Brooke Blogs This

Follow my blog with Bloglovin So if you remember, last month I wrote about my  child care  issues, and well how I have none.  I should say, had none.  Shortly after that post, I accepted a position (an assistant) at a local school here in Portland.  I spent 2 weeks working crazy overtime at my previous employer to get things in order for my responsibilities to be transitioned to someone new, and then I've spent the last two weeks getting acclimated to my new schedule.  As of Friday afternoon, my hours changed (for the better!). With this new job, I'll have more time to devote to my family, my church, my photography, BLOGGING, and other hobbies.  So I've been giving more and more thoughts to what I want this blog to be, and I need your input.  As much as this blog is a form of therapy and record for me, I want it to be something of substance, something that people want.  With this new job, I've taken a substantial pay cut, so I'll definitel...

Over the Christmas break, my baby sitter quit.  I spent the next 2 weeks searching for child care and discovered something. I live in a child care desert. DESERT! There is not one child care facility in my school zone. Not one. My daughters school does offer after school care until 5:30 PM and that is where I currently I have her registered.  They do not offer before care. However, I am used to having child care 6AM to 6 PM. I live 45 miles from where I work.  By the time I drive (with traffic), park and get into work, it takes about an hour and half. So I work for 8 hours, with a 30 minute lunch:  8.5 Normal traffic to work each morning:                1.5 Normal traffic from work each morning:             1.5 Total time I HAVE to be away from home:       11.5 hours. See why I NEED 12 complete hours of child care. The normal traffic does not allow for wrecks or incr...

I am a WOH! (Work Outside the Home) Mom. I don’t have a choice. My Husband and I both have to work to afford a 1200 sq. ft. house in a small town 45 minutes out of Nashville. We both have to work to afford two older vehicles (2002 and 2003). We both have to work to pay the electric bill, water bill and car insurance. We don’t have cable or satellite, we don’t have internet and we don’t spend money eating out. Most months we barely get by. If one of us decided to stay home and we got rid of one vehicle, we could only afford to pay $200.00 in rent. We would still make too much to qualify for any kind of state or federal assistance. So we both work. But, if I had the choice, I would still be a WOH! Mom. Don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE to not HAVE to work, but I would still work. I would still send my daughter to preschool five days a week. For me, Preschool is a God-send. The group of teachers at her preschool are brave. They let the one year olds finger paint!! Preschool has taught my d...