We last left off, I had another interview setup with a sweet old lady. I had intended to call around again and find another place to interview before that, but I never got around to it.
Let me start off by saying that this is the first time I've left the daycare hunt in God's hands. I know this sounds strange, but sometimes it is so easy for us to think that we must take care of things. Sometimes we don't. Sometimes God wants too. Normally I wouldn't recommend you wait so long to find care. Waiting lists can be lengthy and search can take forever. If you asked me, one mother to another, when a search should start I would advise that as soon as you are expecting you should start looking into it. This is especially true if you are looking to go to a center. It can take 1-2 years to get your kid into some of the more top notch places.
All that to say that I did this search very different from any of the previous child searches I've done. I went to God first and put the entire thing in His hands. He of course directed me and told me what I needed to do. And in this case, I waited to make phone calls. I waited until He told me I needed to start calling. Who knows why I needed to wait...other than there were preparations He made ahead of time for me.
I spent two afternoons making phone calls. I followed up on a few leads, as well as made a bunch of cold calls. I spent probably a total of 3 hrs in what I call research/phone call mode. I used the state referral service (which basically lists licensed providers by zip code). The information on the site shows the name, phone number, rates, hours and some other basics. There is no address and it is very very basic information.
I'm stressing that, because along with the fact that I spent so little time searching I am just floored that perfect place was found in the manner it was found. This is a God thing.
I went to this with an open mind. I knew I was excited so I did go in looking for something wrong. Mindset is important in any daycare search. If you are looking for something wrong, you will find it if it is there.
What I found was a sweet older couple. I won't say elderly, because they are only a little older than my folks. The gentleman is on permanent disability after 5 back surgeries. He helps out here and there. And she started doing daycare when her daughter was 2 or so. All the kids who her daughter played with went off to kindergarten and her daughter was lonely. A friend suggested she start a daycare, since she loved children so much anyway.
Carol held Ruth the entire time I was there at her request. She oogled over her and they were so genuine. We chatted about normal daycare stuff. And again, I can't capture for you their facial expressions or the tones in their voices, but they did tell me they hoped Ruth would come. Carol said she loved babies and that was why she continued to accept them. (Daycare fact: Childcare for babies is difficult to find. They are expensive to keep because of ratio counts and therefore are not very profitable. Many centers and home daycares do not accept babies.) They talked about how absolutely adorable she was.
And it wasn't just Carol. It was also her husband.
I am embarrassed to admit I didn't realize for the longest time he was talking to me. He is some-what cross eyed, and it was not immediately obvious to me. Once I figured that out, I just checked where his nose was pointed. I've run across a few people in my life who are cross-eyed, and this happens to me nearly every single time. You would think I'd learn my lesson?
Their house was clean. Small but clean. She talked about how she'd work in baby floor time and what sort of toys she had. The toys she had out were clean. Her house was clean.
There were a couple things I wasn't too sure about. The first was her schedule. She has a morning snack. That inherently isn't bad, but I'm just not big on morning snacks. Afternoon yes, morning not so much. Also, naptime there is from 2-4. This seems so very late to me. But with babies schedules don't matter quite as much. Ruth will eat when she is hungry and nap when she is sleepy. And when she turns 1, she will go to the center and her schedule will be closer to the other kids. Basically - I think this is workable. It isn't ideal, but workable.
One other thing was she seemed to use TV several times throughout the day. I think this is pretty common in HDC's though. It wasn't a ton and again for our purposes I think it is OK. (I'm pretty anti-TV.)
I came home from the interview and talked over everything with William. I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything and that I wasn't just excited about the location. The next morning I prayed about it during quiet time. And then when I had thoroughly analyzed everything I was confident this was the place.
So my daycare search is done. This is the shortest one ever. Rebekah's took about 6 weeks and when Peter was kicked out of his it took a solid month to find some place new for the kids. (Well, I had care for him immediately...but it took month for us to figure out our long term plans and to get Rebekah pulled.)
Whew. I am glad that is taken care of. One less thing for me to think about and another check mark done on my to do list. :-)
Showing posts with label Childcare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Childcare. Show all posts
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Daycare Hunt: Visit #1
I had mentioned before I was going to chronicle my daycare search.
Last week I went on my first visit. This particular lady I was fairly certain wasn't going to work for me just from the phone call. I went on the visit just to "get in the groove"...it is sort of like when you graduate from college (or are getting ready to graduate) you interview with companies whether you want the job or not. It is good practice.
The lady was nice, but as I had suspected she wasn't for me. Even though she had been "in the business" for 11 years, there were things that made her seem inexperienced. For example, she didn't have a spiel down. Most people do and can rattle off basic information that most people want to know. Instead, we sat down and she said "Well, what would you like to know?" Umm...everything? I had her start with her contract.
Then - she didn't give me a copy of the contract. Most people do so that you have the information on hand. Usually all the crucial information is in the contract, and reading it thoroughly is important before deciding on a center.
She told me there was no state sick policy, and went on about how she took it upon herself to contact a school nurse to find out what schools do. She was presenting it as if she had some great initiative and that she was unique - that other centers didn't have a sick policy. Her policy wasn't unique and the state does have a sick policy. Some centers opt for more stringent policies, but there is in fact a minimum state policy. Seems like you ought to know the states policies if you are going to be doing daycare, don't you think?
She also told me that she had only ever had one other breastfed (BF) baby in her care. This makes me sad, simply because I know so many women who work do not have employers who make it possible for a mom to pump. (I think legislation should be put into place to assist moms in this area...but that is another soap box entirely.) I also wondered how many babies she has cared for and I was mildly concerned about her ability to care for my BF'd baby. It isn't much different from a formula-fed baby, other than you MUST treat the milk with the utmost respect. Her original system simply wouldn't have worked for me. She usually just had mothers bring one bottle, and she would make up the bottles during the day to feed the baby. She said this was easiest for her. There is rotation and balance between fresh and frozen that must happen with breastmilk (BM). So I wondered if she would be able to adjust appropriately and follow directions. I wasn't deeply concerned over this, but it was something I wondered about.
