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Is “going green” really just a feel good fad? Now it seems “greenwashed” is the popular term of choice. While I think its a step in the right direction to see such global awareness of “green” practices, I must admit it got a little out of hand when NBC did “green” week and pushed Seventh Generation products in just about every show.

But its not the consumers fault! Or is it? I mean at what point do we need to wise up and think about whether the choices we are making are truly good for us and the world at large? I find that lots of people like to “go green” in one sense, but halt when that choice impedes on their level of comfort. I believe the shift needs to go deeper, and thus I agree with the “greenwashed” whistle blowers. Let’s put our thinking caps on and spend a little time pondering the actual environmental impact of our daily activities, and then take “simple” steps to reduce, reuse, THEN recycle- even if that means we won’t be the “cool” green gal on the block.

Here’s Mama’s Five Signs that YOU have been greenwashed:

#1- You wear t-shirts, buttons or purses with “green” slogans which you bought from places like Walmart, the antithesis of anything local and sustainable. (Edit: Done this one myself!)

#2- You spend extra money on “green” foods like Fruitabu so you can continue adding to the local landfill, rather than eating organic fresh fruits and vegetables in the first place. (Edit: Done this one myself!)

#3- You drive a Hybrid rather than walk, bike or bus it. (Edit: Okay, I can’t afford a Hybrid, but I wanted one!)

#4- You switched from traditional household cleaners to “green” household cleaners rather than just using vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, so on, which are far less expensive, extremely effective, albiet less show-offy. (Edit: Done this one myself!)

#5- You pride yourself in all the recycling your doing, but you still don’t wash the jars and cans before tossing them into the yellow bin, ensuring that they will end up in the landfill anyhow. (Edit: Done this one myself!)

Can you think of any others? I’d love to hear your thoughts! (Edit: thoughts on other quirks of being “greenwashed”, not thoughts that showcase you hardly read this post and took the whole thing to mean that I must believe I am oh-so-much-greener-than-you.)

There was a time when I had a great idea to confess something in my blog every Saturday. I have since come to the realization that a daily schedule is much too impractical for me. But why throw the baby out with the bath water?! Confessions return! (Just at random dates and times).

Why this sudden twinge of conscious? Maybe it’s because I’m reading a memoir (I can’t wait to add my favorite quotes from the book soon!) or maybe its because my friend and neighbor just confessed on her blog.

(Or maybe its just the opposite of what a true confession is, and serves only as a way to vent my annoyances from time to time with the added protection of self-realization therefore I-don’t-need-you-to-point-it-out-because-I-already-know, and-wow- I’m bold enough to act like I don’t care what you think, while retaining a slightly self-conscious feeling I can’t quite get rid of about the whole thing, hence this parenthetical addition/disclaimer/explanation - which could very well be just about my own desire to play with the type of odd literary techniques being used repeatedly in the memoir I’m reading.)

Laughing yet? Unsure what to make of this?

I judge drivers (but in a VERY hate the sin, not the sinner kinda way- this is SO not personal):

• I judge drivers who charge up their vehicles to go less than a mile away.
• I judge drivers who wait in line at a drive-through.
• I judge drivers who assume that our situation of carless-ness is not truly by choice, and that I am somehow wanting sympathy for my mode’s of transportation.
• I judge drivers who assume I am secretly hoping for the offer of a ride in a cramped car as opposed to bus/bike/walk alternative.
• I judge driver’s who think 5,000 dollars is not a lot to spend on what is essentially a large appliance.
• I judge drivers who pass me by when I am walking a mile in the rain from a Zipcar with my toddler and a carseat.
• I judge drivers who line up at stoplights during rush hour while I watch them from the bus bench- drivers who think it is essential to take up a spot on the road and pollute the world by having ONE PERSON IN A VEHICLE BUILT FOR 5-7 rather than carpooling or some other alternative.
• I judge driver’s who think I want to take pity on them for not having as many options as I do, as if they really, really would use them if they lived in a place that offered them.
• I judge drivers who assume that I am judging them, because how dare they think I am so pridefully judgmental?

Forgive me?

I was delighted with the information shared with us by Aaron and Joelle (who I have affectionately nicknamed “The Pretties” on Lost night: $3 dollar wine!

Am I the last to know about this??? While I dish out 8-20 dollars a bottle, there’s this extreme cheapo wine that’s really not half bad! Charles Shaw, you’ve saved Lost night (because Lord knows I can’t keep up with the goodies offered at the premiere!)

