Just one regret...

The only regret I have about pulling the kids out of daycare is that we will dearly miss Ms. Nora and Ms. Lucy ... they are mother and daughter. Ms. Nora works in the infant room and took care both of my kids as infants; Ms. Lucy now works in the toddler room with Payton and she absolutely adores {with a capital A} her. These are two ladies that we truly will miss ... they are so sincere and they love my kids to death.

Today Kyle and I went together to pick the kids up from daycare one last time. Ms. Nora was there waiting for us and we cried together. She gave me her phone number and told me to call whenever I need a sitter on a weekend. We definitely will be in touch Nora and Lucy ... you have made a profound impact on our children's lives. I only hope that every caregiver that Payton {particularly} has in her life will love her as much as you have loved her the past two years.

Okay, now I'm teary eyed again.

Daycare Schmaycare

So we are pulling the kids out of the daycare they have attended their whole lives. Things have gotten ridiculous, not so much regarding their care, but other things. They have only been attending two days a week and now they are going to get a real summer vacation. Our friend who has been watching them two days a week will now watch them four days ... I'll still have them one day a week. Payton will start school in the fall and I want to enroll Mason in a true preschool program, rather than a "daycare" preschool program. We'll see how things pan out.

First day of home daycare

After being in a daycare center setting their entire lives, the kids will now be staying with our dear friend, Ms. Jodi, twice a week. They will remain with me on Mondays and the other two days they will continue at the daycare center. The motivation for this is that Payton was approved for long term care, meaning Medicaid pays for her caregivers, one of whom is Jodi.

The day went well, from what I gather. Jodi's son, Riley, is also there with them. Payton was excited to be dropped off and play, so that was a bonus. She can be a little clingy at times, but she knows Jodi and Riley very well, so she did very well.

Mason Update

I feel so bad for Mason, like he gets lost in the shuffle of everything we have going on with Payton. He is deprived by no means, but he is hungry for attention when Payton's therapists come to the house to see her. Sometimes I feel like we get so caught up with trying to get Payton further along in her development that Mason gets left behind. Sigh ... maybe I'm just feeling sorry for myself.

Mason seems to be doing much better at school than he was the last time I posted about that a month or two ago. (As I type this, he is walking toward my bedroom and not staying in his bed ... like ALWAYS). The thing I hate about daycare is I feel so out of tune with what he knows academically. His teachers can tell me one thing, but until I see it with my own eyes, it is hard to believe. It is really hard to get him to focus on "learning" here at home ... he'd rather watch TV, play video games ... anything but recite his alphabet, count or learn to write letters. Sigh ... that is going to change my dear son!

Kyle signed Mason up for soccer ... he is finally old enough to participate in an extra-curricular activity and we are so excited, as is he. Every day after school he asks if it is time to go play soccer yet. So cute. I think practice starts in March ... and we thought we had no time now? Oh, things are about to get interesting.

Mason ... naughty at daycare?

So ... I'm not sure how I feel about all of this, but here goes ...

We have historically been told that Mason is one of the more well behaved kids at his daycare. We recently got a new acting principal while ours in on maternity leave and it seems some things have changed.

Yesterday when Kyle went to pick the kids up, he was informed that Mason was a very naughty little boy and that he was written up twice. LOL. They write up four year olds? Seriously. Incident number one involved Mason not following the teacher's directions and incident number two involved him supposedly hitting another child for no reason during storytime. Really? Doesn't really sound like my kid.

I have had a lot of issues with the teachers at daycare. They are uneducated, young and mostly there because they need a paycheck, not because they love or want to teach children. The other day I witnessed one child getting yelled at to sit down as he cried from an injury to his hand. Really? You bet I said something about that. I can just imagine what goes on when the parents aren't watching.

So this morning Mason cried when Kyle dropped him off at daycare, which he NEVER does. Someone please tell me why and what happened before I go into daycare and start demanding to know exactly what is going on!