A Shout Out

I want to send a big, big shout out to my friend Polly! She is such a warm, caring and tender hearted friend whom I met through the world of blogging. She has sent me an award that I am in so much appreciation of. She has termed me the "Comment Queen"...I happily accept...:)

Unfortunately, I feel like a silly because I have no idea how to transfer it to my blog!...lol! I have tried and tried. Please! If anyone can help, I am all ears!

Ooooh! Look! My son just showed me how! Yes, it was quite simple!

Thank you soooo much Polly! In my appreciation, here's a teddy bear hug for you!

Now, as Polly has demonstrated, we are to extend our award onto a fellow friend. I have chosen that friend to be Linda and Her Twaddle I love how she expresses her normal, everyday thoughts. She's so realistic while being so tactful with the truth. Good going Linda :)!

Weekend with New Kids

I had my first saturday with the new kids this weekend. It gave me a chance to really see what L., the 4 year old was made of. Although he has been through some trauma in his life, I think he does what he does because he can get away with it. I don't mean to imply that he was not affected by the trauma. I absolutely believe he is. Let me explain a little bit.

During his stay at our house on saturday, he was a very good boy. I mean, kids will be kids and they will have their moments. He did nothing extreme such as hitting, punching, kicking or pushing. For the first half of his time here, I was at the salon getting my hair done. My daughter was here with him and she said he did fine. It was his first time with my daughter too. When he first stayed with me, last week, he tried me left and right, with small behaviors but nothing extreme.

Now, in preschool, his behavior is very extreme. This does not reflect on the teacher whatsoever. I believe she is a wonderful teacher. In fact, I feel sorry for the teacher. In preschools, the teacher is not allowed to place a child in timeout. If a child misbehaves, a teacher can only "redirect" that child to another play area or another toy. So, really, there are no consequences for the child to learn that his behavior is unacceptable.

His behavior with him mom is so-so, according to her. I think she mainly deals with the two of them being jealous for her attention and their sibling rivalry which is normal.

While he was here playing, we spent time talking about little stuff he would bring up. He has quite a silly side to his personality, very cute. He ate well and took a nice nap. Overall, he did quite well.

My Hair

I finally got my hair done! I am truly very happy with it. I was so excited about getting it done that I couldn't sleep last night. Due to finances and having moved to a new area, I really was not able to do it. I had a fair amount of anxiety this morning as I was getting ready to go.

I found the idea of anxiety behind getting my hair done a bit uncomfortable. It seems I have let myself go, in terms of my appearance, until I have become an introvert. I think the idea of going out into public, for something besides picking up a kid from school,

After neglecting myself for so long and beginning to feel very run down, I decided to do it for ME. To my surprise, my hair is still pretty healthy. She said I did have a little breakage in some spots, but overall it was good. I wanted to do something a little different so she offered to put a little color in it. I like it a lot. It will definitely take some getting use to. I don't wear my hair down. I am a ponytail girl.

First Few Days

Thanks girls for your encouragement! I am quite excited. The kids are working out well so far. At the same time, I am a little overwhelmed. I just like having the little ones together. They learn so much from each other.

The mom spoke to me alittle bit about their background. Quite a bit of legal drama and a quite a bit of trauma for the little boy. Apparently, the house was raided with police last year. He tends to have nightmares from time to time and to act out in preschool by hitting and kicking others (I pick him up from preschool at 11 am). This mother has been very good about seeking help for him with therapy and assessments.

Overall, I think time will have to heal him. I seems to be a good boy but very likely suffers from anxiety. It may be a loud noise or a song or a familiar face that triggers his anxiety. He doesn't understand what he is feeling. I would like to set up a behavioral chart for him to allow him to kind of monitor his own behaivor. His reward will be gaining a sticker and his consequences will be loosing a sticker. When he gains so many stickers, he gains a small prize. This will not "heal" his anxiety, but hopefully will make life just a teeny bit more pleasing for him. I would also like to use art with him. Drawing, painting, etc. just so he can learn to express a little bit. I can't imagine what he must feel being such a little guy.

This is where I feel overwhelmed. There is sooooo much I want to do with him alone and with the other kids in terms of lessons!...lol! With finances so thin, it's difficult to purchase as many supplies as I'd like to as well. I do have some. I plan to arrange things in advance so things will flow easier. The kids will have fun either way!...lol!

