Aiden is not as tough as he thought

Aiden, his friend, Alen, and I went to FrightTown at the Memorial Collusium in Portland on November 1st, their closing night. Wow, a great Halloween experience. Lots of anticipation in line. We got in, and they wanted the exhibit with the shortest line. Everyone was heading to the Museum of Horrors, the main attraction which, that night, was Dia De Los Muertos, a celebration of spirits. We ended up going to the zombie-filled house of Contagion.

Once out, they were ready to go home.

I received free tickets from work for attending a training about HP Networking. I immediately let Morgan know and we both had the same thought: Aiden would be thrilled to go. Telling him about it made him dance and make excited monkey noises as he insisted he was eager to go with me. This would be his first real haunted house.

Aiden is 10 years old, almost 11. He has liked scary things for a long time, but I still make sure he isn't too scared to let his imagination go wild. I made sure we saw the web site, and we found some videos on YouTube about it and other haunts. They are not anywhere near the tameness of the 1980s when I was a kid. Back in the day, it was more like a freaky museum. I remember Enchanted Forest in Salem, OR, having a haunted house, and it being creepy rather than scary. There were air cannons and animatronics, including the innovative effect of video projection on a blank faced mannequin. Tame, indeed, compared to the brain-eating, screaming actors in today's museum of horrors.

We went into Contagion after a drill instructor character yelled instructions not to touch the zombies and where the exits were throughout the house. We walked in, darkness disturbed only by small pools of light in corners and off in distances. Within a few turns, a zombie actor, a short woman in full zombie makeup and torn clothes jumped out to hiss at us. Alan shrieked and Aiden barked a yip, immediately jumping behind me and burying his face in my butt. He grabbed my jacket and surrounded his head.

Proceeding through the rest of the haunt, that is how Aiden stayed, face buried into the small of my back and looking to the sides until something scary caught his eye making him shut them tight. Alan had his eyes wide open, fingers in his ears, jumping and dancing away from any actor who made eye contact with him.

Once out of Contagion, I wanted to go see the Museum. They wanted to go home, insisting they will never go through a haunted house again, ever. Well, that was Aiden. Alan said he'd give it two years.

Now, I know what you are thinking if you are a parent who protects your children from anything scary. "Oh my lord, you are going to traumatize him and he will be ruined for life and he will be scared of everything!" Alternately, you could be thinking that as I let him watch scary movies and go through haunted houses that make him pee his little boy pants he will be desensitizes to violence and become an ax murderer. I respect the decision for parents to either prevent or allow scary experiences for their children. There is no correlation proven, in fact, that scary experiences must be followed by psychological ripple effects. It is really up to the person.

I take myself as an example. My childhood was spent drawing monsters and watching scary movies. By the time I was in high school, I had a general interest in horror, but it was being diluted by girls and geeky pursuits like computer graphics. Eventually, while horror and gore was a theme here and there in my art, overall it was not a main interest. My parents neither promoted nor prevented my interest in scary or gruesome experiences, though they gave me other experiences that were positive that broke up the darkness.

I contest that this is the point. Shielding your children from all negative aspects of life can make them unprepared when war, politics, famine, disease or even a bad car accident come their way, let alone a scary movie. The point is to balance your child's interest with positivity. Monitor what your kids experience but don't take over their environment.

Aiden doesn't want to go to another haunted house any time soon. That's fine. He didn't have nightmares, we discussed the makeup process of the actors, and he is fine. He still thought it was a great experience, and he insists on keeping the ticket that, while it proves he only made it through one haunt then chickened out, also proves he went and had fun.

Watch D.O.G.S. meeting takeaways

Watch D.O.G.S. is a program that engages fathers in schools. Positive male role models are important for boys as well as girls, and having a positive male influence in a learning environment can be a powerful experience for a child. Primarily, the Watch D.O.G.S program has been an elementary-level program, completely run by volunteers, not administered by the school directly but usually via PTA organizations. I am signing up as a volunteer for the Evergreen School District and will be present at Covington Middle School with my daughter for one entire day, if not more.

