Karate

I stopped at the dojo to tell our sensei that the girls would have to stop karate and why. "Let me work something out," he said. "They've worked so hard, and we really want you to continue."

He called me a half hour later with a proposal: if we clean the dojo ten times a month (two or three times a week, which is manageable if Rob and I split that duty between the two of us) and if I take belt test pictures for an additional dojo in the franchise, as well as my own (two Saturday mornings a month) they will entirely waive tuition for the girls.

Hurrah! That eases budgetary woes but the girls can still continue.

I told him that if Rob lands a job in the salary range we're hoping for, then I very likely will come back and start taking lessons again, too.

Thanks for the encouragement

Thanks for all the encouragement and practical suggestions, everyone. I really appreciate having my LJ friends looking out for me and my family. (And really, haven't you enjoyed taking advantage of the opportunity when I am genuinely ASKING for advice?)

I've gotten a lot of comments and e-mails, so if I don't reply right away, please be patient with me. We are absorbing a lot of information as we learn about the resources available to us and start making our plans for how to meet this challenge.