Another quiet morning :) All of my kids and families are wonderful. I can't ask for more than that :) I'm having so much fun with all of the ages I work with and just love my job!! I'm learning all about balance with my own kids as well. That's been the hardest part to learn and probably ongoing, but it's getting so much easier :)

My screamer has finally adjusted to the arrival of her baby sister and is back to my happy, giggling girl again. :)

Originally Posted by SimpleMom:
Another quiet morning :) All of my kids and families are wonderful. I can't ask for more than that :) I'm having so much fun with all of the ages I work with and just love my job!! I'm learning all about balance with my own kids as well. That's been the hardest part to learn and probably ongoing, but it's getting so much easier :)

I still struggle with balance and have been doing this forever. What have you found to work for you. I'm always up for suggestions and see what works for others.

Last Day of School!!!

Also the start of an 11 week vacation for me, where I get to spend time with my own kids alone. :)

I got to go to the movies with the kids today. I've been confined to sitting for 13 days, so I was sooooooooo happy to get out.

storms- again
 

While I was at work 25 miles from home. a bad storm blows through our area again. Frances called me but I missed it. I saw her missed call and called her back a go straight to voice mail. Called home phone to hear tree tops broke out in yard, no power ect.
Almost home to my mother inlaws house to find a huge oak tree (about 70 years old) laying down across road. Power was out 9 hours, in fact we got our generator out to find I left gas in it from about 3 years ago and carburator was gummed up and has to be rebuilt. We drive to Jackson to Home Depot and spend $1000 for another one but when we get home we had power. Keeping generator, no house or other damage at my house ; yet around us neighbors had top of pole shed blown off again. They just replaced it from where last storm torn it off.
While inconvenienced, we have been very fortunate and I am grateful for our blessings.

Dance Party!
 

In honor of the Big Man Clarence Clemons, we had an E-Street Band Dance Party today! The kids loved it! Even the 17 month old was cutting a serious rug! Hilarious!

I got a call from a perspective and we talked about possible meeting times and he said he'd check with his wife and call me back. This happens so many times and I never hear from the person again so I was happily surprised that he called back! We set an interview and again was happily surprised that they actually showed up! The interview went great and the kid seemed happy in my environment but the parents wanted to talk it over so we ended with a 'let me know'. They said they'd call me later or the next day and part of me said 'yippy' and the other part said 'never hearing from them again like usual'. Then 4 hours later he calls up and asks to fill out paperwork on Monday and start the following week! I was so happy and excited that I jumped all over the house because I just got a new client! And one that follows what he says and my directions too! :Sunny:

!!!! After dcm asked me weeks ago if DCB could come on the 4th (I said yes...I'm weak, lol), I found out today that he probably won't be here!!! I'm THRILLED! I'll be able to take DD to the parade, and hang out just her and me and DS (DH will be working) and generally just not have to worry about things!!!

Originally Posted by SilverSabre25:
!!!! After dcm asked me weeks ago if DCB could come on the 4th (I said yes...I'm weak, lol), I found out today that he probably won't be here!!! I'm THRILLED! I'll be able to take DD to the parade, and hang out just her and me and DS (DH will be working) and generally just not have to worry about things!!!

Yay! Happy fourth of July to you!!!

I had decided to buy Keds for the DC kids and was going to do it this weekend and got so busy that I COMPLETELY forgot. I went online and Sears has a great sale that ends today and I got them for $20 a pair and NO SHIPPING! I had looked on Friday and they were on sale but at $23 a pair so I lucked out. I'm glad I forgot lol. I'm also getting a few 3-packs of white T-shirts (on sale for $7) and a couple of shorts ($3 a pair) so that the kids can all match. They'll look so cute.

Whoot!!!!!!!!!!!!! :Sunny:

2yo DCB just told me he needed to potty. I took him and he did it like a pro!!!