She showed me around and her house was clean and decent...except the playroom. She told me they had replaced the flooring throughout the house when they moved in...except in the playroom. She said if they ever stopped doing daycare, she'd remodel it then.
Ok...
The room had rather old dingy carpet in it. There was white paneling on the walls that was also old and grungy looking. The toys also all looked very old...and dingy. It appeared to me the woman did not invest in her business. Things simply did not look clean and crisp...not in the playroom. You want that. I have no idea where the kids spent most of their time, but she had the kids leave the toys in the playroom while I was there. There was also a walker hanging on the wall and it also looked old and dingy. Kids put things in their mouths. I was horrified to think of these toys going in anyone's mouth. Yuck!
This one area gave the impression she didn't take her business as seriously as someone else does. She doesn't care enough to invest in toys...or clean the ones she has. She doesn't care enough to invest in the play area. It was rather sparse. Toys are something I look at, as it is a forgotten detail in the quality of care. Meaning - while you can't tell by just looking at toys, it certainly is an important thing to look at. Children learn through play.
The unkempt playroom and toys added to the feeling that she was unorganized. She only cared for two children currently, so being unorganized is ok. (Well, the state of the toys really wasn't.) But if you are taking care of the most kids possible, you've got to be organized.
I also found it a bit unnerving that while she said she had been doing childcare for 11 years, I felt like I knew more about childcare and the way it works than she did. (She didn't proudly show me her license for example...they always do. I saw it hanging up along with the other things she is required to have posted, but she didn't show it to me. It was an observation.) It was just a rather large inconsistency that I couldn't exactly ask her about. "Hey, why does it appear you have no clue what you are doing?" Yeah - that question wouldn't go over well.
In a nutshell, I suspected she would probably work ok. OK meaning Ruth would not be harmed in her care, especially now while she is so little. The issue is that I don't want ok for my kids. I want the best of the best. I'm keeping her on the list in case I need something in a pinch. But she wouldn't be what I would choose long term.
I've made more calls and have another interview setup for next week. This lady I'm must more hopeful about. First - she sounded like a grandmother. I don't know if she is or not, but she was so very sweet on the phone. She has been doing daycare for 30 years (!!!). If you do something for 30 years, generally speaking you probably like it.
She also behaved like she had been doing it for 30 years. She gave me the entire rundown on the phone. I had to laugh, because she talked about preschool curriculum and said "The kids are mostly ready for Kindergarten." Mostly? Really? If I was looking for that kind of care, this would bother me. However, I'm not. I'm looking for baby care. Ruth will be attending the same center as the other two once she is old enough. So the question is really how well can she care for and nurture my baby? Everything I heard sounded good.
One other point I'm rather excited about (and didn't realize until I looked up her address well after I talked to her) is that her house is located right next to the center. Funny I had seen parents dropping off kids at this house before and wondered if there was a daycare there. It had looked like it. This would be so ideal it isn't even funny.
I'm trying to not get too excited about it, but I do have a very good feeling about it. It is still really early - so much could happen. I could visit and find something that doesn't sit well (has happened). Or I could completely fall in love and believe it to be the perfect place only to find out that she is taking some other kid instead (has also happened).
The only thing I'm sure about is God. I've prayed and He has assured me He has the perfect place waiting. I just have to find it. So I've also asked for Him to open my eyes, give me wisdom and discernment, close doors I'm not supposed to enter and to open those where I'm supposed to go. I have such a peace about this search. I've never had this much peace about a daycare search ever. The bottom line is God knows I must work. He has commanded me to do so. He doesn't ask us to do things without giving us the proper tools...and proper childcare is a must for every working mother. You can't be an effective employee sitting around worrying about whether your child is OK.
I'm hoping to get another interview squeezed in this week. (I would have preferred to talk with this lady this week...but she set the day/time so I guess she is busy or she has a lot of people interested. I hope the former.) I didn't get a chance to make more phone calls today. Yesterday I spent about an hour making calls to get the one interview. Yuck. Have I mentioned how much I hate the phone? Tomorrow I will make more phone calls and see what I can get setup.
Last week I went on my first visit. This particular lady I was fairly certain wasn't going to work for me just from the phone call. I went on the visit just to "get in the groove"...it is sort of like when you graduate from college (or are getting ready to graduate) you interview with companies whether you want the job or not. It is good practice.
The lady was nice, but as I had suspected she wasn't for me. Even though she had been "in the business" for 11 years, there were things that made her seem inexperienced. For example, she didn't have a spiel down. Most people do and can rattle off basic information that most people want to know. Instead, we sat down and she said "Well, what would you like to know?" Umm...everything? I had her start with her contract.
Then - she didn't give me a copy of the contract. Most people do so that you have the information on hand. Usually all the crucial information is in the contract, and reading it thoroughly is important before deciding on a center.
She told me there was no state sick policy, and went on about how she took it upon herself to contact a school nurse to find out what schools do. She was presenting it as if she had some great initiative and that she was unique - that other centers didn't have a sick policy. Her policy wasn't unique and the state does have a sick policy. Some centers opt for more stringent policies, but there is in fact a minimum state policy. Seems like you ought to know the states policies if you are going to be doing daycare, don't you think?
