Childcare Chronicles

Childcare is starting a new chapter.  The school year has started here.  I thought I would show you some pictures of the last few days before school started.

We got a swing set.  For the longest time I had been against it but it’s harder and harder for me to get to the park with so many little ones so we stopped going.  I felt bad for the kids but what was I to do.  Then on a local Facebook for sale group I saw this swing for $25.  We ended up buying it.  Our rational…it will last at least two years.  If in that time we find I love it and the kids do too, I’ll get a nice new one.  In the meantime, this has been awesome.  The only problem was there were no baby swings.

We have since remedied that.  One family donated one and we bought another.

All of the babies love swinging…this guy in particular loves it a lot.  Check out Carver…..

I am super happy with the decision.  The kids have gotten hours of play from the set already.  I had been hesitant to purchase one as people who do registered care in Iowa are under great scrutiny if they have a swing set.  There are many rules and guidelines for having them.  I would likely have to have some type of surfacing under the swing set and at least eight feet in each direction.  I never wanted to dig up my lawn and do that so we didn’t have a swing.  Well being I am not registered anymore, we can have a swing set.  It was so precious, on the first day we got it my three year old guy yelled, “Jo, you got a play ground!!”  For the next few days, every day he came he would immediately run to the door asking if I still had it.

We have a new guy in care.  He’s getting close to six months old.  It’s amazing how quickly I forget how easy Carver and the other boy his age are.  They are only 5 months older but oh my what a difference 5 months make.  We have some good moments and some not so good but each day I can see it’s getting to be more good moments.  I remind myself that the closer the kiddos get to being six months old the easier they become to care for.

This little girl is his buddy.  She’s super good with him.  She sings to him, “reads” to him and is quick to run to him if he cries.  She’s a real “baby” lover.

One of the best things I bought this year for childcare is the brown plastic file cabinet that is on wheels.  We use it for a water table.  It is a popular hot spot for the kids to play.  I fill it with water and they do all sorts of things.  The two in the foreground “make potions” all the time.  They take the petals from my flowers that need to be dead headed.  They put them in a plastic funnel that I have that has a tiny hole in the bottom.  They put a little bit of water on the flower and knead the flower.  It makes the water turn the color of the flower.  You can see the gal on the left has purple colored water, that’s how she got it.

Then the kids will mix in more water experimenting with the intensity of the colors.  They have experimented so much with water and so enjoy it.  The fun thing for us now is that the swing set and this patio where the girls play are all in the same area in our back yard.  Kids can do whichever activity they prefer and I can see them all.  It’s been great and has expanded our outdoor play potential.

As of today, we’re eight days into the school year.  These two gals are in school…my three three year olds start next week.  All I have at my house is little ones 20 months old and younger.  What a change!!!  No one can talk so I feel like I’m talking to myself all day long.  I’m adjusting and we’ll make it but it sure is a HUGE change for a tattling, talking, squealing, potty trained crew I had over the summer.  Give all of us a few more weeks and we’ll be into a whole new routine.  I’ve never had this young of a bunch before but I think I’m going to like watching them grow and learn together.