So we’re headed out to Trader Joe’s today for groceries (first time!) and I can’t wait to see if they have any other hidden cheap gems!

Gotta love a bargain!

EDIT*  OHMYGOSH I am a new BIG FAN of Trader Joe’s. How come so many people told me it was expensive!??! Since my nearest grocery store is Whole Foods, I found Trader Joe’s full, FULL of cheap foods. I mean, organic apples for 69 cents a pound?! Avocado’s for 75 cents each (this was the cheapest they ever went in central FL and that was at a produce stand so they were over ripe!) A quart of maple cream top yogurt (I normally pay $4-5 dollars for) was only about $2.50. Just about everything I found was 25-50% cheaper than I usually pay for it. This is my new grocery store, without a doubt!

I think this is kinda ironic because I had the baby bug when I first moved to Portland. Something about all the midwives and breastfeeding, baby-wearing mamas made me think this place was like a tonic for a mom-to-be or new mom. Now Fit Pregnancy makes it official!

While I don’t plan on having a baby anytime soon, I think this is a really special recognition for a city to have. Bravo, PDX!

Read more about this here! It provides a quick recap of the factors considered and how Portland ranked.

Sorry about that last post- it was a little bit of a breakdown! Sickness sure can make you feel like that, can’t it? For busy moms, (and whether you “work” for a paycheck or not, there’s really no such thing as a mom who is NOT busy!), if mom goes down, the whole house goes down with her! Luckily, my cold only lasted about two days total and I want to plug once again in the way of homeopathic medicine and good ol’ fashion nature.

What Goes In Must Come Out
Ew, nasty, that’s not what I was talking about! However, studies show that eating junk, particularly foods high in sugar, weakens your immune system, leaving you more susceptible to whatever buggies are floating around. I SUCK at this. I love food, I love healthy food, but I luuuuv me some sweeties too It’s amazing though, that the moment I know I’m sick, sugary or refined things become the last thing on my list of cravings. All of a sudden I’m paying attention to my body, which means I can’t ignore what it’s saying to me. If we’re going to get through this so I can get on with my life, we’ll just have to work together. Soup, tea, water, and nutrient rich foods can make a big difference nursing you back to health. (Note to self: Eating REGULARLY from the pool of immune-boosting foods will also PREVENT many of these little “common colds” too. Maybe I need to put this on sticky notes all over my house!) So, I don’t mean to be gross, but let me bring the point home: if you’ve got some funky lookin’ junk oozing from your nose and throat, some of the funky junk going IN lately could be one of the culprits.

The Quick List of Nature’s Medicine
You can look up the WHY’S of these on your own, all I’m saying is our medicine cabinet does lack a few things, namely, advil/tylenol, nyquil/dayquil, sudafed, Vicks, and so on. What’s there instead?

• Vit. C
• Zinc
• Echinacea (drops and tea, and in some of the other immune boosting chewables we have)
• Goldenseal
• “Chestal”; Ingredients here
• “Umcka” Cold Care; Active Ingredient:Pelargonium Siloides
• “Wellness Fizz”; Ingredients here
• “Kids’ Cough” liquid drops; Ingredients: Wild Cherry Bark, Fresh Osha Root, Fresh Yerba Santa Leaf, Mullein Leaf, Licorice Root, Pleurisy Root, Fresh Labelia Herb
• Catnip (dried, for tea) (fever reducer I would have never known about- thanks Diane!)
• Elder Berries (dried, for tea)
• Fresh ginger
• Free range, organic Chicken Broth

There’s probably a lot of things I’m missing, but with the above, our colds are always well managed. What I like, in a nutshell, about going this route is that you are giving your body some of nature’s stimulants, if you will, to boost its immune system and fight the cold itself. You are not taking chemicals to make you “feel” better while you wait it out, you are being proactive about your illness and reducing the likelihood that you’ll catch that strand again because of your stronger immune defense.

Neti Pot, My Little Miracle
I really can’t say enough about how much this little genie lamp concoction has reduced my sinus problems. According to wiki, this is used in India as often as brushing one’s teeth! It is not hard and it does NOT hurt, btw. All I’m gonna say is this: you know that feeling during a sinus cold/infection that there is something up there that you just cannot blow out without your brain coming with it? The Neti Pot gets THAT out. Yeah, nuf said. (As an aside, the neti pot is also supposed to work wonders for those with outdoor or pet allergies.)
—————–
So as I battle off the second cold of the flu season, poor Lil’ E’s is sticking around, mainly because he doesn’t get the BLOW aspect and continues to keep that mucous around like a bad relative, and Hubby reports today that something is creepin up into his nose too. I’ve stripped the bed linens for a good hot washing and opened up the window to air out the house (thanks for the reminder, mom-in-law!) I’m really, really hoping that this will be the last health invader for this year’s winter!

