Bon-bons and T.V.? Ha!

This blog is about the day-to-day running of a “home daycare, ”  except that I consider what I do to be more along the lines of “Stay-At Home-Mom-Who-Home-Schools-Her-Own-and-Her-Friends- Lovely-One-Year-Olds.” BUT…  I guess I will use the phrase “Home Daycare´ because it’s a little more succinct, even if it is a little less descriptive.

So, what do I do all day, besides blog and craft super-long run-on sentences which use lots of hyphens, while the babies take their naps? Well, answering THAT question is one reason I want to write this blog. My (probably wrong) perception is that others may think I’m watching t.v. and eating bon-bons all day while the kids play. Hardly. First of all, NO T.V. SHOW EVER WRITTEN COULD ENTERTAIN ME LIKE THESE LITTLE CHARACTERS DO!

Secondly, I am in constant, purposeful motion from the time I wake up until the time my daughter goes to bed at night. While the babies sleep I know I should make myself sit and relax a bit, but I almost never do, and THAT is the other goal I have for blogging! I must force myself to relax and pace myself, so I don’t wind up all used-up and useless by the time I get my own one-year-old to sleep at 8:30 pm.

So, it’s 12:45 pm. The three toddlers and I have spent a lively, busy, educational morning and now they are all a-snooze in their respective pack-in-plays. Here I sit with a wonderful cup of Vanilla Chai Tea (with 3 sugars and whole milk – yum) forcing myself to type and just ignore the persistent call of the unmopped floor, the calls I need to make, the internet research for my husband’s business, the crafty ideas I need to develop for the babies, the supplies I need to order, the unwritten shopping list, and all the other important things I would otherwise be doing. It feels weird to be taking this “me” time, but in any other job I would have at least one break daily and so I’ll try to be at least as kind and respectful to myself as a boss (elementary school principal) would be.

So what did we do all morning? Well, when I say “educational” I mean I am learning at least as much as the babies. I want to be sure to write down all my ideas, insights, and deep epiphanies (ha!), so I’ll remember them and learn from my mistakes in the future (yet another purpose of this blog).

Please note, that while I do understand the grammar-rule that the pronouns “they,” “them” and  “their” should only be used to denote plurals, since this is my blog – I make the rules and so I will be using the plural, at times, instead of the more specific “he” or “she” etc. just to afford a bit more privacy as to who did what.

Okay, back to telling about our morning. RR arrives at about 8:30 and immediately her “daddy” does some heavy lifting and other difficult tasks to help me get the back yard ready for action for the day (I sure appreciate my sweet parents’ help!)  I straighten the house, make the ice-waters in sippy cups (color-coded for each baby), clean up my craft clutter and intermittently play baby dolls and Little People with RR and my girl, BB. I keep a running narration and dialogue with the girls as I rush around them.

I’m getting the camera ready for action when C and his daddy arrive (around 9). We experience some baby seepage out the front door and I have a bit of a time corralling the three of them, to get them all back inside after we wave bye-bye to “daddy.” I do it by enticing them with the offer of eating Cheerios and going “outside” (magic word, meaning out in the backyard). This works for two out of three, who hold my hand and walk inside willingly, while the third tugs my finger toward the street and begs, “Walk, walk, walk?’ The toddler throws themself on the ground screaming when I don’t comply. I carry that struggling baby and explain, “Later, we’ll go for a walk. Later.” I get a sniffly, teary, runny-nosed, “Yater, yater…yater?” for my trouble and my heart melts as I clean the snot off myself and them.

I find shoes and socks, change a poopy diaper (after turning on an Elmo DVD, which I’ve learned is an absolute godsend at diaper-time), check two more bottoms, corral one baby to be shod, redistribute the sippy cups correctly, “No RR, yours is PURPLE. Here you go. This blue one belongs to C.,” pick up a few toys, collect the babies’ take-home folders to write in and remove my weekly checks, get my own shoes on, grab the Cheerios, my camera, my phone, the tissues, wet-wipes, a baggie for trash, and all three sippies and -out the door we go to the backyard. The whole time I’ve been singing along with Elmo, and checking texts from a parent who hasn’t yet brought her child. No time to text back yet! I realize once we’re all outside that I should’ve gone to the rest-room before-hand. Sigh. Now, it must wait.

The rule at my house is “We sit down to eat.” Though I’m a little more lax about it outside, I discuss it with them as I wash their hands and distribute cereal and ice-waters. The two girls sit side by side in a patio chair and enjoy their snack and my silly song from the commercial of years ago, “Cheery-Cheery… Cheery-OHS!” BB tries to sing it, too, but RR is intent on eating as much, as fast, as possible! Mr. C is in his own patio chair, talking and eating. I say, as I often do when I can’t understand something earnestly communicated, but absolutely unintelligible said by them, “You are RIGHT! I can’t argue with THAT! Mmmmm-HMM!” We’re all enjoying the beautiful weather and being together. I sit and quickly send a text while giving increasingly stern warnings, as needed, that “We SIT in the chair to be safe. Stop! That is DANGEROUS when you do that. Sit down please.” Happy to say, the baby complied and we continued our fun picnic with two out of three babies attempting to say the word, “dangerous!” with my serious tone of voice. It cracked me up!

Then came the clamor to swing. As usual, they all wanted a turn at once and I think to myself for the thousandth time that I need more than one baby swing. Another serious discussion ensues, “It’s C’s turn. We take turns! Hey let’s count to three while you girls help push!” Well, the swinging went slowly with two little heads close-by C’s feet “helping” me, and soon impatient wails from the swing demanded more push and less group effort. After leading the girls out of harm’s way and distracting them with sidewalk chalk I ran back and gave C a mighty push and then ran back to the sidewalk chalk area across the yard to see to it that my girls were engaged there, and wouldn’t follow me back to the swing. C and I discussed ”asking nicely” and I was happy when he used words and sign language for “please” and “more.” His happy shrieks cracked me up! I crack up a LOT!

The girls were heading toward the slide so I quickly grabbed a rag and wiped all the condensation off. We had a nice conversation in which BB told me, “Clean, clean, clean!” and then we discussed taking turns, “BB’s turn, 1, 2, 3, SLIDE! Now it’s RR’s turn,” etc, while I pushed C and watched all three. We’d stop everything now and then for serious proclamations of “AIRPLANE!” and three chubby little hands pointing to the sky trying to find it.

This was all by about 10:30. The rest of the day continued in a similar manner, lots of singing, playing, discussions (both serious and silly) and a little painting and coloring. Our other wonderful little friend E. joined our cheerful chaos at about 1 o’clock. This is how I spend the day... serious discussions about safety and manners and letters and numbers and colors... running myself ragged to keep up with the needs and wants of these dear little people... praying to God for strength and health and the constant help of His Holy Spirit to help me serve these children and families with His all-sufficient love. It’s exhausting and wonderful!