How do you say goodbye?

Today was supposed to be the last day for one of my daycare kids.  I've been watching this sweet little girl since she was roughly 7 months old, and she is about to turn 3.  In the over 2 years I've been watching her she has become a part of the family.  I have many sweet memories.  I've watched her and helped her learn and grow.  We've laughed and played... I've hugged her, eased her fears,  and kissed her boo boos.  I've cheered her on.  I have nurtured her everyday as I would one of my own.  We love this sweet baby around here and are sad to see her go.

It's time for her to move on to her next big adventure!  I will miss her... I will also be cheering her on from afar.  She leaves us with many sweet memories and takes a little piece of my heart with her.  

As a daycare provider I care for these kiddos everyday.  They are my whole world.  So, how do you say goodbye?

ALL

Adventures in Babysitting... A Wet Trip to the Vet!

Today I woke up to the lovely sound of rain! As I lay in bed waking up I realized that this lovely rain may make my morning outing a bit crazy!  I decided not to worry to much it would probably stop by the time we had to go out.  

Ha ha not today!  We had to take our sweet kitty Smoke to the Vet today.  Just to get her sutures out from being spayed but, going out in the down pour of rain with 4 littles in tow can make for quite an adventure! :-)

So, I took the kids out one at a time so that I didn't have to worry about them getting too wet and no one would fall this way. One of the times when I came back to grab a kiddo I told my hubby who was watching the kiddos while I shuttled that I must be crazy going out in the rain with this many kiddos!  I just smiled!  He knows I love a good adventure!  By the time I got all of the kids, the cat, the stroller, the diaper bag, and myself  in the car I was drenched!  Water was dripping down my hair, and running down my forehead.  My glasses were so wet and speckled I could hardly see out of them!  I realized about the second trip that I should have chosen a jacket with a hood! DUH  LOL

We set off to the Vet with Smoke mewing in the front seat in her kennel the whole 20 minutes to get there.  We pulled up and I tried to figure out the best plan on how to get us all in and not be too wet!  I got the stroller out and put two kids in the stroller ( I have a double seater)  Then I grabbed the last toddler and my 4 year old carried the cat in her carrier!  We made it across the parking lot and up to the side walk just as a sweet old lady came out and held the door for us.  She said, "My you have your hands full!"  My oh my yes I do!  LOL  

I pushed the stroller into the reception area with a relief that we would at least be semi dry now.  The receptionist told me it would be a few minutes so we found a seat.  As I was putting my little Sweet Pea in the stroller I realized that she was stinky!  Since I had a minute I decided to change her diaper.  I switched out kids in the stroller and pushed them over by the bathroom door.  Grabbed the diaper changing bag I have (I carry a bag with just diapers and wipes in it so I can grab that out of the diaper bag and just take it in the bathroom for changing)  They didn't have a changing station, but luckily I have a changing pad in my bag so I layed down the pad and then changed the nasty diaper.  All while peaking out of the cracked door to make sure everyone was OK.  Back out to wait for Smokes turn.  Sweet Pea wants to run around and try to climb up on all of the chairs.  The other kids in the stroller and getting fussy.  One keeps putting her foot on the back of the others seat basically kicking him in the back!  Ok time for a snack.  Don't ever leave home without food if you are taking littles somewhere!  Snacks out everyone is distracted for at least a minute.  Vet comes out and gets smoke.  He actually realized there was no way we would all fit in the exam room so he asked me if I'd like for him to just take her back really quick and bring her back out.  I agreed this was our best option!  :-)  

He brought her out after just a few minutes!  Yea!  We can head back out into the rain!  This time around we stopped on the sidewalk which is covered!  I decide to shuttle kids across the small parking lot instead of letting them sit in the rain while I get each of them out.  Cat in carrier and 4 year old stayed with the kids till the end.  Once again I was drenched by the time I got us all back in the car!  Maybe more drenched than before since it had started raining harder while we were in the Vet's office.

We had a nice drive home and then I did it all again shuttling kiddos back into the house.  We had lunch and now it's nap time!  There is a pretty good chance I'll be shuttling kiddos through the rain again when we go to get the older kids from school!  

