It’s been a bit since I did a childcare update. I thought I would share one with you today…We’re into summer now. I have anywhere from three to six kids. It’s a nice number of kids and I’m so content with having only that many. I would love to have 5-6 kids a day. That would be my ideal. I’m not actively looking for kids though. If someone comes my way, I might add them to the roster if they fit in really well with the kids I already have. I very much feel like I am a Grandma to the group and not so much like I’m working.
Playing cards has been a big hit with the older kids. The game they love is called Trash. I’ve heard others call it Junk-others call it Garbage. Carver is only four and can totally play this and loves to. For a week straight playing this game was what they did.
HERE is a link if you want to learn to play. If you have people in your life 4 and older, I highly suggest giving it a try. Carver taught his Great Grandparents to play and they all have a good time.
The new swing set has continued to be a popular attraction. I’m so glad I got it.
The baby I have in my care is growing up. He’s really a sweet-sweet kiddo. Here he lost his sock and Gannon is trying to put it on him. Keep in mind, Gannon can’t get his own socks. So cute!
I told you he is growing up. He’s pulling himself up all the time and I’m now having to childproof things a little higher.
It was swing set Sunday here at the Kramer house. What a crazy day…but a very happy, happy day for me!
You might remember a bit ago I bought a swing set that was in a pile. The swing set had been damaged in a storm when winds took it and flipped it. You can read about that HERE if you missed it.
Buck and Karl brought it home with a pick-up and trailer.
Sunday was the day for it to get put together.
This is what the set is supposed to look like.
I am missing the long slide on the left but other than that, mine is very similar to this…I paid $300 for the wind-damaged pieces. It lists at just below $4600 now.
One might think that it would be easy because part of it was assembled…Nope. It took 3-4 men a day’s work to get the job accomplished.
One of my childcare dad’s who is a friend of Buck’s too along with Craig, Buck, and Karl, put it together.
The set is HUGE. Keeping the kids away from the men took some doing!!
All of the kids were anxious to try it out.
In the weeks leading up to this day, I had put some work in trying to find the missing pieces we thought we needed, measuring and sorting out the lumber that was there, and figuring out what was needed.
In the picture above you can see the tic tac toe panel. That was broken and I had a hard time finding one. I did find one though. I was so frustrated. I looked and looked and looked through Amazon. I could not find one. I then started looking at images via a Google search. I found what I was looking for, followed the link and it ended up taking me HERE to Amazon. I had already looked there and didn’t find one. So frustrating. I took up two naptimes trying to find it! AH!!
School got out for the preschoolers last week and the big kids got done with school on Tuesday…so it’s summertime childcare for me. I don’t have a lot of kids but it’s a new routine.
Wednesday Kelli had her six-week check-up so I had her kiddos here. Much of the morning was spent passing the babies from big kid to big kid as they all wanted in on holding them. Here is Carver with Eli.
We spent time outside too. Here Georgie is working on her scooter skills. This style of scooter is great for kids just learning. It has three wheels vs the typical two. HERE is where I found the scooter.
I had told you that I bought new scooters with my Amazon affiliate dollars. That is the commission money Amazon pays me from purchases you make using the links from my blog. I so appreciate your using the links. The 25 cents here and there ads up. I often use the money to buy goodies for the kids. Our outside equipment has had a wonderful overhaul thanks to you all.
The kids asked for a picnic…we had one using the wonderful eye spy quilt a sweet blog reader, Christi, made. I sent the kids in to get a quilt for the picnic and they brought out this one. I almost sent them back in to get a different one but then I remembered. I like seeing the quilts I made being used…this one did get used. After the picnic, they wrapped Georgie in it like a burrito.
…and then carried her around.
The boys were here too…Both of the boys will randomly raise a hand in the middle of sleeping. We call in hallelujah hands.
I just happened to snap this picture of Georgie… …
AH…I am having the worst time. Maybe you all can help me.
With childcare I used to go to the park all the time in the summer so the kids could use the play equipment. I had a triple stroller. This one you see below and I loved it. It was great for kids once they reached about a year old.
I’d load them all up and go to the park. For the most part, it was pretty good. I didn’t keep a swing set at my house…if we wanted play equipment, we went to the park.
Well…That got to be a challenge. The park equipment wasn’t really the best for my kids. There was only one baby swing and as you can see by the picture above, I likely needed three baby swings to accommodate this group.
The other problem, they use small rocks as surfacing. Well…as you can see from the kids in the stroller, those small rocks weren’t the best for my kids as I’d always have one or two that would put the rocks in their mouth. UGH.
Then…insurance and liability became more of a concern. The park is next to the river that runs through town. I changed insurance for my childcare business and it seemed a little more frowned on.
Then…my kids in the stroller starting aging. I filled those spots with babies. As I went along, it became harder and harder to leave the house when I had babies….So, I saw this swing set on a for sale group for $25 and talked Kramer into giving it a try. It was been wonderful. I can’t tell you how much I have loved having this swing set. We have a wonderful play place now. It’s so cute. The kids call it my “playground”.
The glider on the right is a big favorite with the kids.
We are outside almost every morning once the weather gets nice. We’re either playing in the big tire sandbox, swinging or playing with water once it is warm enough.
The best part of this…there is something for the babies to do. I can push them in the swing. I can take an exersaucer outside. Being at my house allows so many more options so that everyone can be entertained…and a bathroom is close and safe.
Well…my wonderful $25 swing has last for four years. It’s gotten WAY more use than any other normal swingset. Best of all, we’ve had it long enough to know that I am happy to have one here, and having a swing set here is a good option.
Well…that $25 swing has also seen better days. The flooring of the basket swing is no more. Something has to be done about it…so I started swing set shopping.
Oh my. I didn’t know how good of a swing set I had until I started shopping for a new swing set. I had THREE places to put swings. I had TWO slides. I had a glider and the basket swing. There were LOTS of places for the kiddos to play.
I went through a bit of a debate. Do I get a wooden set? Do I get a metal swing?  I thought and thought. I know the guys in my life would build me a wooden set but they are so expensive. I know I can find them on sale sites like Marketplace but I think I’ve convinced myself not to get a wooden one. So many of them come like this… …