Technorati Tags: Sickness, busy, moms, house, cold, homeopathic medicine, nature, immune system, refined, nutrient, health, immune-boosting, PREVENT, Medicine, Zinc, Echinacea, Goldenseal, Catnip, Elder Berries, ginger, Broth, chemicals, proactive, illness, defense, Neti Pot, sinus problems, infection, flu season, mucous, health, winter

Information Week came out with this article yesterday regarding the internet’s effect on environmental issues, and reported the following regarding telecommuters:

“Internet-enabled capabilities like telecommuting, e-commerce, teleconferencing, and distance learning that have been around for decades are expected to play an increasing role in cutting energy consumption–reducing air travel and the need for warehouses, trips to the mall, and even malls themselves. The American Consumer Institute projects that telecommuting alone will cut CO₂ emissions by more than a half million tons over the next decade.”

A study commissioned by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) reported the following statistics about telecommuting:

“… using electronics to telecommute saves the equivalent of 9 to 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year — the same amount of energy used by roughly 1 million U.S. households every year. The findings also indicate the estimated 3.9 million telecommuters in the United States reduced gasoline consumption by about 840 million gallons, while curbing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by nearly 14 million tons. This level of CO2 reduction is equal to removing 2 million vehicles from the road every year.”

While telecommuting or working from home offers a great many other perks, it doesn’t hurt that it’s also the ultimate “green” way to work!

Quite truthfully, Portland’s month of rain, rain and more rain is not really that bad. Maybe its the honeymoon phase. Perhaps I’m being idealistic. My survival mechanism is to go about life as usual, get on your jacket and head out. DO NOT STAY IN DOORS! Yes, the backyard is too soggy to play in, and the parks are pretty much the same. BUT the sidewalks and streets are filled with minor puddles on my way to indoor activities. Besides, without a car, staying out of the rain is hardly a choice. Walk we must, come rain or come shine. And its been a while since there was shine.

This morning, the clouds parted, and a very nice day broke through for a few hours. I was able to run out and feed the bunnies, take my counter composter to the bin, and inspect the vegetable garden a bit. It was enough to give me an itch for the glory days, namely, May-July when we had just moved here and the clear skies smelled of bloomin’ roses, and tulips and wild flowers greeted you at every turn!  I can hardly remember our yard, sprouting with overgrowth that covered the paths, a gorgeous display of colors so rich in beauty that we ran out to take pictures and eat strawberries from the garden all month.

But as I’ve told many of you, the rains have brought with them, for me, a nice kind of hibernation. Bears do it, bees do it, let’s fall in love- type of feeling. At first, I had to turn to St. John’s Wort to keep the dark couped-up mood at bay. But that only lasted about a month (I’m way too forgetful to have to take something for very long!) and it was enough to get my spirits up and get my lifestyle OUT of the house. Since then, I’ve welcomed the rain and cold as a much needed r&r for this gal whose spent the past 23 years in the Florida sun. LOOOOOVIN’ the cafe’s and bookstores with their bottomless cups of java and cute mittens on my hands to hold my mug. Still prefer it to climates so UN-wintery.

But must admit, sometimes those darn puddles just annoy the ever livin’ crap out of me. Sometimes the constant drizzle of rain that makes any work put into your hairdo completely worthless gets under my skin. Sometimes I get the urge to put on a bikini and grab a beach towel and lay out in the grassy backyard and have some good ol’ Vitamin D toast me up. Sometimes the darkness by 4 pm is just the most ridiculous concept and I literally contemplate how some one needs to write a report about it and hand it in to the Big Guy.

All this to say, I can SURE appreciate Portland’s amazing Spring/summer combination, and I can’t wait. Just a few more months that, if all goes as usual, will fly by and then, oh the joys we will see of our bulbs spring back to life, of the wisteria on the gazebo start popping with little green leaves, the wild flowers I hope to plant after the last frost start to liven up our curb-side appeal. Such images and thoughts keep my heart nice and toasty during this month. Needless to say, we’ve been reading lots of The Cat in the Hat lately, and I’ve scoured my Rainy Day Activities with Toddlers book a few times!