We love the rain and this definitely made for a change in the pace of the day for today.  We needed the rain so much!  My best advice when you find yourself having to do something out of the ordinary is see the good in it and try to have fun!  

TTFN!!
~April

Biting, Bullying, Little Buggers!

Peek a Boo with puppy on the other side of the fence!

Happy Hump Day everybody!  We are half way there!  Yippee! 

Today I am going to talk a little about some issues we've been having around here with little ones being mean little buggers to each other!  They can be so sweet and then turn around and be so mean!  

Hey lets dig in the dirt!

We have had a few biting incidents!  Biting is one of those things that just about every toddler goes through learning is a big no no!  For some they realize after one time of getting in trouble that they don't want to do that, and it is no longer an issue.  For some kiddos it takes a while!  They are at a point where they can't communicate that this person is bothering me... or took my toy... or whatever the issue biting seems to be the way to let the person know I don't like what you are doing!  

I always communicate with my parents to find out how they would like a situation like biting or discipline in general handled.  So for some kids I bite them back!  Yes, that really does work to show them that what you just did really hurts and is bad bad bad. I am really careful not to really hurt them  (Yes I know that seems extreme and for some parents seems way to far)  For others I might pretend that I am going to bite them and just be really scary (like growling mean sounds)  LOL Typing that made me feel like you probably are thinking I'm crazy!  For some kids it's a spanking or possibly sitting in time out, but I always make a big deal about that it is really bad to bite!  The reason... I would really be concerned as a parent if my child was bitten and I have had parents say if it doesn't stop we will need to leave.  So, biting is one of those things that needs to come to an end pretty quickly.  

I also always try to make sure I am sure of what really happened.  Did someone take a toy and that is what cause the biting.  Did someone hurt the other and then got bit for being a big meanie!  I have found that no matter how closely I am watching those kiddos I will look away for a split second and that will be when it will happen!  If I have a biting situation going on I try my hardest to be watching them like hawks and stop any situation before it turns into a biting one, but sometimes it still happens.

Have you experienced dealing with a biting kiddo?  What worked for you?  

Bullying!  I hate bullies!  Unfortunately at toddler age these little guys are figuring out how to share and not steal each others toys.  They are learning how to communicate, and play nice!  Some kiddos this is an easy thing to learn and for some it is really hard!  So, I have to show extra loving patience when we are learning how to play nice.  :-)  

I show them in the moment what they did that wasn't nice, and give them a better option.  If I have warned them and told them that if they can't be nice they will sit in time out then... if they do it again I sit them in time out.  Punishment and knowing the rules is important for little guys.  Lets be honest!  It's good for everyone!  So, they know what to expect. It is also really important to follow through!  If you tell them that this will happen if they do this again... you better follow through.  They pay attention to that kind of stuff (yes even when they are really little!)  They understand more than we give them credit for sometimes, and they will use this knowledge! :-) 

It has started getting nice here!  Thank goodness!  They love to go outside to play and explore!  It is so fun to watch them explore and figure things out!

As always a lot of what I wright about is my opinion about the things going on around me.  I always communicate with my parents and taken their wants for discipline before any thoughts I might have on the issue.  If they ask me for advice or my opinion I give it freely.  

This Weeks Top 5

OK, so let me start off with I really did intent for this blog to be a place to talk about the kids and what all is going on here.  It's been busy!  So, I am going to try really hard to at least post a top 5 for the week every week.  The top 5 best moments from the week!  I also am going to try to start posting encouragement.  I know as a Mom and as a Daycare Provider there are moments, days that I really need encouraged.  Raising and taking care of kids is hard work.  I'd call it a labor of love because there is little thanks and the job is never done!  

Here is this weeks top 5

1. Hercules started this week and though we had a few bumps to start (which is totally normal when a kiddo starts at a new daycare) he is a sweet little boy, and a joy to have here.  He is a little older than the other kids.  It was refreshing and it actually surprised me a little when he could tell me what he wanted and didn't want.  The boys are so excited to have another boy to play with.  Even G who is 4 has been excited!