She also told me that she had only ever had one other breastfed (BF) baby in her care. This makes me sad, simply because I know so many women who work do not have employers who make it possible for a mom to pump. (I think legislation should be put into place to assist moms in this area...but that is another soap box entirely.) I also wondered how many babies she has cared for and I was mildly concerned about her ability to care for my BF'd baby. It isn't much different from a formula-fed baby, other than you MUST treat the milk with the utmost respect. Her original system simply wouldn't have worked for me. She usually just had mothers bring one bottle, and she would make up the bottles during the day to feed the baby. She said this was easiest for her. There is rotation and balance between fresh and frozen that must happen with breastmilk (BM). So I wondered if she would be able to adjust appropriately and follow directions. I wasn't deeply concerned over this, but it was something I wondered about.
She showed me around and her house was clean and decent...except the playroom. She told me they had replaced the flooring throughout the house when they moved in...except in the playroom. She said if they ever stopped doing daycare, she'd remodel it then.
Ok...
The room had rather old dingy carpet in it. There was white paneling on the walls that was also old and grungy looking. The toys also all looked very old...and dingy. It appeared to me the woman did not invest in her business. Things simply did not look clean and crisp...not in the playroom. You want that. I have no idea where the kids spent most of their time, but she had the kids leave the toys in the playroom while I was there. There was also a walker hanging on the wall and it also looked old and dingy. Kids put things in their mouths. I was horrified to think of these toys going in anyone's mouth. Yuck!
This one area gave the impression she didn't take her business as seriously as someone else does. She doesn't care enough to invest in toys...or clean the ones she has. She doesn't care enough to invest in the play area. It was rather sparse. Toys are something I look at, as it is a forgotten detail in the quality of care. Meaning - while you can't tell by just looking at toys, it certainly is an important thing to look at. Children learn through play.
The unkempt playroom and toys added to the feeling that she was unorganized. She only cared for two children currently, so being unorganized is ok. (Well, the state of the toys really wasn't.) But if you are taking care of the most kids possible, you've got to be organized.
I also found it a bit unnerving that while she said she had been doing childcare for 11 years, I felt like I knew more about childcare and the way it works than she did. (She didn't proudly show me her license for example...they always do. I saw it hanging up along with the other things she is required to have posted, but she didn't show it to me. It was an observation.) It was just a rather large inconsistency that I couldn't exactly ask her about. "Hey, why does it appear you have no clue what you are doing?" Yeah - that question wouldn't go over well.
In a nutshell, I suspected she would probably work ok. OK meaning Ruth would not be harmed in her care, especially now while she is so little. The issue is that I don't want ok for my kids. I want the best of the best. I'm keeping her on the list in case I need something in a pinch. But she wouldn't be what I would choose long term.
I've made more calls and have another interview setup for next week. This lady I'm must more hopeful about. First - she sounded like a grandmother. I don't know if she is or not, but she was so very sweet on the phone. She has been doing daycare for 30 years (!!!). If you do something for 30 years, generally speaking you probably like it.
She also behaved like she had been doing it for 30 years. She gave me the entire rundown on the phone. I had to laugh, because she talked about preschool curriculum and said "The kids are mostly ready for Kindergarten." Mostly? Really? If I was looking for that kind of care, this would bother me. However, I'm not. I'm looking for baby care. Ruth will be attending the same center as the other two once she is old enough. So the question is really how well can she care for and nurture my baby? Everything I heard sounded good.
One other point I'm rather excited about (and didn't realize until I looked up her address well after I talked to her) is that her house is located right next to the center. Funny I had seen parents dropping off kids at this house before and wondered if there was a daycare there. It had looked like it. This would be so ideal it isn't even funny.
I'm trying to not get too excited about it, but I do have a very good feeling about it. It is still really early - so much could happen. I could visit and find something that doesn't sit well (has happened). Or I could completely fall in love and believe it to be the perfect place only to find out that she is taking some other kid instead (has also happened).
The only thing I'm sure about is God. I've prayed and He has assured me He has the perfect place waiting. I just have to find it. So I've also asked for Him to open my eyes, give me wisdom and discernment, close doors I'm not supposed to enter and to open those where I'm supposed to go. I have such a peace about this search. I've never had this much peace about a daycare search ever. The bottom line is God knows I must work. He has commanded me to do so. He doesn't ask us to do things without giving us the proper tools...and proper childcare is a must for every working mother. You can't be an effective employee sitting around worrying about whether your child is OK.
I'm hoping to get another interview squeezed in this week. (I would have preferred to talk with this lady this week...but she set the day/time so I guess she is busy or she has a lot of people interested. I hope the former.) I didn't get a chance to make more phone calls today. Yesterday I spent about an hour making calls to get the one interview. Yuck. Have I mentioned how much I hate the phone? Tomorrow I will make more phone calls and see what I can get setup.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Silence is Deafening
Boy howdy, I went from all post crazy to posting nothing at all. I guess I'm all over the map.
The truth is I have some monumental news I'm SO excited to share - but I can't. I can't share it yet, but will as soon as I get the green light. It is God moving and I love sharing when God moves. And NOW I will stop typing on that before I spill it out.
And besides that - I have had absolutely nothing to share that I felt was interesting. (Although, I do have some adorable pictures to share of the kids playing in the leaves on a freak 70 degree day we had a week or so ago.)
But today I thought I'd share some Ruth stuff. (If I get time, I'll post those pics...we'll see if my timer goes off! ;-))
Ruth is 7 weeks old as of yesterday. This past week she has gone from that "newborn" look to a chubby baby look...at least, to me she does. Here's a picture taken today, so you can see for yourself.
