Yeah, my boys' rooms are overdue for a Mommy inspection. They have way too many toys and clothes. Sad part is that they only really get toys for birthdays, Christmas, and taxtime. Yet they have enough to make a mess.

It's kind of the same thing here. I mean we spoil them from time to time, but the main times are the same for us too. Not so sure we're doing much around tax time this year with them, though, with dad being laid off. :< My birthday is after we get taxes, and I'm not even sure if I'm doing much, myself.

Most of our money at tax time is going towards overdue bills and repairs to the house. Property tax is like 3 years behind and I don't think Wesley's stepdad (whose house this is but moved out which means we finally got our own place) is going to be much help. He said he would help cover them but he's broke and his tax money will be going to pay off someone he borrowed money from. x.x We've normally go through ours before my birthday each year. All I told my boyfriend and kids I want is to go out to eat as a family. We rarely do that since eating at home is cheaper.

Much, much cheaper. But it's hard to always have time to cook healthy meals when you're busy doing other things. I'm worried how my husband and I will juggle things this term. My term is shaping up to be frighteningly busy. And that's just with one class. I dunno what the other will be.

Luckily my daughter has just started taking naps by herself, which gives me anywhere from forty minutes of silence to an hour and a half. >>; She starts daycare March 1st provided all goes well with enrollment, then I'll have more time for my projects.

That is true. Fixing a good and healthy meal is hard to do when you have schedules to work around. Before Wesley's shift changed to 7am to 7pm, I was having to fix two meals at night. One for the boys, one for him. I'm so glad he's on day shift now as I get to fix one meal for dinner.

I miss when the boys took naps. ;_;

Sometimes being a step-parent has it's perks...I get to see them on the weekends during school and it's less chaotic. Summers are fun, but always seem stressful. I don't know how I would deal with having kids 24/7. I would, if I have to....

Having kids 24/7 can be stressful. :lol: I'm surprised I don't have gray hairs yet. I think that step-parents don't always get the respect they deserve, you know. Even if you don't see the kids all the time, you still are a part of their life and vice versa. You treat them as they are your own.

I do have gray hairs now. :lol:

Luckily she's getting a bit older and Sesame Street occupies her for stretches long enough for me to fix dinner. Mondays are going to be the really bad days. My husband will be gone early for lecture and work, gets home around 5:30, then we do dinner and I head out to my 7-10pm class. Ick.

Tuesdays I don't have anything going on, but hubby is gone from 4am-8:30pm or something similar. x_X Wednesdays I have class. Thursdays he has lecture and work, and that's it thankfully. Fridays he just has work.

I need to do Terra's daycare paperwork tonight. Just procrastinating since there's a $150 fee. Dx

$150? Wow... That's a lot of money. We got lucky because the local Head Start doesn't charge a fee. But then again, we had to wait for for them to turn 5 before they could attend.

I'm putting her into a Montessori school. While it's more expensive, there's more to do (usually, at least when comparing places here). I distrust public daycare systems here, on the whole. My nephew came home around age 2 saying a girl tried to perform fellatio on him. She was abused and ended up touching a lot of the other kids. Besides this, he always came home with scratches and bruises. They did nothing to try to stop fights, so my sister ended up telling him to fight back. :\ He wouldn't. Babies and toddlers shouldn't have to deal with that mess on their own.

While children are abused in all sorts of families, I know there is more supervision at this particular Montessori school (provider to child ratio). They offer scholarships and financial assistance, too, which will help a bunch.

I can't blame you on that. I wouldn't let my kids go there. *shakes head* And you're right. Kids are too young to have to deal with fighting and abuse. Did she call social services or the cops on that school? I know we're lucky with the Head Start and school the boys go to here. The teachers and staff look after the kids and any time the boys even got a little scratch from playing outside, they were quick to let us know. I think it was Tyler who scratched himself on the slide. It was like... a centimeter long and not even bleeding. But they disinfected, bandaged it, and filed a report on it.

That is good. That school sounds like a great place for a kid to go to. And sounds helpful for the parents.

It was nearly 8 years ago, so I don't remember. I'm curious now.

It sounds like your head start and school are good ones! :D

I hope something was done about that place. :(

Mhm, I consider myself lucky that we were able to have our kids there. I've heard not so good things about the other elementary schools around here.

It closed. But it's left me weary over the other public places here. Just because the agencies close it doesn't mean the kids stop getting care. I live on an island community of about 2000 people, so the options everyone has are slim. :(

The Montessori school is about 30 miles away, but we go to that small town all the time anyway for school and work, so it won't be a big deal.

I don't even know what to do about elementary school in another three or four years. (We may enroll her when she's 4, going on 5 rather than 5 going on 6, depending... you can here so long as their birthday is before mid-October.) But where everything is "rural and poor" here they've been discussing school consolidation for the last year or two.

It worries me she may have to go forty miles or more on a bus. What kid could stand that long ride? It would take hours with all the stops. That's partially why I don't want to plant my roots anywhere. Gotta see what all is available around the time she'll need to enroll in Kindergarten. :/

That is a good point. And goodness... That is a long ride on the bus. :( And I thought the hour that my boys have to go through to get to a school that's like 10 minutes away was bad.

There are private schools (one or two, I believe) in the city the Montessori school is at. That could always be an option, but the cost would suck. I guess it depends on where we end up working. :3

Wow nearly at the thousandth page!

Chi - that story you told about that little girl is disturbing. I really hope CPS took her away from that family. Horrid...simply horrid.

Work is going...OK...I guess. Looking forward to 2am!

Sadly it feels common for here. I know it's not, but it feels like it when you have such a small population. There aren't enough masses to sort of blend in and not know. Granted, I'd rather know who does what so I can keep Terra protected the best I can, but still.

Oooh, 1,000 pages is near? o.o So it is.

Hi Chi, I was wondering if you might have a Blind Justice for sale? I really need one for my new look and was wondering if you had one.

I added the gold and accepted. Thanks so much, Chi!

Yue, yep, I do! If you want it for 4k, please send a trade to my mule, "Chi's Mule".

Dragoness, no problem. I'll go confirm! :) Thanks!

Perhaps there could be some way the private schools could offer financial aid.

Thank you Chi and how do you spell your mules name? I got it and set up and added gold. Just waiting on your end now.

Aaron has got me worried, today. He's got a pain in his left side that he says has been really bad. He says it isn't constipation or kidney stones. He ran up to the library right now, but I'm half expecting a trip up to ER tonight. :(

I hope it's nothing serious, Izumi. ;_; You guys are in my prayers.