2. Because G has been excited to play with Hercules he has been much more active.  He had gotten in a rut of only wanting to watch cartoons.... all day... everyday!  It has been so nice to be able to get him to play and use his imagination!  

3. As always I love watching the kids learn and grow.  Goose and Sweet Pea have been growing like crazy!  It was really funny this week to watch Goose figure out how to blow and make motorboat sounds with her mouth!  Cracked me up!

 4.  Great Parents!  I am very blessed to have a great group of parents that communicate, and are great to work with.

 5. SUNSHINE!!! Thank you Lord for warmer weather and sunshine!  These kiddos love to go outside!

That's all for today!  Everyone have a great weekend!

~ Mrs. April

Adventure's in Babysitting... The EWwww Factor!

My little one holding onto the arm of our chair 

I love kids and love taking care of kids, but there are those moments when you just go EWwww!!  Little kids do so many grose things! LOL  For instance what other job do you loose track of how many poopy and pee pee diapers you have changed in a 30 min. time frame?  Or.... How many other jobs can you say you know at some point in the day you will have someones buggers wiped all over your leg, shirt, or other part of your body?  Not to mention the slobber.  Teething babies do a lot of slobbering and bugger wiping!  So, around here we are pretty used to the grose stuff, but every now and then it still gets me and I say EWwww...  

Today my daughter was actually the EWwww award winner.  She is in the phase of pulling up on everything including Mommies legs.  She is almost always attached to my leg.  Which does make it pretty hard to get around.  LOL  Well during one of her leg hugging moments she decided to rub her face back and forth on my legs.  Aww she loves me!  She also has allergies and is teething so she is a slobbery buggery mess and it was getting rubbed all over my legs.  Wet, cold, EWwww.... LOL Oh, well another good reason to have lots of wet wipes around.  

I've said it before and I'll say it again taking care of kiddos is the hardest job I have ever had, but it is also the most rewarding.  

~April

Little Girls!!

"Sugar and spice and everything nice. 

 That's what little girls are made of."

These sweet little's have gone from tummy time buddies to now standing up buddies!  Pretty soon they will be walking buddies (Oh Lord! )  They play, grow, and learn together!  It has been so great to watch them.  Now we have another buddy!  She's a little older and just as sweet!  They all love to play together!

I ask my self how is it that with my own kid's I have all boys except for my sweet little angel.  How did I end up with all girls that I'm watching?  LOL 

 I don't know how I got so lucky to get to fill my days with these sweeties!  I am blessed!  Truly!!

 

Why I am a Daycare Provider

This is me with 3 of my kiddos at church on Easter

 Hello!

My name is April!  I am a Mom to 4 wonderful kiddos!  I grew up in a family of 5 and I am the oldest.  My Mom did daycare in our home from the time I was about 9 or 10... I think?  I've been around kids for the majority of my life and I love watching them grow and learn.

My two youngest and I

Being that I was the oldest of 5 kids and old enough to help my Mom with her babysitting kids I have a lot of experience caring for and loving kiddos!

I was a working Mom up until Aug. of 2013.  I had thought about doing daycare in my home many times before, but never felt I was in the right position to do so. I was pregnant with my youngest and had been praying about what my future held.  I felt the Lord leading me to take this time to be with my kids and also to give back a service which I knew personally was very important.  

My family Summer 2014

As all parents know it is a very hard thing to leave your child with someone else.  I've had the mornings of saying good bye to a crying little one and having to walk away because I knew they would be OK as soon as I was gone.  I cried on more than one occasion after an experience like that.  I also know that having someone who you trust and knows loves your kiddo makes it so much easier to go to work and focus on what you need to focus on while there.  I felt like it was time for me to give back what I had been so fortunate to be able to find.  Being a Daycare Provider isn't just a job or a way to make money.  It is a way for me to give to others.  I have been blessed in the past to have a special person to care for my kids and now I try my hardest to be that for others.  

All my kiddos July 4th 2014

My hopes with this Blog is to give a place to share the joys and blessings of being a Daycare Provider as well as give a place for parents to see some of what goes on with their little ones during the day.  

~April