New Kids

The new kids came by to visit yesterday. I like them alot. Mom says the she likes my facility because I offer structure. That made me feel really good. I am a very routine person. I think kids so better when they know what's coming next.

Once mom arrived and the kids started playing, we decided to see what would happen if she left for a few minutes. The kids seem very well adjusted and experienced no separation anxiety. In fact, she had done such a good job of preparing them that her son said, "I know you. You're Ms. Lori!" All I could do was laugh!...lol! The little girl is only 21 months old. She redirects very well :).

With a full house now, I will be extremely busy, but it will be so worth it to my finances. I won't get my first "full" payment until about the second week of Novemeber. The subsidized program she's on only pays once per month. I will get a payment for the last few weeks of this month. That will be helpful also. I can pay off some small things that have been lingering for a while.

I'm very excited to have kids that are easy to work with. It will be an adjustment for me energy wise, but that will only be for a little while. I'm very excited :). Lesson time will be a bit more of a challenge. I will probably do them a few at a time rather than a large group. I'm sure I will be very exhausted for a few weeks until I adjust. Small price to pay for peace of mind and a bit of happiness :).

Good News!

I got a good news!...a mom called with two kids today! She's a single parent but extremely outgoing. She's a manage of Aaron Brother's Frame store. She will have absolutely terrible hours...lol! So what else is new with my daycare parents? :)

It will be very difficult for me, but I will do what I have to do. She is on the subsidized program so it will be guaranteed payments once a month. She has a boy that's 4 years old and a little girl that's 2 years old. I have no problem with their ages. It's her work schedule the will be an adjustment. She will have late hours as well. It will be more 15 hour days, but I will have to get adjusted.

I have very mixed feelings about it. I am excited in that it will assist my budget greatly! Their ages are perfect. They are on an assistance program so payment will be more reliable. I think the only thing that I am fairly uncomfortable with are the hours. However, it's not like I am not accustomed to them already.

On the nights that I will have 4 or 5 kids for late night, I think I will have them downstairs rather than upstairs. It will just be easier and more space. At about 8:00 pm, I will pop in a movie and let them lay down with their blankets til their parents arrive.

I am much more happy than I am concerned about the hours. :). I have fellow childcare provider that we brainstorm together and support each other. I will talk to her as well, just to keep my focus. I'm quite excited actually :).

Good Things

The past few weeks have been pretty busy. I've had to really stay on top of things...though I usually do.

My cold is finally getting better. With the baby being more on a night schedule, going to bed at 8:30 pm sharp, it allows me to take those long hot baths I need so very much...lol! I'm sleeping much better and waking up more rested and ready for the day. Eating better helps a lot too. A few of the daycare parents and myself are trying to eat better by eating less fast food and more fresh fruits and veggies.

For the past week and a half, the washing machine has been out of commission. You don't realize how much you need something until it's gone or not available. We muddled through. It finally got fixed today. It took some phone calls and applying some pressure to some folks, but it's done :). It was under warranty so not money out of pocket! I plan to renew it again as well.

Curriculum has been going well with the kids. My four year old is doing well with learning new words. His writing skills are really awesome. Usually he plays "dumb" and won't' do his work. Lately, he's been doing well. Still haven't gotten any more kids. I did renew my ad in the paper again and had my son pass out some flyers as well.

The modification on my house is moving right along. It will still take a few more months. I really hope to gain more children by then. I'm trying really hard. I've been putting in job applications as well, just as an alternative. I don't think I will find a job making as much as I do in the daycare. The travel distance alone would cost a bit. Some jobs are as far away as 58 miles in one direction. My best friend travels 80 miles in one direction....every day! Can you imagine my gas bill?!...not to mention the wear and tear on the car itself! Yes, if I have a choice, I prefer the day care.

I'm in the process of making my grandson some more slippers. Yes, he has outgrown the first pair already! The other day, the slippers were setting on the table. He went over to them and brought them to me as if to want me to put them on. Yes, I did put them on him. He looked down at his feet, then looked at me and happily went on to play...lol! Time for a new pair. I'm making them in a slightly different pattern. His feet are fat and long...lol! I love to kiss those chubby little toes :).

Positive thoughts! :)