 7, 2017 15:48:11 GMT -5
On his cubby was a list of names in his classroom.
For Valentines.
I have to do Valentines for a toddler class?!?
I thought I had until Kindergarten to start this nonsense. I knew about the party and signed up to bring something to that. Ok, fine, but come the hell on with the Valentines for 1 year olds.
Post by scorpioscuba on Feb 7, 2017 15:53:21 GMT -5
silverspoon, WTAF?! Big hell no to valentines for 1 year olds. I have never done them yet for DS but that should end this year since he IS in Kindergarten. I wouldn't do it if I were you. The kids certainly do not care.
Post by crimsonandclover on Feb 7, 2017 16:06:05 GMT -5
I am so grateful that our preschool turns up their nose at "Americanized" cultural things like Halloween and Valentine's Day. No risk of being told to bring Valentine's Day cards there!!
But even if I were in the US - 1 yr old is WAY too young to have to start doing that crap. Seriously, what one year old even cares if they get a Valentine card?
According to the monthly newsletter from S's teacher, we don't even *have* to send Valentines if we don't want to. S will insist, though. He takes anything his teacher so much as mentions as gospel, which is good, because it means he likes her and respects her. But it's also annoying AF when what she says contradicts something we say at home.
Post by silverspoon on Feb 7, 2017 19:46:13 GMT -5
My cat threw up 3 times.
My dog walked through it.
My dog then decided today was a good day for her to have an accident in the house. I can count on one hand the number of accidents she's had ever. Wtf today??!!
I need all things dependent upon me to get it together. Now is not the time to fall apart!
Post by silverspoon on Feb 7, 2017 20:28:32 GMT -5
I'm post-whoring but whatevs.
It's a 2 glass of wine kind of night and it's only Tuesday. I will actually probably fall asleep soon. Red wine makes me so sleepy. FX baby J decides to actually sleep tonight.
He's so congested and in a war between breathing and sucking on his pacifier.
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