Filling openings in your daycare {Vol. 3 daycare series}

So I had my license.  I also had 3 children of my own.  What I didn't have, now that I was licensed to operate a home daycare was daycare children.  I told everyone I could think of about what I was doing.  One of my friends recommended that I talk to one of the teachers at the school who was expecting, so I did. 

She and her husband contacted me after their baby was born and we had a nice long visit.  As new parents, they had lots of questions for me and, as a new provider, I had lots of questions for them.  We discussed their expectations and mine.  We discussed my approach to child rearing and my availability.  It seemed like a good match.

When the school year began, I started watching their baby, part time.  The arrangement was an hourly one.  He would arrive and leave at different times, had holidays and school breaks, including spring break and summer break. It was a nice easy paced beginning.

I soon realized though, that part time, hourly daycare wasn't going to bring in much income.  I was going to have to find a way to recruit more daycare families.  I spoke with my teacher parent and she informed me that another teacher at the school was expecting.  I thought this would be ideal.  I could provide daycare exclusively for teacher babies.  I quickly wrote a letter to the other teacher and quietly waited for a reply.  Waiting was agony.

I spoke with my sister, who had been a provider for a long time already and she told me I should go with a referral agency.  I looked through my licensing paperwork and found information about doing that.  Apparently there was a meal reimbursement program in our state.  The business that operated this program provided education for meal planning for daycare providers, collected menu's and reimbursed some expenses to providers.  They also operated a referral service for providers participating in their food program.  This seemed like a win-win situation to me.  I decided to give them a call.

I signed up for the menu planning and reporting in order to be on their referral list.  Then I waited for the phone to ring.  This was late September.  I received a couple of phone calls, but no follow ups and no interviews.   This, obviously, was going to take awhile.  By the beginning of November I heard from the other teacher who was expecting.  She was very interested in having me watch her baby.  She would start in January.  I received a couple more calls from people going through the referral agency and finally had a successful interview.  I was a provider caring for 3 infants now.

Over the years, my best luck in finding daycare families has come from referrals from other families I know or families with children I care for.  Currently I am listed with 2 separate referral agencies.  One of them, (the one I prefer) keeps their listings very current, caters to specific family needs and only gives out your information if you have a current opening.  The other one doesn't do nearly as good a job keeping their listings current.  They send out a form for update annually, but they don't really follow through the rest of the year.  The key is to be proactive about your openings.

I would recommend that anyone trying to fill daycare spots share that information with their family and friends first, school and church second, then go through a referral agency.  I always ask where people got my name, so I know where they're coming from.  I would also recommend that you have a list of prepared questions for yourself and prospective daycare families.  Next week I will talk about my list of questions, and what I do to prepare for an interview.

Scene from a Memoir {Still the One... or... stepping outside my comfort zone}

Linking up with Marcy at (Don't Be) Too Timid and Squeamish again!  I have to say that this one is kind of a stretch, but I couldn't just NOT write something.  The prompt was to "Share a memory about a time you’ve been the life of the party, a song, an insult you’ve given or received, or a favorite bar/restaurant."  The song in my story came long after the event, but it is the song that always comes to mind for me, and I'm kind of feeling in the "challenge your comfort zone" frame of mind, so for me this week, the post works.  Next time though, I just don't even know what I'll write!   The prompts keep getting harder every time.  This coming Friday's prompt is to "Share a memory about kittens (or something else adorable), or a time someone wasn’t believed"... sigh... what am I going to write then?!?

(Don't Be) Too Timid and Squeamish

Looks like we made it

Look how far we've come my baby

We mighta took the long way

We knew we'd get there someday

My heart was absolutely racing... so many thoughts were running through my head in this single, life altering moment.  None of them said, "don't do it" though.

I stood at the top of the stairs and held my breath for a moment, exhaling slowly, trying to calm myself.  Soon it would be done, but right now I needed to put one foot in front of the other.  I cautiously proceeded down the stairs, holding flowers in one hand and my skirt in my other.  I knew in my heart that this was the right decision, despite arguments to the contrary from my parents.  I couldn't help looking around the room though.  I expected them to appear any second.  I anticipated a sudden halt to my dream, and abrupt reality check from them.  They were no where in sight, but my head told me they could be.  Daily phone calls never implied they might though.  In fact the phone calls flatly stated they would not be here.  I wondered what they were feeling on this day.  Left out?  Over looked?  Abandoned?  Certainly I was feeling some of these things. 

They said, "I bet they'll never make it"

But just look at us holding on

We're still together still going strong

I rounded the corner and stood at the opening to the sanctuary.  People were evenly dispersed throughout the church, thanks to planning on the part of the minister.  Only 4 people from my family were there.  The rest were friends and his family.  I waited and watched as my maid of honor walked alone to the front of the church.  Certainly I could do this alone.  I took another big breath, hoping that maybe it would contain the tears I felt coming on and they would be blown away when I exhaled.  For the most part, the steady breathing seemed to be helping. 

