Economic Frustrations

You know, I find myself so disappointed right in now in our country.  The Economic decisions that are being made are in my own opinion (no hate mail) are ill thought out.  The bail out money that we gave these companies make my stomach churn.  Is it not a dog eat dog world?  In my opinion (and again, this is MY opinion - I am entitled to it) that bail out money should have been divided amoung the citizens here in America and then decided by us who sank and who survived.  What did that bail out provide?  Even bigger bonuses for the already selfish, self centered rich?  They run their companies into the ground and had to be saved.  Did they REALLY deserve a bonus?  Come on...let's look at the big picture and what's important in our nation.

It makes me especially sick when I look at the amount of money that our schools are lacking.  Which brings me to the latest saga and drama in the house of Flavin today.  Our city schools are down $3 million.  Because of this, our school board has decided to shut down 1 of our 4 Elementary Schools in my town.  And wouldn't you know up for debate to close is the one that my girls attend.  They would consolidate our school with another school on our side of town.  However, in doing this, they had to change the lines of the school districts to even up all the numbers.  The kids from our current school, Dixon,  is being split between the "new elementary school' and one of the other remaining schools.  This is causing friendships to be split and adjustments made for all the children in these schools.  Not only that but many jobs will be lost.  Another dilema within this decision is my babysitter who once was in my school district no longer is. I will now have to figure out how to get my girls to and from school on the days that I work because riding the school bus will no longer be an option. 

Dixon is a wonderful Elementary School with award winning teachers, high test scores and the most amazing staff available to have in a school.  To think of any of these people losing their jobs is truly sickening.   Our city has already made the decision to release the cleaning staff and replace them with local prisoners. The prisoners would come into our schools at night when the students are not there.  Why is it, that when cuts need to be made, that it always seems that the low rung of the ladder is the first to get the cuts?  Personally, I feel that the school  board committee should NOT receive a paycheck.  They should be made up of parents voted in that are very hands on within our school districts.  Our superintendant of schools and the higher ups within should take a paycut of between 5-10% to save on money.  Why should teachers and other employees that are working within the school walls with our children be cut when they are helping our children learn and grow?  By re-evaluating the school staff that is located within our City Hall I am sure that cuts could be made there first and they would find much more money if they would open their eyes to it.  Does the school really need 3 computer engineers serving the school computers?  I don't think so.  Especially since I know for a fact that the City here has one main computer engineer that acts in the sole position of a help desk for users.  I know this because my husband is that man.  Bryan overlooks 500+ city users on a day to day basis and it's a 24 hour job that he is on call for at all times.  If Bryan can handle maning all those computers then why does the schools need to have more then one engineer themselves?  In releasing two engineers they would be saving over $125,000.

Not only does our city need to look at the payout areas of our schools but needs to figure out where to help schools come up with the much needed money.  If our City Manager would re-evaluate many things I am certain that he would find cuts to be beneficial without necessarily many losing their jobs.  Our city has many "management" positions within departments.  In my husbands department there are 5 employees  - of the five there are 3 that are "management".  Does that seem very balanced to you?  These managers do not clock in or out and if they show up for a few minutes a day they are free to leave without using any kind of leave.  They also receive an extra week of vacation.  If our City Manager re-evaluated this, reduced the number of managers within, and cut top salaries by 5-10% that alone would be a huge money savings.  Also, at this ecomonic hardship, do we absolutely need an Assistant City Manager?  His salary is between $115,000 to $125,000.  That is a lot in the ways of helping schools. 

I know that a lot of money is also given to our schools for sports.  A whole lot of money.  While the school board has decided to cut $10,000 out of their budget on that end, I feel that it cut more.  When we contacted the board to receive information on how much was spent with last years budget we were given excuses to the new budget and still did not receive the infomation we requested.  Wouldn't it make more sense to have parents of these students pay for the student to play?  Maybe have a few scholarships but overall, parents fund it?  If new uniforms are needed then why can't the students fundraise?  I was a drama student back in my day and our school never gave the drama department money.  All our money was given to athletics.  So, when we wanted to buy the playrights, costumes, lighting, etc.  we worked our hinneys off to earn those things.  And we appreciated those items that much more.  While currently my girls do not play sports (if they ever decided to I would happily oblige their wishes) we are involved in activities that I do pay for.  In my opinion that is just a parents obligation.

It's a sad, sad situation when children suffer the consequences for poor money management.  These children are our future and by eliminating activities through the schools or cutting their funds we are in the long run hurting ourselves.  These children are our future doctors, lawyers, nurses, politicians, entrapeneurs, farmers, etc.  These children will be making the important decisions on how to run our society when us current adults are ready to hand over those reins.  In all areas for our state/country to cut money - education should NOT be on the list.

Motherhood Mahem

There are days that I look at my beautiful daughters and I couldn't be happier or prouder.  Then there are days (much like earlier today) when I could pull my hair out in frustration from their behavior.  Whoever said that little girls was sugar and spice and everything nice sure doesn't know my little blessings.   All day long I have broken up K1 and K2 from fighting.  "She hit me, She took my game, She made a face at me", etc., etc. etc.   Aye, aye, aye. It went on All. Day. Long.   Breaking them up from hitting and kicking each other, taking away their DS players and games, putting them in time out, talking with them about why their behavior towards each other was not the way to treat another individual.  Only for this cycle to start again, then again, and later again.  I had assumed that by buying each of my older girls their very own DS player that we would cut out the fighting between them.  Well, we all know the saying that goes with assuming.  Yup.  That's me.  Of course, they want the same game at the same time.  What was I thinking?  They only own 25 games .... why in the world would I think that each girl would be able to play nicely without fighting over games.  Why oh why didn't I buy two copies of 'Cooking Mama' or 'Nintendo Cats'.  Oh yeah ... I'm not made of money!

