Daycare

I really love my job at the daycare. It has been a great experience to be around lots a kids of varying ages. There are definitely some days that are more stressful than others.

Today, for example, I was with the older kids-which included ages 2+. Well today, I had 15 kids! I did have some help from a 17-year-old who works there, but it was still crazy! I did have one situation that was a little guiltily entertaining for me, haha! From about 1-3 it is what we call 'quiet time', this is a chance for the younger kids and toddlers to take naps in a quiet, non-stimulating environment. Well at about 12:45 I switched someone in the toddler room so I could nurse Elli. At about 1:15 I had just finished feeding Elli and I could hear the older kids just going nuts! Mind you, there were 2 workers out there that were supposed to handling things, but both are kind of quiet and fairly new. Well, someone came to ask me if I could go out to calm things down and get them in order. Most of the kids out there have been at our daycare for about a year-they know the routine. So, I walk out into the big room and all the kids are running around (which they aren't supposed to run inside), without shouting I stop and say firmly, "This is not appropriate behavior for this time of day. I want all the kids taking naps in the other room and the rest of you lined up by the wall."

BAM! Silence! Talk about a feeling of empowerment! It was just really cool to see that they respected me and did what I asked them to do. Made me feel great!

Anyway.....Elli loves the daycare as well. She takes horrible naps there, but loves it just the same. I think she will be a lot like her dad because he is so social as well. What a great blessing to have. It is also a great way for her to be comfortable with multiple people, although she is getting more and more clingy to me (which feels nice at times :) - not so nice when I want to leave though, lol.) Elli sometimes gets beat up on, but sometimes she is the one beating up on others so no worries.

It has shown me how much of a temper Elli can have. Whew! Sometimes when she gets hurt or falls down she cries because she is sad, but then gets soooo dramatic! She arches her back, her face turns red, and she is just mad! Haha, what a girl! I just hope it doesn't last a long time.

I love my little girl, she is so much fun. She is working on walking! She can walk around our condo just holding onto one of my hands-that took a little convincing. I am hoping to get her to walk alone a few steps this weekend and get it on video! I will definitely post it when I get it!

Well, those are my thoughts on today. I'm sure you will read many more stories about daycare-the good and the bad!