Progress Reports

In my former life, at this time of the year, I would be preparing progress reports. This is the end of my 6th week as a childcare provider and a couple of my kids have been with me since the beginning. We have all made progress. Growing and Learning Together has turned out to be the perfect name.

Sophia
My everyday girl. She has gone from being the only kid to one of 5. That has not been easy but she has learned that shhh means to close her mouth even if she's crying. She has learned to share me and to know that sitting beside Miss Tere is sometimes as close as you can get to being held. She is walking on her own and has even been seen trying to run. She has gone from being fed to feeding herself to actually sometimes using a spoon. She is still my easiest diaper change, best napper and will eat almost anything I put in front of her. She has a smile that will melt your heart.

Bronx
Our transition has been a difficult one. Only being here 2 days a week make it hard to remember how things go from one week to the next. He has gone from needing a bottle to fall asleep (his mom's thing) to just laying down and closing those big beautiful brown eyes. He still scoots everywhere and some of us like to try and imitate him. He loves playing in the "tupperware" cupboard and cooking in the toy kitchen. He is all boy and loves balls or simply throwing anything in his hand.

Makenna
The oldest. Makenna came in missing mom a lot. Now she knows that Mama always comes back and there is so much to be done while she is gone. She is my little helper - loves to cook, feed the baby and teach the younger ones tips on walking. She is not the "princess" I thought she was the day she caught those blonde locks in the butter while making grilled cheese sandwiches. She has great weakness for play dough and anything crafty. She has been on vacation this week and I miss her terribly.

Allison
I think she is probably a lot like I was as a child - very wary. You have to earn her love and respect. Maria can attest to a few of her stink faces. She is not afraid to say NO (even to me) and blaze her own path. She always has a sippee cup of milk nearby as well as a binkie or 2. Her latest toy from home has been a small rolling suitcase - HYSTERICAL. She will often tell me that she is going on vacation. I have learned to check for toys before she leaves for the day. Her first week here she informed me that she "only takes naps at mommy's house." It seems that nap time at Miss Tere's is OK too.

Sienna
Day 1 I thought that I had met the enemy. I had never seen anything like her. Anything that came into her head, she did. Day 2 she met Allison and everything changed. She found her place in the line-up and I fell in love. She is incredibly bright, mimics everything we say and her flexibility is admirable. Some days she's with the big kids and others the little ones. But she is able to adjust her actions and behavior depending on who is here. She loves to sing but doesn't always want anyone else singing along so maybe it's a performance... She enjoys counting, matching colors and doing puzzles. She is a beautiful blonde who isn't afraid to get dirty.

Lucien
The baby. He is almost perfect. He eats and sleeps in regular intervals and if he's not hungry or tired you have a happy baby on your hands. He will hang out on the floor watching the other kids play for unusually long periods of time. He likes the rings, rattles and his ball. He has an incredible grasp and can always find a fistful of hair if it is within his reach. He is adjusting to his baby chair but everyone else likes it just as much as he does. So sometimes we have to boot them out of it so he can get in his sitting time. He is growing fast and will be crawling before we know it.

So there are my kids. I love every single one of them. They are each unique and beautiful and amazing in their own way. I am in awe of them, all they have learned in such a short time and how they play together. And yes, I am going to say once again, I love this job. I am so grateful for the trust that their parents have placed in my hands. This is crazy beautiful work that I am about.

Define "Potty Trained"

I have 3 kids whose parents informed me while signing up, that their children were "potty trained." In retrospect, I would agree that one of the three is potty trained. With the other two, I have learned the hard way that they need constant accompaniment, not to mention questioning every couple hours, "Do you need to go potty?" They are more at the stage I referred to at the time I went through it with my own kids as parent trained. As long as I remember to ask, we get through the day in a dry state. But the greatest part of all this is that nobody gets upset when there is an accident. They shout out from the bathroom, "I have wet panties." But when all goes well, there is constant cheering and carrying on. The babies clap along with us and everyone is happy.

Slowing Down

Looking at the world through the eyes of a toddler is an awesome spectacle. Step 1 is to simply slow down and see what they see. There are amazing things happening when you are only two and a half feet off the ground. Bugs crawling, birds landing and taking off, squirrels chattering, incline changes on ramps and steps become perils in disguise and the backyard chickens are the scariest things around. Time no longer has any meaning. A 3 block walk to the park pulling a wagon for 2 along with 2 additional toddlers in tow can take anywhere from 10 to 20 or 30 minutes, depending on traffic and what we see along the way. Life lessons are constantly occurring. People we meet along the way are greeted by some of the kids and scowled at by others. We take the time to "learn" how to say hi and smile. My favorites are the elderly. They are the ones that have time to share and don't mind smiling at a frowning child. They stop and ask their names and ages and really want to talk to every one of them. Toys and activities we do every day can turn out differently every single time. Figuring out how safety harnesses work can occupy a toddler for an amazing block of time. Things we simply take for granted without a second thought are mesmerizing. If anyone wants a lesson on living in the moment, start hanging out with a toddler.

The Trick is Scheduling

Not unlike middle school everything in this new career is dependent upon scheduling. I have often stated to friends and potential clients that I think this job could only be done successfully by a teacher-like person. I have caught myself on a few occasions realizing that the day hasn't been thought through completely and have paid for the mistake. If there are only one or two kids, anything goes. But once the numbers go up, the person in charge better have a plan. On my "heavy" days I am balancing the schedules of a 5 month only, 14 month old, a 19th month old, a 2 year old and a 3 year old. Tricky at best. Now add in heating bottles, spoon feeding solid food, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, 2 naps a day kids, 1 nap a day kids, and those in the midst of potty training. Through the weeks, I have learned to make lunch before anyone arrives in the morning so that all I'm doing at lunch is balancing the baby's bottle/solid food with getting lunch on the plates for the toddlers. The Bjorn is a life saver. It is the only way I get snacks prepared. When times are bad, everyone in the place is crying, screaming or whining. And if I thought it would help, I would be doing the same. The beauty of it is that once everyone has food in their mouths, dry diapers or panties, or has gotten themselves to sleep, the house is once again silent. Silence now equates with happiness for all. I am constantly reminded of the resiliency of children. Just take care of their needs and the tears and wails are a thing of the past. They will of course resurface and we will follow the same process. Cry, eat, cry, change diaper, cry, sleep. The ebb and flow has become some kind of crazy venn diagram. It is no longer centered on the food and sleep of an infant; it is also the food and sleep of 4 other characters in the house. I no longer even attempt to have everyone sleeping at the same time. My time is much better spent simply reducing the numbers who are awake and being able to spend more time with each child. The smiles and laughter of the few are worth so much more than the value of the household chores I could be doing if everyone were asleep. There will always be time for that. This moment of playing and giggling is irreplaceable. I am loving this job, knowing full well that others looking at it from the outside think it is absolutely crazy. There are just crazy moments. Most of my day is still filled with laughter, smiles, playing and learning; all of it done together.