My takeaway from the introduction meeting is not necessarily how wonderful this program is, which is definitely the impression I got about the program. It's not really the potential or the thought of influencing a child's life. It's how many men were there, estimating about 30, and how many of those took volunteer forms to fill out. Some wanted to fill them out immediately. It was amazing.

I am thrilled with the level of dad involvement at Covington. We have all heard the stereotypical dad scenario, overworked and not interested in being too involved with the children because the wife has that handled. This day and age, that is not as much the situation. Between two-income households where both parents are working, changes in work hours, and shifts in the dynamics of child-rearing, you would think it was obvious why men have that stereotype. However, it is more common, even if not enough so, to see a dad that has the responsibility of homework, parent-teacher conferences, extracurricular activities and, yes, even being the one volunteering at the school.

Consider joining the Watch D.O.G.S. program in your school, or start one up! Show your kid, and all the kids out there, that there is a positive male role model in town, and it's you!

Hot Cheetos and Takis: Implications of music and family

Get to know the people behind the production in this interview by The FADER.

If you haven't seen the recent buzz about the Hot Cheetos & Takis video (above), and the kids of the Minneapolis North Community YMCA extracurricular rap class Beats & Rhymes, known as Y.N.RichKids, you have missed out on a lot. These aren't just cute kids with a professional music production and a few videos. These kids have, in this parent's opinion, embodied the potential of music to be more than just background noise for kids. In a music market overrun by adult themes, it is the non-profit programs that have been instrumental in developing child-level music appreciation without the degradation of their status in society.

What does that mean? I mean to have you watch the video, the rest of the videos on their web site, and consider what they could be rapping about. The most controversial song I've heard so far on the free downloads (that's right, FREE) of music from Y.N.RichKids is "G.F." on the School House Rap album, about a boy seeing a pretty girl and wanting her to be his girl. Compared to what that could be, the spectrum of lyrics that could go along with a more adult subject like relationships, the song is more middle school "like" than the complexity of "love". In all, I am very impressed with the lyric choices, the subject matter and the professional polish of the music this program is producing. It's something I am not ashamed of letting my kids listen to.

Now, in full disclosure, rap is not generally the favorite of our family. I grew up with rap and hip hop in the 80s and 90s, but my tastes turned to guitar-related music as I was learning guitar and rock myself. Morgan has always been more into pop, country, rock and punk. The kids vary from pop music to tweenpop, though each has their own personal taste (Aiden loves rock and punk, Alayna is more into tweenpop like Sabrina Gomez and Demi Levato, Brooklyn likes pop like Bruno Mars, and Bella likes classic rock). However, it's not like they haven't heard rap and hip hop before. I listen to crossover hip hop and spoken word, like The Roots, Flobots, Scroobius Pip, KRS-One, or crossover beats like Portishead and Massive Attack, something with a message that doesn't include being a thug. Fooling yourself into complacency by rapping about how horrible of a human you can be is just not something I care about, nor is it something my kids should be interested in.

There are some exceptions. I've always been impressed with Eminem, Jay-Z and many of the rappers that came from the 80s. Maybe that's why I like Y.N.RichKids. It reminds me more of that old school sound and cadence, but with more contemporary producing quality.

We need more of this in the mainstream. Where are the record deals for the kid-friendly artists? Sure, the Aquabats have a TV show, but you don't hear them on any mainstream radio. The general public likes controversial. It sells. Meat dresses and naked wrecking ball videos are what sell music to adults that have money.

I haven't bought music in a long, long time. I don't download it illegally either. As I said in a previous post, there is plenty to hear on free radio and public downloads. And as my economic status improves, I'm not adverse to buying a song on iTunes or Google Play if it's something I really like. But album-based consumerism is dying. I'm more likely to find what I want on Pandora or iTunes Radio and then go out and buy it because I want to add it to a collection. And I am adding Y.N.RichKids to that collection.

