More Daycare Drama

I know you guys are sick of me complaining about daycare - but I think I am still just shell-shocked that the options are so limited. I guess I know now why so many moms stay home - it makes the most money sense with two or more kids! In our situation, it would have to be Lance that stays home, but that really doesn't work for us for a number of reasons. I was excited last night, though, when we thought we had come up with a solution. We were going to do one of these school-day programs that offers after and before care and only do the 9:00 - 3:00 for now and if Lance gets something full-time we would add on aftercare when we could afford it. Well, come to find out that probably won't work either!!! All of these programs require registration fees (average of $100 per child), supply fees paid up front ($75 per child), and then the real hammer - fees for the last month prior to the first month! Yikes - for the one that we found that is most affordable and closest to our house that is a $1400 check that they need by July 15!!! Needless to say, we just don't have $1,400 sitting around to be doled out in the next two weeks. So, back to square one. I really liked the lady we met who is willing to keep them at her house with her two children - but I worry that since she has never done this before she may not be thinking ahead enough about vacations, sickness, doctor and dentist appointments for her kids, just the tedium of being virtually housebound thanks to 4 children, etc. We found a "nanny" who was willing to come to the house, but she is very young and after talking to Pam she thinks the kids need to be around other kids - she said that when they are by themselves they fight and whine a lot more but when they are around other kids they play with them and leave each other alone. I visited a home daycare yesterday and it was fine too - but they don't have any outdoor play time (or even an area to play in) and I just think 5- 2 year olds cooped up in a small playroom all day, every day is a recipe for disaster. I am going to visit a montessori school that offers financial aid, today, and we'll see how that goes. There are definitely things I like about montessori, but there are also some things that seem a little odd and just not how we would naturally parent. I am obviously just too picky and not realizing that while the situation we are in now is not ideal, it is what it is and I am going to have to deal with having to put the kids in care that is safe and clean and not worry about the rest. Ugh! Ok, that's the last I will say about it, or at least until I post pictures from their last day at Pam's!

ABCD...

Just in the last couple of days it seems the kids have had an even bigger language explosion. They are both saying phrases and sentences - some of them hilarious like "Tylie - sit down" - or "Tylie on now" (to encourage him to put his shoes on so we can leave). Or Tyler saying "Flop on Marley" when he wanted to put the flip flop on Marley or "Kahtee take bath" when we were walking up the stairs and she was ahead of him yelling excitedly about bathtime. They are doing so, so good and now is definitely the time to watch what we say - Tyler is a little parrot!

Katie is still being a little obstinate - at the zoo on Sunday she decided she only wanted to be held and only by me (and carrying 25 pounds in 95 degree weather just doesn't cut it) and proceeded to scream, yell and sit down in protest of not getting her way. I admit that I gave in and finally just carried her even though I know I shouldn't let her have her way, but the alternative was an embarrassing meltdown in the heat and in front of everyone. I will have to get better at that, or hopefully she will just go back to actually wanting to walk everywhere and not caring at all where I am! The good news is that we did manage to escape swim lessons without having to carry out either child screaming and they did fabulous! Tyler has really gotten a little more comfortable and can really get up the ladder well. They both played in the baby pool in the backyard on Sunday afternoon and amazed me at how fearless they are becoming. Katie was laying completely down (she kept saying she was floating but her back was on the ground so not really) and saying hair wet. Tyler was climbing in and out and when he climbed in he didn't care that he got water in his face and hair (he is usually not a fan of that). They were both laying on their bellies and kicking their legs and having a ball - I was beginning to doubt if they would ever learn to swim but now it looks like they may just get the hang of it sooner than I think!

