7-Quick Takes

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1. I just about have my taxes all done! I sprung for the extra $40 to send my turbo-taxed stuff into a real “tax professional” so they could double check it and tell me if it is any good or not and if it will please the IRS. I think I should be good, in fact if anything I probably under-deducted for my Schedule-C businesses. Plus I claimed income I had no 1099 for. I am sleeping soundly because I know I prepared my taxes honorably and honestly.

2. So we finally have a “financial adviser.” He is in his early to mid 30s. He graduated from a bible college and was a teacher for a while. He’s an interesting guy. He was trying to get a sense of what our financial goals are. Mine are pretty simple – I don’t want to have to eat dog food when I’m an old lady, I want to be able to keep the lights on and have the trash picked up, and I want to be able to help my kids out if they need it. He looked at me as if to say, “No, really. What are your financial goals?” I think next time he might ask Mr. Pete.

3. I just got back from taking my five kids out. I treated them to sandwiches at Subway and then we went to the library. Rosie played on the computer, Noah and Izzy picked out books, Sam and Gabe got rock CDs to put on the computer. It was an enjoyable afternoon and I savored every moment in my heart. This is what it means to me to be a good mom – doing stuff like this with my kids.

4. and I let Sam drive. I am letting him drive pretty much every time we get into the car. His driving class starts in late June and I want him to be able to get his license ASAP after it is done. He’s actually doing pretty good considering he’s driving around a big ole 7- passenger van! Mr. Pete is fixing up a little Subaru for him when he’s done. That’s going to be an adjustment!!

5. Yesterday afternoon I was working on the taxes using the computer and Turbo Tax and I noticed it was getting harder and harder to read what was on the screen.  It was as if little blind spots were all over the screen.  It scared me. So I closed my eyes for a few moments, took some deep breaths, and decided that it was either my eyes or my computer screen that was acting up.  I seemed to be able to see distance fine, but reading the computer screen, or books and papers was very difficult.  So I drove down to Lenscrafters. Luckily their doctor was in and they were able to take me right in.  After a full batter of tests including looking directly into my eye I was pronounced healthy with good distance vision but a right eye that wasn’t working as hard as the left eye due to some astigmatism.  She told me I could continue to wear my dime store readers, but that I would probably benefit from a prescription pair.  My new glasses come in on Monday!  Since I was spending the bucks on my first pair of prescription glasses I opted for the special non-glare glass too, which is supposed to help eye strain even more.

Being very relieved that I wasn’t losing my vision, I came home and finished the taxes just fine. And now I wonder if maybe a would benefit from a bigger screen for my computer as well.

6.  Rosie is forcing me to teach her to read and write. I have never had a kid do that before. But she is copying letters and learning the sounds on her own.  Wouldn’t it be something if she taught herself to read and we started school in 1st grade!  And doesn’t it figure that my youngest child would be the advanced reader? I’ve had reluctant readers and I’ve had average readers – I’ve never had an aggressive one before!

7.  Last year at about this time we were finding out that my mom had ovarian cancer. I find myself going back and re-reading all of my bloggings about that time. Maybe it’s part of my healing process to relive it all again this year.  I figure I still have a few milestones to get through- Mother’s Day, my birthday and the first anniversary of her passing. After all of that I hope to… I don’t know what I hope. To feel better about it all I guess. To have processed it all and figured out God’s timing. 

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