While you may fondly recall torturing substitute teachers back when you were in school, today -- as a parent -- subs may be your best friend and ally. Especially in the quest to learn about your local public schools.

Why? You may ask. They have information you need.

Information you want to know.

Information no one else will tell you.

No, this is not a posting about who goes to kindergarten and who does not (which, by the way, did you know that in many states kindergarten is NOT required?).

Rather, this is about my attempts to visit potential, public school kindergartens for my 4-year-old Annie who will be starting school in the fall.

Who knew how hard it is for Joe Schmoe parent to just call up a school and ask to visit a classroom?

So, my kindergarten chaos continues.

Perfect Husband and I are in the process of looking to buy a house. As first-time buyers, we are researching neighborhoods, commute times -- we must be closer to his work, which is a 90 minute drive home most nights -- and of course schools.

Today I stumbled across a worn out notebook that had made its way home from my daughter's cubby at school. Though the binding was torn and some pages tattered, I opened it and flipped through the lined pages. As I read the journal entries, soon I was sighing, smiling, hooting with laughter.

In my last blog post, I talked about the quandary of raising a young girl in today's toxic climate of Britney-Paris-Lindsay. But am I over-reacting? How much impact does the media have on our daughters (and sons for that matter)? Are kids really influenced by the "girls gone bad"?

If you've read my first couple of blog entries, you know that one of my obsessions of the moment is the whole kindergarten thing. Having a 4-year-old daughter does that to you.

I also find myself more and more concerned with the larger issue of raising a healthy girl in today's toxic climate.

Let me explain.