My maid of honor arrived at the front of the church and the music changed.  Everyone stood and turned to look at me.  I smiled, and took my first step alone, knowing it would be one of my last.  After this, I wouldn't have to walk alone again.  I immediately stepped on my slip (!!:*&@%@ dress store!)  and was halted in my tracks.  I smiled again, now only wondering if anyone had noticed that, took half a step back, gently lifted my skirt a bit and proceeded the rest of the way down the aisle.  Mr. Y was grinning, I couldn't help but grin back.  We exchanged vows, lit our unity candle to Elvis singing "Loving You" and were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Y.  We exchanged our second best kiss ever, on the anniversary of our best first kiss ever.  As we proceeded down the aisle to exit the church, I felt an overwhelming rush of emotion.  Once in the back of the church, I couldn't stop the tears any longer.  It was done.  We were married.

Ain't nothin' better

We beat the odds together

I'm glad we didn't listen

Look at what we would be missin"

Here we are, nearly 20 years later.  My parents and I have reconciled and the past is all but forgotten now.  I'm still married to Mr. Y. and he's still the one...  the only one, who's able to force me outside of my comfort zone.  I'm so glad I took that step.

You're still the one I run to

The one that I belong to

You're still the one I want for life

You're still the one that I love

The only one I dream of

You're still the one I kiss good night

"You're Still the One" by Shania Twain from the album "Come on Over", 1997

Random 11

Random 11 - Thanks Tortuga Rachel!

So Tortuga Rachel over at Turtle Tracks was tagged in an 11 things post and decided I would be one of her 11 victims tag-ees.  I Love Randomness!!!  Thanks for the tag Rachel!

Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you've tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about "you are tagged if you are reading this." You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

Alrighty then... here they are:

Mommy Y's Random 11:

1. I met my husband, in September, began dating by Halloween, was engaged by New Years Eve and married by the following Halloween.
2. I own a pair of blue suede boots.
3. My eyes are hazel, but most often appear green and occasionally gold.
4. I had a dream when I was pregnant with my first born that I was in a parking garage, holding the hand of a 3 year old, curly headed brown eyed girl... yes, it turns out Awesome is a curly headed brown eyed girl (and coincidentally, spent a year of her life being 3!).
5. I hate flying.
6. Before we were married, my hubby handed me his fly box (box of lures for fly fishing) and told me he had tied a new fly he wanted me to see.  My engagement ring was hidden in the box.  It took me a few minutes to realize it though, because I was studying the flies so hard looking for the new one!
7. I love the game Othello!  I can never remember how to play it and lose the first time, then win every time after that.  Hubby won't play it with me anymore.
8. My favorite fingernail polish color is Purple Passion.
9. My favorite summer time activity is lounging in the sun while my kiddo's do anything outdoors.
10. In college, I lived alone in a dorm room on Elm Street (yes, I worried about Freddy Kreuger). 
11. When I was 20 I thought I wanted to move to Wyoming (miles from anyone I know), be a waitress somewhere and dedicate my free time to writing.

Here are my answers to Tortuga Rachel's questions:

1. What time do you usually get up in the morning? Usually around 5:30, although it's not something I do by choice.
2. What is your favorite food? Whatever Daddy Y is willing to fix. I always prefer food that someone else has cooked!
3. What do you want to be when you grow up, assuming you grow up? A millionaire.
4. What is the strangest thing you've ever eaten? Flaming cheese.
5. What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about? That would sure simplify things! I can do the Hokey Pokey!
6. When was the last time you went on a date? Last Thursday! We went on a double date with my sis and her hubby to a Greek restaurant. I challenged us to 2 date nights a month in my 3 in 30 challenge.
7. What is your go-to remedy for pain relief? I think that depends on the pain, but lately, ibuprofen, a hot soak and American Honey.
8. What are the first three things you would do if you had a million dollars? Boy, I've thought about this one before! #1, Pay everything off. #2, Quit work. #3 Travel.
9. What do you like to collect, either knowingly or in secret? Earrings. A girl can never have too many pairs of earrings. Luckily my beautiful Momma makes them!
10. What is the grossest thing you have ever done? Do you mean besides being a mother and daycare provider? I really don't think there is anything grosser than that.
11. If I came to visit you, what is the one must I should do/see/visit? That is a tough question. There are so many things to do around here. I guess maybe the first thing we need to do is sit and have a latte and talk about what would you like to do.

Random People I'm tagging:

1. Mom E @ Conservamom
2. Pam @ Multitasking Wife Life
3. Rahmath @ Rahi 30386 - The New Chapter
4. Kerrie @ The (Mommy) Kerrie Show
5. Becky @ Rub Some Dirt on It 
6. Say What @ Say What
7. Misty @ Rainy Day in May
8. Ann @ Harvest Moon By Hand
9. Sherri @ Love, Laughter, Friendship and Faith
10. Our Side of the Mountain @ Our Side of the Mountain
11. Mommy Minded @ Mommy Minded

Questions for my Tags:

1. What is your favorite kind of book?
2. Do you fold your laundry and put it away right away, or do you store it in a laundry basket?
3. What is your favorite food to eat?
4. What has been your favorite age to be?
5. If you owned a zoo, what animal would you feature?
6. What do you call your decorating style?
7. What did you do for your favorite date ever?
8. What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
9. What is your all time favorite movie?
10. What is your favorite quiet moment mom breakfast?
11. Are you a lawn gnome, pink flamingo or statuary kind of lawn designer? Please elaborate.