She was ALL smiles this afternoon! Let's all say "Awwww" together now... ;-)
Some other Ruth changes...she still sleeps in her crib to begin with, but I'm afraid with her cold she has gotten spoiled. For the past 3 weeks she has been congested. (It is finally starting to clear up. I think she had multiple colds, as she'd feel better then get all congested and wilty again.) So in the middle of the night she'd get so gooped up, that she slept better sitting up slightly...so I would just put her in the crook of my arm. The smart thing would have been to prop up her matress...but that didn't think occur to me until much too late. I also accidentally fell asleep nursing her a few times...that didn't help either. Wait...did I mention that she gets up at least 3 times in the night? And doesn't sleep for more than 3 hrs at a time? She is a great sleeper in that she usually goes back to sleep...but she eats 'round the clock.
Ah well...I figured I would cosleep anyway. I just marveled at having a baby I could simply set down. I'm not sure if I still have one or not. (Last night she was up every 15 min from 2 AM - 3 AM before I gave up...but that was just 1 night.)
Ruth is starting to be more awake, but it is in the evening hours usually. She is up in the early morning hours for a little bit, then sometime in the afternoon she wakes up and plays. Pretty much I think she finds her siblings entertaining, and these are the hours they are home. She is up for an hour or two during the day sometimes...but you can count on the other hours. I don't blame her...I find Peter and Rebekah entertaining too! She is still not a big fan of Solomon. Can't blame her...his tongue takes up her entire face. That is a bit overwhelming.
Ruth loves to have her nose played with. You can nearly always get her to smile by pressing on it and making a funny noise. We are working on the pacifier, but I'm afraid I may have another thumb sucker on my hands. She has been sucking on her hand lately and still gives you a horrified look when you attempt to give her the pacifier. There have only been a few situations where that wasn't the case. She is holding her head up better, but still not 100% all the time yet. I was thinking the other two did have the whole head thing down by now...but I could be mistaken.
I have begun searching for childcare. We are going to go (most likely) with a home daycare. This is for a few reasons...we don't need a structured learning center. Babies need to be loved, held and cuddled. She'll get the structure and the learning later on (as she will go to the center where Rebekah/Peter go once she is 1 and walking). Home daycares are also cheaper...by about $75/wk cheaper. And I've done enough childcare searching to know that God will lead me to the place He has set aside for us. This knowledge doesn't make the search any easier. It would be great if I found the perfect place right off the bat - but I know that won't happen. I'm going on my first tour tomorrow and I'm already fairly certain it isn't the place for us. But it is good for me to go to "get in the groove". I don't know how else to explain it other than that?
I thought I'd chronicle my search. Then I'll have it handy for next time I forget how utterly awful looking for a good childcare center is. (Seriously...the bad and mediocre far out number the good ones!)
Today - I called 4 places and emailed another two. I only talked to two people - I started to talk to a third but had to get off the phone as another one was returning my call. I wasn't sure about that one anyway - when I asked if she had a spot open for January her reply was "Well as of today I do but I don't know if I will in January." This implies she is not willing to hold a spot open for a few weeks...and while I can appreciate that is "lost wages", she should appreciate that I can't wait till the last minute. So I was in fact put off with her response. If she is like that about organizing her open spots, I could see her being difficult to deal with.
I also talked to another lady who didn't have a spot open, but she was SO SWEET! I was actually disappointed! But she took my information down and said she was going to pass it to a few other people who may have something open. She certainly didn't have to do that.
Tomorrow I'll take another look at the childcare referral site and Craigslist. William also has a name/number I need to call. And of course - I have the fruitless tour I'm going on first thing tomorrow morning. :-)
The truth is I have some monumental news I'm SO excited to share - but I can't. I can't share it yet, but will as soon as I get the green light. It is God moving and I love sharing when God moves. And NOW I will stop typing on that before I spill it out.
And besides that - I have had absolutely nothing to share that I felt was interesting. (Although, I do have some adorable pictures to share of the kids playing in the leaves on a freak 70 degree day we had a week or so ago.)
But today I thought I'd share some Ruth stuff. (If I get time, I'll post those pics...we'll see if my timer goes off! ;-))
Ruth is 7 weeks old as of yesterday. This past week she has gone from that "newborn" look to a chubby baby look...at least, to me she does. Here's a picture taken today, so you can see for yourself.
She was ALL smiles this afternoon! Let's all say "Awwww" together now... ;-)
Some other Ruth changes...she still sleeps in her crib to begin with, but I'm afraid with her cold she has gotten spoiled. For the past 3 weeks she has been congested. (It is finally starting to clear up. I think she had multiple colds, as she'd feel better then get all congested and wilty again.) So in the middle of the night she'd get so gooped up, that she slept better sitting up slightly...so I would just put her in the crook of my arm. The smart thing would have been to prop up her matress...but that didn't think occur to me until much too late. I also accidentally fell asleep nursing her a few times...that didn't help either. Wait...did I mention that she gets up at least 3 times in the night? And doesn't sleep for more than 3 hrs at a time? She is a great sleeper in that she usually goes back to sleep...but she eats 'round the clock.
Ah well...I figured I would cosleep anyway. I just marveled at having a baby I could simply set down. I'm not sure if I still have one or not. (Last night she was up every 15 min from 2 AM - 3 AM before I gave up...but that was just 1 night.)
Ruth is starting to be more awake, but it is in the evening hours usually. She is up in the early morning hours for a little bit, then sometime in the afternoon she wakes up and plays. Pretty much I think she finds her siblings entertaining, and these are the hours they are home. She is up for an hour or two during the day sometimes...but you can count on the other hours. I don't blame her...I find Peter and Rebekah entertaining too! She is still not a big fan of Solomon. Can't blame her...his tongue takes up her entire face. That is a bit overwhelming.
Ruth loves to have her nose played with. You can nearly always get her to smile by pressing on it and making a funny noise. We are working on the pacifier, but I'm afraid I may have another thumb sucker on my hands. She has been sucking on her hand lately and still gives you a horrified look when you attempt to give her the pacifier. There have only been a few situations where that wasn't the case. She is holding her head up better, but still not 100% all the time yet. I was thinking the other two did have the whole head thing down by now...but I could be mistaken.
