Daycare Days!

Last August, I decided to start doing some drop-in daycare.  I was loving my role as a stay at home mom, but thought that having a few extra kids once in awhile would be good for my boys, and a way for me to earn some extra money.  I had a family who came quite consistently 2 days a week, and other kids here and there as needed, mostly for friends who's regular daycare provider had time off.  After we got moved to our new house in May, things started to really pick up..

In June & July, I covered for a daycare providers maternity leave and had 3 families during that 6 weeks.  Every single one of the kids was a joy to have around!  One of the families is sticking around for good, but we will sure miss the others!  In June, I also took on another permanent part-time family and two more families start in August. The calendar will be a bit crazy until we get into a good groove, especially with school starting too!  Boston & 3 of the daycare kids will be attending school at Sioux Falls Christian.  Not one of them has the same school schedule, so keeping track of that may be a challenge.  It's a good thing I have excellent organizational skills :) 

One year after this part time gig started, I have 4 permanent part time families and a busy calendar! Just in the last 2 days, I have turned away 3 families.  I was telling a friend yesterday that getting calls to take on more families is a good thing and a bad thing!  I feel so bad saying no, but it also makes me feel great that my name is out there in a positive way!  All the kids have a special place in my heart & I hope I am just as much of a blessing to them!  I wanted to share a few of my favorite pictures of the extra kiddo's we've had around! 

    

Boston & Kinli enjoying a picnic on the deck!

Brigs & Bennett

Jada & Boston getting wet!

Chloe & Brigs.  I  hope these 2 get married some day :)

This is Owen!  He & his sister Gracie started coming in June.  He & Boston instantly became best buds. 

 Gracie.  It's so fun having girls around once in awhile!

 I promise I give kids naps here! These 2 goofs love their blankets, and were patiently waiting for nap time. 

The Elgersma girls & Gerdes boys. 

This little guy & his sister Nya (who I never got a picture of!) came a few times during the maternity leave I covered.  I was Brecken's first babysitter other than family!  Handsome little man and such a good baby!  His sister is just as cute:)  I wish I had an extra set of eyes & arms so I could keep watching all of them!    

Ethan is one of Boston's favorites.. and mine too :)

95% of the time, all of the kids play great together! 

We have lots of fun, and it's so sweet seeing all the little friendships form!    

A friend of mine from church is closing her daycare in a few weeks.  She had an amazing daycare blog that I loved to follow!  There were days I wished I was going to her daycare!  I have a hard enough time keeping up on our family blog, so I won't even attempt a daycare blog too, however, I will journal about all the kids once in awhile.  Until next time, we'll be busy building forts, racing cars, going on scavenger hunts, running through the sprinkler or playing 'Target' store :)   

 

 

32.

It was my birthday a few weeks ago.  I LOVE birthday's!  Even celebrating 32nd birthday's are fun.  It means I've lived another year and what could be more awesome than that!?  I'm beyond blessed.  True story.. there are mornings I wake up and think 'Wow, I never imagined my adult life to be this great!'  I have a husband who loves every thing about me.  He works his tail off to support our family and we have 2 amazing little boys who make every day of our life more enjoyable.   
I post a lot of family things on this blog.  Mostly day to day activities of our every day life, and tons of pictures and updates on the boys and their activities and milestones.  So in honor of my birthday I thought it would be fun to talk about ME.  I've been compiling a list of some very random things I'm sure all of you are dying to know about me :)

• My rebel side would love to have a sleeve of tattoo's on my left arm, and a motorcycle.
• I have a weird food issue with noodles.  I love pasta, but have a hard time choking it down if it's leftovers or if someone else prepares it.
• I hate balloons.  I know hate is a strong word, but seriously... I do. not. like. them.  Especially balloons in my car.
• I rarely nap, but when I do, I nap in my bed.  I am not a couch napper.
• I prefer to brush my teeth in the shower.
• There may be a time in my life that I am a surrogate mother. 
• In our free time, Boston and I play 'Smurfville' on the iPad.  It's insanely stupid, but I can't stop planting and harvesting crops. 
• I couldn't pick up a book to save my life when I was younger, and now I can't stop reading.
• I will not open a can of biscuits or cinnamon rolls.  You know those Pillsbury rolls that you peal the paper off and then it POPS and you about drop the thing?  Yah.  Can't do it.

