The weather here in Iowa has been awesome. Totally awesome for this time of year. Most days it’s been around 60 degrees in the day and overnight it’s not even dipping down into the below freezing temps. I’ve so loved it. I missed so much of fall with my ankle surgery.
As much as I can I’ve had the little ones outside. That’s gotten much harder with the addition of another baby this week. You might remember one of my childcare moms and our daughter Kalissa were due with their babies at the end of September. Well Kalissa went early and the other mom went late.
This week both of the little boys have been here at childcare. It’s been a challenge. For those of you counting and keeping track that makes two babies under 2 months, a 9 1/2 month old and three two year olds in my care. One of the two year olds will be three at the end of the month. I also have two that get off the bus here…a preschooler and a kindergartner. Ah…it leaves me VERY busy. There are FIVE in diapers.
I don’t get much time to anything of “my own” anymore. My nap time sewing escapades have been lost. I can keep up with the morning care of the kiddos. To do that I am downstairs a little earlier in the morning than I was before. I prep bottles for the morning and get our day a bit more organized before they get here. That has cut into my early morning sewing time. Nap times now are not shorter because the two little ones don’t always sleep when the bigger kids do and I have to recharge and reorganize. The cleaning up of the lunch dishes, prepping snack and bottles and cleaning up toys fills much of my afternoon. The kids do a lot of their own cleaning up but not all of it.
I do miss my free time over nap but this is all good. I love the two little boys and don’t want to miss this important time in their lives. They are both pretty good and both sleep quite a bit yet. I have plenty time left in my life to sew …for now, I have baby time.
I did laugh at Carver one day. He was the lone hold out. All the other kids were napping but he stayed awake. I think he wanted Grammy time. I’ll admit…I gave it to him.
Here are some other things that happened over our last couple weeks.
Before Halloween we had read the book Room on the Broom
The kids gave Ruby a work out this week. This little guy and Ruby are especially close. They sleep together lots of days.
This little sweetie loves to be shy and tease me. She had just woke up from her nap. She came out to her chair and sat down. I asked her how she was doing and she immediately took her headband and flipped it down over her eyes. She’s so special to me.
The big kids are all learning to accept and make time for the babies. Here Kalissa has Carver and is singing to him along with some of the kids. Carver LOVES singing and smiles when we sing to him. If you look close at the picture you can see how smiley he is.
On the same day, Kalissa helped me get the kids outside. Carver was wearing his pumpkin hat that Kayla made for him. Isn’t it the cutest hat??
Anyway when we had Carver outside the hat slipped off his head. Look what the hat did to his hair. It almost looks like he has corn rows!!
The kids have been keeping me hopping and I love it. As much as I love quilting I’ll happily give up some time of that for time with my kiddos. Kalissa has been awesome helping me adjust this week to the extra kids. She came over on her day off and is watching the kids this morning on her own so I can sneak off to the doctor. She is such a blessing!
My foot is going pretty good and I’m able to keep up with the kids. The swelling is still a bit of an issue…but I think it’s all part of the process.
In a world that has recently brought out the worst in people, I have lots of good happening in my life…these childcare kiddos are a big part of it! It’s such a blessing to surrounded by them. I am so busy worrying about diaper changes, bottle feedings and toilet training that there isn’t time to worry about all that other stuff.
Hello Jo,
Such lovely photos in your post today, I do enjoy reading about the childcare kiddies.
Regarding your swollen ankles, it certainly seems to be persisting too long. May I suggest you look into lymph drainage massage, it is something you can learn to do for yourself. ALl the best,
Dawn
Jo,
I am so in awe of you! You are amazing! My husband and I are babysitting for our first grandchild. Often, we wonder where the day has gone, the hours fly. Such a blessing to be at the stage in our lives that we can cut back on working in order to have this time. Our generation was raised with grandparents and we believe that is so important! You are giving that wonderful grand parenting experience to your childcare families and I know they love you so much. Such are the sweet memories that we remember into adulthood. And Ruby is just gravy!
Such a busy life you are living and I love the stories of the kids and Carver is super cute! I did childcare for many years and yes we do affect their lives so spending the extra time with them is always a plus. Their parents are so lucky to have you! as are the children. Fall time in Iowa is such a perfect time, cool weather and gorgeous colors. Enjoy, winter is coming.
Jo I really don’t know how you manage it!! I have only my one year old son and sometimes I feel like a chicken with my head cut off trying to take care of him. Although I guess you do have a bit more experience when it comes to taking care of babies than I do ☺️
Carver looks very content in Grammy’s arms. What a smart little boy. I am amazed at all that you can accomplish in a day.
Baby time is awesome, and they’re little for such a short time. As you know, when you get back that sewing time in the day, you’ll long to have the baby time back!! All those children are wonderful; what a blessing that they have you and you have them!
Hi Jo, I love reading your posts about the daycare kids. I also was a daycare provider and majored in early childhood education in college. I had really little ones like your group it’s a lot of work but at times I really miss it. Now I’m managing the accounting group for the largest countertop company in the Northwest. I’m still kind of doing the same job but with big people! I still get to help people have “lightbulb” moments and learn new skills and I love it, but I do miss the genuine way kids act over the way adults behave.