I have begun searching for childcare. We are going to go (most likely) with a home daycare. This is for a few reasons...we don't need a structured learning center. Babies need to be loved, held and cuddled. She'll get the structure and the learning later on (as she will go to the center where Rebekah/Peter go once she is 1 and walking). Home daycares are also cheaper...by about $75/wk cheaper. And I've done enough childcare searching to know that God will lead me to the place He has set aside for us. This knowledge doesn't make the search any easier. It would be great if I found the perfect place right off the bat - but I know that won't happen. I'm going on my first tour tomorrow and I'm already fairly certain it isn't the place for us. But it is good for me to go to "get in the groove". I don't know how else to explain it other than that?
I thought I'd chronicle my search. Then I'll have it handy for next time I forget how utterly awful looking for a good childcare center is. (Seriously...the bad and mediocre far out number the good ones!)
Today - I called 4 places and emailed another two. I only talked to two people - I started to talk to a third but had to get off the phone as another one was returning my call. I wasn't sure about that one anyway - when I asked if she had a spot open for January her reply was "Well as of today I do but I don't know if I will in January." This implies she is not willing to hold a spot open for a few weeks...and while I can appreciate that is "lost wages", she should appreciate that I can't wait till the last minute. So I was in fact put off with her response. If she is like that about organizing her open spots, I could see her being difficult to deal with.
I also talked to another lady who didn't have a spot open, but she was SO SWEET! I was actually disappointed! But she took my information down and said she was going to pass it to a few other people who may have something open. She certainly didn't have to do that.
Tomorrow I'll take another look at the childcare referral site and Craigslist. William also has a name/number I need to call. And of course - I have the fruitless tour I'm going on first thing tomorrow morning. :-)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Flexible??!! -- YUP!
I had something else I was going to share today...but got this and it trumped all. Here is an email from the director of the school Rebekah and Peter attend:
And then she enclosed this:
Check her out right in the middle - and be sure to pay attention to her leg...in the air.
Knowing what she does at home, this does not surprise me...but entirely funny. This also highlights how cool her school is...they are always bringing in fun learning opportunities for the kids.
From: Daycare Director
Date: Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 5:59 PM
Subject: Flexible??!!
I was looking at the photos of Carlton the therapy dog.....
Catch the pose on your daughter.....it made me laugh!!!
I had to share!
And then she enclosed this:
Check her out right in the middle - and be sure to pay attention to her leg...in the air.
Knowing what she does at home, this does not surprise me...but entirely funny. This also highlights how cool her school is...they are always bringing in fun learning opportunities for the kids.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
He said TURTLE...
Yesterday when I picked up Peter his caregiver greeted me overly excited. "GUESS WHAT!"
"Umm, what?" I replied. She then told me that Peter had said "turtle" very clearly and showed me a little turtle that is going to be adopted by one of the classrooms as a class pet. It was brought in last week for "pet week". She took Peter over and said "Look Peter! What is that?"
"Mama!" came the reply!
"No Peter...what is THIS???" she said pointing emphatically to the little turtle...who to be honest looked dead. (I later learned it wasn't.)
Peter poked it and said "Mama!". The turtle was in the office, so she ran into the directors office and said "Peter won't say turtle!" to the director (who we will call D). D responded "He won't? Come on Peter, you have to show off for your Mommy! What is this?" and she pointed to a fish in her office.
"Turtle!"
And everyone cheered...which prompted "Turtle turtle turtle" from Peter. Of course the jokes then started about how the poor kid will forever call a fish a turtle. I guess we will work on that later...right?
This morning Peter proudly held up a book he was looking at and said "TURTLE!".
Peter can say lots of things actually...off the top of my head, I can think of "Thank you", "Here you go", "baby", "doggie", "graham cracker"...all decently clear. Turtle I think was very clear...it sounded like actual "T's" versus the "D" sound he tends to make (example "Da do" for thank you).
I was also told by his teacher and director D that they don't really hear him talk much. Hmmm...really now? My little chatter box quiet? Seriously? It amazes me how kids are so different at school vs. at home. Peter will chatter up a storm -- and is a much bigger talker than Rebekah I believe. I honestly don't remember, and didn't write down too much. (What I wrote -- check the "Babababies" posts!)
Well congrats to little Peter on saying his first word at daycare!
"Umm, what?" I replied. She then told me that Peter had said "turtle" very clearly and showed me a little turtle that is going to be adopted by one of the classrooms as a class pet. It was brought in last week for "pet week". She took Peter over and said "Look Peter! What is that?"
"Mama!" came the reply!
"No Peter...what is THIS???" she said pointing emphatically to the little turtle...who to be honest looked dead. (I later learned it wasn't.)
Peter poked it and said "Mama!". The turtle was in the office, so she ran into the directors office and said "Peter won't say turtle!" to the director (who we will call D). D responded "He won't? Come on Peter, you have to show off for your Mommy! What is this?" and she pointed to a fish in her office.
"Turtle!"
And everyone cheered...which prompted "Turtle turtle turtle" from Peter. Of course the jokes then started about how the poor kid will forever call a fish a turtle. I guess we will work on that later...right?
This morning Peter proudly held up a book he was looking at and said "TURTLE!".
Peter can say lots of things actually...off the top of my head, I can think of "Thank you", "Here you go", "baby", "doggie", "graham cracker"...all decently clear. Turtle I think was very clear...it sounded like actual "T's" versus the "D" sound he tends to make (example "Da do" for thank you).
I was also told by his teacher and director D that they don't really hear him talk much. Hmmm...really now? My little chatter box quiet? Seriously? It amazes me how kids are so different at school vs. at home. Peter will chatter up a storm -- and is a much bigger talker than Rebekah I believe. I honestly don't remember, and didn't write down too much. (What I wrote -- check the "Babababies" posts!)
