Wanna Know Wednesday #49: Reading is Writing!

Good morning to all you wonderful people! It's Hump Day, so get out there and do some Hum.... um, yeah, nevermind.

Anyway, as I was saying, it's the middle of the week.  Time to look at what you've accomplished so far and decide if you're right on the mark, or if you need to push a bit harder to reach your goals before the week ends.  Did you waste the poor pointless Tuesday like I did, and now need to make up for it by playing catch up today?

Today will be spent writing and roasting.  I've decided to roast a turkey for dinner and I have two articles left to write for the week.  Oh, and it's a payday for me, as well.  I love paydays!  Of course most of this payday will go toward my youngest daughter's birthday on Friday.  A big girl bed and bike don't come cheap, but they only turn 5 once. :-)

Okay, here's my Wanna Know Wednesday for this week.  Reading is something that definitely helps me get into the writing mood.

10 Books I Read in 2009

1. Twilight
2. Grave Surprise
3. New Moon
4. Sunlight
5. Librarian by Day
6. Eclipse
7. An Ice Cold Grave
8. Breaking Dawn
9. Doomsday Can Wait
10. Dead and Gone

Reading is definitely a gateway into the writing mood for many writers.  You must be a reader of the genre you write in order to understand how to write your own stories.  I think every author should read at least one book a month in their chosen venue.  But maybe that's just me.  ;-)  You can check my website for a list of all the books I read in 2009, and the ones I'm reading in 2010.  http://www.christiesilvers.com/

It's too darn early for me to think, so I'm off to drink some caffeine and wait for Tim to get home from taking the kids to school.  Then I'll have to make breakfast, start some laundry, and hopefully be awake enough to get some actual work done.  Have a great day and don't forget about the hum....  yeah, that...

Saturday Evening.

Good evening all! How has your weekend progressed? I hope you're enjoying a lot of peace and quiet. Tomorrow is Mother's Day for of us moms. I hope that your kiddos make you feel as special as you are.

I can't believe that I haven't posted an entry since Thursday morning. I think I mentioned that Tim & I had an appointment Thursday afternoon that I was a bit anxious about. Well, it went better than I expected! I came home with a satisfied feeling and $400 knocked off of our monthly finances. Woohoo! With him losing his job in August, I'm doing everything I can to prepare us and our finances for that event. We will make it! Now when/if the mortgage refinance goes through soon I'll have another $300 a month knocked off. Fingers crossed! Who couldn't use $700 a month knocked off?!?

Okay, so yesterday was a typical Friday with all of my Friday errands to do. We got groceries, paid bills, ran some errands, and then came home in time to have lunch and, well, a different kind of *lunch* (smoochie, smoochie! LOL!) before I had to rush off to school to pick the big girls up.

Last night Tim decided to grill some steaks for our dinner. I absolutely LOVE it when he cooks for me! Then tonight he decided to grill salmon for us. YUM!!! Two nights in a row!!! Woohoo!

Tim's healing nicely from his vasectomy. I had to take him Thursday morning for a little re-check, ad the doctor said it all looked normal... especially with how hard he works all the time. Why is it so difficult to get that man to slow down and rest when he needs to? Sheesh!! LOL.

We've also been taking great care in getting those 12-24 *releases* taken care of before his analysis on July 24th. LOL!! In the last 7 days, we've taken care of that 6 times. Hmmm... only 6 to 18 times to go!! LMAO!!

Okay, I better go. He wants me to come sit with him and do some drinking while the grill warms up for our salmon. Yum!! Mike-aritas here I come!!

.

Manic Monday. Oh wait, it's Tuesday!

Gosh, it's only Tuesday. Blah! I'm downright tired this morning. January has been a terribly busy month here at the Silvers household. We've had birthdays, parties, visits to Chuck E Cheese, sleepovers, dentist appointments, and just the personal time together. I'm exhausted.

Yesterday our oldest daughter got braces. Well, technically she got the top braces. She goes back in 10 weeks for the bottoms. She did very well yesterday and looks cute with her braces, but I sure did hate writing that $800 upfront payment check to the orthodontist. LOL! In only 24 monthly payments she'll have the most gorgeous, straight teeth. :-)

Then of course it'll be the middle daughter's turn.