Enjoy!!

Home daycare... key word "home" {Vol. 2 daycare series}

Last week I told you a little about the process of starting my daycare.  This week I'm going to talk a little bit about the most important issue I had to weigh (and still have to weigh every day!) when starting my home daycare.  We live in this house.  That is the blessing and the curse of the home daycare.  I really had to consider what this job was going to do to my household.  I wasn't only inviting people to bring their kids to my home, I was also inviting them, the food program people and the state to pop in any time, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
 
I weighed the pro's and con's for my daycare:


Pro's

1. work at home
2. be able to care for my own children on my terms

 Con's

1.  work at home
2.  never get to leave work
3.  some privacy will be lost

If I gave each of the pro's and each of the con's a value, pro #2 had a value that outweighed every other pro and con there was.  I needed to find a way for separating the daycare from our home.  It was about managing our living space and our "stuff".  Let's face it, our "stuff" is important to us.  Especially when it is in "our house".  At the time, I had a 3, 6 and 9 year old.  I was inviting other people to bring their children into our home to hang out for 9-10 hours a day Monday through Friday.  The home that is supposed to be a haven from the outside world for my children.  These were children who would undoubtedly want to come in and touch their toys and go into their rooms.  Before I could invite these people in, I needed to set up some basic guidelines to protect my children and their things.

How to keep our home as a sanctuary for my family: 

1. Write a handbook of rules and restrictions for my daycare, including hours of operation, holidays, things I will and will not offer in my daycare.
2. All bedrooms will be off-limits to daycare children.  My children need to go and close their door.
3. All toys that are not deemed daycare toys will be off-limits to daycare children.
4. My children are not required to include daycare children in their daily activities.  They are entitled to as many of freedom's as we can afford while running a daycare in our home.

I began the endeavour of putting together a daycare handbook.  I looked at many resources, including a variety of library books, online resources and some resources from my daycare providing sister.  It was important to me to have things spelled out in black and white in the beginning.  I really didn't realize how many things would be in shades of grey until I'd actually begun doing daycare though.  You really have to spell out every little thing for daycare parents and I do mean EVERY. LITTLE. DETAIL.

Here is a summary of what my handbook now includes, after 7 years of running a daycare:

Introductory Letter
Required Forms List

Sample of a Typical Day
What Your Child Will Need to Bring
Potty Training Policy
Discipline Policy
Food Program and Policy
Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Patterns
Infant Meal Requirements
Sample Contract between Parents and Provider
Payment Policy, Daycare Hours, Vacation, Holidays and Current Pricing
Guidelines for Exclusion of Children Who Are Ill
Well Child Recommendations
Fire Escape, Tornado Shelter, Storm and Flood Plans
Disaster and Serious Injury Plan

Yup, all that, just to be able to watch a handful of children, in my home.  Honestly, it seemed a bit redundant to me.  I mean, really, isn't most of this common sense?  Apparently, it's not.  People really don't all have the exact same knowledge and belief about raising children and so spelling it out, in written form, in a handbook, was the only way to go.

I am totally open to answering questions about what my handbook contains, if anyone would like to know.

Next week, I'll talk a little bit about recruiting families to come to my daycare.

Memoir Writing, Comfort Zones and Quiet Desperation

So, I'm loving writing my "Scene From a Memoir I Haven't Written Yet" posts, as prompted by Marcy at (Don't Be) Too Timid and Squeamish, but it's got me thinking this morning.  I'm writing about things that I've done, fond memories I have, exciting challenges I've met.  Then I'm sitting here realizing that I'm sitting at my computer, trying to come up with an idea for the next one, looking at the clock, knowing I have 45 minutes before I have to leave for work.  In my mind, I'm in a bar 21 years ago, but physically, I'm at my dining room table.  Last week, I was running through my personal history in my brain, while sitting at my dining room table writing a post.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love my dining room table.  I love my dining room.  I love my cozy little house.  But I'm sitting here, mentally reliving these moments in my mind, while my kids play video games and watch television.  I'm trying to think of a recent exciting memory, something that took me outside my comfort zone, FOR FUN, not necessity.  Nothing is coming to mind!

Then I saw this link at Conversion Diary.  I like to link up there every week with my personal "7 Quick Takes".  Here is the video:

Hmmm... now I'm thinking about my 3 in 30 challenge for February.  I'm thinking perhaps something needs to be done here.  Am I leading a life of "quiet desperation"?