Well congrats to little Peter on saying his first word at daycare!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Spirit Week
Spirit week was at school a couple weeks ago. Each day they had theme's...
Monday - school shirt day
Tues - PJ day
Wed - Twins day
Thur - Hat Day
Fri - Hawaiian Shirt Day
Rebekah was able to participate every day. I was pretty proud of myself, because I actually spoke to another mom to arrange for the twin day! YAY ME! This will come as a shock to many...but I am incredibly shy around people I don't know. But I didn't want Rebekah to feel left out...so I stepped out of the ol' comfort zone and spoke to her. This particular mom has a daughter who is about 6 mo younger than Rebekah and a second daughter who is about 2 weeks younger than Peter. We also do drop off frequently around the same time. So it helps I see her more often than some of the other moms.
I only got a couple pictures...
Rebekah and Peter are in their PJs...this is actually at Olive Garden on my birthday. Yes, I took the kids out in their PJs for my birthday dinner. LOL I can only imagine what other people thought...but it would have added an hour to go home, change them and come back. It wasn't worth the time...
Rebekah pretending to frown...I forget why. LOL
For hat day, Peter loved his hat and wore it all morning...sometimes it would fall off and he would bring it up to me and "eh eh" for me to put it back on. LOL Rebekah insisted on wearing this hat and these shorts (that matched the hat)...this is blackmail material right here. ;-) These shorts were a gift from a grandparent last summer.
The daycare also had "Muffins with Mom" for Mother's day. I had a blast eating breakfast with the kids. Rebekah got a total kick out of it. In addition, they had the Bubble Man come in and do bubbles. His secret? Classic Dawn!
Rebekah running around like a lune popping bubbles...
Peter had fun too!
Now THAT is a bubble...
This week also happened to be Teacher's Appreciation week. I donated money to a parent group which brought in goodies and on Friday I took in thank you cards and plants for each of the main teachers. I heard from the director...she said "Whatever you did, you made the teachers feel special! So thank you!" LOL Sweet - they are great teachers and I enjoyed doing things for them this year.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Peter's first week...lets recap
Peter has done fabulous.That is the recap. That is all I've heard. The teacher has called me a couple times letting me know that he is doing fabulous.
Rebekah did tell me he cried during Chapel...HA HA!
On Wed. the kids all go on a "field trip" to the church portion of the building and the pastor does the weekly Bible story...they get a Bible story every day. The director normally does it...except Wed's! The Bible story is the same for a week...which is really great because I think Rebekah learns more that way!
Rebekah told me that Peter cried because he wanted me, then proceeded to demonstrate the cry. Too funny!
He has also been walking like crazy for them finally. He pretty much walks everywhere now. When he turns around it is a sort of a pivot...completely adorable.
Peter also has started crying when I drop him off. He cries when I pick him up (that isn't new daycare behavior...he does that when I arrive home and he has been with William as well!). He just cries...so really, I'm not surprised he cries when I drop him off. He normally stops by the time I arrive to the main entrance of the building, but not always.
He is also still adjusting to the one nap a day at 12:30. Today he fell asleep in his lunch...poor thing. The rest of the week his naps have been short (1.5 hrs). He is getting overtired, but he'll adjust with time.
Basically -- Peter is doing so completely awesome and I feel so completely blessed he is FINALLY at the daycare!
This picture was taken by the daycare and posted on the door...they always take pics of kids on their "first day" (even though this one was slow!) and post them. It is their way of welcoming them.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
First day of school for Peter
Peter started school last Thur. Of course, because of his last experience with a daycare center I was very nervous about the entire thing. And wouldn't you know it...William has recently been snagging my little camera to use for his online postings (I call it an "online garage sale" lol). So my little purse camera was not in my purse.
Anyway...so when I remembered I had my phone, I used it. Better than nothing!!!
Peter playing some more...
He didn't stay for lunch the first day. He did stay for lunch the second day. The teacher told me he was doing really well. The first day, I was told he cried twice. The first time was about a half hour after I had left. (He had finally noticed I was gone...lol) The second time was after they had gone out and played on the playground, and it was time to come back in. He didn't want to come back in and got pretty mad.
The second day, they even called me to tell me he was doing great. For two weeks (starting the Monday after he began walking), I would stop in every morning for 10-30 minutes...however early I was able to get there. I let him play with the other kids. The teacher told me she thought this really helped him become familiar with the entire thing.
They tell me he hasn't done much walking for them, but cruises and use the walking toys like crazy. Silly boy. At least they took my word that he does in fact walk... :-) I don't think he has taken more than a step or two for any of them!
He'll go another half day on Monday. On Tues he'll stay for nap. This will be the real test... :-) But the teachers are so great there, I'm pretty confident they can handle him!
Anyway...so when I remembered I had my phone, I used it. Better than nothing!!!
Peter playing!
Peter playing some more...
Time for breakfast!!! The had the cutest little bibs...
He wasn't too sure about the oatmeal.
He was pretty tired when I picked him up.
Almost out here...
Almost out here...
And he's gone. Zonked.
He didn't stay for lunch the first day. He did stay for lunch the second day. The teacher told me he was doing really well. The first day, I was told he cried twice. The first time was about a half hour after I had left. (He had finally noticed I was gone...lol) The second time was after they had gone out and played on the playground, and it was time to come back in. He didn't want to come back in and got pretty mad.
The second day, they even called me to tell me he was doing great. For two weeks (starting the Monday after he began walking), I would stop in every morning for 10-30 minutes...however early I was able to get there. I let him play with the other kids. The teacher told me she thought this really helped him become familiar with the entire thing.