K1 & K2 ... 2006 ... typical of my girls ... fighting over something one has the other wants ..

On days like this I really do think the Lord has a sense of humor.  He probably looks in on our family and chuckles to himself at my red face and watching me trying to control my temper by counting to 10 ... 15 ... sometimes 20 when I am really frustrated.  He probably gets a good knee slap over me receiving back tenfold the troubles I placed on my own Mama by being so irony.  Yup.  I do think he does.  Mama told me when I was pregnant with K1 that she hoped that I would have a baby that proved to be 10 times more irony then I was as a youngen'.  Know what?  She's wishing she could take that statement back now.  HAHAHAHA.  Guess the saying be careful what you wish for applies here.  My little angels are very stubborn, hardheaded, irony, with a touch of spitfire and boy do they like to test authority.  What ever made me think that being 17 months apart would make K1 and K2 the best of friends?  (but to be fair - my little blessings can be the sweetest, most loving little girls I've ever seen too.  And they are both smart as a whip - whatever that quote may mean!)

Now, late this afternoon, things did finally get better.  The girls settled down and played nicely together and acted like the best of friends and we was able to sit down for an awesome conversation.   K1 and K2 sat with me discussing some things we talked about in the last few days with our Girl Scout Troop.  Yesterday, (Saturday) we participated in a World Thinking Day event.  Our 'thinking' was centered around world hunger and how we can stamp out world hunger and help others.  We talked a lot about the Haitians and what they are going through trying to recover from the earthquake.  My girls was especially tuned into the children there.  They were shocked to learn that the children didn't always get a lunch during their school day.  They were shocked to hear that those children didn't have the simple blessings we take for granted here.  K1 loves school and couldn't believe that the Haitian children didn't have the simple supplies needed to learn available to them as easily as she does.   My girls touched my heart when they said they want to make a difference for those children somehow.  We talked it over and they want to do a mission project collecting various school supplies for the Haitian children.  We prayed over it and I do believe we are going to attempt to start this with our church and possibly expand this out to our Girl Scout Troop as well. 

Sugar and spice and everything nice ... no, not quite. A blessing wrapped in mischief and adventure more like it with a dash of sweet.  Motherhood sure isn't easy but even on the hard days I cannot think of anything that I would rather be doing with my life.  When I tuck those little girls into bed at night, putting legs back under the covers, moving their slender bodies back into the center of the bed I look down on them and I thank the Lord over and over again for the amazing gift he gave me.  The gift of life.  For my life and for theirs.  I thank him for bringing so much love into my heart and for every day teaching me something new. I thank him for the hard times I encounter - as they are a learning process often with valuable lessons.  But mostly I thank him for sending his only son here to Earth to show us his love and for Jesus saving each and every one of us so we can look forward to one day spending an enternity within the gates of Heaven. 

How truly blessed I am.

My beautiful blessings .. 2009 at the beach.  Thank you Lord for bringing them into my life. 

Every good & perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly light, who

does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:17 NIV

Wanted: Director for Children Church

I was approached this past Sunday, Valentine's Day, in Church and asked to be the new Children's Church Director. I was told I was highly recommended for this position. First, let me say, I am humbled and honored! You see, it wasn't until this past year did I embrace my Christianity. It was then that my family looked at church as more then a Sunday ritual that we sometimes participated in, but a need to have in our life like air. I said I would think and pray over this before jumping into it.

After I got home I sat down thinking. And thinking. And thinking. You see, my schedule is already so very full. I work part time as a legal secretary on Mondays and Tuesdays. My oldest egg, K1, has piano lessons every Thursday, my middle egg, K2, has violin lessons on Fridays and the baby egg, K3, well...she's just a full time job being a baby that takes up every second that I am home. I am also a Girl Scout Leader of a very busy and active Brownie/Daisy Troop that takes up a lot of my spare time planning activities, going to trainings, meeting with my Service Unit, meeting with my girls, etc. Then in April we are crazily adding more to our already insane schedule by beginning cheerleading for K1 and K2.

The more I prayed and thought about this the more I felt a hand guiding me to do this. To accepting the position. But I admit to being reluctant. Really Lord? With my busy schedule ... now? You want me to do this now? How in the world am I going to do this? And what about my spirtual feeding? I'm not ignoring you, really,I'm not.   I'm just worried. I have a full plate. You know that! But I kept being directed to several passages. One of which I have taken to heart "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" Phillipians 4:13. 
 
So, I've come to the conclusion that this is what the Lord wants me to do. And what he wants from me I will honor.   It's not going to be easy.  At some point I am going to want out from frustration.  At some point I am going to want to pull my hair out.  But one thing that I know, at some point in the whole scheme of it all, I am going to sit in my pew watching my children - all my church children- and I am going to beam a wide grin and thank the Lord for directing me here. After all, if I can help a child love the Lord half as much as I do, then all the headache will be worth it.  I just hope that I am woman enough to do these children the justice that they deserve!