Um...yeah

So it has been almost a whole year since I last posted. Went thru a whole school year, remolded our house, watched my kids grow up before my eyes.

One memorable non bus related item is that this year marks the 20th year since I graduated from Kuna High School. Our reunion was a couple of weekends ago and it was fun. A bit weird, but fun. Weird to see how time changes everyone. I don't feel that much different, other than I quit hiding what a weirdo I am. I am not that midnight radio show type of weirdo who wears foil under her hat and thinks 9/11 was an inside job. Rather, I'm drawn to things that are quirky, off beat and sometimes a bit weird. I have 5 kids. Some people think that is just downright insane. I collect banks and egg items. My favorite bank is a large chicken that cackles when I put money in (it is my yard sale savings bank). I love this song on you tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=astISOttCQ0



So here we are at summer. I worked as an aid on a small kindergarten route for 2 weeks and will do 2 weeks in August and any subing that I can get in. The pay is less for summer, but any pay is better than no pay I guess.

With the down economy, our school district had to make cuts to compensate for $5 Million less that they will receive from the state. One of the cuts they made was to do away with full day kindergarten. Now, kinder will be either Mon, Wed and every other Friday full day or Tue, Thur and every other Friday full day (parents choice). They will still offer the half day, but parents will be required to transport their own children. Many people were all for this, except the bus drivers. We are paid 2 hours for each route we do, regardless of the length (some kinder routes were 35-40 mins tops). In our district to receive full benefits, you must work at least 6 hours a day and mid day kinder routes fulfilled that for us. But, with no mid day kinder, 15 drivers were looking at losing their benifits. Many of our drivers are older and moms who work so that their family can have insurance. Plus, when the district laid out how they were cutting expenses, it seemed like we were getting hit the most. Administrators took a 5% pay cut, but it really only comes down to a 2% cut, since there was no 3% cost of living increase this year. Teachers, due to their contracts did not get any cuts. To say that things were tense and stressful is a huge understatement! The district declared a financial emergency so that they had the option of opening up the teacher contracts to make pay cuts. Some teachers were even willing to take a pay cut, but many teachers had no clue how the budget cuts were really effecting others. I know this because as I drove for field trips and sports, the budget was always a topic of discussion and I enlightened more than one teacher about what it ment to the bus drivers. Thankfully, the district is saying that for the current kindergarten bus drivers, they will have jobs for us elsewhere in the district durring the middle of the day to make up those hours and they will pay us drivers pay for them, jobs like food service, playground duty, custodial, ect. This whole thing as been eyeopening for all of the bus drivers and some ugliness reared its head and some drivers may leave over it. I'm hanging on. I'm in a different place than many of the drivers in that my family is not dependent on my pay (some months we are, but for the most part we are not). We also have insurance thru my hubby's work. I do pay for the extra dental to cover what his dental does not (he just had $5k of dental work done YIKES). I am thankful for what I do have. God has been so good in suppling for our family. I see how he provides and am amazed that someone like me, who is so flawed and sinful recieves so many blessings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdd98EnkJNg&feature=related