Christi Lein's blog

Today I have the pleasure of going a road trip with my 4-year-old 'niece.' I use quotes because she is my pretend niece, the niece I've never had if you will, since my siblings decided to have all boy children. She loves lipgloss, and dollies, and dress up, and Starbucks so we have a lot in common. I enjoy spending time with her but the longest road trip we have been on is maybe 30 minutes. So what will I do to keep this little one entertained? I can only stop at Starbucks so many times before our trip turns into a tour of gas station bathrooms.

It is always amazing to me how much we change our perspectives as we age. Children have a unique outlook on life, there is no denying that. They are exploring and trying to make sense of their world. As adults we do this too, but with preconceived notions and judgments that tend to get in the way. Children are trusting and believe in the good in the world. They are looking to the adults in their life to confirm or deny their experiences. Honesty is one of my most favourite things about children.

*Trumpets sound* ATTENTION, ATTENTION EVERYONE! ABC HEAD START HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN TWITTERFIED!

That's right, we have joined Twitter! We promise to entertain you in 140 characters or less with clever use of hashtags.

Technology astounds me. I have this thought often. Just in my short life span there have been such incredible advances in technology. I vividly remember sitting next to a guy on a plane when I was 15 years old. I was flying back from a trip with my parents to visit my grandparents winter "home" (we drove them there in their motorhome which they lived in) in Quartzsite, Arizona. I naturally had homework to complete, so I brought out my grade nine science text book and started reading about scuba diving which was assigned to me.

It is a major problem, hinging on a crisis, for non-profits. Rapidly escalating real estate costs and competition for space has resulted in a crisis of affordability and availability for Edmonton's non-profits. This is not just a made-in-Edmonton problem, it is effecting non-profit agencies around the globe. As real estate costs inflate the funding received stays the same or is cut.

When I was younger my Mom used to break into spontaneous dance in the kitchen. Not wild club dancing, but she would grab you when you were walking by her and bust into a two-step, music playing or not. The gene must have been passed on to one of my nephews. When you are sitting around in their house he will spontaneously jump up from whatever he is doing and yell "DANCE PARTY!" Then he runs to the stereo, turns it to his favourite song at the time, and makes everyone in the house join in the dance party. No one is safe, including Grandpa, everyone HAS to dance.

I am what professionals would label "a scaredy cat." And by professionals I mean my nephews. My nephews, all under 6 years of age, understand and know that I am scared of a lot of things. They think it's funny that they can face bigger water slides than me without breaking a sweat, or that they can squish a spider with their hand without screaming, they know they have me beat in lots of life's great arenas.

Spring break is on the horizon here at ABC Head Start. It starts next week when employees of ABC Head Start will kick up their feet for a week (and of course miss the children and families we have become so fond of.) For me, spring break starts tomorrow morning. I am flying off to a tropical destination and after this winter, I need it. Is it just me or has this winter seemed incredibly long and a bit miserable? I am not usually one to complain about the weather, after all I have no control over it, but this year has been rough!

I kicked off my week on Monday at a Chamber of Commerce event where the Mayor's declaration naming this week Not-For-Profit week in the City of Edmonton was announced. Did you know there are over 165 000 not-for-profit organizations in Canada?? And 8000 in the Edmonton region alone!

Are you thinking of starting a new business? Maybe you should open a doggy daycare. Apparently, not unlike daycare or preschool for children, doggy daycare is a competitive market. I started looking for one this week for my dog, who with age can no longer stay home for a full working day without having an accident. I have called a few places, asked others about their experiences and I was quite surprised with the application processes.