Now for "deep" thoughts. As you know, these are my only kids so my concerns may be the same as parents across the board, but right now I am just worried about my two very different little ones and how I should parent them. I want to give them both what they need, but right now that seems so hard because they need such different things. Tyler is just much more emotionally sensitive and needs reassurance and praise and thrives on positive reinforcement. He was sitting yesterday reading our before bedtime book (Brown Bear - love it) to himself and knew every animal, but when asked he always looks to Katie to answer because she is much more forward and insistent. He will answer when you give him lots of positive feedback, but I have no idea how much he actually knows because he keeps so much to himself already. Katie, on the otherhand, could care less really if you clap and praise her but she seems to crave physical attention more and always wants to be near you, holding your hand, being the center of attention which takes away from opportunities to give Tyler the attention he needs. All in all I think we do a good job of making sure they are individually loved and noticed, but it definitely is something that we will have to be conscious of. I think that is another reason this daycare decision is so hard. I truly think Katie will be fine without social interaction with lots of kids and without a "teacher"' per se, but I think Tyler does better having a wider net of people who bolster his confidence and recognize his strengths. Gosh, parenting is a lot tougher than I ever imagined! I think the caretaking in the first year is difficult, of course, but now is when there are so many decisions to make about discipline and instilling self-confidence, and not being a helicopter parent, but not being too hands-off, etc., etc. Getting to watch these two grow and learn is amazing though and hopefully if we just love them, and appreciate them, and teach them as much as we can, we won't mess them up too bad!

Fish Face

I hope that anybody who reads this knows that even though I may complain about the kid's typical "terrible twos" behavior - I am really having a great time. The kids are truly awesome, and this age is so fun. I guess you have to deal with tantrums and obstinance occasionally to truly appreciate those hilarious, super cute, unbelievably sweet moments that only happen with toddlers.

I never knew how bad I am at animal sounds until I started trying to think of and imitate them for the kids. They now know the sounds for every animal that I can think of a sound for and we have moved from "what does the animal say" to "what does the animal do?" So far we are pretty hung up on what a bunny does, "hop, hop, hop" and what a fish does - this:

Tyler doesn't quite have it, but you can see that he can barely contain his smile while trying to make the fish face.

You can't eat anything around these vultures these days. They, literally beg for a "bite," or a "sip," or "more" of anything you have regardless of if it is something that they wouldn't even touch if given to them on their own plates.

Poor Lance, he had to deal with three beggars for his sandwich.

They both won him over and coerced him into giving them a bite.

Tyler got his hair cut, finally! I'm pleased with it and he was so, so good at the salon (multiple people complimenting him on how patient and sweet he was being during the hour wait).

Katie needs her haircut, but she on the otherhand would not be complimented on her behavior if she had to wait! She was wearing my headband around the house the other day and has worn it for three days straight now - I think she thinks she looks cute in it and she doesn't want to take it off!

Come On Ikea!

Well, after "intense" research (aka - google and message boards) I have determined that Katie's meltdowns at dinner time (4 nights in a row now) are completely normal for her age. At daycare she gets to sit at a "big girl" table and chairs and now doesn't want to have anything to do with being strapped into the booster. It's time to get them a table and chairs in their size since we have no table that they can sit at currently (stools and the picnic table aren't toddler friendly). So, I started looking around and the cheapest and cutest ones I can find are at Ikea and can only be purchased in the store. Alas, we don't have a store here and the big facebook push to get one hasn't been effective yet. I LOVE Ikea and probably actually don't want one here because it would make me shop too much thinking I am getting deals :-)! The Little Tikes and Step 2 ones are cute and will be fine and are what we will end up getting (when she starts to completely refuse to eat, I guess) - they have to be ordered online too and are still kind of pricey so I am scouring craigslist and may hit some garage sales!

The daycare saga continues. We have some good leads, but really it all boils down to finances. I am just more comfortable at a "real" daycare or school and think the kids would love it, but all we can afford is home daycare or a stay-at-home mom who probably doesn't realize how housebound she will become adding our two to the mix. Lance thinks I am being silly (and I probably am) even worrying that the kids need a pre-school type of environment, but I guess I just keep hoping that something will come along that will make the fees feasible at the school where I really want them to go. I have to decide soon, though, so I am meeting with some of the people who have expressed interest this week and hopefully one will seem like a great fit and that problem will be solved! We actually found a nanny who is willing to come to our house if she can bring her 3 month old son, for a great weekly rate, so we may be going in a completely different direction - crazy!