They tell me he hasn't done much walking for them, but cruises and use the walking toys like crazy. Silly boy. At least they took my word that he does in fact walk... :-) I don't think he has taken more than a step or two for any of them!
He'll go another half day on Monday. On Tues he'll stay for nap. This will be the real test... :-) But the teachers are so great there, I'm pretty confident they can handle him!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Very funny God...
A few weeks ago my friend's husband lost her job. This is the friend who watches Peter for us. She (rightly so) worried about it, and felt like she really needed to get a better paying job. So we waited for Peter to walk...
...and waited...
...and waited some more.
Finally, after some agonizing discussion I started looking for new care arrangements for Peter. If you have never looked for care for your child, then you have been spared the stress. It is a very difficult process. I scoured the city for about a month before we found Rebekah's current daycare (which we adore). It takes time to find something that fits your needs.
Every time I'd tell someone about my plight, I'd hear "Well we'll pray for Peter to walk!" This certainly seemed like the obvious answer. But I had this nagging feeling...I did not want to put God in a box. I wanted to give God the freedom to answer my plight in the way He saw fit for my family. So I prayed that God would take care of Peter. And every time someone said "Well we'll just pray for Peter to walk!" I'd just smile and thank them for their prayer. Prayer is prayer! God knew what I really needed.
Last week I thought I may have found the place for Peter. I toured the home daycare center (HDC) and talked with the lady who ran it. She was sweet. Rebekah and her daughter had a blast playing while we chatted. I really felt though like I needed to see her while taking care of kids. So I told her she was my top pick but that I really needed to see her "in action". So I scheduled a time to come back. Today actually.
Last night I got a call just before 8:00. "So sorry, but some friends needed emergency care...the spots have been filled." My heart sank. Back to square 1! I've been here before. Childcare searches (for me) are heart wrenching and emotional. I only want the best for my babies, and it is so difficult in determining that sometimes!
I gave William a list of places to call and gave myself the day off from thinking about it...not that I had time. Work has been crazy this week. Around 11:00 I'm sitting behind my computer starring at a spreadsheet...when I hear my phone beep. Sometimes, for some reason, my phone simply doesn't ring. Turns out I had a voicemail.
"Hi Miriam! I just wanted to let you know that Peter took a few steps today! He has done it several times!"
All I can say is that everything with Peter appears to be dramatic. I guess it should be no different for this momentousness milestone.
Peter walked!!!
When I picked him him B sat him down and he toddled right over to me...about 4 steps. (Those by the way were his "official" first steps...working mom's mantra and all!)
William called the director at Rebekah's daycare and Peter is now penciled in the week of March 16th. She was waiting for me when I went to pick up Rebekah.
"I hear you have good news! How does March 16th sound?"
Music to my ears...
Incidentally, there was a man whom I did not know in her office. He recognized Peter. "This is the little boy who broke his leg, isn't it?" Yep yep...*sigh* Peter I guess already has a reputation.
Whenever there is a prayer request, I think it is important to give God the room to move in the direction He sees fit. Although in the end the answer was for Peter to walk, faith for me was simply knowing that somehow my little boy was taken care of. It really was my duty to search for childcare arrangements. Anything less, and I would not have been exercising my faith properly. Faith is trust. Faith is also an action. Very similar to love...telling someone you "love" them isn't nearly as effective as demonstrating it. Faith too become effective when you demonstrate it.
Thank you God for answer another prayer. I am blessed.
...and waited...
...and waited some more.
Finally, after some agonizing discussion I started looking for new care arrangements for Peter. If you have never looked for care for your child, then you have been spared the stress. It is a very difficult process. I scoured the city for about a month before we found Rebekah's current daycare (which we adore). It takes time to find something that fits your needs.
Every time I'd tell someone about my plight, I'd hear "Well we'll pray for Peter to walk!" This certainly seemed like the obvious answer. But I had this nagging feeling...I did not want to put God in a box. I wanted to give God the freedom to answer my plight in the way He saw fit for my family. So I prayed that God would take care of Peter. And every time someone said "Well we'll just pray for Peter to walk!" I'd just smile and thank them for their prayer. Prayer is prayer! God knew what I really needed.
Last week I thought I may have found the place for Peter. I toured the home daycare center (HDC) and talked with the lady who ran it. She was sweet. Rebekah and her daughter had a blast playing while we chatted. I really felt though like I needed to see her while taking care of kids. So I told her she was my top pick but that I really needed to see her "in action". So I scheduled a time to come back. Today actually.
Last night I got a call just before 8:00. "So sorry, but some friends needed emergency care...the spots have been filled." My heart sank. Back to square 1! I've been here before. Childcare searches (for me) are heart wrenching and emotional. I only want the best for my babies, and it is so difficult in determining that sometimes!
I gave William a list of places to call and gave myself the day off from thinking about it...not that I had time. Work has been crazy this week. Around 11:00 I'm sitting behind my computer starring at a spreadsheet...when I hear my phone beep. Sometimes, for some reason, my phone simply doesn't ring. Turns out I had a voicemail.
"Hi Miriam! I just wanted to let you know that Peter took a few steps today! He has done it several times!"
All I can say is that everything with Peter appears to be dramatic. I guess it should be no different for this momentousness milestone.
Peter walked!!!
When I picked him him B sat him down and he toddled right over to me...about 4 steps. (Those by the way were his "official" first steps...working mom's mantra and all!)
William called the director at Rebekah's daycare and Peter is now penciled in the week of March 16th. She was waiting for me when I went to pick up Rebekah.
"I hear you have good news! How does March 16th sound?"
Music to my ears...
Incidentally, there was a man whom I did not know in her office. He recognized Peter. "This is the little boy who broke his leg, isn't it?" Yep yep...*sigh* Peter I guess already has a reputation.
