LizaWasHere

I think we’re achieving a new level of crazy this week.

Jill and I both have “to do” lists that are 80 miles long, replete with checklists, sub-lists, packing lists, things that have to be done in a certain order and all sorts of other insane-making activity.

At least the Home Study went well today. The Studier was very nice, and although Noah was shy at first, eventually he turned on the charm.

I have the feeling that Friday and Saturday are going to be exhausting and involve lots of feeling high strung. I’m tired just thinking about it, and Jill clearly had the same feeling since she went to bed shortly after 9 pm.

Noah continues to tell us every day that he wants to move to his new house. I think it’s because we’ve promised that the toys that are in storage will be coming back.

Of course, he also wants us to go to the store and buy him an Obama and something called Meyer Glasses. I asked what he’d use the Meyer Glasses for today, and he said that he’d use them to look at the monkey, so that helped in no way with interpreting what on earth he wants.

He’s also in a mostly entertaining argumentative phase: Noah, do you like to argue? NO, I not like to argue! Noah, do you want dinner? NO, I not want dinner! I want breakfast! Noah, are you contrary? NO, I not ‘trary!

Eyes on the prize: We will be in Milwaukee before Thanksgiving, and reasonably settled in by the end of the year.

It turns out that Jill’s job won’t exactly transfer.

Her company will let her transfer as an “intermittent” employee, meaning that she’ll be guaranteed 20 hours per week, with the possibility of more, and no benefits and no more company car. No one seems to know what the hourly wage for an intermittent employee is. Also, just to make it extra complicated, there is a decent chance but no certainty, that a full-time position will open up in Milwaukee in the first half of next year.
So we need to figure out the cost of COBRA on her plan vs my plan. And we need to figure out how much rent we can afford. We need to make plans to sell her cool car and find her new day to day wheels, but probably not buying because she might get the company car again.

There is a way in which it’s sort of perfect, except for the car thing. Working half time on a flexible schedule gives you a base income and plenty of time to look for a job. If I found an awesome job, it would give us great childcare flexibility.

(Of course, that would also mean that I will truly never be able to be alone again, which I view as a major downside. I realized this week that I have not actually been alone in the house since June. The closest I get is when Josie is asleep and Jill is picking Noah up from day care. Or when I lock the door to take a shower. If I don’t lock the door, there’s about a 1/4 chance that Noah will wander upstairs and find me. I believe that I will get to be alone on Monday morning.)