And so the 14 day countdown #1 begins.....:D

He is so proud....he did the "running man" dance. :lol::lol:

My new assistant started this week. She is wonderful. I think I'm in love:lol:

My new kid (13 months) was doing great with routine today and was much happier overall today. Still would like a longer afternoon nap but we'll get there.
And: A past client (left on good terms for valid reasons) asked about possibly coming back soon. :Sunny:

I just realized today that as of 6pm this Friday I am officially on vacation :D. I'm SUPER excited and I'll be super busy. Saturday morning we're loading up the car and driving out to Las Vegas for a very short trip. My DH, my mom and I are driving out and staying just one night and really only to watch The Lion King :ouch:. I'm SUPER STOKED. I'm taking the baby with me but we have friends that live there that have generously offered to watch him during the play and then we're all meeting after it for some dinner. We're staying one night at the Luxor and then doing some shopping on Sunday before heading back. Monday I unpack. Tuesday I pack again and load the car before having dinner with friends (for my birthday) and then Wednesday it's back on the road to Pismo CA for a week of camping, eating, relaxing and quad riding on the dunes. Not heading back until the following Saturday and then I get one last day to relax before coming back to reality.

Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
I just realized today that as of 6pm this Friday I am officially on vacation :D. I'm SUPER excited and I'll be super busy. Saturday morning we're loading up the car and driving out to Las Vegas for a very short trip. My DH, my mom and I are driving out and staying just one night and really only to watch The Lion King :ouch:. I'm SUPER STOKED. I'm taking the baby with me but we have friends that live there that have generously offered to watch him during the play and then we're all meeting after it for some dinner. We're staying one night at the Luxor and then doing some shopping on Sunday before heading back. Monday I unpack. Tuesday I pack again and load the car before having dinner with friends (for my birthday) and then Wednesday it's back on the road to Pismo CA for a week of camping, eating, relaxing and quad riding on the dunes. Not heading back until the following Saturday and then I get one last day to relax before coming back to reality.

Have you seen Lion King before? It's AMAZING!!!! I wanted to cry it was so beautiful and incredible and moving! If they ever come back to Indiana I definitely want to go! Have a great time!

Originally Posted by Christina72684:
Have you seen Lion King before? It's AMAZING!!!! I wanted to cry it was so beautiful and incredible and moving! If they ever come back to Indiana I definitely want to go! Have a great time!

No, I've never seen it but EVERYONE that has says the same thing. I've been wanting to see it for years!! I live about an hour from Los Angeles anD they had The Lion King there and my DH has always said he'd take me but never did. Well they stopped doing the show in LA and went to Vegas. Again he said he'd take me and well, we've been to Vegas 4 times since then and he STILL hasn't taken me. This will be the last year they do the Vegas show and so they'll only have the one in New York so I told him he'd better take me or I was making him take me to see it in NY. He booked this trip a week later :lol:. I've been waiting for this weekend FOREVER!!

My daughter just called to say my sil is going to the beach with us. The kids love it because he'll spend the whole time out in the water with them. I can sit under my canopy and chill, read a book or two.

Just finished making doctor, eye doctor, and dentist appointments for the whole family--including DH's cardiologist appointment that he refuses to schedule for himself.

Going on Vacation
 

Today is the last day that I work before I go on a one week vacation. Right now I have 3 DCK's signed up. Yesterday I was told that one DCB would not be here today so it lightens my load. This morning I got a call that DCG will not be here either which left only one DCB and my 2 kids. One day before vacation and I only have one DCK coming ... kind of made me wish that the last DCB would not come in today either :o. On the other hand I had fun activities planned for today that I wouldn't be able to do. Then just a few minutes ago I get a call from my SIL wondering if her 2 boys could come (yes, she will pay lol) and I said yes. That means that I can still do my activities and the load still won't be as heavy as if they were regular DCK's. They're my nephews and one 8 and he behaves (for me anyway) and will be more help than anything. Whoo-hoo!! 10 hours until vacation AND it's FRIDAY!! Oh and everyone paid for next week (my vacation) with no problems.