My 3 Lies Revealed

Marcy at (Don't Be) Too Timid and Squeamish has issued a challenge last Friday! List things about yourself including 3 lies and link up.  I couldn't figure hers out, much less the lies of anyone else who linked up!   Well here it is again, with my lies REVEALED!

(Don't Be) Too Timid and Squeamish

So here is my list of 22 True Things with 3 lies revealed. 

1. I got my first real job at the age of 15.  TRUE!  I applied at JCPenney right before I turned 16 and was employed and began my first job just days before I turned 16.
2. I love the sports setting on my camera because it makes it look like I can take good action shots.   TRUE!  I have a million pictures that I have taken, and 6 of them are awesome(give or take... lol).  Love the action shot option!
3. I own a pair of waders, a fly rod and fishing vest and even tied a couple of my own flies.  TRUE!  Daddy Y helped me to pick one out and taught me to use it.  He used to fly fish quite a lot.  He helped me to select a fishing vest and equipment the spring following our wedding.  We took a trip to Colorado to go fly fishing.  I purchased my waders at Flies and Lies in Deckers, CO.  And yes, he helped me to tie a couple of my own flies. 
4. I am a snake killer.  TRUE!  I don't know why, but our first house had a yard with lots of snakes, just typical garden snakes, but snakes none the less.  We had a two year old, and I had a fear of snakes... but I had a determination too.  My baby was NOT going to have to deal with any snakes.  I killed them a couple of different times when they would venture too close. 
5. I love to do crafts of all types.  TRUE!  One of these days, when I have time, that's all I'll do!
6. I draw exceptionally well and have a self portrait that I've framed.  FALSE.  I do like to draw, but I don't have any particular talent and I would never do a self portrait.  Even if I had, I certainly wouldn't frame it!
7. My first car was a 1964 Chevy Impala. TRUE!  Loved that car!
8. I drove my Impala to the top of Pike's Peak.  TRUE!  My brother and I took a trip to Colorado in that car and I drove it to the top of Pike's Peak.  That wasn't so notable as driving it back down though.  Yikes!
9. I like to play golf.  TRUE!  I don't get to do it any more, don't own any clubs and don't have a buddy to golf with, but I worked at a golf course in college and used to play quite often.  I would love the opportunity.
10. I have married the same man, twice.  TRUE!  We've never been divorced, mind you, but we were married at a Disciples of Christ Church and then a few years later we were married again at a Catholic Church.
11. I will marry him again, in Vegas with Elvis officiating.  TRUE!  Third times the charm right?  We plan to go to Vegas and have a pink Cadillac drive through Elvis wedding.  I can't wait!  Thing is though, this one HAS to be spontaneous, so I have no idea when it will happen!
12. I love the Upside Down Show.  TRUE!  This is my favorite preschool show.  Those guys are awesome!
13. On our first anniversary, my husband and I quit our jobs and moved 1,600 miles away from home on a wish and a prayer.  TRUE!  This is a story all in itself.  We did just pick up and go.  Talk about exciting!
14. I have hiked in the Gospel Hump Wilderness area.  TRUE!  So beautiful.  We stayed in Riggins, ID on multiple occasions and hiked while there.  I was pregnant with our first born one of those times.  What a beautiful place!
15. My husband and I survived for a month on a 15 lb. Steelhead Salmon he caught, using our last $50 for a fishing license. TRUE!  This was another one of those wish and a prayer decisions in December of 1993.  Goodness I hate Salmon, but I thank God for those meals!
16. I've been whitewater rafting in the Frank Church River of No Return.  FALSE!  But Daddy Y did, in the spring, while I was pregnant with our first born, which was a HUGE mistake.  Lesson learned!
17. I've hiked and camped in the snow.  TRUE!  Poor choice, but true!  In our defense, there was no snow at the trailhead, nor was there any for the first couple of miles...
18. I've been skinny dipping in a natural hot spring in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness.  FALSE!  I have been in a natural hot spring in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness, but not skinny dipping.  I'm not that bold!
19. I've sailed in a race while very pregnant.  TRUE!  I was pregnant with Amazing at the time.  Daddy Y and I sailed in his Y-Flyer, which required a 2 person crew.  It was fun, but exhausting.  I'd do it again.
20. I love to cook and bake and am especially good at making lasagna from scratch.  FALSE!  I do love to cook and bake, but I make THE WORST LASAGNA you'll ever try to consume.  I've tried kits and various recipes.  I just can't make lasagna.
21. I can't cook grilled cheese without burning it.  TRUE!  I don't have the patience to stand there and wait for grilled cheese to finish cooking... 
22. I've been horseback riding in the mountains.  TRUE!

Write your 22 things and link up with here Marcy too! Did you guess my 3 lies? Write them in the comments below!

Starting my daycare {Vol. 1 daycare series}

Starting my daycare wasn't as easy as I would have hoped.  I had watched neighbor kids from time to time, but their families had moved.  I knew lots of momma's, but like me, they were stay at home mom's or else they already had daycare figured out. I found that it wasn't going to be as simple as just making the decision to do it.