On a side note, my amazing and beautiful pride of my heart two year old finally, tearfully, could not hold his bladder while straddling his potty today. Having been given an amount of water equal to the Willamette River, he ended up peeing at least 5 times in two hours; 3 times in his potty, twice on the chair during dinner. Poor guy!!! BUT he was SO happy to finally “make water” in the potty and the difference was completely and utterly due to giving him a book to read while doing his business. Hmmm… both Hubby and I like reading material while we take our potty breaks, so I suppose its no wonder! We are interested/anxious to see how the next few days play out as we use diapers for only outings and night… particularly when it’s time for Lil’ E’s mid-morning Numero Dos.

Job Update: Hubby still working to find employment, part of the 5% of the nation we heard about last week. Has applied to upwards of 20 or so legitimate ads, in addition to unemployment agencies, with several follow up phone calls on his part but no leads as of yet. We are working to stay busy and positive and not blow any money we have because we are so depressed! I literally got on my knees in the shower yesterday praying for a job that would make my husband happy. I know some how that all this will turn out all right in the end. There are so so many people we know that are going through just incredible hardships right now, so it certainly puts us in the “can’t complain” category! Thank GAWD!

Hope you all are trudgin’ through your January’s with high spirits, by and large unaffected (at least negatively!) by whatever weather and life conditions you’re facing!

Tonight, for perhaps no other reason than the fact that there is such a scarcity of anything new on TV, (particularly on a Saturday night… particular with an antenna!), I, Vivian, watched the New Hampshire Republican and Democratic debates. I might add that my sheer surprise in some of the outcomes of the Iowa caucus this week is what actually prompted me to stay on the debates once I flipped there.

In the past, I’ve tended to keep my head out of politics to deal with the situations at hand… bills, medical needs, college, my baby, our jobs…

Tonight, for perhaps the first time, I realized that it is precisely these issues, the one’s I struggle with daily, that were talked about in the debates, and that actually go to effect my life all the way from the White House. (Correction… the Republicans, who happen to be, I might add, my current party, debated primarily on foreign policy and keeping America the “strongest nation in the world.” *make sticking finger down my throat gesture*)

I was impressed with the level of discussion between the democratic candidates, however. A few times, I thought, my gosh… these are MY issues. I am middle-class, I am uninsured, I can’t afford a home in this market, MY husband is unemployed due to the economy,  I get very little tax relief… - WHY DID THIS TAKE SO LONG TO SINK IN???

It was also clear, fortunately, that at least 3 out of the 4 candidates (again, just referring to the Dems here) seemed to have grasped what is the “voice” of my issues, that some how or another they had an up-close experience with some one just like me effected by the status of our nation.

I felt very much better educated on what sets each candidate apart on these issues, as well. Hilary certianly “knows her stuff” and has a proven track record, but I’m with a great many others in wondering if that means she’s really the best person for the job of “change”, maybe even because of it (her experience). Obama didn’t impress me as much as I thought he would, though I really REALLY liked his idea of NOT mandating adults to buy their own health insurance (BUT making it affordable so we CAN)- HOWEVER, we would be mandated to buy it for our children, for the sheer fact that they do not have a choice. For me, this was one of the most interesting ideas of the evening. I was more impressed by Edwards than I expected myself to be, perhaps particularly on his campaign of going to battle for the middle-income families. Facebook, one of the sponsors for the debates, was asked to poll its participants the following question: “What was the biggest surprise”. An overwhelming majority voted for “Romney saying that the drug companies are NOT THE BAD GUY” and BOY do I agree with the Facebooker’s. When he said that, I was like, woah, what? I mean, sure, okay, in an ideal world we can try to believe that for the most part their bottom line is “making us well”… funny, because from what I’ve gleaned it is typically the practice of drug companies to manufacture chemicals that treat symptoms… leaving out the “make us well” part because we are left with weaker immune systems and further medical ailments long-term. In the meantime a marginal percent of us can even afford the drugs to presumably make us well, while the drug companies make awesome amounts of money keeping us popping pills. Interesting to take a look at traditional Eastern medicine and compare who is actually getting “well”.

But, of course, I digress to the issue of environment and sustainability. What little (in my opinion) was mentioned about this in both debates, particularly the Reps, really invoked my curiosity, for obvious reasons. Hubby and I were intrigued and starting looking on-line to find some more resources on where each candidate stands on the “green” issues in particular.