Aiden is learning trombone, for what reason I still have not worked out. We showed him a video of Mighty Mighty Boss Tones as an example of what that could mean to him as an artist (incidentally, the guy playing trombone in that band is black, like the trombone player included in The Roots touring team). If he wants to try to create something, a recording perhaps, with that instrument, I can work out a hip hop style song on open source software and let him write it himself, using his trombone as a melody.

This is a true implication of what music could be for a family, an expressive channel without the adulthood if needed. Some kids have been through more, and maybe want to express that through song. That is completely fine, as long as the family considers what public performance of such songs can cause, the consequences, both good like support and bad like ridicule, that would occur from such promotion. But include music in your child's life, and do it early. Not just Elmo or nursery rhymes, but real music like Y.N.RichKids, Aquabats, or someone Greasy Kid Stuff plays on their radio show.

Join us as a family enjoying music. As a family.

Be consistent with teachers when helping with homework

Curriculum night at Image Elementary was quick but helpful. This is the first year the kids are in public school since Aiden was at Roosevelt Elementary in the Vancouver School District. On top of that, Brooklyn hasn't been in school before, and Alayna is transitioning from private, Christian-centered school to public school. So much going on now. It's very confusing, and I want to be as effective in complementing in-class time as possible. Why? Because I believe education is the most important part of their life, what will make or break their success in the future. Nothing is more important.

Listening to the teachers, they each had the same graphic in each classroom: a triangle that connected "Students", "Teachers", and "Parents". The school is also pushing parental involvement because they know, like I do, that if students are left to their own devices, or they believe that teachers and parents don't know what each other are doing, students at their age will not be self-motivated enough to get a consistent application of the knowledge they are absorbing.

We as parents can challenge our children in ways the school cannot or will not. We can also create confusion when different messages are being given to a child. Ever heard an adult say, "You'll never use that kind of math in the real world," and really mean it? They were probably told that by peers or parents and that's how they approached their learning. These same kids either didn't get to advanced algebra or calculus, or they did and never did anything with it. They really needed to know that calculus and scientific careers go hand in hand, that trigonometry and programming complement each other. They needed to hear that if you know how to write in correct grammar with a large vocabulary you can be a news correspondent, a presidential speech writer or a cutting-edge blogger. And they needed to understand that it really does improve their ability to make money, enjoy their work and share their skills with the world.

It seems reasonable that the easiest thing we can do as parents is make the language, tone and encouragement that the teachers give their students a common practice during school work at home. When a teacher helping a student with a math problem is saying, "You're on the right track, you just need to try this and you'll have it," but when the student is home his or her parent is saying, "You know this. Why is it you can't just do the work like I know you can? I think you're just being lazy," there is a clearly mixed message between educational authorities.

Good teachers are trained to be and will consistently be positive and encouraging to a student. As they get older, you can adjust your approach depending on how your child works best (some kids end up working better when they're challenged to do it right and seeing where they got it wrong; it's a fact). But again it has to be consistent with what the school is doing with your child. If you believe your teacher is not teaching the way that is best fitting with your older child's learning habits, you need to be willing to work with them to make it right.

So think about how you are speaking when you are trying to get a pesky math sheet done with an 8-year-old, a book report flushed out with a 6th grader, or even a penmanship page with a kindergartner. Are you telling them how much you think they could do but are not, or are you telling them they're on the right track and you know they can get it if they try again? Are your words positive, encouraging and motivating? Or are they discouraged because you've just told them they are lazy and not trying? You have an effect on their ability to learn in the classroom because you are their parents. No matter how much they may say they don't care about what you think, they do. They always do.

