Over a month of clean!

Just wanted to make a quick post(although I know I should be posting Halloween shots of the kids ... I'll get to it) to celebrate over a month of a clean(ish) house. Yay me! Also I think we are on something like almost 2 months of menuing and keeping the grocery budget down.

The van has been repaired and only a tiny bit over what we had budgeted for it but what a song and dance before it was done! Let me tell you the whole sorry tale!

Saturday J took the van in, he had dropped a new battery in it last week so we could start it again so that was okay. He took the van to the rad shop and later came home to tell me that the rad guys had found a problem when they had replaced the rad: The tranny lines were rotten and needed to be replaced and the tranny shop wasn't open until Monday. He called in and booked Monday off work figuring that he would be able to drive himself into work on Tuesday. Nope.

Monday he got the call from the tranny guy saying that he had one line in stock for our van but had to order the other one and the van wouldn't be ready until Tuesday. So J had to carpool again to work, he's really sick of carpooling and had hoped to have his independence back sooner but what choice do you have, right?

Tuesday he got dropped off at the tranny shop and subsequently sent over to the Rad shop where they were testing the rad to make sure everything was good(because they couldn't do that on Saturday because of the rotten tranny lines). Everything was not good - no van for J - the oil line that runs thru the rad was leaking and needed to be replaced. So J got a lift home from the rad guy with the assurance that the van would be ready Wednesday. We had to let the kids know that the pumpkins and Halloween candy was still in the van and we would carve them on Halloween day before supper ... they were understanding(thank goodness) and J was frustrated knowing he would have to carpool again the next day.

Yes J got the van back on Wednesday and drove himself to work on Thursday, then to the dentist for a routine cleaning and then to the grocery store. He is a happy camper. Tonight I will have him drive us to the nearest flu shot clinic and tomorrow we will have family day again(the pool is finally done!). A shortened version of it because I don't feel we can afford to eat lunch there every Saturday ... so just family swim and swimming lessons. M is very excited to start swimming lessons :)

I'll let you all know how that goes and get those shots of the kids in their costumes up:)

Cass :)