Ugh - tantrums!

Well, my fears have been realized. Miss Bug was paying attention to Tyler's antics and has decided she will try them out too. Sunday night I chalked it up to her being exhausted from playing outside when she absolutely refused to sit in her high chair or eat. She has gotten pretty clingy in the last couple of days and she was holding tight on to me and when we put her in her chair to eat she wouldn't bend her legs to sit and when we got her sitting she wouldn't put her legs down or stop pushing the tray away long enough to get it snapped. Then, when we finally coerced her into sitting she was dangerously rocking the stool with the booster attached and throwing all of her food. We put her to bed early and hoped that acting like a brat was just a by-product of fatigue. No such luck. Last night she did the same thing come dinner time until she was finally bribed with green beans (go figure). She ate her beans, ravioli and fruit while interspersing random whines, cries and yells for down and then had a complete meltdown before she was released. They got into the bath (a necessity after the ravioli) and proceeded to try to steal everything from each other and scream and cry. Bedtime has begun to be a struggle anyway, but last night was horrific with Katie just standing at the edge of her crib yelling "ma ma ma more" and dissolving into hysterical tears. I have to be at work earlier in June and July and so Lance released them from their cribs this morning while I tried to get ready. When I went in she was whining and crying again for me and then when we went to do her favorite thing (dance) she just laid on the floor kicking and screaming and crying. Suddenly, after about ten minutes of me trying to hold her (but Tyler wanted in on the action too and she was not happy about that), of ignoring her, of trying to distract her, etc., she just popped up and started playing. I don't know what is going on - I guess the terrible two's are hitting full force. We have two little stubborn, hotheads on our hands and the advice to just ignore them and let them have their tantrum is not working. I feel like I need to go to a parent bootcamp or something. I will count my blessings, though, and hope against hope that I am not jinxing myself but so far they have been really sweet to each other when the other one is acting ugly. Yesterday when Katie had a meltdown at the door because she wanted to go back outside Tyler brought her milk and a baby doll and even though she threw it down - it was sweet that he was trying to cheer her up. She does the same types of things for him - let's hope that continues and they don't decide to have twin meltdowns all of the time. Although, if both of them were doing it maybe it would be easier just to leave them thrashing and wailing together :-)!

Puffing Up

Tyler, for the last few weeks, has started throwing his shoulders back and taking a deep breath in (what we call puffing up) whenever he is unsure about someone or something, or being shy, or nervous, or grumpy. It is pretty funny and when he pokes his lip out too I almost can't help but laugh. Pam almost got it on camera (please overlook his awful hair - time for a cut again)!

They sing the "clean-up" song before we I get to daycare to pick them up and put on their shoes and usually come running to the door so excited - I love it!

"Water" Babies

Well, I am super busy with two events now that I am back at work so I don't have much time, but wanted to check in! I had an awesome girls trip, but I think the kids may have even had more fun! They played in the baby pool with Grandma and B-Bob (Tyler's word for Grandbob), ate all sorts of new foods like key lime pie, strawberry wafers, and pickled okra (and loved it), and were generally just spoiled and doted on for 5 days!!! My mom says the kids were on good behavior and none of the things we were dealing with like carseat aversion, getting dressed meltdowns, and absolute refusal to put jammies on - happened. Never fear, though, the little rascals were up to their old tricks in no time and started all of that back again yesterday. They are doing so, so good with their words and even putting some short phrases together. They have almost mastered each other's names - which is so cute. Katie is even more silly these days, which I didn't even know was possible, and Tyler is trying to become Mr. Indpendent. He will have nothing to do with putting his clothes, or shoes on if we are trying to help him but if you ask him to do it himself he is all about it (too bad he hasn't quite figured out left and right foot and separate leg holes for shorts). They are starting to interact even more (in good ways and fighting unfortunately) and Lance even had them throwing the ball back and forth to each other last night (I had to work last night until after they were in bed and have to tonight too so I missed out on seeing that one - sure glad that I don't work these crazy hours all the time). Katie has a wicked left-handed line drive throw and Tyler is truly a monkey - he can climb on and up anything he sets his mind to. They played in the baby pool at their Great Uncle Bill and Aunt Niffa's house too and they took some fabulous pictures. Here are just a few of them - more to come since my mom took some too, I think, and there are more of these that I don't have time to download!