It's been a rough few weeks for me emotionally.  My mom ended up in the hospital with a ruptured appendix last week, and had emergency surgery.  She spent 5 days in the hospital.  She's never sick and way too damn tough, so it was hard to see her hurting and having health issues.  And now this week, 2 families that I know are mourning the loss of a child.  I just can't help but cry for the parents.  I can't imagine the hurt and heartbreak of losing your baby.  I've spent a lot of extra time loving on my boys this week, snuggling a little longer at night & in the mornings and making it a point to tell them all the little crazy things I love about them.  I take them, and a lot of other wonderful things in my life for granted at times and I feel awful for that.  One just never knows when God will come calling you home.   I've spent a lot of time praying this week and remembering the lyrics to this song.  I know my brother in law will get a good laugh out of this post.  I am not a fan of Carrie Underwood, but this song has been on my mind this week so I had to share.  The lyrics are a great reminder. 

'This is just a stop, on the way to where I'm going.'

'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.'

  

Pheasants Game!

Boston's baseball team had the opportunity to be a part of the Pheasants baseball game on June 26th! (I am way behind with this post!)  The kids got to warm up with the players, have their names announced & faces on the big screen & run out to a position with the players & stand with them for the National Anthem.  Boston thought it was pretty awesome!  It was a really neat thing for him and his team to be a part of.

I wasn't going to even bring this up, but lets face it..  this is a real part of this event, and I don't ever want to sugarcoat things.  We are real people, and not everything goes perfectly. 

I had a moment at the baseball game.  I even cried.  It was super embarrassing and I tried to fight tears when I was around people I knew, but sometimes when I am having a moment (meltdown) the tears just don't stop.  I bought tickets for our family (grandparents too) weeks before the game.  It was on the calendar for weeks too.  A big deal for Boston, and a fun night out of the house for all of us.  Together. As a family.  I was really looking forward to it!  Derek got several text messages and phone call reminders throughout the day about what time he needed to meet me at the stadium.  Please tell me other husbands need constant reminders too?  :) 

'Honey, don't forget Boston's teams has their night at the Pheasants game.  Yep, meet me there at 6.'  All. Day. Long. I planned for Derek to be there.  We get to the game and wait..  I text Derek the 'Where the hell are you?' message because by then he's 20 minutes late and I am pissed.  Trying not to let on to everyone around me that I am livid, but sometimes that is hard to hide too. 

I get a reply: 'Sorry honey.  I'll be there as soon as I can.  I am trying to wrap up a deal'. 

My extremely angry self is thinking.. You've got to be kidding me.  You mean to tell me that you have to wrap up a deal NOW?  You work 50+ hours a week, and the kids and I need you for 3 of those 50+ hours this week and you can't make it?  You knew all. day. long. that this was on the calendar.  I hate your job.  I hate it.  Your quitting and I am getting a full time job.  We'll both work Monday through Friday 8-5, like a 'normal' family.  This single-mom stuff at all of Boston's events is just getting old.  I can't do it anymore.  It's 100 degrees outside, Brigham won't stop whining and I can't even take pictures and enjoy Boston's night because your NOT here to help me. 

Derek's deal wrapped up about 9 o'clock that night.  He missed the entire thing.  I couldn't handle Brigham's whining, and was having a hard time keeping my emotions in check, so I left the game after an hour.  Boston got to stay with Grandma Glady and Grandpa Les and enjoy the game with his friends.  I am very thankful we had invited the grandparents to come! He had so much fun being their with his team, and came home with a game ball, and couldn't stop talking about all of the snacks Grandpa Les bought him!

Now that the night has come and gone, I am over it.  Being married to someone in the car business isn't always fun, but we keep on, keeping on.  We are working at a better balance of family life and work.  I have a good friend who knows this business well, so we vent to each other a lot when it's trying.  She's always good about reminding me to think of the positive in a not-so-positive situation. 

Brigs watching his big brother on the field!

All of the kids warming up on the field.

 Waiting patiently to run onto the field!  I love how his little ears stick out when he wears a hat :)

 Boston is #9

 When the camera got to him he put on a 'mean face' for the big screen!  It was hilarious.

 Standing at 2nd base with a few players.

Boston trying to talk to one of the players during the National Anthem.

My Mini Me

Brigs definitely looks like his mama!  According to Derek, he acts just like me too.. such a precious, sweet little thing who never fusses and is just so content!  ;)

A few comparission pictures of me & Brigs at the same age. 

