New SAHD (Stay-At-Home-Dad)

New Computer - Ahh, Very Cool!

2006-09-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

So, today we received our new computer. A MacBook. It is awesome. This is the first time my family and I have owned a Mac. We have always been Windows type people. I have to tell you, this is the greatest machine I have ever had. I love it!

With that said, I am going to get back to playing with it. Have a great night everyone.

Stay at home and work at home!

2006-08-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

OK, so I have been home for all of 2 weeks. Actually, I have been home with the boys for 2 weeks on my own. I have been home from work for a bit over 3 months now. It is amazing to me how I am itching to work and provide something for my family. I realize that I am actually saving my family a great deal more than I can make right now, working. But, I have a strong need to find something, even if it is little, to provide something monitary to my family.

With that in mind, I have found about 1000 sites for work at home scams out there. I could spend a small fortune buying everyones 'work at home' program, from surveys to data entry programs. Maybe they would work, maybe they wouldn't, but I am guessing that it is much more likely that they wouldn't work. At least not for the majority of the people out there. What I don't get is how the people that post all of these ads and sell these products feel good about what they are selling.

For example, I just saw one about data entry program for a 'serious income' working just 30 minutes a day. Of course, anytime the promises are too big to be real, you know it is not real. But, lets talk about this program. Basically, they want you to write ads for things on clickbank. You can use Pay-Per-Click and spend money, or you can write the ads and post them on a bunch of free classified ads websites. I guess it could work. Maybe I should try writing a few hundred ads a day for a few weeks and see how it goes. I am not into the PPC, as it is so saturated with ads from other people. This just seems like quite a long shot. Maybe it would work. Anyone have any ideas if it would work?

Granted, in my searching I have come across a website that offers a great deal of resources for those that are more serious about working hard to build a business at home (internet business). What I like about it, is that they don't try and sugar-coat it. They give a bunch of stuff away for free and show how their product can help you do it faster, but that it isn't required...if you want to take longer getting started you can surely do it on your own. Personally, I am too stubborn to pay for something if I can just spend a bit of my time and do the same thing. But, if you want to look at what they have, it is pretty awesome. You can find it at Site Build It!. They also offer a great free ebook on starting a website that will provide opportunities to make money over time. For all of us stay-at-home-dads, it would be nice to make a few hundred dollars a month after a few months work. That is my goal. I am working on a personal finance website.

I chose personal finance because I have always enjoyed working with friends and family on their financial situation. It makes me feel good when I can help people put together a financial plan that will better their lives. With my natural ability as a teacher (or so I have been told), I can normally present the information in a way that makes sense for the person I am working with. I hope that I can find a way to do something that I enjoy and put a few bucks in my pocket. I can hope, right?

Well, I will let you all know how the Personal Finance website comes along. I hope to have something basic up in a few days. I will post here when it is ready to go.

Rough Mornings

2006-08-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Well, today is not starting out too well. Our oldest is in a funk and wants everything done for him. Of course, I won't do it, so he whines more and then cries and then does it himself. The end result is the same as if he would just do it, but he insist on being difficult this morning. Partly, I think, because he woke up early and didn't get enough sleep. Partically because he is tired of not having someone to play with during the day for more than a short period of time. I can understand his frustration.

To add to it, the twins are in a serious funk too! They aren't eating well. They aren't settling down, and I am not sure what is bothering them, so we spend a lot of time walking and crying (OK, they are doing the crying, but I am doing the walking!). This makes the situation with the oldest that much worse, because he wants them to stop and have me play with him. This stinks!

I am keeping them on their schedule for feeding. I am trying to do what I can, but today it isn't going too well. I had plans of going to the park and being outside, but with them screaming like this, I just don't want to drag them out into public. Oh well!

So, the day is young and I am already exhausted. It is one of those days at work when the day just won't end! Heaven help me please!

Anyone else that has any recommendations, I am happy to hear them!

Filling The Days

2006-08-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

Staying home with three children means that there is always something to do. However, I often find myself finding ways of avoiding those tasks we all know must get done. Right now, with the twins, just on the verge of 3 months of age, I am resistant to waking them up to eat. I haven't read a ton about the scheduling of infants, but I have heard a bit about the need to get them on a regular schedule for my own sanity. It makes sense, but there is something precious about the few moments of silence. To wake them up just seems cruel to myself.

Right now, I am very new at this whole SAHD thing. Staying at home is new for me and I am on my own now each day, as my wife has just started back to work. I was very blessed to have her home for the first three months of the twins life. But, now it all begins. To complicate things, we just moved to a new area of the country away from everyone we know. So, there is no help for me during the day. In some ways, knowing that help isn't available helps me just deal with the challenges. In other ways, it would be nice to be able to go over to Grandma's house for the morning and have an extra pair of hands for the kids. Life is what it is. We just have to make the best of it, I guess.

I have found that by completing some actual 'task' each day helps me feel a since of accomplishment. Doing the dishes, washing cloths, making the beds, feeding the babies, playing with the toddler: those things are just regular day-to-day activities. But, getting something else done...like yesterday I mowed the front yard and hung three sets of blinds throughout the house. That felt good! It is amazing the need for a since of accomplishment at this form of work. I just hope I can continue to find projects that help create the much needed feelings.

Well, time for another feeding. And yes, I am waking him up for this one. He is well overdue.