Swim Lessons!!!

We started swim lessons yesterday and did a make-up today so for two days straight the kids have been at the YMCA pool. So-So and Grandpa went with us on Friday and took some pictures and then today they went instead of Lance and were in the pool with Tyler. Katie definitely loves the water, but still doesn't understand that she can't get "down." She was a bit mad at me today when we practiced dunking (and a couple of times when she dunked and we weren't supposed to), but still really enjoys the water and seems to love "swim" time. Tyler was better today, but still hesitant. He bests Katie at getting out and holding onto the wall and that is mostly what we are learning - just some safety type things that may help them if they accidentally fall into a pool. They can't really learn to swim at this point, but they can learn how to use a ladder, how to get out on the side, and today we practiced walking until they couldn't reach anymore and trying to learn to turn around and bounce back to where they could touch. They want to go down the slides at the pool - maybe by the end of the classes they, or rather we will be more comfortable letting them!

Tyler had a tight grip on daddy's hair and was trying to climb up him and out of the water!

Katie was not happy after going under. Katie is good floater, but prefers to do her own thing!

Tyler isn't a big fan of being on his back, but he is getting the hang of climbing out.

My Little Monkey

Well, Katie has always been a little jumping bean and has started running and hopping everywhere but now she has added climbing everything to her repertoire. For the last week at daycare she has climbed out of the pack-n-play she sleeps in and has proceeded to wander around the room moving the diapers around and trying to wake up her roommates. Today, though, she scared Pam silly when she climbed out and climbed up the bunkbed ladder. When Pam came in to check on her she was at the top of the ladder and was so startled to be caught that she fell down them. She was ok, but we really have to find a way to get her to take a nap and stop being such a busybody. When they move to a new daycare (haven't found one yet) she will have to sleep on a mat so we might try to go ahead and "train" her to lay down and sleep without being caged in. That will involve sitting beside her and keeping her there, I am sure - oh fun. About as much fun as the trip to Florida is sure to be. The actual visit with my mom and on Girl's weekend WILL be fun, it's just the 8 hour trip with children who hate carseats that I am dreading!!!

We went on a tour of a daycare/preschool yesterday and it was great. I know that they would love it - lots of playtime, structured art and music activities, water fun and sandtables, etc. It is the "cheapest" one we have found but will still cost $1500 a month - outrageous!!! I know a school environment would be great for them, but I just don't know if it is worth that. So far it is our only option, but hopefully I will find something else soon and can really weigh pros and cons better. One thing that did come up on the tour was the question of what class they should be in . Because of their birthday we have to decide if we start them in K when they just turned 5 or just turned 6. That applies to pre-school too - in all of the places I have looked. We can either keep them in the oldest toddlers class and they would be the oldest ones or put them in the 2s class right when they turn two. That is a hard decision because they are both small for their size and not doing some things that they should when they are 2 like drink from open cups, nap on mats, eat with utensils, etc. But, one of the classes we sat in on was the older toddler class and the kids do seem a little ahead of them - just in small things like they were learning all of their body parts (which the kids have known for a while) and they still had cube chairs instead of real chairs and this is at the end of their year when they will be in the 2's class this Fall that they are just now learning this. Plus, the kids did seem just a little older than most of them. However, they were a lot smaller than the kid's in the 2's (about to be three) class that we looked at and those kids were following directions a lot better than K&T! Decisions, decisions - and really time to start getting them to use those spoons and forks and plates!