Just got back from Las Vegas yesterday and I had a wonderful time. We stayed at the Luxor (I have a thing for Egyptian stuff), did some shopping, sight seeing and watched the Lion King (which was absolutely wonderful). We also visited with friends that live there. It was a great trip. On the way back be stopped in Baker, CA and I bought some alien jerky and got a souvenir squished penny with an alien on it lol. I also saw the "worlds biggest thermometer". Then we stopped at Charlie Brown's and got smoothies. I wanted to see the ghost town off of the pear blossom highway but DH would have none of it :rolleyes:.

I'm closed this week but I got a late call (10:30pm) from SIL for emergency care for my nephews. I told her I was closed but that as a favor I'd take the boys ... at the regular daily rate of course AND that she had to either leave extra money for food or had to supply food for them because I didn't buy any cuz I wasn't expecting kids this week and I'll be leaving on Wednesday for our camping trip. She was ok with that so here I am relaxing on my vacation and the kids are watching TV and playing with the dogs. I'm making money while relaxing ... awesome

Ikea
 

Just got back from Ikea!!
Love it, I have never been there before. I bought an easel for just $15 and lots of cute plates, cups,bowels, and an abacus, lazy susan, ....lot's of cool stuff
So so, happy and I can't wait to go back...:Sunny::Sunny::Sunny:

Originally Posted by Michelle:
Just got back from Ikea!!
Love it, I have never been there before. I bought an easel for just $15 and lots of cute plates, cups,bowels, and an abacus, lazy susan, ....lot's of cool stuff
So so, happy and I can't wait to go back...:Sunny::Sunny::Sunny:

fun!!! love ikea...love the easel, too. did you get the big roll of paper that goes with it?

Originally Posted by SilverSabre25:
fun!!! love ikea...love the easel, too. did you get the big roll of paper that goes with it?

Yep! in fact I was just in the room "installing" it :lol::lol:
The dry erase board is sooo cool, all the older kids are playing teacher right now writing Welcome students, my name is____ . I want to get the table and chairs next. Just can't decide what color. Probably blue.
I had to check out ikea because I kept hearing on this board how everybody gets cool thing there. They also have free childcare at my Ikea.. I put my dd in there, shopped alone for one hour then got her out and she "helped " me with the rest!

Both mommies are off today. They got together and took the kids to Knott's. I've been ALONE all day, what a wonderful treat.

Originally Posted by sharlan:
Both mommies are off today. They got together and took the kids to Knott's. I've been ALONE all day, what a wonderful treat.

wow!, cool, I wouldn't know how to be alone!
I wouldn't even know what to do!
So, what did you do?

Originally Posted by Michelle:
wow!, cool, I wouldn't know how to be alone!
I wouldn't even know what to do!
So, what did you do?

I did laundry, scrubbed the laundryroom and my bathroom. I folded 3 loads of towels that were sitting in a basket waiting to be folded.Plus, played on here all day.

I didn't even take my shower until 8 last night.

I get an unscheduled day off tomorrow because all my families decided to keep their kids tomorrow! I'm so lucky! :Sunny:

Also one of my daycare parents said "You're the best! I'd never manage without you. Thank you!" So very awesome to hear stuff like that! :Sunny::Sunny:

And I started putting my 13 month old on a mat for naps and he's slept a solid 2 hours now versus the 1.25 I often got in the portacrib. The first two days were rocky but now he's got it and was out like a light today! :Sunny:

Originally Posted by kidkair:
I get an unscheduled day off tomorrow because all my families decided to keep their kids tomorrow! I'm so lucky! :Sunny:

Also one of my daycare parents said "You're the best! I'd never manage without you. Thank you!" So very awesome to hear stuff like that! :Sunny::Sunny:

