I have been editing the school newspaper for years.  This is my 5th year, actually.  It’s hours of my time, involving PTA Presidents, Communications VP’s, printers, and deadlines.  I get thanks from the President, usually, which is really great – it’s sincere.

Poe has been doing the Carline for two weeks.  Poe gets hugs and free Girl Scout Cookies.

Something’s not right here.

And yes, I want a cookie.

At our local elementary school, where Logan attends, we’ve been having serious carline issues.  Since being out of work, Poe has taken over the dropoff and pickup for me.  He was coming home increasingly angry at the other parents doing stupid stuff, against the “rules” stuff, illegal stuff, and flat out dangerous stuff.  Examples:  Parking across the street, and then having their kids come to them, between the cars in the carline AND jaywalking alone (6 years old) to boot.  Pulling u-turns straight out of the line.  Parking in local residents’ driveways.  Parking in the red.  Blocking fire hydrants.  Double parking in the middle of the street.  It got to the point that he starting documenting on his cel phone.

Because of our frequent meetings with the principal for Joseph’s IEP’s (this was prior to his switching schools,) Poe was able to bring up his issues with the whole thing.  The school is a little at a loss as to how to really fix it.  They are already participants of the Calico program – a Sheriff’s program that trains parent volunteers to help the line move faster and safer.  Finally they decided to publish a rather harsh letter in the school newsletter (I’m the editor,) and bring in the Sheriffs.  And up the parental volunteer muscle.  So they brought in Poe, a former marine, who’s mad at what the other parents are doing.  So each day, at least while he’s out of work (still?!) Poe will hang out at the school, help kids get out and in the cars, holler at stupid parents, and if they don’t listen take their license numbers and pictures for the Sheriff.  He got trained by the Sheriffs this morning (yes, it’s that serious.)

These parents are impatient, and think that they have more important things to do than the rest of the parents do.  As a result they put all our kids in danger.  If it were just a matter of being rude, that’d be different.  But a little girl was killed near here not all that long ago for the same reasons.  Time to put a stop to it – Poe stepped up to the plate.  This should get interesting.

As any parent knows, mornings can be rough.  Kids need to be fed, dressed, hygiene attended to, the various items of the day – lunches, homework, jackets etc. all settled upon.  Depending on the number of children, this can look like a zoo.  Now, add the fact that it’s morning, and people are moving slower.  Add the idea of one bathroom for four people.  Poe (being unemployed) and I (being a home business owner) have the advantage over other working parents in that we don’t have to get ready right that second too.  We get up way before them… But that’s more for our sanity, and so we’re not in our grumpy morning attitudes when we get them up.  I’m able to get a start on my workday and know what fires have cropped up during the night.  Not to mention ingesting coffee prior to the stampede.

So – Poe and I are both in our pajamas for the most part when dropping kids off.  Then we can come home and get ready ourselves, without playing referee with our kids.  And you know what?  This works for us.

Enter this idiotic thing…  School Bans Parents from Wearing PJ’s at Drop Off.  Whatever.  Seriously.  You know what?  If I’m in MY car, I get to wear whatever I want.  If I’m on foot, I STILL get to wear whatever I want.  What’s important is that my children arrive to school fed, clean, rested, and prepared.  When I was working outside the home, and I had to be ready to go at the same time as the kids, it only made our morning preparations MORE chaotic.  I like the way I’ve got things going now.  I think something else that’s interesting to note is the complete disdain the principal seems to have for parents in general – regardless of their attire.

Seriously?  Stay out of my business.  Concentrate more on educating my child.  That’s your job, right?

As you all know…  I have a business, Vineyard Virtual Services.  I am a Virtual Assistant who caters to freelance writers and small business owners.  As part of that, I also freelance write/ghostwrite.  I usually can’t share that stuff, as it’s not my own byline.

However, at one of my gigs, I’m a one of the writers on the company blog.  I write as MicheleW, so the owner said she was happy for me to promote posts when they happen.  I’ve been writing there a few months now.

Fun and Function is a special needs resource company.  I would say they are more geared towards the Autism spectrum and Sensory Processing Disorder, but there’s something for everyone if your child has special needs.  I write about various topics in the blog from the perspective of being a parent of kids with special needs.

All this to say that there’s a new post over there!

I got interviewed about blogging over at Commitment. Won’t you take a look?

I know several of my online and offline friends deal with kids who have special needs.  I’m one of them.  I’m writing an article for one of my clients, and I would love to hear your stories on the fiscal impact it’s made on your family.  State paid?  Medical Insurance?  District paid?  Out of pocket?  Private care?  I’m looking for the myriad of routes you’ve taken financially to provide special needs care to your child.  Comment or email.  Thanks!

Below is a guest post of my husband, Poe.  He’s a little ticked and asked if he could write on my blog.

Hello there, this is Poe… Sparks’ husband.  I heard a discussion on the radio this morning that prompted me to request this “Guest Post” on my loving, beautiful, talented wife’s most professional and stylish blog. Full disclosure, this post is going to have to do with sports…kinda.

I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but the use of the words “Super Bowl” has been absent from almost all forms of advertisement not directly generated from the NFL.  While I understand this from a purely monitary point of view (not really,) I have always thought it to be petty and selfish in the extreme.  The use of the title “Super Bowl” in an ad for pizza, or a new TV does nothing to detract people from actually watching the “Super Bowl.”  If anything, it’s free advertising… but I digress.