Brigham is changing every day!  He is understanding so much, and I feel like he is learning something new each week.  When they go from needing to be carried everywhere, to wanting to walk into stores holding your hand.. your know your baby is growing up.  He is 16 months today!

• If I ask him to go and get something (Elmo, tractor, any animal, blanket, cup, shoes) he will go and bring it to me.
• If I tell him it's bath time he runs to the bathroom.  If we say downstairs he goes right to the steps and starts sliding down!  And if we say lets go on a walk or go outside, he runs to find shoes!
• He knows to sit down to put his shoes on, and has started to grab his own shirts and shoes to try and get them on himself. 
• He is still as petite as ever and won't eat much at meal times, but he definitely knows where to find the snacks! 
• At bed time he will give Derek and Boston a kiss and hug, grab his blanket and walk with me to his room.  It's the sweetest thing ever. 
• He knows how to fold his hands to pray at meal time and bed time, and then claps after you say Amen! I am trying to get him to close his eyes when we pray, but he just bows his head down and smiles at everyone.
• He can recognize farm animals and zoo animals thanks to his Little People's Farm & Noah's Ark sets! 
• We are still transitioning out of 2 naps a day.  I would guess that half of the week he does, and half of the week he doesn't.  Some mornings he is just way too crabby to keep up. 
• He still sucks his fingers and loves his blankets.  If he is sleepy he will grab his blanket and curl up on the floor somewhere to suck his fingers.  He's never fallen asleep on the floor though!
• Bed time is still 7-8 PM, and he is up around 7.  I never set my alarm for babysitting in the mornings as Brigham is my alarm clock.  If he ever decides to sleep in some morning I may be in trouble!

One thing that both of our boys got from their mama is their love for a blankie! Brigs also sucks his fingers, which was another mama thing.  A few weeks ago he had a little melt down about me taking his blanket away during lunch.. 

'I just wanna cuddle it mama'.

Brigham sees the little daycare girls pushing around babies in the stroller, so he likes to do it too!

I think this is one of my favorite pictures of him lately!  He has the cutest smile & a new haircut!

He loves to watch Sesame Street.  It's really the only time he will sit still and be quiet for any length of time.  

He loves freeze pops but it gets juice e.v.e.r.y. where, so we decided fruit bars are less mess!

Brigs, you light up our world!  You have the silliest personality and your smile & big blue eyes are enough to wrap anyone around your little fingers!  It is truly a blessing to be home with you each and every day to watch you grow! 

It's H.O.T.

The weather has been in the 90's and 100's for almost 3 weeks.  It's H.O.T. so our time outside is limited because it's just too miserable for the kids.. and me.  If we do play outside or take a walk, we do it before lunch when it's a few degree's cooler!

Boston has more fun in the baby pool than Brigs!

 He's so good about entertaining his brother.

 Brigham loves to swing high!

 He sure didn't want to sit IN the pool, but he loved that it sprayed water!

Boston's mess..  he wants to grow his hair out!

Jaxon was trying to stay cool under the slide.  For those of your wondering, Jaxon is alive & well!  He hasn't had any health issues since we got him on the right meds!  He has a thick, healthy coat of fur!  Everyone that sees him comments how he looks like a totally different dog.  Yeah!!

 

Getting settled.

I finally got around to taking pictures of the house now that we are moved in, (2 months ago!) and mostly settled.  We are still in the 'How do we decorate?' and 'Where do we hang this?' mode, so there is still a lot we'd like to get done in time.  The plus side to seeing bare walls, having an unfinished basement and no end tables or decorative tables?  Less to clean :)  For those of you that have been patiently waiting to see our house decorated and 'lived in'..  here ya go!  Enjoy.

Brigham's Room-  I keep thinking the transition from crib to toddler bed is coming soon and it frightens me.  I may keep him locked up in his cage for a few years!  He hasn't started to climb out.. yet.

 Boston's Room.  We are still on the hunt for more super hero decor!

Our bedroom.

Stairway to the basement.

 Finished area at the bottom of the steps.

The basement.  I did a lot of cleaning down there before I took pictures :)  We spend a lot of time playing down there during the week with daycare kids.  There is a lot of room to run around and the kids love it! 

We also have a 'living' space set up so that Derek has a place to lounge and watch TV while I am watching the Bachlorette!