And I started putting my 13 month old on a mat for naps and he's slept a solid 2 hours now versus the 1.25 I often got in the portacrib. The first two days were rocky but now he's got it and was out like a light today! :Sunny:

awesome, I love it when parents appreciate us !!!:)

Disneyland or bust
 

Got back from Disneyland at 1:30 am with all my sweet dck's
I wonder if I charged over time for this trip how much it would add up to? :lol::lol: This was my choice to stay late. 5 of the kids have never been to Disneyland. We also went to California Adventure.
Everything went perfect , got lots of pictures with Mickey and Cinderella castle.
Saw World of Color and more rides I can ever imagine to go on with 12 kids..We didn't take any babies :ouch::ouch: just 4-12 year olds.

One of my biggest fears was a child walking off but they were perfectly behaved and the parents very grateful.

Originally Posted by Michelle:
Got back from Disneyland at 1:30 am with all my sweet dck's
I wonder if I charged over time for this trip how much it would add up to? :lol::lol: This was my choice to stay late. 5 of the kids have never been to Disneyland. We also went to California Adventure.
Everything went perfect , got lots of pictures with Mickey and Cinderella castle.
Saw World of Color and more rides I can ever imagine to go on with 12 kids..We didn't take any babies :ouch::ouch: just 4-12 year olds.

One of my biggest fears was a child walking off but they were perfectly behaved and the parents very grateful.

You're braver than I am. I haven't gone since school got out, TOO crowded for me.

My new dcg went right to sleep in <5 mins today after spending 1/2 of nap time awake yesterday!

Originally Posted by sharlan:
You're braver than I am. I haven't gone since school got out, TOO crowded for me.

Actually, Disneyland was so crowded, we ended up staying at Calif. adventure for most of the day. We did manage to get in about 5 rides though at Disneyland. The best time to go is like Jan. on a Wed. in the middle of the day.
You can just walk onto rides. There was a 2 hour wait for Star tours!!!

I'm so excited I could burst!!

Several times each year I have events for my "Daycare Alumni" kids - kids that have grown up in my daycare but have since aged-out, so that they can come back and catch up with me and the other kids that grew up with them - since they're all in different schools and different sports/activity circles now.

Today, I'm having an Alumni Picnic with a "Minute To Win It" theme - sent out my invites a couple of weeks ago - and I had 19 of my alumni kids respond that they'll be here!! These kids are all ages 20 down to my newest "alum" who is 6 and just aged-out of school-year daycare this June:-)) Apparently, the "girls" were so excited about this that they all got together at one of their houses this week and made tie-dye team shirts for themselves:lol: A couple of the kids have jobs now, and will even be over later this evening after their work shift is over.:) I've been getting texts all week from different kids telling me that they're excited to come!

My daughter is coming to help - she lives at college - but is now Facebook Friends with many of these kids (she grew up with them too) and is excited to see them all in person.

I'm positively giddy that these kids are as excited as I am to come to my picnic today!

Originally Posted by Michelle:
Actually, Disneyland was so crowded, we ended up staying at Calif. adventure for most of the day. We did manage to get in about 5 rides though at Disneyland. The best time to go is like Jan. on a Wed. in the middle of the day.
You can just walk onto rides. There was a 2 hour wait for Star tours!!!

The absolute best day to go to Disneyland is super bowl Sunday. No joke. We did it one year and we ended up leaving the park at 5pm because we dis the entire thing including some rides twice and got bored. I never realized that you can walk into the castle (drawbridge) and there was a little walkthrough of Sleeping Beauty until that time. We were always so busy and in a hurry to go to the next ride and stand in line. Take someone with a handicap placard too, you get parking right next to the tram that takes ou to the gates :lol:

Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
The absolute best day to go to Disneyland is super bowl Sunday. No joke. We did it one year and we ended up leaving the park at 5pm because we dis the entire thing including some rides twice and got bored. I never realized that you can walk into the castle (drawbridge) and there was a little walkthrough of Sleeping Beauty until that time. We were always so busy and in a hurry to go to the next ride and stand in line. Take someone with a handicap placard too, you get parking right next to the tram that takes ou to the gates :lol:

yep, we took a girl one year that had down syndrome and we got to go to the front of the line for almost every ride.
We tried to go to the espn zone in down town disney last year to watch the Superbowl on the big screens..it was a joke!!! 3 hour line just to get in and they couldn't guarantee a table , we should have just jumped on the monorail and had fun!!!

