(Don't forget to look at the new pics and videos below - even if you do skip my riveting dialogue)
The Great Daycare Debacle (OR I'm Hoping I Only Have to do This Once!)
For the last 3-4 weeks we've been searching for daycare. What can we afford? How far away is practical? Who is "good enough" to watch JoJo? Are we asking the right questions? How do we trust a stranger? What is best for her?
Grandma watches her Mondays and Fridays; Sheryl has Wednesdays free. We needed someone Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The first idea was to have a family friend from Crossroads watch her. Good person, great with kids, reasonable price. Once we figured out the driving time to get JoJo to her house (or worse, to drive her to my mom's so she could pick JoJo up to take her back to Vancouver), it wasn't practical.
Plan B: I put out a Craigslist ad. Got a great response from someone in the Salmon Creek area. Christian. Good price ($20 a day). Sent her my phone number so we could arrange a visit. Silence. 3 days later, "do you still need someone?" "yes, here's my phone number." Silence. Hate mail sent (okay, not quite hate mail, but...).
So I went back to Craigslist. Mom with 2 month old. $25 a day, 10 minute drive. Looks good. Make plans to meet. Next day's e-mail: "I hurt my back, can't watch two kids with a hurt back. Sorry."
Another Craigslist ad. Over 10 responses. Narrow it down to 3. One lives a mile away. Ok, not great. No daycare experience. Christian, has 2 year old boy, overweight kids, just not that exciting. $25 a day. Second lives on the way to work. Daycare experience, seems upbeat, wants $50 a day. Third is a parent from work. No daycare, but recommended as good person by her daughter's teacher. No other kids around during the day - $50 a day. We interviewed the first Monday and had an appointment with the 2nd set for Wednesday. Pray, pray, pray.
On Sunday I mentioned the problem to a Felida family who attends my church. She gives me the phone humber of her daycare. Tuesday interview. Love! Tough phone calls to cancel others (third was e-mailed, not as hard) $23 a day, 3-4 other kids around, Christian, a happy home, and an easy decision. Thank you Mrs. Hull! It means leaving 15 minutes earlier each Tuesday and Thursday, but it is so nice to be done with that process!
This Spring Break is the first time in a long while that I've spent whole days with JoJo alone. I see her every day, but never all day. A part of me wishes I could leave Vancouver for a few days; it's the first Spring Break in 6 years that I haven't visited Phyllis' cabin, but I'm enjoying the time with her here.
JoJo is feeling much better, although her nose is still dripping constantly. She's started to chatter more than just "da da da". She also shows no interest in learning to crawl - she wants to stand up all the time, and is very confident just standing up leaning on a table, couch, etc. Often she doesn't want to be held unless she's standing. She hates being put on the floor in a crawling position, and once she's in one position, she cannot change it, unless of course it's falling to a sitting position when she's "standing."
She is becoming quite the chewer, and she has nibbled on my shoulder often of late. She did try to swallow my cell phone whole, and now the listening piece doesn't have much volume - hopefully it will dry out. She did the same thing to Sheryl's phone.
Usually we take a 2 mile walk in the BabyBjorn, but I've started using the hiking pack instead. She seems to enjoy it, once I get her on my back. She always cries getting into it. I am taking her hiking tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have some cute pics to post.
The youngest Girl Scout speaks to an enraptured crowd about world peace and other important topics.
JoJo sitting on Daddy's bed
