Working For A Living
The number of teenagers age 16 to 19 in the workforce has fallen 25 percent in the last 25 years. While 54 percent of teens worked in the summer of 2004, that number is the lowest on record.
Source: USAToday.com
So what’s your take on whether teens should get a summer job? The same article said that much of the decline was due to the rise in extracurricular activities teens were involved in as well as a larger number participating in summer school courses.
They can’t do both?
I got my first job at 15 working at Burger King. I was so proud of that first paycheck. I remember my very first "big" purchase too – one of those cool Papasan Chairs. I think I slept in it the first couple of nights. When school started back up my hours were restricted since I was under 16. I couldn’t work past 8:30 p.m. and could only work like 15 hours a week. But I kept at it. And I kept at it. I’ve been employed ever since….a different Burger King…The Limited…a lawyer’s office (at the same time as The Limited for awhile)…waitressing…college admissions office…college Taco Bell Rep (bet you didn’t know there was such a job)…more waitressing…DEGREE…publishing company…distance learning company…state university…church…WHEW – that’s a lot of jobs.
I think I learned a lot in those early years of working – people skills, responsibility, managing (or rather spending) money, leadership, etc. And I did all those jobs while still participating in school sports, drama club, summer school, etc.
I’m not saying I’ll force my kids to get a job when they get old enough but I’m pretty sure they’ll be rightly motivated by the fact that we don’t just give them whatever they want and they have to earn money for new toys, etc.
Thursday Thirteen – Broadway Shows Edition
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| Thirteen Broadway Shows I’ve Seen (I’m Addicted)
1. Wicked (My favorite) |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Works For Me Wednesday
My car emergency kit has evolved over the years as my children have grown but here’s a sample of the emergency items I keep stashed in my van
Baby stage – water bottle, single serving formula, couple of diapers, small thing of wipes and a couple of changes of clothes. You know for those times you were JUST running to the store but were still gone 3 hours later.
Potty-training – Even more changes of clothes, a portable potty. Yes, you read that right. I kept one of those small toilet seats in my van while potty training my son. When he said he had to go, he had to go. With my daughter I found that she could usually still wait 15-20 min which was long enough to get to the next store.
Preschool – water bottles, wipes (in those single wrap things), some non-melting snacks, couple of books, pen, paper, bandaids.
Click on over to Shannon’s to view the links to everyone else who participates.
Let There Be Dust
So I don’t know if this happens in other parts of the country but in Phoenix we get these spectacular dust storms – particularly in the summer. They cause horrible car accidents sometimes. Today was a nasty one. It started about 5 pm while picking up my son from a friends house. Leaving the neighborhood you could see the dirt in the sky – visibility was under a mile.
To make matters worse I have to drive past about 10 miles of empty farm fields on the way home. So this was the view out my windshield in the worst of it. Luckily it wasn’t this thick the whole time and people were driving very carefully. I was actually impressed that a lot of people thought to turn on their hazards so the person behind could see them.
Let’s hope some rain is on the way.
Mug Shot
So Stacey tagged me with this meme to post your favorite coffee mug. I have two – a winter mug and a summer "mug". My winter mug was given to me by my husband’s sister. It says "God made us sisters, hearts made us friends." We were both the only girls in our family so we’ve latched onto each other for sisterhood 
But it’s kind of hard to drink coffee when it’s 110 out so in the summer time I have to switch to Diet DrP.
Photo Hunt – Love
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Grab the Scavenger Hunt code. Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. |
Okay, I know I just used this picture a few posts ago, but this week’s Photo Hunt theme is Love and I can’t think of a better picture than this. My brother waited 40 years to find the love of his life and they had a beautiful wedding one week ago today.
Wedding Song
Phil & Trish’s first dance was to this beautiful song. I had heard it before but never really listened to the words. It’s such a fitting song for them. They both waited so long to find that perfect partner and we’re so happy they are together. The song is on my iPod playlist now!
Rascal Flatts – Bless The Broken Road Lyrics
I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn’t see how every sign pointed straight to you
Every long lost dream lead me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
I think about the years I spent just passing through
I’d like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You’ve been there you understand
It’s all part of a grander plan that is coming true
Every long lost dream lead me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
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2. The Wedding Planner 3. Sweet Home Alabama 4. Return to Me 5. Chicago 6. Phantom of the Opera 7. Pride & Prejudice 8. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 9. The Notebook 10. Coyote Ugly 11. The Incredibles 12. The Princess Diaries 13. Madagascar (good thing) Links to other Thursday Thirteens! |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
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2. The Wedding Planner 3. Sweet Home Alabama 4. Return to Me 5. Chicago 6. Phantom of the Opera 7. Pride & Prejudice 8. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 9. The Notebook 10. Coyote Ugly 11. The Incredibles 12. The Princess Diaries 13. Madagascar (good thing) Links to other Thursday Thirteens! |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Works For Me Wednesday
A few months ago we started having problems with our dishes coming out very "blurry". We had been using the dishwasher for several months (new house) without this problem so we thought it was the dishwasher. I tried all kinds of things, every rinse aid known to man, and I stumbled upon this product…Lemi-Shine at Walmart.
It’s about $3 for the bottle. You put about a tablespoon of Lemi-Shine in the regular soap compartment and a little of your regular detergent (Cascade for me) in the pre-wash. The dishes come out great. So I guess our problem was hard water with a sudden onset or something. Since then I’ve learned that using something like this will also help your dishwasher last longer if you have hard water. It doesn’t look like that big of a bottle but I’ve been using mine for at least 6-8 weeks and it’s still half full.
