Big Changes.

So I have done home day care since December 2007.  I can confidently say that I am one of the best providers in Broward County, and I have one of the best set ups.  My house looks like a daycare, I have a large amount of area for the kids to play and learn.  I am absolutely head over heels in love with the kids I take care of.  I have had amazing kids for the past four years, and mostly amazing parents.. But some MAJOR hot mess parents, too.  I have some hilarious stories, and I can tell you one thing....  You should have a license to have children.  The classes in the hospital don't help everyone!  There are many people out there who should NOT be parents.  I have had people call me and tell me they were going to leave their kids with me for the whole night, because they didn't feel well, and thought they should not be around their children!  I have opened at 5:15 am, and taken kids till 8:00pm.  I have had the police knock on my door, because a client was upset I wouldn't tell her which child bit her child.... Sorry, it's the law!  I had asked my clients to bring a nutritious lunch while I was in England, and my substitute was running the day care for me, and a child shows up with donuts, kool-aid and skittles! ha! I am very thorough with information, such as days off, and I had the same client show up three different scheduled closed days, and play dumb.   I have had a parent show up to pick up their ten month old in a two seater convertible, smelling like beer, and telling me he didn't have a car seat, but the baby would be fine buckled in.  I have had a parent drop off their child, and tell me they threw up the night before and in the morning, but to call me if I thought the child was sick?  I have had kids just not get picked up, because the parents forgot.  I have not gotten paid for weeks at a time, because money was tight, but then I saw the parent post pictures on myspace of her fabulous weekend in South Beach!!  Parents showing up for an interview with a baby who looked like he had never seen the bath tub, and weighed five extra pounds because of the dirty diaper their kid had been wearing all day!  The interviews have to be the most hilarious part of the job.  HOT MESSES.  You know how awkward it is to fake an interview?!  I have such hilarious stories, and I could really go on and on if I thought about it..but I choose to remember the good more than the bad and treasure the friendships that I have made through this! I could definitely write a book though!!  It would be entertaining for those that can relate to this job.... but it's over.  I am closing June 3rd.  :-(
Right now I am watching movies with one of my best friends, Julie-Ann.   She was the photo tech at Walgreens, and when I was opening up my day care I thought I would ask if she wanted to work with me.  She was so good with my kids, and I got such a great vibe from her.  So she did and YEARS later here we are reminiscing about the good, the bad and the ugly...I have made some amazing life long friends through the daycare.  People I mentored, people that mentored me, people who gave me the privilege of taking care of their little angels while they were at work, people that also run home daycares, my supervisors, my trainers, my teachers, wow.. it's been rewarding.  I LOVE these kids so much, too.  There are a few families that I know I will stay in touch with for a long time!  I may be closing, but I am not disappearing.  I still want to see these kids that make me smile everyday. I want to remain close friends with their parents and I definitely want to help place their little ones in a place that they love and are as comfortable with, as they were with me.

I am closing so I can force myself to get closer to my goal of teaching.  Even if I work for free for the next year, it's valuable time I can use towards my future, and this summer I am going to love the heck out of the time with my kiddos.  I am reallllllly going to miss the day care kiddos, and all the fun times, but I am burnt out.  I need my house back, my kids want to have a fun summer full of water parks, beaches and the pool.  I want lazy days. :)

I had kids to be a mother, not put them in school/camp/day care.  I don't really have the luxury of a grandma for my kids (their only Grandma is in Pennsylvania.)  My husband's job has no rhyme or reason, some times he is out of town for weeks at a time, with little or no notice...so I need to be available.  I LOVE kids, so teaching seems to be the only option for me.  I am sick of dirty diapers, poor little teething babies, and temper tantrums, ABC's, colors and phonics...I want more.  I want to teach kindergarten-third grade.  So here I go, my first step towards the next chapter in my life.  I hope this is my final career chapter, because at 31 I want to find my place in life!!

Here are some old pics, that I thought would be so cute to look at..  years later..

Julie Ann March 2008 with Dustin

My kids and Matthew and Katie and the old set up...

My kids, the adorable baby S, Christina (Austin's first girl friend!)

We didn't always have a huge lunch table.  ;)

Awww.  I think this was Liam's first day.  He was seven months old.  He is now three and a half.  Losing him kills me, but his mom got a new job, and needed more flexibility with hours..and I can't put in anymore hours.. my kiddos need their mama.  Hence I decided to close, rather than start some new children and close later on this year. I am going to miss the heck out of this kid. :(