First of all, there are laws about daycare.  I had to investigate these laws to find out what was required by my state, county and city before I could provide daycare for people who weren't relatives.  There are fee's, inspections and things you will probably have to change about your home before you're allowed to legally watch other people's kids.  I understand some of the reasoning behind this and I follow the regulations, but I didn't realize how much of it their would be.

There were a few safety items I needed to acquire, in addition to high chairs, nap matts and a changing matt.  I had to meet safety requirements, which meant adding locks to some things and moving others.  I needed a more expansive first aid kit, paperwork for the dogs, daycare insurance, paperwork for myself and my children regarding immunizations and background checks (yes, 2 of my 3 children need background checks), a vehicle inspection and a 4 hour interview with a licensing agent, CPR training and 15 hours of daycare related training.

Then, once I had successfully completed all of this, I was mailed a license from the state which I have prominently displayed in my dining room, lovely not! (You can see my snarky post about preparing for my daycare inspection here.) I have to reapply annually and obtain what is now 5, but will soon be 10 hours of training every year.  The regulations are currently in the process of being updated where I am and soon I believe home daycares will resembled accredited daycare centers.  This kind of defeats the purpose of home daycare in my mind though.  You can read more here about my approach to daycare in my home. 

There is a lot to consider when deciding to run a home daycare.  Next week I will talk about some of the things I had to really weigh when deciding to start my business.  It is, after all, our home and my children have to live in it.

Daddy Y's hesitation to homeschool our kids {Vol 2 homeschool series}

As I was saying last week, Daddy Y was not on the same page as me when it came to homeschooling.  He really felt that having our kids somewhere in the school system was the best option for our kids.  He was concerned about the possibility of leaving out something important.  There are so many things that they teach in school and naturally, he wanted our kids to gain all the knowledge they would need to be successful in the future. 

Another thing that he was particularly concerned with was, of course, socialization.  If they were homeschooling, they would be in the house, with the daycare all the time.  He wanted to make certain that they had people in their own age groups to participate in social activities with.  He didn't want them to be lonely or left out.

These were my greatest fears as well, that combined with the knowledge that I was not a teacher.  Every parent wants the best for their children.  I was nervous about proceeding in the direction of homeschooling, but nervous as I was, I wasn't afraid.  I knew that no matter what else happened, my kids would be ok.  They are resilient, intelligent, beautiful spirits and I felt like this was the path we needed to take.  I was patient and prayed a lot.  I was asking lots of questions, researching options and generally determined that we would homeschool.

After a couple of months, Daddy Y was ready to hear me out.  It took a little time and more than a couple of arguments before he reached the point where he was ready to hear what I was saying.  His heart was beginning to soften and the moment finally came for me to share what I had learned.

In my research I had discovered an online public school option.   The school offered several parent/student discovery days.  They arranged activities for families to come, hear an introduction of the school, ask any questions they had, look over the curriculum and then participate in a fun activity.  I signed up to go with just myself and the kids.  Daddy Y was ok with me attending and interested in hearing what information I would come back with.  This online school option provided a computer, curriculum, social activities and and education specialist for each child.  I felt that this might be a common ground between Daddy Y and myself and could possibly be the answer.

Excitedly that evening I shared everything I had learned with Daddy Y.  The curriculum was in place and laid out for the year.  We could proceed through it as quickly or slowly as we needed to.  There were online resources and an education specialist who would check in with the kids monthly to make sure we were doing ok and everything was on track.  There were social activities planned for the kids to participate in right along with other kids participating in the program.  Daddy Y opened his heart and began to listen.  This option seemed as though it was one that would give me the homeschooling opportunity I wanted for my kids, and still provide me with teacher support for difficulties and socialization for the kids.  Daddy Y agreed to go to a discovery day meeting with us.  I was ecstatic!

He sat in on the meeting with me.  We loved the idea of moving our kids through the curriculum at their own speed.  We were excited about the opportunity for Cosmo to breeze through his work and be done for the day by noon if he chose too.  We were thrilled with the possibility of Amazing being able to skip over any work that she deemed "preschool" work.  After the assessment, we toured a zoo with the kids and talked about the school.  By the end of that day, we were finally on the same page.

That's not to say that there were no challenges.

Linking up with the Hip Homeschool Hop today!

Hip Homeschool Hop

19 True Things and 3 Lies

Marcy at (Don't Be) Too Timid and Squeamish has issued a challenge this morning!  List 22 things about yourself including 3 lies and link up.  I'm trying to spot her 3 lies.  Apparently she's done this before and no one has solved it yet.  Is she good or what!?!

(Don't Be) Too Timid and Squeamish

So here is my list of  22 True Things (with 3 lies)  Can you spot my 3 lies?