This morning I was informed that a number of businesses in New Orleans received letters from the NFL informing them that their use of “Who Dat” in the advertisement was a violation of trademark laws as “Who Dat” was an official NFL trademark.  ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!  That has got to be the most out of touch, conceited, petty, and just plain dumb policy I have heard in a very long time.  That is like some official for the Olympics saying people need to use “The Game Overseas” or “A Group of Countries Playing Games Against Each Other.”  Just stupid.  As if New Orleans does not have enough to deal with, now this.  This is the first trip to the “Super Bowl” for the New Orleans Saints and the “Who Dat Nation” – and the NFL pulls something like this. Seriously, is “The Dog Pound,” “Raider Nation,” or “Cheese Heads” trademarked by the NFL too?  It’s like me trying to trademark “Dude”. (Ed. note – my husband has trouble in conversation NOT using “Dude.”)

I am sorely disappointed in the NFL, so much in fact that I will not be watching the “Super Bowl.”  (Ed. note – my husband is an AVID, RABID football fan, so this is big.) I just wanted to vent and this is, I think, one of my best options.  Thank you baby!

Poe

Let’s go with good first.  Joseph and his diagnosis.  I’ve been pretty forthright here about his issues.  I haven’t said what meds he’s on, or our specific therapeutic choices.  Suffice it to say – we’re on it.  However, after our foray into the psychiatric hospital system, the discharge diagnosis was bipolar disorder.  Well – one therapist agreed, and one psychiatrist disagreed.  On the one hand, something that’s treatable!  On the other hand, lifelong medications, and an increased risk list the size of my arm.  We had the opportunity, however, to participate in a children’s bipolar study at UCLA.  After 5 hours of testing and talking, talking and testing (there was a break in there so the doctor could do an awake brain surgery oh my jesus ::shiver::) Here’s something fascinating.  He couldn’t have participated in the study (regardless of diagnosis.)  He’s left handed.  Lefty’s have a different brain mapping than righty’s and so they wouldn’t have been able to compare brain maps of apples to apples.  I find that fascinating.  Anyway – They came to the conclusion that he is NOT bipolar.  However, they were able to diagnose social phobia, mood disorder NOS (actually clinical depression, but can’t call it that as the time involved doesn’t meet the clinical requirements) and ADHD Inattentive Type (in otherwords, no hyperactivity.)  All of this?  Feels MUCH more like him than other diagnoses we’ve had.  And so we move on from here with that.

Now the bad.  My mom’s in the hospital again.  Vomiting blood, transfusions, heart rate going down to 33.  They got her heart rate up  again, however, she’s vomiting blood again.  Things were looking up, but now not so much.  Prayers appreciated.  I’m sticking close to home in case I get “called” to the hospital.  Those are not good calls.

And the yuck, but not life and death yuck – we have no toilets.  We have to be roto-rootered, but that has to be done from the roof, as their equipment won’t fit under the house.  But they won’t come to our roof.  Something about not wanting to be struck by lightening we’re having right now.  Sheesh!  And, on top of everything else, I’m planning a bachelorette party, and am a Matron of Honor in a wedding in three weeks.

I’ve always had broad shoulders.  I guess I’m just having to use them.

I’ve been extremely delinquent in my blogging.  Basically because things are at such a level of suckage that I can’t stand to write about it.  So here’s a little update on everything.  First, the good.

Joseph is doing great at his new school.  He seems to like it.  He’s very tired as it’s only the 2nd week in, and he’d been out so long, but he’s starting to get in his groove.  I’m cautiously optomistic.

I’m matron of honor in a friend’s wedding coming up in February.  Trying to scrounge together money for the kids’ tux rentals (they’re in the wedding.)  Not to mention the bachelorette party.  I’m pretty sure it’s going to be BYOB and I cook.  Dude.  I can’t afford anything else. dammit.

Logan continues to be… Logan.  There are no words for that little bug.

As for the rest.  Student loans are coming after us, and we’re trying to settle.  They really don’t care that Poe’s been out of work for a year – and no they won’t take payments.  $28k now please.  Actually no -  please isn’t a word they know.  I’ve heard stories of the tactics that debt collectors use, but got to experience it first hand, myself yesterday.  We were personally insulted, our family was personally insulted (although I’m still not sure why) and the man yelled at us.  Not argued – yelled.  As if we had personally taken out a loan against his property.  Dude – you’ve had the account for a week.  He called us liars.  Started questioning each of our expenses.  It was awful and surreal.  I’m not usually on the receiving end of such vitriol – and I’ve taken some shit in  my life.  I don’t remember what I said, but Poe said at some point I said, “Excuse me sir, but how dare you speak this way to a human being?”  It was bad.  At which point my father witnessed my falling to pieces, which prompted my mother to come over, which prompted a potential settlement.  Which I am not handling.  Poe is.  I can’t get back on the phone with them.  I already have ulcers.

We’ve managed to stay current on everything else, by the skin of our teeth.  Poe has tried everything from his actual career line of work to grocery store, to pizza joints.  Now he’s trying to find manual labor.

So when I see Washington saying that things are getting better, I wonder if they’ve actually talked to any of their constituency.  Because it’s not for us.  And I know it’s not for others.

We’ve become Dave Ramsey fans.  Although to use his words, “we have an income problem.”  But using his money tactics for talking to each other, and planning together – Poe and I are both closer, and have a better monetary hand on things.  That’s actually been a good thing.  I don’t feel abandoned to make all the hard decisions myself, and he actually knows blisteringly clear how bleak it is.  But, knowledge is power.  We have a plan to initiate, and while for now that’s mostly treading water, we’re together in it.

So – if you know of a CAD Design/Drafting job – or anything else – open in Southern California, I’d appreciate being able to pass it on to him.

Poe woke me up, yelling:

All right!  All right!  Up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-B-A-Select-Start!

And then laid back down.

For the uninitiated, that’s the code to get ifinite men in Contra.  This is what my adult husband dreams of.

Scarier:  I knew what it was.