We'll be paying the ortho for the next six years if all three girls go one right after the other. I *might* get a break between the second and third child, but we'll see. That's genetics for ya! Tim & I both had braces. Hell, I still had mine on when we married nearly 15 years ago.

However, all of that isn't the cause of my exhaustion this morning. Tim and I have enjoyed a lot of alone time together lately. Not always doing what's going through your head at the moment. LOL!! We were up 'til after midnight last night and the last hour was just chit-chatting in the darkness. He had to get up at 5:30 this morning and I at 6:00. He's already informed me via text message this morning that he's tired. LOL! Poor guy. At least I can stay home for my job.

I'll be glad when this month is over. We usually try to take a weekend trip with the kids some time in February. I'm sooooo ready for that this year. I'll have to check to see what week the kids have off for "mid-winter break".

Okay, I'm just rambling now. Here's a pic from our oldest yesterday, before I forget, and I'm off. Have a fabulous Tuesday, if you aren't too tired to enjoy it! And if you are too tired, I hope that your tiredness is at least from doing something fun. ;-)

Ortho Update

Well, I took the oldest for yet another orthodontist appointment. Today he was just going over her x-rays and teeth problems... blah, blah, blah. Yes, yes, I know her teeth are crooked and she needs braces... that's why we're here. DUH!

All in all, she'll be getting her top braces on Monday, October 27th. With the bottoms going on about a month later. She's glad to be getting them (poor child doesn't know what she's getting into), but she's not happy that it's going to screw up her Halloween candy eating. LOL!!

Apparently wearing braces these days is much easier than it was when I had them 16-17 years ago. You don't have to go every single month for tightenings... it's more like 6-8 weeks, he told me. They are made differently now so that it's the least amount of pressure needed to move the teeth. Back then, they were tightened as tight as the could get them. LOL!

The total cost for her braces is $5,370.00, with my insurance paying a measly $1,000. Bringing the total down to $4,370 with a monthly payment of $150, after an $800 down payment. What's funny though is that the financial lady said, "If you pay it all up front, he gives you a discount of $437.00." I was dying laughing cause that brought the total down to $3,933.00. Yeah, I have that lying around. I'd be happy to fork it all over to you right now! LOL!! I told her, "Yeah, that ain't happenin'!"

Anyway, looks like I'll be in debt to the orthodontist for many years to come. Not only will it be 2 yrs for my oldest, but then it'll be time for the middle to get her's when the oldest is paid off. Then, a few years later it will be time for the youngest. Awwww, the life of a parent. LOL!

Money, money, money!

One of these days I'd like to have a money tree in my backyard. Anytime an unexpected bill arises you could just walk out the back door and pick a few dollars off the money tree and be done with it. When the weather starts to turn cold you just pick and harvest all you can before the tree shrivels up.

Awww, the things I could do with a money tree...

Why am I going on about the mythical money tree, you ask? Well, apparently money keeps leaving my house faster than it's coming in these days. Which in turn, gets me to wishing for a money tree. LOL!

My oldest had yet another orthodontist appointment today. I came home $150 poorer than I was when I went. We have to go back on the 20th for yet another consultation and then it's time toput the braces on. $5,000 is just an insane amount for this mess, but there's nothing a parent can do except to just pay it. It's that or let the child go through life with crooked teeth... and I won't allow that.

While I was sitting in the waiting room I chatted with another mother there. She had two daughters getting their braces put on today. TWO! At one time! $10,000!! Holy hell! But she was looking on the bright side and said that at least it would all be over with at once. LOL! Good for her, but there's no way I could afford to pay for two in braces at once. Nope, nada, no way in hell!

We both rambled on about the price of kids' clothing, gas, the ortho bill, and then how fast the kids grow. LOL! It was a collection of nothingness, but it wasted some time and who knows, we may even chat again with each other over the next two years of our lives sitting in that ortho's waiting room.

Now we have to go back on the 20th, then the oldest has an appt with her regular dentist in September, and then I'll have the ortho put the braces on in the end of October (the checkbook dictates that) and THEN it will be time to buy Christmas gifts, the oldest one's birthday, and the youngest one's birthday. AHHHH!!! More money, money, money.

Where's that money tree when you need one? Anyone have some seedlings you'd be willing to send me???

Here's hoping you're not having money issues today.

Only 2 more days until school starts here. That will help me relax for a change, at least. :-)