For more ideas on how to give positive, constructive feedback to a student, whether helping with homework or homeschooling, check out the following references:

• Some basics from the Department of Education's Learning Partners program.
• More homework basics from the University of Illinois Urban Extension program.
• Focus on Effectiveness, part of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, on Reinforcing Effort (Dr. Mel Levine)
• WikiHow.com article on how to get kids to do homework.
• Larry Ferlazzo's three-part series on engaging parents in education as posted on Education Week's blog.

Meltdowns....

We had meltdowns all weekend. I think it's due to all of the changes lately, one half day of school just wasn't the best idea for introducing Kindergarten to the incoming students. We have made it part of our bedtime routine to talk with Brooklyn about the next day. What are our plans, what time are we getting up, etc.  This seems to have helped her. Well, last week was NOT a normal week.

Brooklyn went to ONE half day of school last week. So, she had VASTLY different days all week. Monday was different because Joe was off due to Labor day. Tuesday she came with Alayna and I to Alayna's intake appointment at the same clinic Brooklyn goes to. Wednesday the big kids went to a regular full day of school, and then Brooklyn met her new therapist for the first time. Thursday Brooklyn had a half day of school, and Friday it was just Brooklyn, Bella, and I at home. So, all weekend we had meltdown central at the Ryder house. Tears, sobbing hysterically, MUCH more aggression. Nothing I did helped her.

Brooklyn really enjoyed her half day of school last Thursday. She even made a friend, which is kind of a big thing. Brooklyn doesn't always do so well with other kids. She's much more intense than the typical child. Friday afternoon we found out who her teacher is, what sucks the most is that the only kid she made friends with isn't even in her class.

Anyways, I am trying to come up with ideas on how to help avoid meltdowns. Talking her through the plans for the following day every night seems to be helping. But, this last weekend was awful. Lots of meltdowns.

This is the first full week of school on, what will become, our regular schedule. I'm hoping that as she gets used to the schedule, we'll cut down on meltdowns.

****EDIT****
Well, most of the night tonight was full of meltdowns. I'm thinking maybe Brookie was tired and worn out from school, she went to sleep SUPER easy tonight and right on time. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

More porn than ever before

If it wasn't for the perverse ways of the internet, I'd let my kids be on it. But this internet is not their father's internet. Literally. What you see these days were not there 10 or 20 years ago. Gawd, the fact that there was even an internet at all 20 years ago makes me feel so old I want to start looking into AARP. But even when I was a teen the internet was not the place for unsupervised children. It gets scarier thinking of that time and the fact that there is so much more inappropriateness than any other time in internet history. We parents have to be smart, or at least aware; the well-adjusted lives you may ruin may be those of your own children.

Car seats...

So, I'm in several parenting groups on facebook, they are either about homeschooling or related to the special needs of my daughters. One of the groups is a group for parents of kids with sensory issues. I can tell you I have learned a TON in that group, but I've also been overwhelmed or thought "WTF!" (as in, those people are crazy, LOL). I can admit it. But, my child doesn't seem to have as severe of sensory issues, so I have no idea what I would do if it were me.

Anyways, today a woman asked about car seats for her daughter. She stated that her daughter hated both seats they have (the scenera and a my ride 65). She said that her daughter said that they hurt her back and her butt and she doesn't like the straps. The woman said that she had tried the strap covers, but that her daughter just took them off.

Here's my reply, WORD FOR WORD:

The Sceneras are really uncomfortable. There's NO padding between the seat cover and the shell of the car seat. I'd suggest taking her to Babies R Us or Toys R Us and letting her sit in some to see which she prefers.

Also, please do NOT put anything on the car seat that didn't come with it. Even those strap covers are a no-no unless they come directly from the car seat manufacturer.

Apparently this SET HER OFF! She became very rude and nasty, in an attempt (I think) to try to get the admins involved and get ME kicked out. I was very nice, I restated my opinion on the Scenera and again suggested she may want to take her daughter to try out car seats to see if there's a specific one she likes. The woman CONTINUED to try to start a fight with me, so I just responded with: "I gave my suggestions, and my advice. You can continue to nit-pick and be nasty, that's fine. I hope you find a car seat that works for your child." The freaking woman STILL had comments...

