Eve's goodbye card from daycare

Eve’s daycare class made her this card. Isn’t it cool! (yes, they call her Eva, like the Wall-E movie) It’s huge too. She loves it. I’ve been feeling sad lately about daycare and missing it even though we haven’t even gone a whole week yet! Several times in the past few days the kids have said or done something that impressed me and when I asked where they learned it, the answer was, of course, at daycare. Lex likes to talk about the different books they have there and the games they play. Eve looks at her card many, MANY times a day and tells me about all the pictures and what was happening then and who the kids are. I think they really liked it there. I know we will find new routines and things to do, but it was nice to have that consistency of schedule and people, something you don’t really get at playgroups. Sigh. All good things must come to an end, I know, and I keep reminding myself that there will be more opportunities ahead.

On another note, we’ve had a busy week. My dad and brother were here doing some serious work in our garage! Alan built the framing for a mudroom in the garage and Dad and B were doing the sheetrock and other work on it. I’m so excited! I haven’t used the garage since late summer, but when it’s finally done it will be mostly a finished garage with a warm(ish) area to take off muddy boots and wet coats. No more dragging that muck into the kitchen! Yay!! I have pretty awesome men in my family!!

The kids are finally settling in and happy at daycare.  Eve talks about her teacher and classmates all the time and Lex even started making friends.  Needless to say I’m wondering how they will be affected by me no longer working and them no longer going to daycare.  I told Eve this morning that I wouldn’t be working any more and she asked if I could come to daycare with her :)  When I explained the whole situation she said, “oh,ok.”  Lex’s response… “Great! Now I can come home with you in the afternoons!”  They are such awesome kids.  I still wonder if I’m going to feel the effects down the road, but we’ll see.  I know they have fun there and it’s a great social opportunity for them.  I’m also thinking of asking Eve’s teacher if she babysits.  We need a new babysitter and both of the kids love her (and I know she’s gone through background checks already! :) )  One more week and thus ends another chapter in this crazy life.

I’ve been thinking about work lately and whether or not I should continue with my two days a week.  The job is fine and covers the costs of daycare, but not much more.  Working makes it more difficult to schedule appointments, lessons, and playdates, but the kids seem to finally like daycare and I hate to mess up the routine.  Today I felt very reassured in my decision.  I dropped Lex at school and then brought Eve to daycare.  We missed one day last week and I guess her teacher missed the other because when we came in the whole room was excited to see Eve.  I was worried about her fussing because she woke up late (really late!) and ate breakfast in the car, but when she saw the Christmas tree (much nicer than ours!) and a room full of smiling faces, she lit right up.  When I dropped Lex off after school he saw some kids sledding and decided (rightfully) that it was his group because he saw some of his friends there!  He has daycare friends!  Wheee!!  He made school friends quickly but seems to be slower at making daycare friends (for reasons I fully understand).  It made me really happy to see him happy to see them.  He gave me hugs and grabbed a sled and as I drove away I saw him sledding on his belly down a little hill and laughing!!  These are experiences they don’t get at home and I’m really happy that we’ve found a daycare that everyone likes.  It’s been a long, hard road, as you regular readers know, but I think it was worth it and now we can enjoy the benefits.  Whew!  Just in time for Christmas break ;)