Birthday

So, birthdays are a good time to reflect on our lives.  Where have we been, where are we now and where are we going.  Do we even know the latter?  Some people are sure they do.  At least, they have a plan.  Others just seem to flow, with no obvious direction and no oars.

I feel a bit like that: no oars, no obvious plan.  I'm 38 today and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.  I have three amazing children.  I love being their mother, and believe I would be happy doing that full time.  Though I worry that I would get bored, or regret it a few years down the line when I want to get back into the work place.  Plus, we do need the extra income.  The ironic thing is that I chose to work in real estate to have a flexible job so I can be a very present mother.  The only problem with real estate is that there is no steady income.  So while I may be spending hours away from my kids, I may not necessarily be earning any money.  Defeats the purpose, no?  The pull is that the potential is there.  I could see myself making a good career out of it.  But, at this point, is it worth the time away from my family?

Is part of my problem that I do not have the guts to admit that I want to be a stay at home mom?  Do I really want to do that?

At this point in my life, I feel like I am doing everything wrong.  Everything.

So, even though they say "another year older, another year wiser", it seems for me that it should be: 'another year older, another year stupider'.

Dancing With The Stars

Dear Dancing With The Stars producers: I get that sex sells. But really, put some clothes on the women! And tone down the sexual overtones of the dances. I would love to watch this show with my kids and expose them to the music and dance, but most of the time, it's like watching an R-rated movie between the women's costumes and the gyrating, sexual moves. You've taken a beautiful art form and turned it into something dirty and cheap.

Public Schools

I am a big supporter of public schools.  After all, our tax dollars pay for them, so we should support them and make good use of them.  More importantly, they really are fulfilling the most important job out there, namely, educating the next generation.  It truly is in everyone's best interest that our children, and the children of others, receive the best education possible.  Otherwise, we will all suffer.

Now, I do realize that there is a need that the private school system fills.  Some parents want there children educated with the value system of their culture, and that is legitimate.  Others may simply want more control over the crowd their children will be exposed to and the friends they will bring home.  I get that.  It could be a bit elitist, but certainly a parent's prerogative.

But this entry is not about public versus private.  It is about the sorry state of our public schools.  It truly angers me that they are in the state they are in.  There are many factors which have led to this, and I am certainly not an expert in the area, but I do have one solution.  I believe every civil servant, from the smallest peon to the President of the United States, should have to send their children to public schools.  Perhaps then they will care more.  I'm sure if Melia and Sasha were going to public school, the D.C. schools would look and a perform very differently than they do now.  I can use the Obamas as an example now because they have school-aged children.  This can and should be said of all politicians and civil servants whose children attend private school.

It is almost as if they are saying the public school system is good for the common people, but not for us. 
Why should I, as a parent, have faith in a system that my leaders do not have faith in. 

In addition, the public school system can only be as good as the people in it.  If all the people who can afford to send their children to private school do, then where does that leave the public schools: with families who cannot afford the time or funds to help propel the school to greatness, or sometimes even a decent average.

Coffee studies should warm your heart

Coffee studies should warm your heart

An open letter to the teacher's union

To the teacher's union: Please do away with your ridiculous policy of last hired/first fired. This is no way to educate our children! Would you go to a hospital who used this policy to layoff doctors?
"Oh, sorry Ma'am, but that world famous neuro surgeon we had was recently laid off due to cut backs. You see, he was the most recently hired. But Dr. Joe Schmo will operate on you. He's been here for 20 years. I'm sure he'll manage to get out at least most of your tumor."

Sick days

I didn't think I would start my first post on a day when I am ill, but hey, why not!  This is certainly relevant to working mothers.  I'm there to take care of the family when one of them is ill, but who is there to take care of me?  My husband 'does me a favor' of staying later in the morning to take the two older ones to school.  Don't get me wrong, this is much appreciated. He is self-employed, as am I, so there are no paid sick days for us.  He doesn't have a boss to call and tell him he can't come in because he has to take care of the baby since his wife is busy barfing.
But still, it would have been nice for him to have offered to stay at home.  I managed in the end, sort of.  My mom was nice enough to take a day off work and help out, but I had to come to her place so she could "do things". 
I suppose I'm just annoyed that it is one more thing to have to deal with.  There are no givens.  When hubby is sick, he doesn't have to worry about who will get the kids to school, pick them up, do the shopping, etc. But when I'm not bringing in enough dough to help support the family, there are comments made.  How do others do it all?
They don't.  You can't.  You may think you do, but you don't.  You can't have a great career/job that brings in a nice salary and still be able to take a week off to care for one of your kids who has to stay home from school, or come, with notice of just the night before, to your daughter's morning assembly to see her receive an achievement award.
So, while I'm just rambling and maybe not making much sense, I will eventually get there.