Here's the thing what it comes down to is that car seat choices are often left up to parents to decide. But, if you're going to ask specifically about car seat advice, expect to get information, including some you may not be happy with or that may go against what you're currently doing. Do you HAVE to listen to suggestions/advice? No. But, if I have information that can help protect your child and you didn't previously know it, wouldn't you WANT to hear it?

Any additions to a car seat (head rests, strap covers, seat covers, etc) are ALL unsafe UNLESS they came WITH the car seat OR directly FROM the car seat manufacturer. This doesn't make sense to some people. How can something so small effect the way a car seat works? Well, it may or may not, THAT is the issue. These items haven't been tested WITH the car seat. Do you want to risk your child's life? I don't! Strap covers and head rests that go around the straps can effect how the straps fit on the child's body. Just a little bit of "wiggle room" in the strap can result in deadly consequences in the event of a crash. Seat covers that go between the baby's body and the seat or that go around the straps can have the same effects. Why risk it? ALL car seat manufactures state that if it didn't come WITH their seat NOT to use it because it hasn't been tested. I certainly don't want my child used as a crash test dummy, do you?

If rear facing your child to age 2 (or even older) makes them over 5 times safer in the car, why wouldn't you? If keeping them in a 5 point harness longer keeps them safe AND there are car seats on the market that allow you to keep your child in a 5 point harness to 5,6, or even 7 why wouldn't you? If putting your child in a booster seat until they are 4'9" (which is the average height at which a seat belt will fit properly) or until they fit a seat belt properly, will protect them better in an accident, why wouldn't you?

Cars aren't made with small children's bodies in mind. They are made to fit a full grown adult. I have trouble fitting a in seat belt properly at 5'. I have a scar on my left shoulder from a seat belt injury during a car accident. There are so many things on the road that are out of your control. I'm not going to risk my child's life if I have the ability to make them safer in the car. I'm not talking about wrapping them in bubble wrap or never taking them into the car. I'm talking about using products, and new updated information, to keep your child safe in the car.

My mom says all the time that when she was a kid they didn't have car seats, heck my brother and sister were out of car seats by 3 or 4. But, you also have to consider that there are more people on the roads now, there are more distractions (specifically cell phones), and that speeds are higher.

You don't have to take my advice. There's no law requiring you to do so. But, if you are going to ASK for car seat advice, don't get your panties in a bunch if/when the advice you get goes against what you are doing. And don't assume that any ONE person knows everything. There are many "rules" for car seats that don't apply to different brands, or some that have specific "rules" for just their seats. Do your research and make the best EDUCATED decision for YOUR child.

State laws only require that you use car seats properly according to manufacturer's guidelines. It's up to you, the parent, to know the guidelines and do what's right for your child.

Amazing news!!

Well, the average person probably wouldn't find this "amazing" news, but to us, that is exactly what it is!

Today was Brooklyn's intake appointment for a new behavior modification therapy. There's a bit of back story that's required before I get into today's exciting news.

*Back story: A little more than18 months ago Brooklyn started behavior modification therapy for the first time. At the time, I had NO idea what to expect or what my concerns actually were. All I knew is that my almost 4 year old was completely uncontrollable. She was aggressive, impulsive, didn't listen, had massive meltdowns at the store, and was like a 120+mph wild ball of energy. The therapist diagnosed Brooklyn with Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD). The more I learned about ODD, the more I thought "there's NO way Brooklyn has ODD." You see, Brooklyn was not intentionally defiant.