He landed on this site, which I love for its simplicity in outlining the green profiles of candidates from both parties. (Seems a WONDERFUL site for all things green, at that.) So as you bounce this all around in your head as I and so many American’s have been doing as we approach November, I do hope that the green issues will effect voting. I really got a wake up call tonight, and I hope I won’t be the only one in the next 10 months.

Dear Diary,

8:45am: I woke up later than I wanted to, for I had to be at work by 10 am which is like SO early for a WAHM to be decently dressed and walking 1/2 mile to pick up the #4 to downtown, ready to pull off my first ever Podcasting experience. It was all the windows fault. There was too much light coming in last night and I couldn’t sleep. So I did what all of us po’ folk do- I grab the nearest blanket I could live without and stuffed it up around the top of the mini-blinds so as to create makeshift drapes. That was about midnight or so, I suppose. So in the morning, when I normally get up by at least 7:30, it was nice and dark and quiet (just so happens Lil’ E ALSO slept in … thankyoujesus.)

9:15am: Catch the #6 instead so I can make a stop at the Starbucks for a quick po’ folk 8 oz. coffee, then catch the MAX from the convention center into downtown. Wait for the MAX for what felt like forever, coffee already cold, and a few sightings of snowflakes. It was a very rainy day and I was cute dumb enough to wear little gray ballet looking slip-ons. Real good, Viv, real good.

9:59am: Arrive to the office with one minute to spare, having bounded through the rain and puddles downtown with my purse and digital camcorder on my shoulders and my laptop case trailing behind me on wheels. Office is still dark and locked up- I’ve beat the boss! Dang I’m good.

10:20am: Call my boss. Realize I missed the e-mail that he wasn’t going to be in until after 11am.

10:45am: Finally get my STUPID VISTA OPERATING SYSTEM to connect to the unsecured network of the ground floor’s coffee shop to plug in to work and enjoy some HOT tea while I wait.

11:45am - 3:00pm: Podcasting 101.

3:00pm: Dismissed from work but its pouring. Sit down at the coffee shop once again and have my lunch- I’m told the “Stinky Hippie” is a soy chai latte. “Ah, that’s a wholesome po’ folk lunch”, I think. I order. I taste. Nope, this is a soy latte. No Chai. (You know, if you can’t get a drink right, how about try NOT naming it things like, oh I don’t know, STINKY HIPPIE, when all it is is a soy chai. Might that clear up some confusion? Just a thought.) But I am really a-okay with soy latte’s so I drink anyway. I forget about my problem of espresso on an empty stomach. (And no, I’m not referring to the BM’s… that is not to say this isn’t also a problem, but for now I simply mean the shaky hands and queasy stomach feeling.)

3:45pm: Waiting for MAX again. Once on, I must decide which way to turn my nose… to my right is a man in black leather with a long gray beard who smells something awful of cigarette’s, while periodically laughing at himself for no reason in particularly. To my left: a fairly normal looking, just-over-the-hill-aged man who must have a cat hoarding problem; he smells like PAH-IS! Naturally, I pick the powerfully odored urine man with the slightly less creepy disposition.

4:00pm: Getting more nauseous from the urine smell and praying I don’t pass out completely. Some one has got to guard my purse, digital camcorder and laptop.

4:15pm: Home again, home again, clickity clack.

5:00pm: We needs diapers, eggs and yogurt. What does a car-less family do in such circumstances? Layer up, walk the mile to the grocery store. Dark outside? Raining? Cold? Minor insignificant details. We are tough cookies, yes we are.

6:00pm: Eating a po’ man’s dinner for a family of 3 with no time to prepare a meal: Cheesy bread - $2.99 (an actual pizza is too expensive). Family dinner? Priceless.

6:45pm: Lil’ E to bed. I tried to think of something witty for this one but I’m at a loss.

7:30pm: Yoga night!

8:30pm: Ouch! The Scorpion. I point out to the yoga instructor, “this is the type of stuff they do on the magazine covers”; Little ol’ noobie Vivian cannot do this. But try, little engine, try. Does any one know about this stuff? Why is it that from this position on I have had some crazy lower back feelings of an almost maternal nature? Some powerful mothering feelings, almost like some deep seated tension from carrying a belly with a hyper-extended back for 9.5 months. Who knows.

