Monday, June 08, 2009

Open for business – Daddy Daycare

If you read about lemons on May 27 you’ll understand why.

Two weeks have passed since the decision to take G out of daycare to save every penny earned. Each day I would watch her enter the class room and run to circle time where all the kids would sing and dance and learn something new. Each day I hated knowing that at some point she wouldn’t have that anymore and wondered if she knew…but of course she knew, she’s just stronger than her mom and me. As she waved bye to her teacher and friends last Friday Jenn and I were overcome with emotion and just balled. At least a weekend in the country helped cure (distract) the sadness and today starts a new chapter and some amazing memories I get to share with G.

Daddy daycare is open for business.

After breakfast the start was a bit rocky. I sat G down and asked what day is today? Blank stare. Monday. Mawndy. Good. And it’s the first day of the week, well technically the second…but…oh damn…Jenn... what do they say Monday is at Happy Faces????

But we found our groove with some water color painting, bike ride, swings and making lunch together before Jane and the Dragon, a book then a 12:45 nap. Just a little over 3 hours since this adventure started and I was exhausted and realized I need to have a plan to keep me sane and give G some order and continuity.

Jenn arrived home around 2pm so I left to shop for groceries and while out stopped by the library for some pre-school help.

Handtalk Zoo – George Ancona & Mary Beth
The Essential Montessori – Elizabeth Hainstock
Teaching Montessori in the home the pre-school years – Hainstock (a bit old school even for conservative ME)
Things to do with toddlers and twos – Karen Miller (my fave so far)
Have fun with your kids the lazy way – Marilee LeBon (title sounded great but the book is boring)

The afternoon session was all about cooking with G helping pour yogurt, pick mint leaves and mix fresh cucumbers and onions to get our Mediterranean feast ready for a picnic at the garden. A very fun and yummy way to get tactile, sensory, dexterity and vocabulary lessons and the best part....keep her attention.

Tonight after some light reading I decided to make play dough! Fun and easy...a sealed container now holds 3 smalls balls of red, green and blue dough. So, I’m set for 1 activity for tomorrow. Now if I can fill the other 6 ½ hours. I’m excited just thinking about all the possibilities!

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