Hello Readers
Sorry I have been MIA for the past few weeks. I don't know about you but when there is to much s**t hitting the fan and I am feeling overwhelmed I like to retreat into my cave (home) and hide away from everyone and everything. Well that is what it has been like here for the last few weeks, I put out one fire turn around and there is a fresh one blazing. I won't go into details but a LOT has been happening with family both here and in London recently but I am pleased to say things are finally starting to calm down.
Youngest son has finally been permanently excluded from school due to the fact they can not cope with his ADHD. I could appeal the decision based on the fact he has been expelled due to a disability and therefore is a victim of prejudice but I am choosing to see this as a good thing. I told the school before youngest son started there in June that this was not the right setting for him, that they would not be able to meet his needs, and that he should be in a specialist setting NOT a mainstream school. My hope is that now the local education authority will have no choice but to find a specialist setting for youngest son. The school STILL have not submitted an application for an EHCP although I have a meeting to sign a proposed draft on Friday. For the next 5 months whilst we go through the EHCP process youngest son will receive home tutoring from the LEA and I will be topping his education up with some home studies until he is back in school.
Middle son has been pinpointed as someone who should "seriously consider going to university after finishing secondary education". Whilst this was lovely to hear it certainly wasn't news to me. Middle son has always been classed as "gifted and talented" since primary school. We have discussed the issue of university many times in the past and looked at the most frugal way of doing so. So far I have £3000 saved for him for university, my Nan has £1000 for him, and he has a child trust fund currently worth £900 (this is invested in stocks and shares so the value can rise and fall depending on the market. However this was a £500 investment made by the government on his behalf 13 years ago and has almost doubled in 13 years). I will continue to save for him for the next 5 years to help with the cost of tuition fees but we will also look at any financial assistance he may be eligible for at the time via scholarships and that sort of thing. To keep costs to a minimum he will continue to live at home and attend Bath university negating the need to pay out for digs and all the bills incurred when you live away from home. He will also get himself a part time job to cover any costs such as trips, textbooks etc that he incurs whilst at university. My hope is that with a little help, some hard work on his part, and mummy's frugal brain he will be able to get a university education without incurring a ton of student debt.
Eldest son is still living with his dad but things are slowly moving in the right direction. The disability workers are meeting this month to finalize and sign the care package, Y, one of the other mum's thinks she has found a house for the 3 boy's to rent through her church, so all that is left is for the care agency to tell us the staff have finished training and are ready to go then I can finally get my boy back in the area where he belongs. I have been seeing eldest son every other weekend which has been good, we also talk on the phone and face time several times a week. It feels like we have grown closer since he has moved out and that he has grown up a lot so it was definitely the right move for all concerned.
As well as constantly putting out fires lol, I have been doing my usual thing of living as cheaply as possible and we are slowly getting used to the most recent cutback we had to make when eldest son moved out. I have already started on Xmas 2017 :) I didn't need cards as I still had lots left over, I bought gift tags / gift bags / and rolls of wrapping paper dirt cheap in the January sales, I have bought 5 Xmas presents in the January sales (total £10), and I have increased my usual £30 a month Xmas savings to £60 a month and made my first months saving of this. I have been doing my usual yellow sticker shops and have refilled the freezer after eating up what was in there over the last few weeks. I intend to start writing a post on the 1st of every month with how much electric I have used, how much water I have used, and how much I have spent on food / toiletries / cleaning products / and pet products to try and help me see where my money is going a little better each month.
Tea tonight was Cheese and bacon chicken kiev with homemade chips and some mini chocolate mocha donuts for pudding. Total cost 20p so approx 7p each (I bloody love my yellow stickers lol).
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
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