1. I got my first real job at the age of 15.
2. I love the sports setting on my camera because it makes it look like I can take good action shots.
3. I own a pair of waders, a fly rod and fishing vest and even tied a couple of my own flies.
4. I am a snake killer.
5. I love to do crafts of all  types.
6. I draw exceptionally well and have a self portrait that I've framed.
7. My first car was a 1964 Chevy Impala.
8. I drove my Impala to the top of Pike's Peak.
9. I like to play golf.
10. I have married the same man, twice.
11. I will marry him again, in Vegas with Elvis officiating.
12. I love the Upside Down Show.
13. On our first anniversary, my husband and I quit our jobs and moved 1,600 miles away from home on a wish and a prayer.
14. I have hiked in the Gospel Hump Wilderness area.
15. My husband and I survived for a month on a 15 lb. Steelhead Salmon he caught, using our last $50 for a fishing license. 
16. I've been whitewater rafting in the Frank Church River of No Return.
17. I've hiked and camped in the snow.
18. I've been skinny dipping in a natural hot spring in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness.
19. I've sailed in a race while very pregnant.
20. I love to cook and bake and am especially good at making lasagna from scratch.
21. I can't cook grilled cheese without burning it.
22. I've been horseback riding in the mountains.

Write your 22 things and link up with here Marcy too!  Did you guess my 3 lies?  Write them in the comments below!

Why I chose to be a daycare provider

Plain and simple, I love my babies.  After the birth of my first daughter, Daddy Y and I decided that we needed to move closer to family.  The 1,600 miles between us and our parents was too great with a little one to care for.  We'd made a trip home for Christmas after she was born and I swore to never do that again.  She was great on the plane ride, but the moment we encountered family that she'd never met she began to cry.  Pretty much from the moment we stepped off the plane until the moment we got back on the plane, she cried, non stop, for 10 days.  When we got back, Daddy Y finished his college semester and I quit my job as an accounting assistant, we packed up all our worldly belongings and made the move.  Once we were back home he and I decided that he would go back to work and I would stay home and take care of our baby. 

A couple of years later we had a little boy and moved to a bigger house, which was followed the next year by another little girl.  We had chosen, at the time, to put the first two kids in private school.  I'd visited our local public school to get a feel for the environment and wasn't happy at all with what I saw.  I attended a school carnival and got to see the families as they really were.  Kindergarten, at this point, was rapidly approaching for my son and we decided that I was going to need to find some kind of employment in order to give them the education we wanted.  I wasn't willing to put my last baby into daycare though.  I wanted to shape her tiny view of the world and I wasn't willing to miss a single moment. 

So instead of finding employment outside of the home, I chose to be a daycare provider.  I was willing to take a couple of extra kids into our home, in exchange for being able to be home with mine.  It was a win win situation.  The first couple of families that I began to provide care for were teacher families.  These were people I had known and they knew me and my kids.  They had holidays off, extended breaks and summer time off as well.  Their schedules matched up with my children's schedules.  It was a wonderful start. 

My daycare has evolved since then.  I've modified it to fit our new homeschooling life and the adjustments have been well worth it.  This is what I do now.  The children in my care have become like part of our family.  It has been a good choice for me.

In an attempt to help other daycare providers, or momma's who are thinking about being daycare providers, I plan to outline my daycare for you from the very beginning until now.  I will explain how I started my daycare, what resources I found most helpful and how my daycare has evolved over the years.  I will release these daycare posts on Thursdays.  Also, starting next Week, Wednesdays will be a craft or activity or daycare tip of the week.  I hope to figure out how to set up a link option for that, as I think it would be most beneficial to have a place for daycare providers both to share they're successes and to learn from other provider's successes.  I'm looking forward to sharing my knowledge with you and hoping to gain some in the process as well! 

Why I chose to homeschool {Vol. 1 homeschooling series}

First let me give you a little background on my children's education.  I have 3 children, ages 9, 12 and 15.  The 15 year old is a sophomore who is currently attending a private high school.  She has attended private Catholic school since the age of 3.  My 9 and 12 year old also attended private Catholic school, until 1 1/2 years ago.  The schools they attended were fine.  They were receiving the education they needed.  The schools have wonderful teachers and the Catholic environment I wanted my kids to grow in.  There were lots of kids, lots of activities and lots of social experiences.  It was an entirely acceptable schooling experience.

The idea of homeschooling had been lingering in the back of my mind for quite awhile.  In college, before my 15 year old was born, I was studying elementary education.  One of my classes had us research different types of schooling approaches.  I chose to research homeschooling.  There was next to no information available.  In the process though, I met a girl in one of my classes who had been homeschooled.  She was very bright and independent.  She was a class leader.  Writing this college paper about homeschooling started the wheels to turning.

Fast forward to the 2009/10 school year.  My little Amazing was in the first grade, Cosmo was in the fourth grade and Awesome was in the eighth grade.  My sister had started homeschooling her kids because of the health needs of one of her two children.  I was her biggest fan.  I loved how she dove right in.  I admired her courage and determination.  I was feeling a little like sending my kids to school was a bit of a cop out.  I began really looking closely at what was going on with my kids in school.

