Words, Words, Words, Words

The greatest thing about blogging is it combines the ego-centric whining of a diary with a support group. I love the fact that I can bitch about stupid things in my journal simply as an outlet for my feelings so I don't end up smacking my head into a wall, and still get people to, metaphorically speaking, pat me on the back and say 'there, there.'

You all rock. Thank you. Really, really thank you.

So. I get a call this morning on my cell phone. It is on 'restricted' so I think it is my really nice but slightly paranoid neighbor calling me, as she did the other day. Guess who it was.

( go on, guess )

Well, I'm at home for a few hours because my carefully crafted Charlie Care network broke down.

Kate, the Regular minder has school from 11-3 Tuesday and Thursday. As Charlie is also in school during those hours, this is not a problem. There is no school today, because of Yom Kippur. In the past, I've usually been able to count on my neighbor to take Charlie in a pinch, as she homeschools her daughter but, well, they're Jewish, and today is the really important Jewish holiday, so they're not around. Then Jennifer, who can also usually take Charlie, since she is home with her own son, but she has been, as you know, very ill, and she is just not up to watching two boys. My husband couldn't stay home because he's having all sorts of drama at his work with things flooding and whatnot, so that's out. Old Psycho Babysitter had offered to watch him this week, but I'm so not opening that door again.

So I'm home. Which isn't a horrible thing, but I still don't have any sick time, and not enough vacation time, so I'm on 'leave without pay' at the moment. Which sort of sucks.

But...home is good. I like home.

So these Boy Scout leaders were killed in a freak accident during the Boy Scout Jamboree - some how their tent pole hit a powerline or something. The first thing I thought of (after the 'oh, how horrible') was 'Where are they camping that there are powerlines right over them?' I mean, doesn't one usually camp in the woods and stuff, places that are away from things like powerlines? That's the point, isn't it?

And apparently George Bush is scheduled to speak there. Probably to encourage the boys to exchange the blue uniforms with camoflague when they come of age.

Charlie was in Cub Scouts last year. I thought it would be good for him, but to tell the truth, it was all a bit to quasi-militaristic and made pacifist me rather uncomfortable. Oddly, our troop wasn't terribly organized, and it was a bit too much for Charlie, and he didn't want to do it this year. I would've done it if his friend was going to but his moms are against the Boy Scouts for reasons you can probably fathom.

For the record, Charlie had a lovely first day with his new minder. She took him to a park and bike riding, and bought him water ice.

And today she calls and tells me she has a dentist appointment tomorrow, and right when I'm thinking, 'Okay, I'll have to see if I can get someone to watch him' she says, 'So is it okay if my boyfriend stays with Charlie for an hour while I go to the dentist?'

She is a godsend. *touches wood, crosses fingers, and offers a sacrifice to whatever god is in charge of this sort of thing so this state of affairs will continue for a good long while*

I got another email from the person who responded to my child care ad - she wouldn't be able to pick Charlie up after school, which is really what I need the most. She sent me her ad that details the services she gives. This is what it said:

Hear is my add

Of course just because a person who gets two words wrong in a 4 word sentence doesn't mean she isn't a good child care provider. English might not be her first language. But it still made me giggle

I'm going to Hell.

Got a call yesterday morning from the mother of one of Charlie's classmates. She is the lunch aide at the school, and I'd sent a message in to the teacher asking her to ask this woman if she would be interested in watching Charlie. She said yes! So, starting Monday Charlie will be going home with his classmate instead of the Latchkey program. Hurrah! I am very relieved. Hopefully this will work out, as this is quite literally the 10th time I've had to scramble to find day care.

I'm proud of me, though. I didn't panic, I did't get too upset, I trusted that I would find something, and I did. And this woman knows Charlie already and she adores him, so that's good!

I'm typing on my laptop as my husband brought some friends over to 'crash' in our house after a 'gig' (They're from Atlanta) so there are people sleeping in the room where my computer is. Don't mind using the lap top, (It's my work one) but the keybord is hard to get used to and I keep typing 1 instead of ! and it makes me laugh because I think I'm turning into a suethor. Hee.

Well, I have nothing profound to speak of at the moment, and I need to get ready to go get my hair cut, so I'm off.

Firstly. Congratulations to ciara_belle for totally kicking arse on Jeporady. She's one smart person. It's interesting how much more fun that show is when you actually have a specific person to cheer for.

Secondly. Charlie is being kicked out of his after school program, mostly because the person who runs it has no concept of structured activities. She gives the kids things to do, but it's like 20 kids doing 20 different things. Charlie apparently 'scared' the other children too many times with his behavior. I also happen to think the other kids enjoyed pointing out Charlie's behavior because they couldn't wait to tell me. It was kind of cute in a way, they all gathered around me to tell me the things Charlie was doing, and then I told them that Charlie was Autistic, and his brain didn't work the same way theirs did. They were very interested. Now I need to a) try to find someone who can take Charlie after school and pick him up since I have no means of transporting him from school to after school care and b) check to see if they actually can legally discharge a child with special needs. It isn't part of the school system, so they probably can, but if I can at least buy more than 2 weeks time to find him some where else to go, that would be good.

Thank all the gods that I am working somewhere where they are very understanding. I was able to keep Charlie in my office this afternoon. My friend who works there uses her given name at work, but when she and I were in high school she was known by her middle name, Beth. So Charlie knows her as Beth, and was fascinated beyond anything that she was called "Veronica" at the office. He made sure he called her "Veronica" frequently.

So, is there anyone living in Southern New Jersey who is looking to make some extra money by babysitting an adorable autistic boy in the afternoons? Anyone?

Sigh.

Is it just me, or is the school system in general still living in the 1950's? As a working mother, I find it unreal that the school board doesn't ever seem to realize that there are many families that have two working parents and therefore don't have someone available to do things in the middle of the day, and need after school help. My son is going to a different school next year, continuing in the special needs program he is in, but for some reason the bus will no longer pick him up from home in the morning and take him to his day care in the afternoon. The bus, next fall, will pick him up from the school that is closest to him, and drop him off at the same. Now I can get him to school in the morning, no problem, but how am I supposed to get him from school to his after-school care? When I asked I was told to 'ask another parent', which generally means throwing myself on the mercy of someone I don't know. What if I don't find a parent? What if no one is willing to put a stranger's child in their car and go out of their way to take that child somewhere? I already checked with his care-givers, and they don't have the license to drive the children (insurance thing) so that's out. I have to work full time or we would have to give up certain luxuries like eating and having a roof over our heads, so I'm basically going to agonize about this for the next few months. I just wish they would take into consideration those of us who cannot be stay at home moms, as much as we wish we could.