Whenever there is a prayer request, I think it is important to give God the room to move in the direction He sees fit. Although in the end the answer was for Peter to walk, faith for me was simply knowing that somehow my little boy was taken care of. It really was my duty to search for childcare arrangements. Anything less, and I would not have been exercising my faith properly. Faith is trust. Faith is also an action. Very similar to love...telling someone you "love" them isn't nearly as effective as demonstrating it. Faith too become effective when you demonstrate it.
Thank you God for answer another prayer. I am blessed.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Hibernation and oboes
Each night I ask Rebekah what she has learned during the day. For awhile she started telling me it was "a secret". I thought it was cute, until that lasted for a couple months. So I began to get a little more diligent about getting information from her.
Last night I started up her show. About 5 minutes into it I paused it (the evil mom I am!). I asked her what she learned that day. "I don't know." She replied.
ME: Well, what did you do today?
R: We did calendar.
ME: Oh? What do you do for "calendar"?
R: We didn't learn about Kansas.
This was last week's theme...
ME: Well what did you learn about?
R: Oboes
ME: Oh? What is an oboe?
R: It goes like this...and it isn't a diamond!
ME: OHHHH! You mean OVAL?
R: Yes, an oboe! Can I watch my show now?
I found the entire conversation entertaining! I'm not sure where she gets all the attitude from! I'm sure it isn't me!
I checked on this weeks theme so I could ask better questions this evening. They are in fact learning about "oboes" and hibernation. There was another question of the week written down. This week was "Where do the animals go when they hibernate?" It looked like each child picked an animal that hibernates and told where it went to do so.
My daughter chose "Wolf" and "to my house". Hmm...there are an awful lot of animals living in houses around here! I wonder if it sleeps in her bed too???
Last night I started up her show. About 5 minutes into it I paused it (the evil mom I am!). I asked her what she learned that day. "I don't know." She replied.
ME: Well, what did you do today?
R: We did calendar.
ME: Oh? What do you do for "calendar"?
R: We didn't learn about Kansas.
This was last week's theme...
ME: Well what did you learn about?
R: Oboes
ME: Oh? What is an oboe?
R:
ME: OHHHH! You mean OVAL?
R:
I found the entire conversation entertaining! I'm not sure where she gets all the attitude from! I'm sure it isn't me!
I checked on this weeks theme so I could ask better questions this evening. They are in fact learning about "oboes" and hibernation. There was another question of the week written down. This week was "Where do the animals go when they hibernate?" It looked like each child picked an animal that hibernates and told where it went to do so.
My daughter chose "Wolf" and "to my house". Hmm...there are an awful lot of animals living in houses around here! I wonder if it sleeps in her bed too???
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Brag on Brenda...
I've always said that every working mother needs TWO things to be a happy working mother...excellent childcare and a job that you love.
I love my job. I break things...who doesn't like to break stuff? And I get paid to do it...incidently, I'm very good at it. (So if you need anything broken...ha ha!)
I thought I loved my childcare! Then Peter got kicked out...it is a long sordid story that I don't want to go into right now. Suffice it to say...those of you who really know Peter aren't really surprised (or weren't...it was 6 mo ago after all!).
I was in a panic...what would I do? William and I came up with all sorts of plans...including him (or I) working evenings/nights to possibly his mother coming to live with us. (I love the woman...but I wasn't crazy about that idea!)
Then Brenda arrived...on a white horse complete with shining armor of course! She was looking for a part time job anyway, and this was just perfect for her, perfect for us...perfect for everyone! It was supposed to be short term (a month or two!)...and here we are. It isn't forever...Peter will be going to the daycare once he turns 1 and is walking! But it is certainly longer than either of us originally thought.
Brenda is a patient person. She is patient with William (often late), with my "please do it this way" ideas and most importantly, with our precious little Peter. If she is unhappy taking care of him...I don't know it! She smiles every mornings and greets Peter with enthusiasm.
She has positive things to say about our little firecracker...which I appreciate more than she will probably ever know. OK...there was that one week...but we have all attributed it to teeth and are working to forget that awful awful week.
Anyway, we really appreciate Brenda. So a big THANK YOU to Brenda for her hard work and for helping our little family out. When the time comes for Peter to move up to big boy school, I know that I will really miss seeing you every morning!
I love my job. I break things...who doesn't like to break stuff? And I get paid to do it...incidently, I'm very good at it. (So if you need anything broken...ha ha!)
I thought I loved my childcare! Then Peter got kicked out...it is a long sordid story that I don't want to go into right now. Suffice it to say...those of you who really know Peter aren't really surprised (or weren't...it was 6 mo ago after all!).
I was in a panic...what would I do? William and I came up with all sorts of plans...including him (or I) working evenings/nights to possibly his mother coming to live with us. (I love the woman...but I wasn't crazy about that idea!)
Then Brenda arrived...on a white horse complete with shining armor of course! She was looking for a part time job anyway, and this was just perfect for her, perfect for us...perfect for everyone! It was supposed to be short term (a month or two!)...and here we are. It isn't forever...Peter will be going to the daycare once he turns 1 and is walking! But it is certainly longer than either of us originally thought.
Brenda is a patient person. She is patient with William (often late), with my "please do it this way" ideas and most importantly, with our precious little Peter. If she is unhappy taking care of him...I don't know it! She smiles every mornings and greets Peter with enthusiasm.
She has positive things to say about our little firecracker...which I appreciate more than she will probably ever know. OK...there was that one week...but we have all attributed it to teeth and are working to forget that awful awful week.
Lets just say...it looked something like this!
Anyway, we really appreciate Brenda. So a big THANK YOU to Brenda for her hard work and for helping our little family out. When the time comes for Peter to move up to big boy school, I know that I will really miss seeing you every morning!
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