Life Happens...Game On

Joy

I don't have much time to scrapbook these days - not that I ever really have - but I managed to whip out this layout last night while I was upstairs in the playroom with Paige. I was flipping through a Quote book (love those!) and when I came across this quote by Kitty Turmell, I knew I had to do something because I had the absolute PERFECT picture to go with it. The photo was taken when Paige was just a few days over 13 months. She had been walking roughly a month, but someone had always been close by, holding her hand or shadowing her to make certain she didn't fall and hurt herself. 

She had been SO patient this day - we literally spent two hours taking pictures at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. I don't know why but for some reason as we were walking along this path looking for more photo opportunities, I just sat her down and let her go. Her response was to run all the way down the sidewalk, and then to turn around and come running back. She did this several times - back and forth, back and forth and we realized HERE was our photo opportunity. The absolute joy on her face, the exuberance she expressed at being able to do something that we, as adults, too often take for granted was just breathtaking and I'm so happy that we documented that moment.

I guess it was my reminder to relish the little things, the REAL LIFE things because those are what will mean the most to me later. Will I remember every detail of that day as time goes on, what we were doing or saying while each photo was snapped? No, but I will always remember the look on my baby girl's face (and the feeling in my heart) as we allowed her to spread her wings a little and fly.

The Quest for Child Care

Since I went back to work from my maternity leave, my mother has been living with us and acting as an in-home nanny of sorts for Paige. This situation has worked out extremely well for us. We pay Mom to cover our child care needs while we are at work and we know the peanut is being cared for by someone that loves her and is just as interested in her well-being as we are.

But...(there's always a but, isn't there?).

Now that Paige has hit toddler-hood, we think her horizons need to be expanded. She needs more socialization beyond what she can get with my Mommy Group - since I work outside of the home, the activities we are able to participate in are obviously limited. She also needs to be exposed to more structure both in a routine sense as well as a learning sense. Sure, Todd and I read to her and try to teach her things - for example, she most definitely knows what her sock and shoes are (and she can say both)...but ask her to point out something that is red or to find the star in the picture and you get a blank look. You see what I'm getting at? Also, I'm afraid that she could possibly be the only kid to end up in kindergarten asking if anyone else caught last night's episode of Law & Order. (Granny's addiction - not mine.)

What started as a conversation a month or two ago finally became reality when I decided to take the bull by the horns and start researching daycare options in our area. And I discovered quickly that "Toto, we aren't in McCurtain County anymore". There's so much more to think about than I could have imagined. Where I grew up, I only knew of one, or maybe two daycares. Anyone who needed child care either left their kiddo with family, used one of those facilities or their kids were latchkey kids.

The things I have to think about now -

1) Finding a facility that accepts children on a part-time basis. Granny isn't going anywhere after all so there's no point in putting Paige into daycare on a full-time basis. We just want to give her some exposure. But at any rate, not all centers will accept part-timers.

2) Finding a facility that accepts children in her age range. There are TONS of centers as well as Mom's Day Out opportunities in the area. Unfortunately, many of them don't accept kids under 18 months - or in some cases under 24 months.

3) Finding a facility that has an opening in the correct age group (assuming that you've managed to make it past obstacle 1 and 2 above). Yep, one of my favorite places that I've visited so far has a wait list. A LIST. That means that even if we go on it, we may be waiting a while to get in.

4) Finding a facility that doesn't have a ton of "reports" against them on the state website. Um, I was absolutely stunned to see how many infractions some of the centers had and what the issues were. Some have what seems like a lot of reports, but then when you look at them they don't seem that bad...others may only have one report, but then you look and it turns out to be a doozy. (Yes, I said doozy and yes I was absolutely SHOCKED at the incident in the report in particular that I'm thinking of.)

Once all of that is said and done, it's also a good idea to go tour the facilities you haven't crossed off the list and see firsthand what you think and, if you can take your kiddo, how they fit in. I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone that things aren't always as great in person as they are on paper - or on the 'net. I visited one facility where the woman over the toddler class was running around in low rise jeans and a crop top. She would have been perfectly fine if she were on her way out to a club in Deep Ellum...not so much for having sing-along-time on the clown mat. Judgemental of me? Maybe. But seriously, I'm not signing up to have Britney Spears look after my peanut.

At any rate, I'm exhausted. And I'm curious to see what Todd's input will be considering I'm the one that has done all the research to this point. For those who may not know, Todd's the more, uh, frugal of the two of us. We tend to balance each other out nicely but given the cost of quality (and sometimes even not so quality) child care options, I foresee me having to remind him that looking for bargain basement options isn't always the best idea.

Wish me luck.