It has been crazy busy the past 2 months, but you may or may not have noticed as I tried to keep an even keel on the blog even through the insanity.

Here’s a short update on the situations at hand of what I can remember:

MY AUNT

My aunt’s situation here, and an update here.

She’s fine.

Completely settled in, we’re working out the kinks of signing her up for SafeLink Wireless (free cellphone plan) as she is MORE THAN QUALIFIED…

She loves where she is, she’s settling in the best that she can, and she’s a survivor so she’ll make friends easily and not complain.

It beats living in a wintry hell, she says.

We are now in charge of her with power of attorney, she has made a will, etc. She is forever grateful for us for saving her, but part of that thanks must go to you as well.

Thank you all, for all of your help in providing resources to look at for low income seniors, I could not (TRULY) have done this without your guidance and direction.

If any of you come up to Montreal, holla!

I’d love to take you out to a bakery or a cafe to thank you in person.

BABY BUN

He is not settling well in pre-school.

Let me back up.

We had him started at a daycare, and he loathed it. He was depressed when we dropped him off, and very unhappy when we picked him up.

He refused to play, he slept and ate well, but just was not loving the situation (understandably so).

It was also not stimulating for him any longer (we suspect), as before the age of 3, you can stick them anywhere with anyone and they’re fine, but after 3 when they start learning about choice and different environments, they start having different needs (or so we think but who knows, maybe we’re just projecting on him).

Anyway, long story short, a room full of 20+ kids who play all day and do nothing educational, and only 2 people who just stand there and chat to each other is not ideal, no matter the price.

We moved him to a pre-school which is now almost double the price, and it is a ratio of 8 kids to 2 educators which is incredible.

Baby Bun is STILL unhappy when I drop him off and pick him up, but he is LESS unhappy these days, namely because it is more interesting where he is, there are less kids (he is very sensitive to too many kids and to noise), and the educators are actually educating them bit by bit, and letting them play half the time.

I see on the cameras that he stops sobbing after a minute or less when I leave, so I know he’s fine.

He also seems to be fine during the day, he plays, he is learning how to read more words (and surprising me when we read at home), etc.

Long story short, we are now paying double for pre-school and Baby Bun care during the day, but he is much happier and so are we. I am less stressed knowing where he is and who he is with.

WORK

New work situation here, a week of money post here and I started working here.

Work is going great. Busy, but great.

I am a bit nervous the won’t extend me when the contract is done, so I have been working like a dog to try and make this happen, but really what will happen will happen.

I’m good at my job, but I suspect I am quite expensive for them.

As for fitting in, with my personality profile, I tend to always fit in everywhere I go (with a lot of work of course), which is what makes me ideally suited to be a consultant.

In general, where I work, it is mostly guys. Young, to almost-retired. I very rarely work with women.

I’m pretty easy-going in general (except for a few things), and over the years I have learned which topics to avoid (politics, religion, etc) and how to deflect any sort of romantic interest early to head that off at the pass (talk a lot about my partner, and now Baby Bun).

BLOG

Everything is fixed. Nothing should be broken. Let me know ASAP if it is.

I am not touching it. I had to pay for a mobile theme, and for a social media buffering plugin which I am sort of in the midst of setting up.

I am NOT TOUCHING THE BLOG so that hopefully nothing breaks.

I am not even upgrading it until I come back.. I do not want the stress of it offline and broken while I am on vacation.

WEEK OF MONEY POSTS

There may be a week or two where I won’t be able to post the Week of Money but I have other posts scheduled in its stead (near to end of June).

I will be keeping track of my trip abroad even with my Week of Money posts but they will be on a minor little hiatus until I am back to write them in full.

Each post by the way, usually takes anywhere from 3 – 5 hours to write. O_o

So we shall see if I have time to get them back up in time for the week I am back.

I may be missing a week or two on Thursdays.

VACATION

Leaving this week.

I am actually probably already on vacation as you read this post.

I have limited to no internet access, and that’s the way I like it.

I plan on eating myself silly (although I hope I will still fit into pants when I get back from gorging myself for 3 weeks), and enjoying every minute.

This is Baby Bun’s first trip on a plane, and aside from that little move we made when he was a few months old from where he was born to where we live now, he has NEVER traveled.

I’m a bit nervous, so I have been reading up on posts and asking for advice on what to do and what not to do.

Thus far, everyone has said:

• Bring something familiar – Baby Blanket check!
• Bring things to do – Reusable stickers + scenes, check!
• Bring snacks – CHECK!
• Pack light, you won’t want to lug all that crap around – check!

We are bringing one backpack with very few things and a lighter backpack I scored at a thrift store last year for $2 to use when we are there (to hold wet wipes, his underwear, spare pants, etc).

Anyone interested in an exact list of what I am bringing?

Let me know in the comments and I can write out a list (either before I leave or after I come back with notes on what worked and what didn’t).

That’s all I can think of. Anything else?