Originally Posted by Pammie:
I'm so excited I could burst!!

Several times each year I have events for my "Daycare Alumni" kids - kids that have grown up in my daycare but have since aged-out, so that they can come back and catch up with me and the other kids that grew up with them - since they're all in different schools and different sports/activity circles now.

Today, I'm having an Alumni Picnic with a "Minute To Win It" theme - sent out my invites a couple of weeks ago - and I had 19 of my alumni kids respond that they'll be here!! These kids are all ages 20 down to my newest "alum" who is 6 and just aged-out of school-year daycare this June:-)) Apparently, the "girls" were so excited about this that they all got together at one of their houses this week and made tie-dye team shirts for themselves:lol: A couple of the kids have jobs now, and will even be over later this evening after their work shift is over.:) I've been getting texts all week from different kids telling me that they're excited to come!

My daughter is coming to help - she lives at college - but is now Facebook Friends with many of these kids (she grew up with them too) and is excited to see them all in person.

I'm positively giddy that these kids are as excited as I am to come to my picnic today!

That is just so cool!
I know you will have fun!!

Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
The absolute best day to go to Disneyland is super bowl Sunday. No joke. We did it one year and we ended up leaving the park at 5pm because we dis the entire thing including some rides twice and got bored. I never realized that you can walk into the castle (drawbridge) and there was a little walkthrough of Sleeping Beauty until that time. We were always so busy and in a hurry to go to the next ride and stand in line. Take someone with a handicap placard too, you get parking right next to the tram that takes ou to the gates :lol:

My dh has to use a mobility scooter to get around DL. We generally go every Mon during the school year. We generally get there shortly after the park opens, walk onto most rides, and leave when the kids are done about 2 or 3. I haven't been there at night since Halloween 2 1/2 yrs ago.

Originally Posted by Pammie:
I'm so excited I could burst!!

Several times each year I have events for my "Daycare Alumni" kids - kids that have grown up in my daycare but have since aged-out, so that they can come back and catch up with me and the other kids that grew up with them - since they're all in different schools and different sports/activity circles now.

Today, I'm having an Alumni Picnic with a "Minute To Win It" theme - sent out my invites a couple of weeks ago - and I had 19 of my alumni kids respond that they'll be here!! These kids are all ages 20 down to my newest "alum" who is 6 and just aged-out of school-year daycare this June:-)) Apparently, the "girls" were so excited about this that they all got together at one of their houses this week and made tie-dye team shirts for themselves:lol: A couple of the kids have jobs now, and will even be over later this evening after their work shift is over.:) I've been getting texts all week from different kids telling me that they're excited to come!

My daughter is coming to help - she lives at college - but is now Facebook Friends with many of these kids (she grew up with them too) and is excited to see them all in person.

I'm positively giddy that these kids are as excited as I am to come to my picnic today!

That's so neat. Most of my former daycare kids live out of state. I keep in touch with only a few here.

Originally Posted by sharlan:
My dh has to use a mobility scooter to get around DL. We generally go every Mon during the school year. We generally get there shortly after the park opens, walk onto most rides, and leave when the kids are done about 2 or 3. I haven't been there at night since Halloween 2 1/2 yrs ago.

You have got to see world of color, they will put you int he front row because handicap people go on first and get the best seats, but you have to reserve it.. free to reserve just do it as soon as you get there.