During the 2009/10 school year I began to notice some trends with my kids that were very upsetting to me.  My little Amazing was crying about going to school EVERY morning.   Yes, at age 7 she was crying about going to school EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING.  There were 29 kids in her class, no assistant, and Amazing claimed that when they got in trouble they "had to do preschool work".   Needless to say, this was very upsetting and concerning to me.  Cosmo, on the other was screaming at me EVERY night about homework.  This was also upsetting.  I really thought that with him though, it was a matter of not getting enough exercise in school and chalked it up to him being "a boy that age".   Everyone I spoke with had a son who did the same thing.  Awesome was dealing with her own kinds of stress.  Primarily social, or as I like to call it, social garbage.  I had reached a breaking point and was seriously considering homeschooling. 

During the fall we had parent teacher conferences.  Daddy Y and I went to go speak with Amazing's teacher.  I expressed my concerns and asked how she was doing in class.  I was shown her test scores.  Of course, she scored off the charts in everything, which I already knew, without the test.  I expressed concern over her being in the class, as she was 4 days past the age cut off and so was the oldest in her class.  I was informed that she was exactly where she needed to be.  I asked about how she behaved in the classroom.  I was informed that she was quiet and well behaved and never asked any questions.  "She's a wonderful student".  Now I know that normally, this kind of a parent teacher conference would have made a parent proud, and I was. Really, it wasn't until a few days later that the conversation we had at this conference began to sink in.  That was when I got upset.

I began to realize that she was the model student.  She's bright, happy, well behaved and sweet.  She gets along with her classmates, quietly does all of her work without assistance and never gets in trouble.  Who wouldn't want this child in their classroom?  She was miserable because she was spending her days doing busy work.  Other children may very well have needed the work that was assigned, but Amazing was not one of them.  She needed more.  She needed challenges and acknowledgement.  She was bored.

This got me to thinking more about Cosmo and his situation.  He is very easy going.  He had a wonderful conference as well.  We had no real questions.  The teacher had no real questions.  He was an A student, got along with everyone and rarely got in trouble (he is a boy...)  Our problem was in the evening, after school.  If there was homework, and there always was, he was upset.  He'd spent the day doing school work and felt he should have evenings for play.  Grownups go to work and then come home to be finished.  He felt when he was finished with school he should be able to come home and be done.

Awesome, well, she was just going through normal 13 year old social adjustments.  She was a girl, and her friends were girls, and girls were, well, girls.  What could I do?  She would start high school the next year and it would all fly by very quickly after that.

The wheels were definitely turning. I was becoming more and more aware of a feeling that I needed to homeschool Amazing.  I had decided in my heart that it was the right thing for her.  No 7 year old should hate school.  Her education would be challenging at best if she decided she hated learning in first grade.  I needed to resolve this problem and help her to hold on to her love of learning.  I was going to homeschool 2nd grade for Amazing.

In my heart I knew I was going to homeschool Amazing and Cosmo.   My biggest challenge now though, was going to be getting Daddy Y to see my side of the matter.  He was not okay with the idea at all, YET....

Scene from a Memoir {A Runaway Horse, Red Ants and Rattlesnakes}

Linking up with Marcy today!  Goodness she has fantastic writing prompts!

(Don't Be) Too Timid and Squeamish

And I'm linking up here this week too!  Yea for finding this linky!


FlogYoBlog Friday @ Where's My Glow?

The sun was just beginning to warm the earth when we dropped our card in the box.  There was a "sign-in" at the entrance to the trail and we were requested to leave a note about how many were going, when we were leaving and when we expected to return. This was common practice. The trail was well used, but it was unusual to see more than a couple of other people at any given time and there were wild animals around.  



We had come and camped at the trail head campsite the night before in hopes of getting an early start and hiking farther than we ever had before.  Sunlight was streaming through the evergreens, the moss on them glowing bright enough that it felt as though it might be the source of the light. Hummingbirds darted about and leaves occasionally rustled with unseen creatures as we hiked the path in the Bitterroot Wilderness Area.  I was in front this time. We had gone backpacking before and Mr. Y had led. That was a poor choice. My pace was no match for his and about an hour into the hike, I was done. Today though, I was leading the parade.

I took my time, appreciating every flower, every insect, and every animal I saw.  By the time we stopped to have lunch, I was still feeling full of energy and excited to continue our hike after our brief intermission. 

We stopped by the stream, refilling our water bottles.  Mr. Y spread a space blanket out on the sandy beach, while I retrieved the crackers, sausage and cheese whiz from my backpack.  We sat at the water’s edge, watching fish jump and an Osprey flying about.  It was such a romantic spot.  The day was almost surreal.  As we sat, enjoying the cool breeze,  an unfamiliar sound suddenly came galloping down the trail.  We turned in time to see a riderless horse go galloping by.  Mr. Y jumped up and ran to the trail with me lagging behind.  It wasn’t long though before we saw someone jogging down the path after the horse.  That was such a relief!  We were concerned that we'd find someone injured.