After about 5 months of this, I went back to our pediatrician, again in tears, BEGGING for help. The therapy wasn't working. As I desperately tried to keep my daughter from tearing down the walls (she instead alternated between shredding the paper over the exam table, jumping off of the exam table, and ripping things from her sister's hands), our pediatrician suggested we consider trying medication for ADHD. This was the first time ADHD was brought up. Previous to this, I will admit I thought ADHD was a bunch of bull poo. I thought it was an over diagnosed excuse for insanely out of control children with crappy parenting. The doctor wrote out a prescription for 5mg of Adderall. 2 weeks later I still hadn't filled the prescription... That was the night that Brooklyn drank about 1/4 of my espresso while I was making dinner. That was also the first time Brooklyn sat still during dinner, ate her food in one sitting, and went to bed without a knock-down-drag-out battle. The next day we filled the prescription.

I can tell you, I INSTANTLY noticed a difference in Brooklyn's behavior. My 120+mph wild ball of energy was now a 60mph ball of less energy. It wasn't perfect, but it brought things down to such a level that it FELT perfect. We stopped the useless behavior modification therapy; 6 months wasted. But, as time progressed, I began to notice that the Adderall was not the magic-cure-all I had hoped. So, back to the pediatrician we went, this time armed with research. Research about Aspergers Syndrome (high functioning Autism) in girls and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Our pediatrician said no way to both suggestions and upped Brooklyn's Adderall to 10mg.

I continued my research online. I KNEW it wasn't just ADHD, there was something else. The more research I did, the more I kept coming back to Aspergers/high functioning Autism. Again, our pediatrician again said no way. You see, Brooklyn doesn't have severe social issues, therefore our pediatrician said it was highly unlikely. So, I compiled more information, printing out a 15 page Aspergers checklist and completing it based on what my husband and I saw daily in Brooklyn. And that is when I made an appointment with a different pediatrician for a second opinion.

And, for the first time, I felt like at least half of what I was saying was being listened to. Again, I was told it was unlikely that it was Aspergers, but that SPD was a possibility. We were referred to a different therapy location for NEW behavior modification therapy. I have to tell you, I didn't think it would do much good. But, it was a starting point. You see, our insurance wont approve of Autism OR SPD evaluations until we can prove that it's necessary. So, we went into the appointment today.

That ends the back story.

Onto today's appointment. We arrived 15 minutes early so I could fill out the MOUNTAIN of paperwork. Mental health history, health history, family mental health history, family health history.... Well, you get the idea. They picked up our paperwork and about 10 minutes later we were called back for our appointment. I explained my concerns with Aspergers and SPD and we discussed Brooklyn while the therapist tried her best to engage Brooklyn (it did NOT happen) and observed Brooklyn playing with Bella and Aiden. Finally, after about 90 minutes the therapist said to me "I am not comfortable making any type of diagnosis after just one visit, but I believe that Brooklyn IS on the spectrum. ADHD is not the only thing going on with her." That would be the autism spectrum. I cried. Not because I was worried or scared, but because I KNEW. And finally my concerns were being listened to. Finally someone saw what I saw. FINALLY!

Finally I could start working in the right direction to getting my daughter the help she needs to over come the bumps along the road of life. This was truly the best news I could have received. Even now, hours later, I feel as if a huge weight has been lifted off of my chest. We have a game plan.

The plan isn't big, the plan isn't fancy, but it's a plan.

1. We will be meeting with a psychiatrist to discuss options for medication for the ADHD, I'd like to consider herbal options as they tend to have much less dangerous side effects than pharmaceutical stimulants. I don't think we'll be able to get Brooklyn off of medication completely any time soon. Without the medication Brooklyn is a mess; that's really the only way to describe her off of her Adderall. But, the hope is that we can find the best fit for her to give her the ability to attend school without any issues.

2. We will be starting therapy with a therapist who works with ADHD and Autism. There are 3 goals here, to teach Brooklyn some type of impulse control, to help Brooklyn be able to function well enough in school to reach her academic potential, and to prove to our insurance company that a full Autism evaluation at either OHSU or Providence is necessary.

3. As soon as school starts we will be requesting a full IEP for Brooklyn, especially an OT (occupational therapy) evaluation, as they would be best able to deal with the sensory issues.

