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!