After that bit of excitement, we packed up our lunch and space blanket, refilled our water bottles and got back onto the trail.   The trail pretty well followed the mountain stream, making for indescribable scenery.  Occasionally we’d stop by the water’s edge to observe.  It wasn't unusual to spot a river otter or two.  They joyfully played in the water near to opposite bank, as if no one was around, diving and splashing and acting like toddlers.  It was also very common to spy a trout swimming in the stream.

Time flew by and before we knew it we’d come to a fork in the trail.  Going to the left would take us away from the stream and it was late in the day.  We had already gone about 8 miles and were unsure about whether or not we felt we could hike all the way to the next water source before dark.  The fork to the right continued along the stream, but again, we realized after looking at the map exactly how far we’d gone and decided we were ready to set up camp. 

We walked a little past the fork to a nice shady clearing and began to scope out the spot.  I immediately saw something I had never seen before, an ant hill about 3 feet tall, covered in big red ants.  This was very disturbing to me.  Next to spiders, ants are my second least favorite crawly creature.  I questioned Mr. Y about the spot, concerned about agitating the ants.  He thought I was being silly and reassured me that it would be fine.  I wasn’t buying it though, and at my insistence, we decided to go a little further.  That was when I froze.  At that exact moment I spotted what I knew was a snake.  Not a little snake, a big snake, about as big around as my arm.  It was tan and it was slithering about next to a downed tree branch in the middle of the clearing. 

“Snake.”  I said.  This snake wasn’t the first we’d seen today, but it was quite different and bigger than any I’d ever seen in the wilderness. 

“Where?”  asked Mr. Y.  I pointed out the snake’s location and he said, “No, that’s just a couple of branches.”

“No it isn’t.”  I said, refusing to go any further. 

He looked again, squinting and tilting his head.  He still didn’t see the snake.

“It’s right there!” I insisted, frozen.

Mr. Y picked up a good sized stone and threw it over towards the “branches”.  That is when the snake lifted it's head and rattled its rattler.

“Holy cow!”  said Mr. Y.  “That's a rattlesnake!”

I said, “We need to turn around.”

“Ok.” he said.

We walked away from the shady clearing, back out into the sunny opening where there weren't any places to hide and decided that it was a much better spot for us to set up camp.

“I don’t know how you spotted that snake” he said to me, shaking his head.  “I’m really glad you saw it.  If  there’s one, then there are two," he said to me.

Fantastic, I thought.  This is the thought I need planted in my head 8 miles down the trail.  At least it wasn’t a bear. 

Homeschool Mother's Journal {January 6}

Today I'm linking up with the Homeschool Chick!


The Homeschool Chick

In my life this week:

This week I got the opportunity to meet up with a long lost friend from high school.  I'd not seen him for 20+ years.  It was surreal, to say the least.  I can honestly say that neither of us is who we were then and I like who we are now even better.  I got to meet his two beautiful daughters, who immediately hit it off with my 3 children.  The kids are already making plans for when they come back to visit again this summer.  There is nothing quite like being able to say you have friends that live in another country.  Amazing is especially excited for a new pen pal.

In our homeschool this week:

We started back to school on Wednesday with one computer out of commission and two children out of motivation.   The fact that it was such a long break and this was going to be such a short week had them in a mindset that wasn't conducive to being productive.  Yesterday though, we got our dry erase boards and timers back out.  Each of them wrote out their work for the day, plus a couple of extras and set their timers at the start of each subject.  I have no idea how much time they allotted themselves for each subject, but they were doing an excellent job of beating the clock.  I've promised them we would go to "Indoor Park Day".  They are so excited about meeting up with their homeschooling friends again that I suspect they will finish their school work before lunch.

I am inspired by:
Once again, I have to say that I am inspired by the bloggers I am finding out there.  This being the first of the new year, there are all kinds of "year in review" posts for 2011 and new years resolution posts for 2012.  I'm finding more and more wonderful bloggers out there to follow.  What a fantastic group of people with so much to offer!

Places we're going:
Monday we went ice skating to wrap up our final day of the Christmas break.  Today we'll be heading out to an indoor gym with some of our homeschooling friends.  Personally, I'm doing this to celebrate the completion of  a successful first week back.

Questions I have:

What is the point of Pinterest?  I've been invited and apparently, though I've not actually participated in it yet, am being followed (is this creepy???).  I have no clue what I'm doing.  I think I'm going to have to sit down with someone who does to have them show it to me.  I'm just not ready for one more thing to learn, but everybody is going on and on about how great it is.

Books I'm reading:
I've finally started reading The Shack.  Awesome finished it in just a couple of days and returned it too me.  It's taking me significantly longer, but I am very interested in the story.  Having been to a couple of the places he mentions in the story make it all that much more interesting to me.

I'm grateful for:
Again this week I am grateful for my sweet hard working husband.  I got sick yesterday and he just swooped right in and took over the dinner preparation and the cleanup, despite having worked all day already.  I love that man!

Quote to share:

See everything; overlook a great deal; correct a little. ~Pope John XXIII