9:30pm: My new hobby of skyping (and I’ll have to blog about that another time!) with my best friend for several hours, where I get to practice all of my comedic lines to blog about later. If they fly on her, they are in.

12:00am: Shower. Lay down in bed. The whole room is a-quiver with Hubby’s snoring- his body a 215 pound subwoofer.

12:20am: Up again. Grab some rice milk and cookie dough and start blogging.

12:30am: Dang this cookie dough is da bomb diggity. And 70% organic ingredients too!

Yep, that’s right ya’ll: Organic Fat. Only the best fat for this ass.

(Chat-practiced that line too. Might copyright it, whatcha think?)

For the record, no, this is not my typical diet!

So far, I have by and large worked full-time hours without childcare aside from my husband. I have attempted the day or two a week with a friend thing and had some luck, though the option was very affordable, it was not perfect.

While Lil’ E was between 14 months to about 2 years old I found it fairly do-able to work from home AND be his full-time care-giver. If certain projects demanded more attention (cleaning up databases, editing videos) I would do those after bedtime. Other things, like conference calls, event planning tasks, document creation and design, or writing gigs were all managed through out the daytime hours with my typically flexible toddler who played well by himself.

What happened in the last 4 or 5 months was unexpected (though I suppose, given all the information out there about child development, I should have been more prepared!). Lil’ E turned into a pre- preschooler. He is constantly learning new things and begging for my attention as his playmate. Nursing and cuddling and a few outings a week don’t cut it for a budding (and, imho, brilliant ) older toddler. And working from home means relatively fewer playdates and art classes as a non-working stay-at-home mom might be able to schedule into her day.

For me, part-time childcare for my older toddler/almost pre-schooler has been on the table and off the table for a couple of months. Given our new situation, (Hubby looking for work that could be M-F day job, my new part-time gig requires face-to-face time about 4 hours a week, so on), it looks as though the option will be back on the table until further notice!

Today I started my new part-time job on top of the three-quarter time hours I put in for Wiley. I’m very excited about all of the potential this new position has for me and what new paths it might lead down. I also believe it will provide me with more grounding in the telecommuting world, with more off-site skills that are often sought after in telecommuting salaried job ads. And as I mentioned, the need for me to be in the office doing some “assisting” hands on is a factor.

Today I also had my first “tour” of a local preschool I’ve had my eyes on. Though quite pricey, this preschool seemed top-notch. The facilities are fantastic: clean, inviting, and even “green”! The rooms are decked out in “natural” elements, only unfinished wooden structures, including tables and chairs made of irregular, beautiful wood pieces and gorgeous drift wood or “trees” and linens as decor. It is obvious that the elements of the rooms were probably expensive, as “green” and eco-friendly things like that tend to be. All toys were either hand-carved wooden pieces or soft fabric. Additionally, the meals served are always with organic fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and when used, meats. And check this out- they use cloth diapers from the first diaper change to the last, and then hand them back to you in regular ones (if that’s what they come in). They have three likewise environmentally friendly playgrounds that are just the cutest things ever.  And lastly, one of the major factors in me checking out this school, is the Spanish language program. Every teacher must speak Spanish to the children quite a bit during the day and it is taught alongside English. I know teaching children a second language in the formative years when their language development is most active is highly advised, and since Ethan is half Hispanic, I really want to foster the Spanish language in his life. (I took four years of Spanish, including two years of Intermediate Spanish in college, for the record- and because I don’t use it day to day, you would never know!)

So here I sit, with the waiting list application in hand. It is a big step for me to consider taking my son anywhere but home for his care, education, so on. But even while we were touring, he was ecstatic about the toys and playing with the other kids who were there, and was so sad to leave what he called “MY preschool!” I know that by putting him in preschool two full days a week, I would be able to knock out enough work to ensure that the other three days of the week I could spend more quality time with him. And I know that spending the time with other loving adults and other children his age (who all move up each year together- including the teachers!) would be an invaluable enrichment to his life right now.

So…

I will be turning in my waiting list form this week and praying that something will open up in the weeks following whenever Hubby begins working full-time again (to coincide with the income!) If we end up planning a second child in the next couple of years, I will be as determined to stay home full-time with them until they are about Lil’ E’s age as well, (at which time I assume I’ll have him in either full-time or part-time kindergarten, or whatever grade he might be in).

Unless of course Hubby is making six-figures by then, in which case I’ll homeschool and write a book in my spare time! Ha!