So, good news hearing that our daughter most likely has Autism.

Kindergarten

Today was Brooklyn's Kindergarten orientation. It went well. She had a bit of an issue separating from me at first, but did great. They took all the kids off on a tour of the school, they go to play in the gym while meeting the PE teacher and play in the music room while meeting the music teacher The parents got to learn about Kindergarten curriculum.

Apparently I was the only person in the room who had questions about what happens when your child knows all of the things you plan to teach them.

With writing the teachers were talking about how they'd do handwriting practice every day and that the initial focus was to get the kids to draw a picture, then add details in, then add in letters for the beginning word sounds, then words, then sentences, then finally sentences with details. Um.. Brooklyn's writing sentences. I was the only one with a question about the teachers meeting the needs of kids who have already passed those areas.

With reading they mentioned that they have kids who range in skill from about the age of 3-8 and that they were prepared to meet the need of the kids in those skill levels. Brooklyn's reading Kindergarten-1st grade 1 page "stories". I was the only one who's child is already reading.

In math... They are going to teach the kids how to count objects, to understand the idea of numbers. That they'll eventually teach the kids how to add small numbers (like the dots on a domino, how many are on the left, how many are on the right, how many total). Then, towards the end of the year they'll finally get to do actual addition. Brooklyn is doing double digit addition with no carrying, and double digit subtraction with no borrowing. She can count objects to over 100... I was the only person who had questions about the teachers meeting the needs of kids who have already passed those areas.

The principal, assistance principal, and Kindergarten teachers say they shouldn't have a problem meeting Brooklyn's needs curriculum wise. I really hope they can. I don't want to have to butt heads with the school to make sure that her academic needs are being met.

There were no complaints from anyone about Brooklyn's behavior. Although, I don't know if she actually interacted with the other students. But, my baby girl is well on her way to being a Kindergartner!!

April 9th, 2010

Today has been crazy so far. I can't trust the weather so the kids have been inside. There's only so much that can keep 4 active kids entertained for hours on end. Joe's at work and won't be home until shortly before 7. So, while I am trying to do training online for my job placing foreign exchange students with host families, I'm also trying to keep the kids busy, oh and laundry and dishes and all those other household chores that have to get done.

I hate, HATE using the TV or video games as a babysitter for my kids. Honestly though, there are times when it just has to happen. I'm not talking about hours at a time. But, when all I need is a half hour to get some phone calls made, or send a couple e-mails, or start dinner I'll turn on Nick Jr for the girls and let Aiden and Alayna play Wii. And honestly, it barely lasts a full half hour. Oh the craziness that is my life.

Thankfully the girls napped a bit while Aiden and Alayna were gone this afternoon. Aiden had the end of the season party with his football team at a bowling alley, and Joe's dad took Alayna bowling at the same time. Amazingly in that time I was able to return a call to the US Census Bureau about an 8 week position as an "Enumerator", basically going around to people in the area who didn't fill out their census and getting the questions answered for the government. I was also able to send about 10-15 cold e-mails to churches in the area asking for potential host families. Hopefully that gets me some type of response.

I'm excited about the Census position. Hopefully we can make it work. Joe was out of work for 4 months, and there just wasn't enough money coming in to meet all the bills going out. With the Census position we would be able to catch up completely on our bills and even put some money into savings, YAY! We haven't been able to do that in a while. The only problem is Joe works an hour from home and we only have 1 car. I've already figured out the daycare issue, now we just need to figure out the transportation issue. There's a guy Joe works with that lives not too far from us, I'm hoping that I'll be able to drop Joe off with him to carpool. We can pitch some money in for gas, and I'll still have our van during the day.

I got about half done of what I needed to get done today. Thankfully tomorrow is a Sunday and Joe's off. After church we can catch up on housework (specifically laundry and dishes, LOL) before we have to head out to take Alayna back to see her mom.